Bridges (band)
| Company type | Rock band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1978 in Oslo, Norway |
| Defunct | 1981 |
| Headquarters | Oslo , Norway |
| Products | Music albums |
Bridges was a rock ensemble originating from Oslo, Norway, established in 1978, recognized primarily as the forerunner to the synth-pop group a-ha. Their first album, titled Fakkeltog, came out in 1980. Although their follow-up record, Våkenatt, was completed by 1981, it remained unreleased until 2018.
History
Paul Waaktaar-Savoy and Magne Furuholmen both grew up in the Manglerud district of Oslo. At the outset, Waaktaar played drums and brought Furuholmen on board as guitarist and singer. The band initially performed under the name Spider Empire before adding Viggo Bondi on bass and Erik Hagelien on drums. During this time, Furuholmen shifted his focus to keyboards as they developed demo recordings.
Throughout 1978 and 1979, the group performed live shows, one of which featured future a-ha frontman Morten Harket as an audience member. Before recording Fakkeltog, drummer Erik Hagelien was replaced by Øystein Jevanord. The band independently financed and released this debut album in 1980.
By mid-1981, Bridges had finished their second album, Våkenatt. However, internal disagreements led to their last performance that year without officially releasing the record. Subsequently, Waaktaar and Furuholmen relocated to London to advance their musical pursuits, while Bondi and Jevanord chose not to continue, leading to the group's breakup.
In August 2018, the Rockheim Musical Archives issued Våkenatt, making it available 38 years after its original recording.
Discography
Band members
- Paul Waaktaar-Savoy – lead vocals, guitar (1978–1981)
- Magne Furuholmen – keyboards, vocals (1978–1981)
- Viggo Bondi – bass (1978–1981)
- Erik Hagelien – drums (1978–1979)
- Øystein Jevanord – drums (1979–1981)