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Bridges

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Bridges was a Norwegian rock band from Oslo, formed in 1978. Pål Waaktaar and Magne Furuholmen both grew up in Manglerud, a suburb of Oslo. Already in fifth grade Waaktaar, still a drummer at the time, brought Furuholmen into his little band as guitarist and singer. Later Waaktaar learned to play guitar himself and persuaded Furuholmen to take up keyboards. With bassist Viggo Bondi and drummer Erik Hagelien the group began recording demos.

Music and breakthrough

In 1978 and 1979 Bridges played live a number of times. At one of those concerts Morten Harket was in the audience. For the debut album Fakkeltog, Øystein Jevanord took over on drums. The band paid for the recording and release itself, and the record came out in 1980. In the summer of 1981 a second album, Våkenatt, was finished, but the atmosphere in the group had worsened during the recording. After a last concert that summer the band broke up, without the album having been released.

Influence

Waaktaar and Furuholmen wanted to continue in London, but the other two did not go with them. With Morten Harket they then started the synth-pop group a-ha. That is why Bridges is important above all as a forerunner: this is where the later makers of a-ha learned to write and record songs together. Våkenatt was not released until 2018, by the Norwegian music archive Rockheim.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to a track from Fakkeltog and compare it with Take On Me by a-ha. Notice whether you can already hear something of the later synth-pop sound in Furuholmen's keyboards.

Discography

Studio albums

In School of Rock

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Categories: Artists