Paul Waaktaar-Savoy (born Pål Gamst, 6 September 1961[1]) is a Norwegian musician and songwriter.

Waaktaar-Savoy is best known for his work as the main songwriter and guitarist in the Norwegian synth-pop band a-ha, which has sold more than 50 million albums worldwide.

", "Hunting High and Low", "Take On Me", the 1987 James Bond theme "The Living Daylights" and the ballad "Summer Moved On".

Waaktaar-Savoy was named Knights First Class of the Order of St. Olav by King Harald for his services to Norwegian music and his international success.

He would usually tap his drumsticks on the wall, but this made his neighbors angry so he decided to make his first drum kit out of boxes.

They were about 10 years old when they met and they bonded over the love of music, and Pål soon got really interested in Magne when he learned that his grandfather had an electric guitar and an amplifier.

Before turning to music full time, Pål's first job was scrubbing floors underground and he also worked at a deli with Magne.

Pål Waaktaar, as he was then known, was lead singer, guitarist and songwriter in the Norwegian rock band Bridges, along with keyboardist Magne Furuholmen (with whom he later formed a-ha with singer Morten Harket), drummers Erik Hagelien and Øystein Jevanord, and bassist Viggo Bondi.

An unreleased Bridges song called "Miss Eerie" later evolved into "Lesson One" and then into the a-ha hit "Take On Me".

The album was recorded in late 1980 and early 1981, but was discarded after Paul and Magne Furuholmen decided to go to London, which made Viggo Bondi and Øystein Jevanord to leave the group.

[citation needed] Waaktaar-Savoy is the lead guitarist and main songwriter for a-ha, one of the most successful bands of the 1980s.

The following tour was documented in a-ha's second official live album, How Can I Sleep with Your Voice in My Head, which was released in March 2003.

The Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav is granted as a reward for distinguished services to their country and mankind.

[10] In 2001 Waaktaar released his fourth studio album, "Reasons to Stay Indoors", which was again a big success in Norway.

Their self-titled single (Weathervane) appears on the soundtrack for the movie Headhunters (based on the book "Hodejegerne" by Jo Nesbø).

This trait was played upon in his debut and so far sole exhibition "Rammer" (meaning "Frames" in Norwegian) in Lillehammer, Norway in 1998.

While I go crazy when I have to go over a song hundreds of times, he can sit with it for hours, trying to find exactly the right mix to achieve the sound he wants.

"[12] Waaktaar met American filmmaker and musician Lauren Savoy in 1984, and they married in a civil ceremony on 21 December 1991, officiated by the Norwegian Bar Association leader Merete Smith, with family and bandmates in attendance.