Subject: Level 42 Digest, #283 ===================== * LEVEL 42 DIGEST * ===================== Digest 283 Saturday, 01/21/95 111 subscribers Today's messages: Danny Blume and Phil Re: Level 42 Digest, #282 Nik Kershaw ------------------------------ From: BobC971 @ aol.com Date: Fri, 20 Jan 1995 12:26:13 -0500 Subject: Danny Blume and Phil I recently got an e-mail from Danny Blume, the guy who played some guitar on the Forever Now album, and he said he was going to visit Phil Gould and be back on January 30 - so hopefully I'll have some kind of inkling as to what Phil is up to these days. Also, I'd like to answer John's trivia question from yesterday about the movie, but since he sent me a copy of the film I don't think it would be fair :) Bob C. ------------------------------ From: John Edward Martin Shuford Date: Fri, 20 Jan 1995 11:58:57 -0800 (PST) Subject: Re: Level 42 Digest, #282 Someone made the comment about all of these groups inter-connecting. Yes, it is rather strange how it all fits together. Are you aware of these connections as well: 1) Jakko played guitar on Swing Out Sister's It's Better To Travel LP. John Thirkell played on IBTT as well, and Thirkell and Barnacle played on their Get In Touch With Yourself LP (which was produced by Paul Stavely O'Duffy (who produced the Children Say remix) 2)Midge Ure had Mark play three tracks on The Gift and three tracks on Answers To Nothing. For anyone who can locate these, these are rare gems. Mark's playing on The Chieftain may be some of the most raucous in-yer-face, confrontational slap funk you'll ever hear. Just a thunderous, powerful groove. As For Answers To Nothing, it's simply a wonderful album. 3) Pino Palladino played bass on Lindup's solo album Changes. He's also played bass for Tears For Fears. Manu Katche, who played drums on Changes, also played drums for Tears For Fears on the Seeds Of Love LP, and was the studio drummer for Sting on The Soul Cages. Dominic Miller, as we all know, has gone on to fame as Sting's guitarist, but played on Lindup's album, Staring At The Sun, Guaranteed, and was actually an original "member" of L42. He rehearsed with them one time, but apparently felt that two guitarists were too many, and didn't ever return. Police and Sting producer Hugh Padgham produced Mike's album. 4) Wally Badarou played keys for Robert Palmer on Riptide (and may have played it on the follow-up as well), as well as playing keys for The Power Station. 5) There was a rumor long ago (and I think it was false) that Phil Gould had joined up with The Style Council after he left L42. Nonetheless, it got me to buy the CDs! 6) Producer Julian Mendelsohn has worked with some of the above, and also worked with Johnny Hates Jazz. 7) Annie McCaig sang backing vocals for Tears For Fears on Songs From The Big Chair (and I think she did on Seeds of Love as well). 8) Mark and Phil played with M (remember Pop Muzik?) while L42 was a fledgling outfit. 9) Drew Barfield wrote songs with Mark on Guaranteed. He's also worked with Joe Jackson (Blaze of Glory), writing, singing backup and lead vocal. So, in addition to Nik Kershaw's admiration and Go West's massive L42 sound-alike status (I like them, but I don't think they are incredibly original), there's lots of interconnection. Anyone want a taste of someone who's still making great BritFunk? Check out Incognito (Tribes, Vibes and Scribes). You'll long for the old L42 funk, though the last 10 years weren't so bad either! :} ------------------------------ From: Guy Incognito Date: Fri, 20 Jan 1995 11:35:16 -0800 (PST) Subject: Nik Kershaw > From: Jonathan E Frumin > Date: Thu, 19 Jan 1995 13:35:59 -0700 (MST) > > Greetings Everyone, > I want to thank Jeff for clearing up "the Riddle" that Nik Kershaw > is a Level 42 fan. I recently purchased Kershaw's greatest hits album and > thought that the songs "The Riddle" and "When a Heart Beats" sound > strikingly similar to Level 42-type songs. The liner notes on the album > did nothing but summarize his career to date, and mentioned nothing of > his Level 42 influence. As an interesting side note, I heard a rumor ARRRRGHHH!!! Buy his album "The Riddle." There is a song on it called "Easy." That song features a special guest session bassist whom we all know and love. :) And you can't get any more Level 42-ish than "Easy." Mark doesn't sing on that one, though. > that Peter Cox, lead singer of the former group Go West (my favorite group, > also!) is working with Kershaw on a solo album. Isn't it interesting that all > three groups are now sort of inter-connected! Cool. I guess the reason is that these musicians probably crossed paths many times when they were still doing club gigs, and many times after that in the recording studios of London. And I'm sure these folks have similar influences themselves. > The reason I chose to post my letter to the digest rather than > privately, is because I'd enjoy hearing from other Go West fans that are > out there, and if anyone knows of a similar Go West digest, discography, FAQ, > newsgroup, etc.? No, but you're definitely not alone. Your interest in Go West has been repeated many times on this list by others. The moderator, Eric, himself is a big GW fan... Elson