Subject: Level 42 Digest, #175 ===================== * LEVEL 42 DIGEST * ===================== Digest 175 Thursday, 08/18/94 75 subscribers Today's messages: Fan Club L42 Tour TRUE BELIEVERS TURN IT ON - THE CHANT HAS BEGUN! LEVEL 42 FAQ! Kimosabe New(ish) member. ------------------------------ From: "Robert S. Kadel" Date: Wed, 17 Aug 1994 08:41:40 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Fan Club I got the info in the FAQ about the L42 fan club. Could anyone who is a member from the US tell me: do I simply get an int'l cheque for 18 pounds and send it off, or what? My three attempts at getting info from them over the years (without sending any money) have all failed, I imagine because I live outside the UK. Anyone have any suggestions? Thanks, Rob ------------------------------ From: dcrowson @ amoco.com (David Crowson) Date: Wed, 17 Aug 94 15:09:40 BST Subject: L42 Tour Lars, Do you have the tour dates as well? Where are they touring, Europe, USA? ------------------------------ From: Elson "?" Date: Wed, 17 Aug 1994 13:01:47 -0700 (PDT) Subject: TRUE BELIEVERS TURN IT ON - THE CHANT HAS BEGUN! To commemorate the Level 42 list's 1st anniversary, I'd like to let you know how it started... Once upon a time in Cyberspace, in the year 1993, one bored summer I posted a message on several rec.music.... newsgroups inquiring about the Brit-funk band Level 42. I was bored, I was listening to "Guaranteed" for, what, the 4,539th time and wanted to reach out and find other Level-headed people on this Internet thing. I had receieved about a dozen replies, ranging from "Yeah, I liked that song in 1983, I think its called 'Something Without You Tonight'" to "I've been a lifelong fan, I have all their albums, and I saw them play live at the Hammersmith Odeon about, what, only 18 times..." [green with envy]. I also got a letter from this Eric Hansen guy. He said: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Aug 4, 1993 Hi Elson, In rec.music.makers.synth you write: >Is anyone here a fan of the band Level 42? as a keyboardist, I'm greatly >influenced by their keyboardist/vocalist, Mike Lindup. >Let me hear from you! YES!! I'm a HUGGGGEEEEEE Level 42 fan!! I've got everything on CD - even Mark King's solo album and Wally Badarou's "Words of a Mountain." There are some Mike Lindup and Wally solo albums which I don't have, though =8^( Have you checked out the Level 42 discography available via anonymous ftp at cs.uwd.edu? It's quite long, but complete. . . . I really really really really really wish there was a Level 42 mailing list. In fact, I would start one if I knew how - I'm the sysadmin of a computer system over here in Boston. . . . Oh well - enough rambling. Level 42 has been one of my all-time favorite bands for quite a while, now. I have never seen them in concert, and have only revered their live performances on video which appear on the VHS tape "Fait Accompli". Have you ever seen them in concert? I would practically fly overseas to see them!! Keep in touch... Eric *---------------------------------------------------------------------* | Eric J. Hansen .................... eric @ enterprise.bih.harvard.edu | | Center for Clinical Computing .......... Boston, MA (617) 732-5925 | | .... DOS/Mac programming, Ultrix administration, general chaos .... | *---------------------------------------------------------------------* --------------------------------------------------------------------------- I, of course, replied... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 6 Aug 93 17:06:05 EDT > I'd love to tell you more, and hope you get that Level 42 list started! I will if I can figure out how!! I don't know how much longer I'll be at this job (since I'm looking for a new one), so I may not have the liberty to do it after all. > KEEP IN TOUCH! Sure will! See ya - Eric ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "I may not have the liberty to do it after all." Aren't we glad he was wrong? :) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 12 days later, the first Level 42 Digest came out, in the form of a test "Watson? Are you there?" -type message (No, he never really said that). One year later, here we are. I really don't know where I'd be in terms of my Level 42 fanaticism without this list, or without the Internet in general. I probably would have never known about "Forever Now." I'm sure all of your knowledge about the band has increased because of this. Happy Anniversary, Level 42 Mailing List! Hopefully we'll have a rec.music.level-42 newsgroup someday! :) :) :) Livin' It Up, Elson ------------------------------ From: Elson "?" Date: Wed, 17 Aug 1994 13:28:20 -0700 (PDT) Subject: LEVEL 42 FAQ! For those of you who just joined, here is the updated Level 42 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) list. For the old timers, here is it again, in updated form. Enjoy! Happy 1st Anniversary Level 42 list! ----------------------- | L E V E L | |-----------------------| | ____ ______ | | / | |___ \ | | / /| |_ ) ) | | |___ _| / /__ | | |__| |______| | |_______________________| Frequently Asked Questions List Rev 1.7 August 1994 FAQ Written By: Elson Trinidad Contributors: Lars-Ove Karlsson Eric Hansen Matthew MacInnis Lazlo Nibble C O N T E N T S I. The Band * What is Level 42? * How did they get the name? * Who are the members? * How does Mark King play bass like that and sing at the same time? * Profiles * Who is Level 42's Biggest Fan? II. The History * Level 42's beginnings * The history of Level 42 III. The Music * Their songs * Their albums * Level 42 solo and guest efforts IV. The Info * The Level 42 Fan Club * The Level 42 Mailing List * FTP sites * Record companies * Management ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) I. T H E B A N D ================= "Turn it on - you know that you can..." - from "Turn It On" * WHAT IS LEVEL 42? Level 42 is a British band well known for its distinct jazz/funk/pop sound and high-quality musicianship. * HOW DID THEY GET THE NAME? "42," according to Douglas Adams' book, "The Hitchiker's Guide To The Galaxy," is considered to be the "meaning of life and the answer of the universe." For further details, see the band's history below. * WHO ARE THE MEMBERS? For most of its history, Level 42 has stayed as a solid quartet, with Mark King (bass/vocals), Mike Lindup (keyboards/vocals), Boon on guitar and his brother, Phil Gould on drums. In 1987, the Gould brothers left and since then Level 42 has gone through several personnel changes, yet maintaining King and Lindup as the foundation of the group. Here is a chronological rundown of Level 42 members, past and present: Mark King Bass & Vocals 1980-Present Mike Lindup Keyboards & Vocals 1980-Present Roland "Boon" Gould Guitar 1980-1987 Phil Gould Drums 1980-1987, 1993-Present (Studio) Gary Husband Drums 1990-1993 Frank Tontoh Drums Present (Live) Jakko Jacszyk Guitar 1991-1992, Present (Live) Alan Murphy Guitar 1988-1989 Danny Bloom Guitar 1993 (Studio) Level 42 - The Auxiliary Members Wally Badarou Keyboards Gary Barnacle Saxophone John Thirkell Trumpet Krys Mach Saxophone Annie McCaig Background Vocals * HOW DOES MARK KING PLAY BASS LIKE THAT AND SING AT THE SAME TIME? Very carefully. * PROFILES Mike Lindup Keyboards, Vocals Born: 17 March 1959 in South London, England. Height: 5'11" Marital Status: single Parents: Nadia Cattouse and (the late) David Lindup Sister: Pepita Education Schools: Hollymount Primary, Wimbledon Chase Middle Schools and Chethams School of Music Manchester. Further Education: Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London. Qualifications: G.G.S.M. Diploma (see above). Musicianship Instruments played: Keyboards, drums and percussion. Toys: Fender Rhodes, Wurlitzer, Grand Piano, Hammond XB2, Korg 01/W, Yamaha SY/TG77. Roland JD800, Akai S1100 (sampler) and C-LAB Notator (software). Favourite own recording: Children Say Interesting Facts: Lindup is quite a car connosieur. He owns a Ferrari 246GT, a Lotus Elan Sprint DHC, an Audi Sport Quattro, and a VW GTI Engineering Golf RE2100. He is also endorsed by and a product spokesman of Yamaha Musical Instruments, UK. Mark King Bass, Vocals Born: 20 October 1958 in Northwood, Isle Of Wight, England. Height: 5'8" Marital Status: Divorced, 3 children, currently with steady girlfriend. Parents: Raymond & Bridget King. Brothers & Sisters: Belinda, Rachel, Nathan. Education Schools: Parkhurst Junior 63-70, Cowes High 70-77. Qualifications: 1 English GCE 'O' Level and 7 failures. Previous jobs: Pub Musician, petrol pump attendant, farm labourer, milkman, worker on the assembly line (Ronson's), 'Macari's' music shop, carpet/rug roller, POP STAR. Musicianship Instruments played: Bass, drums, guitar, keyboards, drum machine programming Toys: Alembic bass guitar, Jay Dee bass guitar, Status bass guitar, Trace Elliot amplifiers. Favourite all time single: "Our first number 1", still has to happen in the UK. Favourite all time album: ditto Cars: Grey Range Rover & MG Metro Interesting facts: Mark King owns 'Joe Daflo's' Cafe Bar. The name is made up from the names of Mark and Pia's (his first wife's) children. "Joe" - Joely, daughter; "Da" - from D'Arcy, son; "flo" - from Florrie, daughter. King once worked as a milkman. His gimmick was wearing a cowboy outfit (bought while on a visit to the US) during his rounds. This was the inspiration for the song "Kansas City Milkman." Originally a drummer, King landed a job as a bass salesman in a music store, despite the fact that he had never played the bass before. During store after- hours, King would practice his bass playing, influenced by the slap technique of jazz/funk bassist Stanley Clarke. King is a product spokesman for Trace Elliot Amplification. King has his own private recording studio on the grounds of his mansion on The Isle of Wright. Called "The Summerhouse," it is where the "Guaranteed" and "Forever Now" albums were recorded. Other members: Alan Murphy Guitar (1987-1989) Born: November 18, 1953 Died: October 19, 1989 Instruments played: Guitar and Piano Previous groups: Go West Gary Husband Drums (1989-1993) Born June 14, 1960 Instruments played: Drums, keyboards, acoustic guitar Previous groups: Allan Holdsworth Most embarrassing moment: Having an out of date passport when embarking on a six month tour. * WHO IS LEVEL 42's BIGGEST FAN? No, it's not Lars-Ove Karlsson from Sweden (sorry, Lars-Ove :)), but a 23- year old Englishman named: Ant Level Forty Two The Pursuit Of Accidents The Early Tapes Standing In The Light True Colours A Physical Presence World Machine Running In The Family Running In The Family Platinum Edition Staring At The Sun Level Best Guaranteed The Remixes Forever Now Influences Changes Mark King Mike Lindup Phil Gould Boon Gould Wally Badarou Lindup-Badarou The fan formerly known as Antony Philips Hicks, changed his name in July, 1994 following the release of L42's "Love In A Peaceful World" single. He says, "Some People Think I'm Crazy." Pity the woman who would become his wife. II. T H E H I S T O R Y ======================== "Fire - the heart of history..." - from "Man" * LEVEL 42's EARLY BEGINNINGS Andy Sojka was the band's executive producer in the early years and is credited with making Level 42 a success. Here is his story on the band, and Level 42's "first" album, "Strategy," reprinted from an article originally found in Level 42's newsletter (July 1991): Andy Sojka, the STRATEGY myth explained. In 1979 Andy Sojka owned a record shop in Harlesden, North London that specialised in importing US records normally only available in a few shops in the UK. For some time Andy had been considering different ways of making money from the dance music boom and this led to him putting together his first group. He drew together a group of people, who like him were interested in dance music, and rehearsed their rudimentary musical knowledge until they were able to play together as a band. Then he took a major gamble and released their first recording on his own ELITE record label called 'Dancing In Outer Space', the band was called 'Atmosfear'. The gamble paid off as the record took the dance charts by storm. This brought Andy Sojka to the attention of the major record companies and led to a deal with MCA whereby the record, 'Dancing In Outer Space', was licensed to them finally making number 46 in the national charts. It was during the discussions with MCA that Andy first met up with John Gould. ALL THAT GLITTERS IS GOULD While talking to John Gould one day, John mentioned that he had two brothers who played in a group and would Andy be interested in hearing them. Andy arranged to hear them taking along a small cassette recorder to tape the rehearsal. The music played was very jazz rock oriented and he did not feel he could sell it to the dance market, or that it would get played by the DJs in the clubs. So Andy asked the group if they had anything else/ Mark King replied that he had an idea and played the bass line of a tune which later became 'Love Meeting Love'. Recognising a good riff when he hears one, Andy said, fine now go away and turn it into a song. THE SESSIONS After a week the band returned with the song, words written by Boon, a deal was struck and the Band signed a six month contract to Andy Sojka's Elite Record label. Studio sessions were planned with the first record 'Love Meeting Love' coming out in April 1980. A percussionist, Leroy Williams and saxophonist Dave Chambers had contributed to the studio session with the band flying in Wally Badarou from France, at their own expense, to program the Prophet 5 synthesiser. Andy Sojka states, 'He, Wally Badarou, was the foremost Prophet 5 programmer in the world at that time and his Prophet 5 playing was unequaled'. Wally added the second verse funky clavinet part to 'Love Meeting Love' and gave the band large amounts of inspiration. LEVEL 88? When the band first met with Andy Sojka they had told him their name was '88' and later during a contract session Andy Sojka's solicitor had asked the name of the group with Andy replying '88'. The solicitor came back with an equal 'off the wall' comment, 'why not call the '42' because that number is the meaning of life and everything', as explained in 'Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy'. Still trying to come up with a name at a brainstorming session between Andy Sojka and Jerry Pike the 'Level' was added and the name Level 42 was born just in time for their first record release. Level's first record drew the interest of Polydor with John Perou phoning Andy to tell him that they really liked 'Love Meeting Love' and would he like to sign the group to Polydor. WALLY WORLD There had been a number of recording sessions with Level 42 during the summer of 1980 as Andy Sojka had been trying very hard to get an album out of the band before their six month contract with him ended. Andy had even flown in Wally Badarou from France, this time at Andy's expense, to assist with the production. As the time ran out he had managed to get eight tracks which included 'Love Meeting Love', and 'Wings Of Love', although both he and the band thought of the other six as unfinished. Finally when the band signed to Polydor Andy offered the unreleased material to Polydor for 12,000 pounds but they appeared uninterested. SOJKA'S OWN STRATEGY So Andy was left with the 'unfinished' multi-track tapes and a financial deficit from the studio time. In the meantime Level 42 were teamed up with Mike Vernon for their first Polydor album'Level 42' which did quite well, while Andy started to think about the unreleased material he was holding. Finally spurred on by Level 42's success he decided to try and recoup some of his money ... the birth of 'STRATEGY'. LEGAL 42 Andy Sojka first sought out legal advice to help determine what rights he had and, what he was legally allowed to do with the tapes. In discussion with a barrister it was determined that he did have the right to release the material in whatever shape or form he wanted as long as he did not add a single over-dub that did not belong to the band. Thinking back on this now makes Andy chuckle when he realises how artists material is treated nowadays. With the advent of re-mixes and sampling sometimes it's only the vocal that remains in its original form. Hiring the 'Playground' studio he was determined to produce the best master tapes possible. FIX IT IN THE MIX Andy says, 'we sat in there for about three days as I only had a small budget. I mixed most of it without the help of the co-producer credited on the album, which is Jerry Pike whom I had worked on a couple of things earlier. We just went through the tracks we hadn't done, we didn't touch 'Wings Of Love' or 'Love Meeting Love', we just went through everything else and mixed it the best way we could which was difficult as there were a lot of gaps in the music where there was no melody or anything. There were also sections where there were guitar solos and I never felt that guitar solos, that Boon side, that rock side fitted with what the group were doing. So I left all those off. I think I left nearly every single one off. This again left a further hole because if you take off a guitar solo all your left with is bass, drums and a bit of Mike playing. And if you listen to the 'Early Tapes' you can hear it clearly. The idea was then to put the record out at the end of January 1982'. MARKETING 'STRATEGY' 'Strategy' was now starting to take shape and Andy now turned his thoughts to the record sleeve by commissioning Lester Bachelor, Bass player in' Atmosfear' and graphics designed to come up with a designed layout. The master tapes were passed to Lyntone and six test pressings of 'Strategy' were made with the catalogue number LEVLP1. The order of the next event is in doubt as Andy cannot remember if he phoned John Gould or John Gould phoned him. It doesn't matter too much because during the telephone conversation Andy told him he was about to release the album 'Strategy'. John apparently did not say much, according to Andy, but then again managers can be like that. Andy continued to busy himself with the release of 'Strategy' and running his record shop, which he still maintained, when John Gould telephoned. Andy said that John Gould told him ATV Music, the publishers, would put an injunction on him releasing 'Strategy', because he did not have a license to press their material. Andy disagreed saying that he was well within his rights. The conversation went back and forth until Andy finally said 'the only way you'll stop me is if Polydor buy the album that was available to them a year and a half ago. Polydor have to buy the album outright, no royalties, I just want a one off figure.' John Gould asked him how much he wanted and Andy told him, '12,000 pounds is not enough because it cost me 8,000 pounds to make so it has to be a one cut figure.' John Gould said how much, I said give me 25,000 pounds.' Silence once again on the other end of the phone and then John said, 'I'll talk to Polydor.' Polydor called Andy and told him they agreed and that they would need him to come in and sign a letter of release. Andy says, 'I took them in the sleeve, I took them in the multi tracks, I took them in a production master copy of the album of the album as it was, called 'Strategy'. I think they knew I had pressed it, I said I'd pressed six copies and I would no press any more and the stampers would be destroyed. And I did ask Lyntone to destroy them. The money enabled me to get out of the record shop and in to music production. So there you have it, the 'Strategy' mystery as told by Andy Sojka to the Fan club. For those of you still pondering Andy has two of the six test pressing and one set of the master tapes. * THE HISTORY OF LEVEL 42: 1 9 8 0 ___________________________________________________________ Level 42 was formed in early 1980. The Gould brothers, drummer Phil and guitarist Boon, together with bassist Mark King all came from the Isle of Wight and had played together in various bands during their teenage years. In late 1979 Phil introduced Mark to keyboard player Mike Lindup, a soul mate he had met while studying at London's Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Mike was studying piano but had taken a course in percussion and he and Phil found that they shared a clutch of musical heroes - such as Miles Davies, John McLaughlin, Keith Jarrett and Jan Hammer. Mark was working in London, but would play regularly with them in loose rehearsal sessions and the arrival of Boon, who had previously traveled with Mark to the states in an ill-fated attempt to be "overnight successes", was the final piece in the musical jigsaw. In May 1980 the head of a small independent label, (Andy Sojka), saw them jamming together and was impressed enough to offer them a recording deal. He signed the band to his Elite Records and recorded and released their debut single "Love Meeting Love" that July. The record had started life as an instrumental but became the vehicle for Level 42 finding their voice. "Love Meeting Love" shot into the Funk/Disco charts in the UK and brought the band to the attention of Polydor Records. A follow-up single was released at the end of 1980 with the band signed direct to Polydor. "(Flying On The) Wings Of Love" again charted and Level 42's live shows displayed a controlled energy and uninhibited inventiveness that drew commendation from every critic who saw them. 1 9 8 1 _____________________________________________________________ During the first part of 1981 the band's appearances grew even more widespread and in the late spring Polydor put them together with producer Mike Vernon. The outcome of this initial collaboration was the top 40 single "Love Games", which has since become a classic Level 42 recording throughout Europe. During June and July the team got together again, this time to record their debut album; "Level 42". Its release in the late summer was greeted with unanimous praise and within two weeks it had climbed into the Top 20 national charts. Further successes followed in Europe where, after a ten date tour of Germany and Holland, the album and single lodged them in the Top 5 of the Dutch Charts and resulted in the band receiving their first award in the form of a gold album. They returned to Britain, overwhelmed by the spontaneous acclaim of European audiences and with a new belief in their abilities. They completed 1981 and started 1982 with an extensive five week tour of Holland. 1 9 8 2 ____________________________________________________________ Work began on a second album in January 1982 but was halted when, due to public demand, March saw the release of "The Early Tapes July/August 1980" - material the band had recorded during their days with Elite Records. Once again the album charted immediately and primarily in response to the interest they had created in Germany, signaled the start of an extensive European Tour which was to last for over two months and culminate in two sell-out concerts at Hammersmith Odeon in London. Early summer saw the band's reunion with producer Mike Vernon and by late July "The Pursuit Of Accidents" album was completed and preparations were underway for simultaneous UK and European releases of the album during early September coupled with a most ambitious and exhausting tour lasting three months and taking in the UK, France, Switzerland, Austria, Holland, Belgium and Germany. On completion of "Pursuit Of Accidents" and prior to the autumn tour, the band managed a well earned holiday period of three weeks - just enough time for Mark to get married, Phil to get hooked on windsurfing and Boon and Mike to disappear - temporarily of course! Release of the third Polydor LP in the UK brought an immediate reaction - "The Pursuit of Accidents" stubbornly refused to stumble at any obstacle and surged into the Top 20 in double quick time. The single taken from the LP "Weave Your Spell" also charted, whilst the band undertook a UK mini-tour and then stormed Europe with an extensive tour, their debut gig in Paris being a particular triumph! Level 42's return to the UK for their massive November tour saw sell- out audiences throughout and when a remixed version of "The Chinese Way" was issued in January 1983, it raced towards the top twenty with gratifying ease. 1 9 8 3 _____________________________________________________________ During the German part of Level 42's European tour at the end of 1982, the band was spotted by Earth, Wind and Fire members Larry Dunn and Verdine White, who were so excited by the group that they asked if they could produce the next album. So, in March, with "The Chinese Way" still high in the UK charts and several major TV shows under their belts (including a prestigious half hour special on BBC2's "Sight And Sound In Concert" series) Level 42 flew off to Los Angeles to begin recording their fourth Polydor album. In April they released "Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind", one of the first tracks from their sessions with Larry and Verdine. This also charted in the UK whilst the band carried on working enthusiastically in LA's noted Complex Studio. By May, when "Standing In The Light" had been laid down on tape, requiring only some final mixing, the band played their first American concert as British contemporary music representatives in the "Britain Salutes New York" festival. Their show at the famous Bottom Line Club won them the respect of New York's elite. Returning to the UK, Mark, Phil, Boon and Mike took the chance of a short break before flying in mid-July to appear at the world famous Montreux Jazz Festival, after which there commenced an intense rehearsal period in preparation for the "1983-1984 World Tour". The July release of "The Sun Goes Down (Living It Up)" single achieved their first Top 10 entry in the UK together with an immediate chart entry to No 9 with the LP "Standing In The Light" which subsequently lodged itself in the Top Ten for four weeks. As both single and album climbed the charts, the 1983 section of the "World Tour" got underway and during late August commenced with six weeks in Britain and followed with an extensive tour of Europe which took in Germany, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Sweden and Norway. On returning to the UK in mid-December the band went straight into a Christmas mini-tour which ended on 22nd December and saw them disappear faster than a speeding bullet to their families for a peaceful Christmas Holiday. 1 9 8 4 ____________________________________________________________ The new year saw Mark taking some time off from Level 42 to record his debut solo LP "Influences" which was released in the summer of '84. However, this didn't mean that the band were resting their laurels; August 1984 saw the release of their new single "Hot Water" which was a top ten smash and was taken from a brand new LP entitled "True Colours", which was released in October. Another single from the LP, "The Chant Has Begun", also charted. 1 9 8 5 _____________________________________________________________ The beginning of 1985 saw the band playing more live dates culminating in a live LP in June called "A Physical Presence", which encapsulated the band's five year career. One of Level 42's greatest strengths is their live performances and the fans keep coming back for more as the band consistently sell out their tours. The "live" LP caught them in the act and transferred their spirited performance onto vinyl. A few months later, Level 42 came out of the studio with the "World Machine" album, preceded by a single from it - "Something About You", in September. Another single "Leaving Me Now" was taken from the LP - both were top 10 hits and the "World Machine" album has now sold over three million copies worldwide ! The Band was also voted Best Funk Act by British DJs for the second consecutive year. 1 9 8 6 _____________________________________________________________ After a well-deserved rest at the beginning of the year, and after playing their debut shows in Ireland, the boys started to write some new material for their follow up LP to "World Machine" and in April they released a brand new single entitled "Lessons In Love". They then embarked on a lengthy US tour whilst "Something About You" was shooting up the American charts. They finished 1986 by playing four sell out nights at Wembley Arena in December - a triumphant way to end the year! 1 9 8 7 _____________________________________________________________ February 1987 saw the band in the top ten once again with their new single "Running In The Family" and their new LP of the same name. The album achieved platinum status ONE WEEK after release ! The album has since become double platinum! After completing a sell-out UK tour which included eight nights at Wembley Arena, Level 42 went off to Europe for a five week tour. A third single from the "Running In The Family" was released, "To Be With You Again", which also achieved a top ten placing. The summer saw the boys appear as special guests on the Madonna tour and also headlining their own shows in the States when the Madonna tour finished. During October 1987 both Phil and Boon left Level 42, Phil suffered from nervous exhaustion and reportedly was not satisfied with the band's direction in terms of its newer "pop" sound. Boon likewise suffered from stomach problems and decided to retire in order to settle down with his wide and children. Neil Conti from Prefab Sprout joined temporarily and Paul Gendler also joined Level 42 on guitar to finish the Tina Turner tour in the US. December saw the release of "Children Say" with the video featuring only Mark & Mike. At the end of 1987, Mark & Mike were looking for a new guitarist and drummer. One name on the short-list for drummer was Gary Husband who had almost joined in 1985 when Phil Gould had left the band for one week. Gary Husband, ex-Allan Holdsworth and Syd Lawrence, suggested Steve Topping (to quote Gary - "He's a great guitarist") to fill the other position. 1 9 8 8 ______________________________________________________________ Early 1988 Mark, Mike, Gary and Steve were in Ireland writing and rehearsing for the new album which was, of course, "Staring At The Sun". After Dublin, Level 42 moved onto the recording studios in the south of France and Steve Topping left the group after finding difficulty in fitting into the music and life with the band. Alan Murphy then joined during the session at Miraval. He had previsouly played with Go West taking care of all the key guitar solos. He was one of the top five session guitarists in the UK. The album was finished in a record 26 days and was co-produced by the band, Wally Badarou and Julian Mendelsohn. The release of the album was followed by a four month European tour culminating in six sell-out nights at Wembley Arena over the New Year which proved that Level 42 is one of the hardest working bands in the world! 1 9 8 9 _____________________________________________________________ The UK tour ended at the end of January 1989 and in the spring the band decided to take some time off. Mark got his home studio up to scratch and he and Mike wrote possible material for inclusion on the next album. In July they appeared as the "house-band" behind The Prince's Trust Concert held at the NEC in Birmingham. They backed the likes of Spandau Ballet, Mike & The Mechanics, Andy Bell of Erasure, Alexander O'Neal plus many more - what a mixture of styles! Sadly, the new line-up of Mark, Mike, Gary and Alan was not to last. Alan became seriously ill and died of AIDS-related symptoms on Thursday, 19th October, 1989. A devastated Level 42 cancelled all promotional work connected with the single "Take Care Of Yourself" released earlier in October. November 1989 saw the release of the "Level Best" album, a collection of their greatest hits. It went double platinum within three weeks; a fitting tribute to a great band and to Alan Murphy, a gifted musician. 1 9 9 0 _____________________________________________________________ In December 1989, Mike embarked on a solo album project. The album was recorded in London and mixed in Scotland. Calum Malcolm co- produced with Mike and Pino Palladino (bass), Manu Katche (drums) and Dominic Miller (guitar) were the principal musicians along with Mike on keyboards and vocals. The album was released on the 11th of June and Mike did two shows. One in London at the Subterranea and the second in Glasgow at King Tut's Wah Wah Hut. Whilst Mike was working on his solo material, Mark was no idle either. Work was completed on the studio and Mark wrote new material (for the band and other artists) with a number of co-writes including Rick Astley and Drew Barfield. Album recording started at the beginning of August 1990. The album was co-produced by the band and Wally Badarou and mixed by Tom Lord Alge at the Hit Factory in New York. After playing on five tracks of the new album Allan Holdsworth was asked to join the 1990-91 tour in order to recreate some of his stunning guitar work. Allan, critically acclaimed by many of the world's top guitar gurus, has made serious contributions to many legendary rock and instrumental groups such as Bruford, Soft Machine, Jean-Luc Ponty, Gong and Tony William's Life Time. Gary had initially teamed up with Allan in 1980 and toured many times with him even while holding down another job in Level 42! 1990 had been a busy year for Level 42 with the launch of Mike's solo album "Changes"; Mark's debut as a cafe owner "Joe Daflo's" and, Gary's eastern tour taking in Japan and Australia with Allan Holdsworth. The release date of the new album, "Guaranteed" was postponed until 1991 after a dispute with their record company, Polydor. Apparently, Polydor wanted the band to have a more "commercial" sound and the band was unwilling to compromise and parted ways with Polydor. The year ended with a record-breaking 15 nights at the Hammersmith Odeon overtaking a previous record of 14 shows set by Elton John. 1 9 9 1___________________________________________________________________ RCA/BMG signed Level 42 in 1991 and was willing to release their new album. "Guaranteed" hit the shelves in September and the first single, "Guaranteed" hit the UK and European Top 40 charts. They later toured Britain and Europe to support the album, this time the lineup being King, Lindup, Husband and top UK session guitarist Jakko Jacszyk, who played for such artists as Swing Out Sister and others. 1 9 9 2____________________________________________________________________ "Guaranteed" was released in March in North America, but the record company and the band decided not to tour there as they thought it wouldn't be "financially feasible." The rest of the year saw the release of other singles off the album in the UK and Europe, but none of them entering the UK Top 30. 1 9 9 3_____________________________________________________________________ The year 1993 was mostly an inactive year for the band. At the beginning of the year, drummer Gary Husband decided to leave Level 42, apparently becoming disillusioned with playing drums to a sequencer click in concert and in the studio. He later re-joined Allan Holdsworth's band. In the latter portion of the year, the band began writing and recording their next album, this time employing the help of ex-drummer and old friend Phil Gould and session guitarist Danny Bloom, an American. But Gould only opted to help the band out in the studio, and not tour. 1 9 9 4______________________________________________________________________ 1994 was the year the band put out its latest effort, "Forever Now," released in March. The album and first single, also called "Forever Now" hit the UK Top 40. A few weeks later, in April, the album's second single, "All Over You," debuted in the UK charts at #26, the first time Level 42 has had 2 consecutive UK Top 40 hits since 1987. They beat that record in July with the release of "Love In A Peaceful World." In the fall, the band will embark on a mini-tour of Great Britain. III T H E M U S I C ===================== "I will live for the groove 'till the sun goes down..." - from "The Sun Goes Down (Living It Up)" * THE SONGS Level 42's biggest hits by far are "Something About You," which was the band's biggest hit internationally (and hit #2 in the US!) and "Lessons In Love." The band has had other, relatively minor hits from other albums, most notably "Love Games," "Hot Water," "The Chant Has Begun," "Leaving Me Now" and "The Sun Goes Down (Living It Up)." * THE ALBUMS This list of albums contains official original releases. This is not a complete discography. A more in-depth discography can be found at the Level 42 FTP site (see below). 1981 Level 42 Polydor 1982 The Pursuit of Accidents Polydor 1983 The Early Tapes Polydor Standing In The Light Polydor 1984 True Colours Polydor 1985 A Physical Presence Polydor World Machine Polydor 1987 Running In The Family Polydor 1988 Staring At The Sun Polydor 1989 Level Best Polydor 1991 Guaranteed RCA/BMG 1994 Forever Now RCA/BMG * SOLO AND GUEST EFFORTS Solo Albums: Mark King 1984 Influences Polydor Mike Lindup 1990 Changes Polydor Guest spots: Mark King 1980 M - "The Official Secrets Act" (played drums, bass and guitar) 198? Leisure Process International - "A Way You'll Never Be" (played bass) 1985 Nik Kershaw - "The Riddle" (played bass) track: "Easy" 1987 Ferry Aid - "Let It Be" benefit single (sang and played bass) Midge Ure - "If I Was" (played bass) track: "If I Was" 1988 Midge Ure - "Answers To Nothing" (played bass) tracks: "Answers To Nothing" "Take Me Home" "Just For You" 1991 Rick Astley - "Free" (co-wrote) tracks: "Be With You" "Really Got A Problem" Phil Gould 1979 M - "New York London Paris Munich" (played drums) 1980 M - "The Official Secrets Act" (played drums) IV T H E I N F O ================== "Transmit and receive, you got a friend to believe..." - from "Love In A Peaceful World" * THE LEVEL 42 FAN CLUB What are the fan club dues? Fees: (1 year) UK and Northern Ireland 8.00 pounds Rest of Europe 10.00 pounds All other countries 16.00 pounds You can pay for more than 1 year at a time. Payment details: UK Please pay by cheque or postal order Europe, incl Eire Please pay by Eurocheque, International Money Order (through a post office), Bank Draft, or cash (ALL IN POUNDS STERLING ONLY). All countries outside Europe Please pay by Bank Draft or International Money Order (through a post office), (ALL IN POUNDS STERLING ONLY). How do I write to the fan club? Write to: Level 42 Fan Club 56/60 Islington Park Street London N1 1PX England What will I receive? Some photos, a short biography, member card and a badge. A newsletter (currently 3 times a year). * THE LEVEL 42 MAILING LIST There is an Internet mailing list for Level 42, discussing its music and members, past and present. - The list is called "Level 42 DIGEST", and is available as a daily "digest". This means that, providing there were messages submitted within the previous 24-hours, a formatted "edition" will be sent out daily at 7:00 AM, EST. - The list administrator is Eric J. Hansen (eric @ enterprise.bih.harvard.edu) of Boston, MA, USA. The list has been in existence since August 1993. As of 4/5/94, there are 64 subscribers worldwide. - To subscribe/unsubscribe to the list, or for administrative concerns intended only for the list administrator, send mail to level42-request @ enterprise.bih.harvard.edu - To submit messages for the next digest, send mail to level42 @ enterprise.bih.harvard.edu - Archived editions of the digest mailings are available at the Level 42 anonymous ftp site. See next question for details. * LEVEL 42 FTP SITE There is an anonymous ftp site for Level 42 information. - The address and directory is acorn.acorn.co.uk:/pub/chris/level42 - The site is maintained by Chris Marshall, chris @ acorn.co.uk - Service is not guaranteed. Please try to keep bulk transfers outside UK office hours (i.e. outside 0900-1730 UK time). - If you upload anything to /incoming, please send some e-mail describing what it is to Chris Marshall (address above). Please do not upload copyrighted stuff. * RECORD COMPANIES Polydor Records RCA/Bertelsmann Music Group, Inc. * MANAGEMENT INFORMATION Who is the band's manager? Paul Crockford of PCM Management. To correspond, write to: Paul Crockford PCM Management Halesmere House 59 Islington Park Street London N1 1QB England ------------------------------ From: Elson "?" Date: Wed, 17 Aug 1994 13:30:37 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Kimosabe ------------------------------ > From: "Lars-Ove Karlsson" > Tour news from the L42 Fan Club: > Band Line Up for Tour 1994 will be Mark, Mike, Jakko and new guy > Frank Tontoh on drums. Tontoh? Don't tell me the band will play the theme to "The Lone Ranger" on stage. :) Elson ------------------------------ From: daniel.lloyd @ ps.com (Daniel Lloyd) Organization: Powerline Systems Ltd. Data 081 845 8228. Date: Wed, 17 Aug 1994 22:26:00 GMT Subject: New(ish) member. Hi everyone, Having been on this list for just over two months now, I thought it was time I introduced myself. Like many others, I became hooked on Level 42 when Something About You was in the charts and a decade later, World Machine is still one of my most frequently played CDs. Since then I have bought Running in the Family, Staring at the Sun, Guaranteed and Forever Now, and plan to find some of their earlier releases soon. I am looking forward to seeing the band on 30th September in Bristol. Tickets seem to have sold out really quickly. I booked mine on Monday and the best seats they could offer were on the balcony, four rows from the back. Hopefully the band will do an interview with one of the local radio stations while they are in town. If they do, i'll post any news. Best wishes to all and long may the list (and the band) continue! Daniel Lloyd Warminster, Wilts, UK.