From the blog

Level 42 – ‘Forty Two’ LP Pre-Order

Released 25 September 2026.

Pre-order at coalfacerecords.com

Level 42 formed as an instrumental group in 1979 when Mark King and brothers Phil and Rowland ‘Boon’ Gould joined Mike Lindup at London’s Guildhall School of Music and Drama for weekly jam sessions. United by a shared love of artists such as Miles Davis, Billy Cobham, John McLaughlin and Jan Hammer, they channelled their influences into the creation of inventive jazz-funk fusion instrumentals. Drawn from the band’s first three albums and 12” B-sides, this debut release on Coalface Records, brings together the band’s remarkable instrumental work from 1980-1982.

Specification

  • Limited edition of 1,000 copies.
  • 2LP black and yellow vinyl set.
  • Deluxe gatefold edition with obi strip and printed inner sleeves.
  • Exclusive liner notes by Gilles Peterson.
  • Band commentary by Mark King, Wally Badarou, Phil Gould and Mike Lindup.
  • Mastered for vinyl by Geoff Pesche at Abbey Road using hi-res 24-bit transfers from original analogue tapes.
  • Lacquers cut at Abbey Road by Geoff Pesche.
  • Photography by David Corio and John Gould.
  • Matt laminated sleeve with resealable protective clear bag.
  • Released under licence from Universal Music Group with kind permission from Mark King.

Track Listing

Side A

Sandstorm (4:40)
Heathrow (4:42)
Mr. Pink (5:07)
Shapeshifter (5:05)

Side B

88 (5:10)
Dune Tune (4:49)
Theme To Margaret (3:59)
Beezer One (7:09)

Side C

The Pursuit Of Accidents (7:38)
The Return Of The Handsome Rugged Man (5:55)
Woman (4:35)

Side D

Forty Two (6:38)
43 (7:01)
Foundation And Empire (Parts 1 & 2) (8:28)

Additional Information

Catalogue No. Face 1
33 rpm

LEVEL 42 – Bremen, Germany

📢 LEVEL 42 ARE HEADING TO BREMEN! 🇩🇪
📢 BIG NEWS, GERMANY! 📢

We are thrilled to announce that Level 42 will be headlining the Summer Grooves Festival in Bremen on Saturday, July 3, 2027! 🎸✨

Get ready for the ultimate 80s & 90s celebration under the sky at the beautiful Seebühne Bremen. We cannot wait to bring the funk, the bass, and all your favorite hits to the stage for an unforgettable summer night!

☀️ Event Details:
📅 Date: Saturday, July 3, 2027
⏰ Time: 16:00 (4:00 PM)

🎟️ Tickets are on sale now! Don’t wait—secure your spot today and let’s make some noise in Bremen!
👉 Grab your tickets here: https://seebuehne-bremen.de/programm/events/summer-grooves/

LEVEL 42 AUSTRALIAN TOUR

🇦🇺 AUSTRALIA, we can’t wait to see you for the first time this summer!
We’ll be performing songs from World Machine + Greatest Hits
Sign up via daltours.cc/level42 to access presale tickets
Early bird presale begins wed 1 July 9am local
Tickets on sale: Fri 3 July 9am Local

Level 42 Announce December 2026 UK Tour Celebrating 45 Years

LEVEL 42 will be heading out on a five-date UK tour in December 2026 to mark 45 years since their first studio album, 1981’s ‘Level 42’. Tickets are onsale at 10am on Friday 27 February and available from AEGPRESENTS.CO.UK. Beginning in Bath on 01 December, they will then head to Nottingham and Oxford, before finishing with two nights at London’s Indigo at The O2.

Their ‘Level 42’ self-titled, debut studio album was merely the first step in an incredible career for the band who continue to set the benchmark for British Jazz Funk. To date, the band have released 14 studio albums, had 18 top 40 singles including the era-defining ‘Lessons in Love’, ‘Something About You’, ‘Leaving Me Now’, ‘Running in the Family’, and ‘Hot Water’, sold out Wembley Arena for a total of 21 nights, and sold in excess of 30 million albums worldwide.

Forty five years on from that first album, Level 42 are still in demand the world over. These UK December dates celebrate yet another remarkable milestone, but are also an opportunity to witness one of the most popular and enduring British bands doing what they do best.

Get Presale Access: aegp.uk/L42-2026
Tickets on general sale Friday 10am!