ALMOST 30 years after forming Level 42, ‘bass thing’ Mark King is still slapping the funk out of his famous instrument. As the band return to Cardiff, GAVIN ALLEN asks the frontman to select the five songs that he believes made Level 42 one of the defining bands of the ’80s…
Love Meeting Love – 1981
“It was our very first single, and it was only a single, not on an album. It was so left of field when we wrote it and it was limited to 50 copies on white label. It’s so long ago now I can’t even remember the name of the band that had a song on the other side of the record but it became quite a hit with DJs in the clubs. John Peel liked it and he put it in his festive 50 in 1980, which was probably the only time in our career we ever had any credibility.”
Love Games – 1981
“It got us in the charts for the first time and got us onto Top Of The Pops, which at the time was a big thing. Things have changed now though. If I mention Top Of The Pops to my 11-year-old daughter she hasn’t got a clue what I’m talking about. I remember being in the TOTP studio that time and calling my parents because it was just such a big thing for me, and for us as a band.”
Sun Goes Down (Living It Up) – 1983
“It was our first big hit but this is special to us because we recorded it in Los Angeles with Larry Dunn and Maurice White from Earth, Wind and Fire and it was affirmation for us from our peers. It was amazing that some of the people who had inspired us actually wanted to produce our music. It was also great because it gave us our first No.1 in the UK.
Hot Water – 1984
“I had just watched a documentary on Afrika Bambaataa and it was the first time I had ever heard of sampling or looping, and this thing they were calling hip hop. The very next day we were due in the studio to mix Hot Water with our engineer and I just started toying around with it in terms of what I had heard them talking about on the documentary. You could only actually sample 1.6 seconds maximum at the time, but it completely changed the colour of the track. It also proved to be a big hit for us as a dance tune. From thereon in it was a very steep learning curve because so much about music changed for me in those couple of days.”
Something About You – 1985
“This was a real concerted effort for us to come up with a song that would be a hit around the world, because we had done well in the UK but we had never had much luck in the US or anywhere else. We all got together at my studio in Streatham in London because our contract with Polydor was up and if we wanted another one we had to widen our sound a bit.
The result of that was Something About You and it was No.1 in 17 countries. That we actually sat down and tried to do it and succeeded was pretty cool. The funny thing is, I remember our manager and the guy at the label at the time weren’t that keen on it. But we were very persistent about it and it proved us right. It was also our first top 10 US hit.”
45 Comments
Something About You still gets airtime even these days in Canada .. even ‘Leaving Me Now’ does sometimes … It just goes to show how incredibly successful The World Machine album was worldwide .. I for one am very glad it was :) !!!
HI NOVALEAH HERE…………SOMETHING ABOUT YOU WAS THE FIRST SONG I HAD HEARD FROM THE BAND. I WAS INSTANTLY HOOKED AND WENT STRAIGHT OUT AND GOT “WORLD MACHINE” AND ALL THE ALBUMS AFTER THAT I COULD FIND.
IT WASN’T TILL A BIT LATER DID MY FAVOURITE SONG COME ALONG.”I SLEEP ON MY HEART.”
IF I WENT TO MY MUSIC LIBRARY RIGHT NOW…THAT IS THE FIRST ONE I WOULD PLAY. I HAVE ALWAYS LOVED “BUSY” BANDS LIKE, LIGHTHOUSE, CHICAGO, EARTH,WIND AND FIRE..ETC….. THAT HAVE A SOUND ALL THEIR OWN. LEVEL 42 IS SO LIKE THAT. I KNOW RIGHT OFF IT IS THEM.
HAVE A GREAT DAY!
XXX NOVALEAH
Gotta agree with Novaleah, Sleep on my heart is definately one of my top 3 L42 songs. It comes very close to Eyes Waterfalling, and Mr Pink, I cant really separate any of the three. They are all fun to play and sing along to.
Git?
My 3 would be…….hummmmmmm? I Sleep on my Heart
………..
Children Say…..which is a very dreamy song……
&
World Machine
I had to think for a minute….now that is dangerous!!!
Oh you play? Me too!
But, not anywhere as busy as these guys. LOL!
xxx NOVALEAH
Yeah I’ve played guitars in general for 30 years!! My first instrument was drums, then 6 string guitars, then bass. I have managed to learn quite a few of Marks riffs and can sing quite a few as well. Just bought a Status series II this year, second hand, what an instrument!!
(By the way the name Githead has been my internet name for 10 years and has nothing to do with that god-awful band of the same name!!)
see ya soon. Git.
IF IT IS ANY CONFORT, I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF “GITHEAD!” HAVE TO GO SEE IF I CAN FIND THEM. LOL!
I’VE PLAYED GUITAR SINCE I WAS 22 …THAT IS A LOT OF YEARS. YEAH, 30 ODD FOR ME TOO.
HAVE STUDIO TIME, PLAYED AROUND TOWN. ETC.
WANNA JAM? LOL!
I DON’T HAVE ANYONE TO PLAY WITH HERE!
LIKE I SAID , “I’M NOT AS BUSY AS LEVEL 42! LOL!
I AM A CANADIAN…BORN AND RAISED IN A SEAPORT ALL MY LIFE. I AM AS LAID BACK AS A PERSON CAN GET.
ANYWAY…I DON’T KNOW IF IT IS ALLOWED TO POST BACK AND FORTH SO, I WILL CLOSE NOW BEFORE MORGAN GIVES ME THE “BUMP-DE-BUMP!
XXX NOVALEAH
GIT?…….
I LISTENED TO THAT GROUP YOU MENTIONED…..???? LIVE………..
SO I LISTENED TO ANOTHER FROM THEM???????????
I WAS WAITING FOR THEM TO PICK UP THE PACE?????????LOL!
NEVER CAME!
NOT BOUNCY ENOUGH FOR ME I’M AFRAID.
XXX NOVALEAH
Yeah they are really dire!! Cant stop its 3am. My son will be waking me up soon….
Laterz
Git.
HI GIT…..
HEY! I’M LISTENNG TO, “MR. PINK,” I FORGOT HOW BUSY THAT WAS AND YOU SAY YOU CAN PLAY THAT?
OK! LOL!
GONNA GO LOOK AROUND MORE OF THE ARCHIVES.
XXX NOVALEAH
I FOUND “BITTER MOON” IN THE “YOU TUBE” LINK AT THE TOP.
I CAN’T GET THAT SONG OUT OF MY HEAD.
BEAUTIFUL MUSIC….THE WORDS ARE A BIT SAD ON THE HEART……. AS MOST CAN RELATE.
lOVE IT THOUGH.
THIS SONG IS REALLY DIFFERENT FROM THE ONES I AM USED TO HEARING FROM HIM……..ONLY FOUND IT VIA HERE……
THANKS,
XXX NOVALEAH.
Hi Novaleah, Bitter Moon, great song, taken from Marks solo album, One Man. Another good song on that album is Changing the guard. Yeah Mr Pink, It took a while to learn the arrangement, about 3 months altogether, I also manage the solo bits too. I mostly play along to the Physical Prescence version as I think it probably the definative one for me. Cya soon.
Git.
THANKS MORGAN……….BECAUSE OF HERE………I AM SEEING THESE GUYS IN A WHOLE DIFFERENT LIGHT.
I DON’T KNOW A LOT ABOUT THEIR BACKGROUNDS AND SUCH, I CAN’T RATTLE OFF ALL THEIR STUFF FROM THE START…… YET, I KNOW WHAT I LIKE.
I JUST WATCHED “BASS SOLO, SHEFFELD 2008, AGAIN AND AGAIN……LOL! 4 TIMES NOW….LOL
FYI……..UNDER “YOU TUBE”…PRIVATE RECORDINGS.”LINKS” UP THE TOP THERE OF THIS PAGE.
WHAT IS THE NAME OF THAT TUNE OR WAS HE JUST JAMMING??? LOL!
XXX NOVALEAH
I WAS JUST WATCHING “DIVE INTO THE SUN” CIRCA. 2006..
THAT GARY HUSBAND IS QUITE THE DRUMMER.
SOMETHING ELSE, THEM.
I LOVE IT WHEN THEY TAKE OFF TO JAZZLAND.
XXX NOVALEAH
QUESTION? WHAT IS THAT TUNE((( “BASS SOLO, SHEFFELD 2006)))
IN “YOU TUBE” PRIVATE RECORDINGS?
IT STUCK IN MY HEAD! LOL!
XXX NOVALEAH
I agree Nova … Gary is one amazing performer … but he’s also a very accomplished Pianist and more people should be aware of that !! All in all he s a master composer and musician :)
As a drummer, I love Gary’s playing and his skills as a keyboardist/songwriter. I had the chance to hang with him in Anaheim, CA last year and took a pix with him while he performed w/Allan Holdsworth at the NAMM convention. He was very gracious. Just to mention the topic of my favorite Top Five L42 songs. They are:
1) If you were mine (written by Mr. Husband)
2) Man
3) Sunbed Song
4) I Sleep On My Heart
5) Starchild
P.S. Plus, any band who uses Thunderbirds (my favorite show of all time) as an intro for their live shows is DEFINITELY OK with me!!!
YOU GOT TO BE KIDDING? I REMEMBER THE THUNDERBIRDS.
I WISH I COULD SEE LEVEL 42 LIVE.
OH YES, THERE IT IS, “I SLEEP ON MY HEART.” MY FAV. LOL!
I FIND OUT A LOT OF STUFF TALKING TO YOU ALL.
WE ARE ABOUT TO BE HIT WITH A BLIZZARD HERE SO I’LL SAY SO LONG FOR NOW FROM SNOWY NOVA SCOTIA……AND GET OUTTA HERE!
XXX NOVALEAH
HAPPY HOLIDAYS
I want to say thanks. Because of here,I have been listening to a lot of songs I haven’t heard before. My whole life I worked my stuff I was feeling out into my music. Time to get back to that is long overdue.
One song that is sticking in my head right now is……”Forever Now”. I’ve listened to it several times.
Sometimes people get too caught up in the future (what if’s)(why’s) and forget to live now for whatever reason.
Having just lost my daughter who loved your music too Mark, in June, last year, I forget I still am alive. We sang together all the time. I have tears flowing…think I just got my heart back.
The song…..yes, changed my life. Honest.
Just wanted you to know that.
xxxNOVALEAH
Hey…………GITHEAD? Where are you?
xxx NOVALEAH
Hi.been giving a listen to a lot of your songs I hadn’t heard before.
Love the song, “Overtime” and video.
I used to work in a factory like that and the video reminded me of just what does go on there besides the work! lol! Isn’t it odd sometimes when you can’t find the right words to say and then someone writes them in a song.
XXX NOVALEAH
Again,
Githead?
Where ya too laddie?
XXX NOVALEAH
Just wondering where “GITHEAD” is ?
XXX NOVALEAH
Hi Ya……I just listened to “Music Relief ’94,
What’s Going On?” (under You Tube..here)
I always loved the Mowtown sound and they took this song to a new level.
Brought tears to my eyes.
XXX NOVALEAH
Hey, I’m back! Looking forward to the L42 gig at the O2 tomorrow night!!! Hi Novaleah, sorry aint been around much, but I just got news I am out of a job in 3 months so I’ve been busy.
see ya soon.X
PS the picture is my bass, a series II Status cica ’95. Mmmm slappy.
Hi Been a while since we connected…
Hope all is well.
All ok here…
I see you have been busy…
Things will turn round later…
they always do right?
See ya on the flip side…
Missed chatting with you..Slappy…..
XXX NOVALEAH
Oh yes/ got answer to my several questions…Pursuit of Accidents…know it well now..great tune….
XXX NOVALEAH
Oh yes…..P.S. Had the opportunity come lately to play again….we have a wicked bass player and guess what bass he has?
You guessed it…
that one…you have Git….
Need I say more?
Got the 1st. 3 songs to get down before practice on Wednesday.
All are mates of mine for years…they sot me out and bugged me to join for a month now…..am honored…..truly
Finally made the decision to go for it…
Going to singer/ guitar players house today to work on songs before practice.
am so excited to do this again…
been 20 yrs….
XXX NOVALEAH
Well done ,I would love to play live again. I still work with a song writer friend of mine, but just recording demos to send off to his publisher. His name is Reg and he has written a track for Manfred Man, in fact it was the title track for their album Rebel. Perhaps losing my job will spur me on to try again. So sorry to hear about your daughter Nova, I cant imagine how that must feel….. Status and Alembic basses are the tops, I cant afford an Alembic tho…:(
Git.
Hi Just popping to see what is up!
All ok on this end and band coming together nicely. Even got a My Space Page…our drummer put it up last weekend…
Look for the Wanna-Bee’s.
No pics or music up on it yet….hopefully by this weekend
Love to all,
Raine..it’s my real name….
oops…
NOVALEAH!
Can I just ask, is there any bands around here that don’t just try and copy what Level 42 do, I know it’s an homour they say to have someone come along and recreate the music you have written, but this whole Mark King thing is becoming obsessive don’t you think. You Tube is full of people who are flagging the clip as How to play this and how to play that Level 42 song, and most of the time they are terrible, why don’t those players try and play something original, but there seems to be some sort of war between MK fans who actually think that spending a lot of money on Basses and Amps etc, will let them sound and play like Mark King, well I wonder how they feel when they realise they are wrong. I’ve just come from you tube where I was watching this guy change JD basses twice and he had others in the back ground and why. I just think it’s time these players got a direction away from MK and try something on their own style, lets face it, if they ever get near to playing like Mark, he’s already doing it so whats the point in that..LOL
Slap on
persistence is a very good thing in the case of “something about you” the reason i fell in love with this group for 20 some years. and it just gets better and better…we are lucky that this incredible group of musicians are still performing and creating magic on the stage.
hugs from Idaho
Kelly
Hey Zigbass, I just wanted to point out that I have been a musician for 30 years I also play Guitar and drums, and play in studios making demos for a song writer friend. I help arrange, record, and produce recordings that are totally origional, I just happen to like Status Basses, Level 42 and the way Mark plays, it was a challenge to learn. Dont judge me by some sap on a utube clip. Oh and for the record I do sound and play like Mark King………when I want too.
p.s. This is a L42 fan site…….ok?LOL.
Oh p.s. to my last post.
Burn him!! He is a Heretic!!
*agrees with Githead’s last comment*…not the burning one…but the previous one.
I have to wonder at the logic of someone coming in to a band’s website, only to comment negatively about fans wanting to emulate their ‘heros’. Are they doing anything wrong? Of course they are not. So I think it should be a case of ‘live and let live’. They obviously love the music that much that they are inspired to try playing the instrument themselves. Surely that is what music is all about. Whether they are ‘as good’ or not as Mark King or anyone else, is totally irrelevant. In all my 44 years, I have never heard such a pointless argument! – (Re.Zigbass)
It’s all about inspiration mate! We all get it from somewhere! …Marie
Thanks Bonnie, my faith in humanity is re-born! Oh and on the subject of the burning heretics, I think that is a bit messy, so is strangulation or firing squad better?? Comments please. Lol.
And I love this quote from the Zigster too;
“I just think it’s time these players got a direction away from MK and try something on their own style, lets face it, if they ever get near to playing like Mark, he’s already doing it so whats the point in that..LOL” Shame you didnt realize this theory before you took your first breath……well everyone else is doing it…etc. (Sorry Zig, nothing personal m8, I just love people who make such sweeping statements, and I am not called Githead for nothing.)
Firing squad is just as messy. Strangulation or hanging maybe? Hmm…not as quick but entertaining to watch in the middle ages, so I hear. Personally, I’d prefer to watch Big Brother, as it’s just as painful to see!
Githead…you have a sharp sense of humour…a bit on the evil side…I like it…hehehe! Tell it like it is. :)
Marie
Thanks Marie, I try my bestest. Big Brother fan eh? Yeah me too. Now if a firing squad is needed anywhere……….its at the audition, so we would even see the awful voyeuristic tripe. Hee hee.
Hahaha! Oh dear Githead…ever thought of anger management?
I’d better write something relevant before I get dropped on from a great height!
Just noticed this ‘interview’ was posted the day after I went to see Level 42 in Newcastle. Excellent gig! I was up in the front row of the circle dancing and singing like a loony, but I had a fantastic time.
Anyway, the song which has most influenced me over the years, must be ‘To be with you again’. I just adore that song! It means alot. My take on it, is that it’s about making a choice which you later realise to be a mistake. You would do anything to turn back time and get back what you have lost.
It strikes a chord with most people I’m sure. Haven’t we all made mistakes we would give anything to rectify?
premiere grosse claque pour moi,lorsque pendant feu l’emission ” les enfants du rock ” j’entendais ” living it up “…
achat de l’album le jour suivant et des autres,depuis plus de 25 ans,je suis level 42 en essayant d’aller les suivre sur leurs tours ( guaranteed a paris montparnasse ) et ( retroglide a anvers ),j’avoue avoir un faible pour ” over there “,”my father shoes ” et ” love in a peaceful world ”
cheers.
As a musician myself (piano), who grew up marinated in music (classical, jazz, Father a Professor of music & a Jazz Pianist, all family members musicians), I immediately appreciated, resonated, & fell in love with Level 42′s diggable jazz chords & rhythmic bass-playing from the minute I heard them. Quintessential “Level” (“Running in the Family”) just sent me “out there”, (particularly with “Children Say”), and compelled me to dive deeper into their past albums in search of even MORE treasure. I think I bought 7 or 8 of their albums in total – from which, “Dune Tune” became a favorite song. These guys were one of the FEW bands in the 80s that had it goin on, AND that spared us the mindless/metallic/mechanical sounds of electronic/synth sound so prevalent in the 80s. Music had lost so much content & soul – essentially becoming a commercial for itself back then, that it just wasn’t even tolerable to the ear anymore. If it weren’t for “Level” and others of that lot (Pages, Mr. Mister, Phil Collins, Spyro Gyra, The Rippingtons, Larry Carlton, Steely Dan, Doobie Brothers, and even some of Go West, Richard Marx), who maintained the ballad, rich/sophisticated/liquid keyboard sounds & meaningful lyrics, I would have jumped off a bridge in High School! Thank GOD they were puttin’ their stuff out there for us to revel in – I can’t thank them enough for the blessing their music has become. I hadn’t heard “Level’s” music in a long while (only had them on vinyl) til recently listening to samples on line when lookin to upgrade to CD’s, and it literally made me cry to hear it all again! GOD their stuff is good! Just brought me back to that point in time, and how breezy jazz music used to be during the 70s-80s transition. It’s a tricky thing to successfully blend jazz WITH a pop/dance feel – maintaining that jazz groove without becoming too obtuse – and they hit the mark! I couldn’t get enough – and I’d played their records incessantly. I’m going to see them in concert on July 29th, in Anaheim, and I can’t wait! MARK, MIKE,… YES ALL OF LEVEL 42 – I LOVE YOU GUYS! THANK YOU SOOO SOOO MUCH FOR YOUR MUSICAL CONTRIBUTION! YOUR STYLINGS AND VOICES HAVE BECOME A PART OF MY SOUL AND I’M EVER SO GRATEFUL!!! HOPE YOU CARRY ON TOGETHER TO MAKE MORE CREATIONS – AND HAPPY 30TH ANNIVERSARY!
Yours Truly,
Adrienne
I forgot to list my fave songs ~
(how can you pick just 3 ?!);
1. CHILDREN SAY
(has been an All-Time Fave of mine since I first heard it — it just reels!)
2. TO BE WITH YOU AGAIN
(love that Baseline drive)
3. IT’S OVER
(though painful lyrics/couldn’t listen to it that often when it came out,.. My God, it’s still GORGEOUS – lyrically, musically, artisticly – sure got to the heart of the matter. AMAZING Piece… and Man ‘O Man, Mark.. you look sexy in that video!)
4. LYING STILL
(Dreamy, smoothe, romantic.. Mark beautiful voice)
5. DUNE TUNE
(Sultry…Neat Ambiance)
6. FASHION FEVER
(LOVE the Drive in the baseline & drums in this song – you’d have to be 6 feet under to not want to get up and dance to it!)
7. GOOD MAN IN A STORM
(
8. SOMETHING ABOUT YOU
9.
10. LASSO THE MOON
Holy COW! – that Bass playin! like a dancer flyin’ all over the fretboard with SUCH finesse! Mark,.. you’re the “KING of SMOOTHE”! My sister and I BOTH were knocked out by this song when it came out – it’s just amazing.. MIKE,.. you’re voice couldn’t be any prettier – accompanied by such beautiful chords.. Again… just GORGEOUS
My Apologies – accidentally hit ENTER before I was done listing my favorite songs! Grrrrr
7. GOOD MAN IN A STORM
(Fun melody to sing, love the chords/harmonies/keyboard sounds, baseline of course, and that final chord caps it off – great way to end it…)
8. SOMETHING ABOUT YOU
(Well this was the one that got it all started! Our intro to the band here in the U.S.! Fell in love with you guys! Could we EVER say enough/too much about your bass plaing?!)
9. WHY ARE YOU LEAVING
(liquid chords, melodic baseplaying, good jazz balad…)
11. I SLEEP ON MY HEART
(never heard this one before until I got the CD. Groovin’ beat & rythms, sexy melody and chords, fun to sing and dance to – Mike,.. don’t know how you get just the right keyboard tone every song!)
12. MY FATHER’S SHOES
(a departure from typical sound of Level – almost country, but what sweet lyrics.. )
13. HEATHROW
(percussive baseline, flying bridge, it grooves.
14. “43″
(great groover)
15. SLEEPWALKERS
(love the sparkly sound of keyboard notes, bouncey bass, love to sing along)
16. LESSONS IN LOVE
(ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba – bouncey bass, yes indeed! It grooves, it drives, sparkly keyboard tones, harmonies, fun to sing to, fun to dance to..)
Well, I could go on forever…. but I’m sure the Server only has SO much memory! ha! All I can say is, my favorite records are;
LEVEL 42
WORLD MACHINE
RUNNING IN THE FAMILY
Core essentials…
Mark, Mike, Guys… can you please play at least those songs mentioned above in your set on July 29th at the Grove of Anaheim? I’d be thrilled to hear them all performed live and I can’t wait to see you!!!
XOXOX
OH yes… and
TWO SOLITUDES
FREEDOM SOMEDAY
MICRO KID
Hot Water
Leaving Me Now
World Machine
Love Games
Mr Pink
it is hard to choose because there are so many different styles and grooves on their albums. I love all of it for different reasons but for groove…see above