From: Level42-request @ worldmachine.com (Level42 Digest) Subject: Level42 Digest V96 #185 _ ____ _ ____ _ _ ___ // //__ // / //__ // /__// __// //__ //__ \\_/ //__ //__ // /__ D I G E S T Level42 Digest Volume 96 : Issue 185 368 subscribers Today's topics: Re: Small World laurence green Smeeee laurence green Pilgrimage II news Bassette Clash of the Vocal Tracks Friesen, Alex LEVEL 42: The new yellow peril? + A new french >> Morgan ROUSSEL Shoes Daniel James Big Day, etc. Pat Flanagan ...he wasn't last night, baby. John Venzon *the* Mark interview Jay Tracy ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Small World From: laurence green Date: Tue, 2 Jul 1996 11:54:15 PDT On Tue, 25 Jun 1996 12:37:33 WINSTON WALKER wrote: > From: WINSTON WALKER > Date: Tue, 25 Jun 1996 12:37:33 > Subject: Small World > To: lgreen @ pine.shu.ac.uk, level42 @ worldmachine.com > > Thanks for the verification of Ian Buck's credit on the new > live album. > > I do however, have a small problem with your response. I find it > VERY uncool to make disparaging remarks about Mike Payne, or anyone > else for that matter, when the individual in unable to defend himself. > > Earlier in the week you sent the same message, privately, to me, and > you asked that i NOT repeat your "Paul Crockford" comment to Mike. > > Then you post the same message to the digest for everyone's perusal. > > Mike visited with me in New York for a weekend for the LevelFest and > stayed at my apartment. All present were amazed at his generosity with > his information and Level 42 collection. Obviosuly I haven't known > Mike as long as Ian Buck, but this doesn't seem like something he > would do. > > My problem is not with the validity of your statement, but with the > method you used to post it. Perhaps their is a history between you > and Mike that the rest of the digest is unaware of. (myself included) > > I just hope that in the future you think a bit before making > these comments to the digest, and not to the individual you are > talking about. > > I'm not trying to rake you over the coals, or be a jerk about the > situation. It's just that the message left a bad taste in my mouth, > and I thought it appropriate to respond. > > Can't we all just get along? :-) Ahhhhhhhhhh, I didnt mean to send that message to the digest? I cant believe it got there???? Im sure I didnt send it.??? Anyhow, Im not speaking about Micheal Payne from personal knowledge, just what my friend Kurt has told me and what he discussed with crockford. Michael tried to set up and sell a magazine which he claimed was an official magazine authenticated by the band and Crockford, a lot of people parted with money and didnt get a magazine, also he promised people he could get signed photos and rare records which got peoples hopes up. Ahhhhhh, It says copies to Level42 @ worldmachine. com on my screen, I didnt tell it to say that? Thats why the message got through, I cant be blamed for spreading that about Mike Payne, I only intended to tell you and asked for it to go no further, I only wish it didnt say level42 @ world.... in the Cc: box then this could haver been avoided. Yours.....................LOZ ------------------------------ Subject: Smeeee From: laurence green Date: Tue, 2 Jul 1996 12:28:38 PDT Hello all, I popped in again, hey guess what? I got the job, and another job to boot! I considered doing both for a while but when I realized I couldnt do them both at the same time I chose the one nearest home, great! Now I have cash to improve my collection. There Is one recording that is particularly rare, its called th Razormaid DJ only remix of Something About You, It comes on Gold Vinyl and I think its a brazillian cut, If anyone has this to sell/swap let me know. Also this week I found out that Changes was issued in Japan, I would also like a copy of that. Now we all know that In Japan 'Level 42' the album is called 'Urban Fascination' but did you know that 'The Early Tapes' is called 'A Nights Romance'? Ahhha. WRT the B-Sides CD I wholeheartedly agree with everyones comments, a superbly organised and executed project. Only one problem is that I forgot to mention that the track Foundation and Empire is named after a book by Isaac Asimov of the same name. The book is science fiction, actuallu it is the first in a series of books called the 'Foundation series'. When your reading the liner notes you could just pretend that it has this information, or put them near the screen and when you get to that track look away from the notes at the screen and then straight back, dont worry, your eyes will never know the difference! I dont have any news on Mark or Mike yet but Im sure to be keeping you all up to date when I do find out. I may be going on line at home when I start work. If I get a new machine I may also start a small fanzine on a strictly non-profit basis, that may be bi-weekly and could let non internet users keep in touch, it could incorporate come of the digests. Now that Im not stidying I should have time to do something anyway. BTW Lazlo, Simon in Liverpool has a large world discography compiled, when I have his address with me I will let you two get in touch as Im sure between you, you could both drastically improve your respective knowledges I noticed a lot on his discography that isnt on yours and a lot on yours that isnt on his so I must remember to give him your address and you his, as he isnt online. If anyone want a copy of the book 'Level 42 The Definitive Biography' write to me at Loz Green. 110 Abbey Lane, Sheffield, S8 OBQ, England. Bye for now, LOZ ------------------------------ Subject: Pilgrimage II news From: Bassette Date: Tue, 2 Jul 1996 14:35:02 +0100 (WET DST) To all interested ... Organize the second trip looks like the Atlanta O.G. ( and my coach is a crazy cow ) ... Well to be sure that most of us could come on thre second trip, could you please send me the date(s) who arrange you the most ( my SysAdm will not appreciate but I don't care ... ) Let me know as fast as you can to make it better ... Cheers -- +------------------------------------+------------------------------------+ | Tony Bassette | 99, rue Danielle Casanova | | e-mail : kult @ mime.univ-paris8.fr | 93200 SAINT-DENIS ( FRANCE ) | +------------------------------------+------------------------------------+ ------------------------------ Subject: Clash of the Vocal Tracks From: "Friesen, Alex" Date: Tue, 02 Jul 1996 15:15:03 -0500 Clash of the Vocal Tracks 96/06/27 13:18 Oops, just noticed a wee difference in lyric interpretation in Model Friend (Resurgence version). At 1:42 into the track, Mark and Mike sing "got to know {how | where} I fit in". One sings "how", the other sings "where". Comes out "hare". Pretty subtle, that one - I've listened to this song about a billion times and only just noticed it. It's the little things like that that let me know "they're only human after all". ...Alex... "...I've tried to change it but there's nothing I can do" ------------------------------ Subject: LEVEL 42: The new yellow peril? + A new french guy! From: Morgan ROUSSEL <106143.1705 @ compuserve.com> Date: Tue, 2 Jul 1996 14:36:31 -0400 Hi everybody!!! My name is Morgan Roussel, and I'm the biggest fan of Level 42...woups... I'm a bass player since 1987, and I've already played all the bass parts of Mark King to learn (faster than the speed of light?) his great SLAP tech :) I'm trying to sing like Mark too... and playing bass in the same time!!: ;O I'm a French musician living in Paris (13). My job?? Into a Big (in France) Radio station called "SKYROCK" 96.0 FM. I've got a "yellow" bass (STATUS 4000 [#027]) and a "green/black" amplifier (Trace Elliot GP7 SM 130). I've got some keyboards/modules (KORG M1, ROLAND D-110, etc.) and a PC with Cubase Audio and Cakewalk Pro Audio inside... I've got a girlfriend too! (I love you Carole...) I've got the power! I've got a little interview for you! See you later, with more and more stuffs from L42! My E-MAIL: 106143.1705 @ compuserve.com Warmest regards to Tony and Pascal!! Are they some french people here?? Here we go...CUT HERE! CANTONESE-Y LISTENING by Simon Tebbutt Record Mirror - January 29, 1983 Transcribed by Morgan Roussel LEVEL 42: the new yellow peril? ------------------------------- LEVEL 42 may be getting a load of balls from American supergroup Earth Wind and Fire. Well, one very big ball to be precise. You see, the home grown jazz/funk/rock and-you-name-it unit -- presently grooving up the charts with their new single 'The Chinese Way' -- are off to Los Angeles next month to record an album with EWF's Larry and Verdine acting as producers. "They tried out this idea of having this huge ball on stage," explains Level 42's guitarist Boon Gould. "It was all part of that Star Wars thing they're into. They spent about $40,000 on it and it didn't work so they scrapped it." "Yes, it's in storage somewhere," adds keyboard player Mike Lindup. "So I hope they don't try and talk us into using it for our stage show." Balls and things apart, Level 42 -- Mark King, brothers Boon and Philip Gould along with Mike -- have been fusing their distinctive sound, full of jazz, funk, blues, rock and even classical music, for the past three years. A string of UK funk/disco hits -- including the top 20 smash 'Love Games' -- and LPs led them to last year's acclaimed 'Pursuit Of Accidents' album which spawned this year's hit 'The Chinese Way'. And the verve and virtuosity of their live shows has had audiences screaming everywhere, especially in Europe. Hence the tie up with Earth wind and fire. "They were on tour in Germany and they heard about our live shows over there," says Mike. "Larry and Verdine were especially interested and bought the album. The other members of the group got into it as well. They were listening to it in their tour bus and things. So they contacted our manager to find out our future plans because they were interested in producing. "They invited us to meet them at their studio complex in LA just before Christmas. And now we're going back to do the album. They said they saw us as being in the position they were in a couple of years ago. They were doing a lot of gigging in America but hadn't really had the record success." Despite EWF's reputation as a huge showband, giant balls and all, Level 42 aren't too worried about being swamped and dominated when they finally sit down in that studio in California. "It'll be them channelling us rather than writing all the material and so on," says Mike. "We can't work like that anyway. It'd be alien to us." IMMEDIATELY following their sun soaked recording sessions, Level 42 are off on a gruelling six week tour of the States, which means they will be away from home for some five months or so. Are they worried that by the time the album comes out in the autumn they'll be another forgotten force in music? "We've done a real saturation thing on England," replies Boon. "We've played three big London dates in a year. So it'll be good for us to have a break. We'll be fresh when we do get back." Like most successful English groups, Level 42 are well known in New York -- where the buzz about them really began -- and on the west coast but, as many have found out to their cost, it's the rest of America that counts. A pretty straight looking bunch -- they won't be stumbling across the prairies in their Clinique and party frocks like some I could mention -- it'll still be pretty interesting to see the reaction in redneck territory. "I'm really looking forward to going out and playing those middle American places," says Mike cheerfully. "It'll be quite a challenge." "During the latter part of the Seventies America turned in on itself, whereas in the Sixties they were really into English bands. Now they seem to be going back to England again." adds Boon. Although Level 42 maintain they're concerned with music, and not trends and the latest Vivienne Westwood creation, it is true to say they have suffered from a lack of image. But this doesn't seem to worry them either. "I don't think we particularly fit in anywhere," says Boon. "Obviously we came up through that jazz funk thing but we don't really fit in there either. We're starting to get a big cross-section of people coming to our concerts. We even get punks now." "Perhaps we suffer from a lack of image in the eyes of the media more than people coming to the shows," says Mike. "It's not deliberate. It's just that we try and concentrate on getting the music right." "The title 'The Pursuit Of Accidents' was inspired by a comment that whatever we do, we spend time getting it right," explains Mike. "And I just fell on the phrase. "And this single, 'The Chinese Way', is much heavier than what we've done before. Wally, who's the other keyboard player we've used on all the albums, was listening to it and he just started singing 'The Chinese Way'. Phil added the rest of the lyric ideas. "I think it's really worked out well because it's different. The temptation with our sort of music is to write "I love you, you love me', type lyrics. So it's really great to be able to do something else." ------------------------------ Subject: Shoes From: Daniel James Organization: Statistical Sciences Date: Tue, 02 Jul 1996 14:43:46 -0700 > we both came to the > conclusion that they should never have released My Father's Shoes as > a single. It is a pretty good song and all, but not hit material. I > think that they (as in the RCA people) should have done with Her Big > Day the same thing as what they did with Tracie. I'm gonna have to disagree with you there. My Father's Shoes (and Tracie) have a very catchy melody which I think made them good choices for release. Her Big Day is definatly on the funky side, but not what I think the average joe would find appealing. ------------------------------ Subject: Big Day, etc. From: pfpd @ pobox.com (Pat Flanagan) Date: Tue, 2 Jul 1996 17:46:44 -0400 (EDT) >think that they (as in the RCA people) should have done with Her Big >Day the same thing as what they did with Tracie. Speed it up a >little, make a few excellent remixes and voila: a hit is born. >But that's only my humble opinion... any comments? I like My Father's Shoes a LOT, but I can definitely see the logic in what you said. Good hit potential, except rather weak lyrics, IMHO. >Richard Smith says: >> I have just made the time to watch the Mark King TV interview shown last >> month. (Thanks to Mark Hughes). > >Hey you guys, I think you're the only folks who managed to record this! >I saw the programme at the time, but didn't get it on tape :( > >I'm sure many others would be interested in seeing the interview, since there >seems to be only about 3 or 4 of us who saw it! YES YES YES!!! Any chance of ANYONE having this on NTSC videotape? TCOY, Pat Flanagan Publishing & Design PO Box 281, Granger, IN 46530-0281 email: pfpd @ pobox.com website: http://www.pobox.com/~pfpd TOTALMEDIA PUBLISHING: Print * Disk * Interactive * CDROM * Internet ------------------------------ Subject: ...he wasn't last night, baby. From: John Venzon Date: Tue, 2 Jul 96 18:07:06 -0000 >MeShell Ndegeocello - what a name! > >I remember seeing a song by Me'shell on the Chart Show (ITV, U.K.), a year or >so ago, doing a song called "If that's your boyfriend", or something. >It had a really groovy bassline; is this on the new album? I've got the >track on video somewhere... The very talented MeShell Ndegeocello's first album was "Plantation Lullabyes" and featured the single "If that's your boyfriend...." It is WELL worth the money. Not only is she a dynamic bassist, she also manages to play just about every other instrument on the album. Her new one "Peace beyond passion" is a bit mellower, not quite as angry, but just as grooved out with soul and funk. You owe it to yourself to get into it. If it's good to you, it gotta be good for you... John ------------------------------ Subject: *the* Mark interview From: "Jay Tracy" Date: Tue, 2 Jul 1996 21:05:51 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Mark King on UK TV (Meridian) From: rsmith @ zipmail.co.uk (Richard Smith) > I have just made the time to watch the Mark King TV interview shown last > month. (Thanks to Mark Hughes). > I am surprised that no one has really commented on this in greater detail. Richard, This would probably be a focal point of our talks here, but a rare few have seen or heard this clip. Do you think you could transcribe the interview portions for us ? And if anyone has access to record this tape into US's VHS system I bet this would be a sought-out prize. After all, this may be the *ONLY* chance we get to hear "The Angry Tapes"! ..jay