Released 14 March 1988 Label Warner Bros. | Format 7"
12"
CD-single | |
B-side "Soft Rains of April" (Original Mix) Length 4:46 (Single Version)
6:08 (Extended Remix) Writer(s) Pål Waaktaar
Magne Furuholmen
Morten Harket | ||
"Stay on These Roads" is a song by Norwegian band A-ha. It was their first single from the album of the same name and was released in early 1988. It achieved success in many European countries.
Contents
Release and reception
"Stay on These Roads" was released in the spring of 1988 and became the most successful single from the Stay on These Roads album, along with "The Living Daylights" on the UK charts. The song did not hit the national charts in the United States, but was a significant hit across Europe. It went to number seven in Germany, number three in France, and number two in Ireland. In Norway, the song was the band's fourth number one single. "Stay on These Roads" was A-ha's seventh and final top five showing in the United Kingdom, reaching number five on the chart edition of March 27, 1988. It would also prove their last top ten hit in the country for almost two decades, as they did not score another UK top ten hit until eighteen years later in 2006.
A Roland D-50 was used on this song—the sound patch is called "Staccato Heaven"—the wind sound during the instrumental was made on either a Roland Juno 60 or Juno 106 synthesizer.
The versions on the 7" vinyl and the 3" CD single ("7 inch Version") are identical to the album version.
Music video
The official music video was directed by Andy Morahan and was filmed in North Norfolk. The band are riding on the bikes and take a break in a petrol station.
The song length is four minutes and forty-six seconds.
7": Warner Bros. / W 7936 United Kingdom
- "Stay on These Roads" - 4:46
- "Soft Rains of April" (Original Mix) - 3:18
12": Warner Bros. / W 7936T United Kingdom
- "Stay on These Roads" (Extended Remix) - 6:08
- "Soft Rains of April" (Original Mix) - 3:18
CD: Warner Bros. / W 7936CD United Kingdom
- "Stay on These Roads" (7" version) - 4:46
- "Soft Rains of April" (Original Mix) - 3:18
- "Take on Me" - 3:50
- "Cry Wolf" - 4:05
Album releases
This track was released on six albums by A-ha: