![]() The Level 42 house sound really emerged once King introduced the American funk thumb-slap bass technique pioneered by the more progressive Motown players, and initially, the band concentrated on an entirely instrumental approach. Guitarist Dominic Miller was a friend from London’s Guildhall School of Music and Drama and played on some early rehearsals before Boon Gould resumed the seat – Miller would, of course, go on to great things himself with Sting. Somewhat underrated in their pomp, they are now recognized for their tunes and virtuosity and their albums are ripe for rediscovery.Įmerging on the Isle of Wight in the late 1970s Mark King and the Gould brothers (Phil and Rowland “Boon”) joined up with Mike Lindup once they discovered a shared love for Miles Davis, John McLaughlin, Keith Jarrett and Jan Hammer, and a desire to translate their influences into technically tight jazz-funk fusion chops. Well respected by their peers they have collaborated with Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr and George Harrison and been augmented by such revered specialists as Allan Holdsworth, Johnny Thirkell, Gary Barnacle and the expert drummer Gavin Harrison. Both “Lessons in Love” and “Something About You” cemented their worldwide reputation and they backed up the commercial success with wildly inventive powerhouse live shows, evident on the 1985 double A Physical Presence, caught on the boards in London and the shires. At a time when post-New Romantics and Madchester style acts were taking over, Level 42 flew the flag for a different strain of classy pop with French-born collaborator Wally Badarou adding extra textures to their sound. They have enjoyed an unbroken run of big-selling albums in the UK, the rest of Europe and the USA with top-charting discs galore – from World Machine and Running In The Family to the most recent Retroglide whose arrival in 2006, twelve years after Forever Now, signalled both a reunion and a return to the festival circuit where their heady blend of famous songs and exemplary playing confirm them as the finest fusion outfit to come out of the Isle of Wight. The English jazz-funk and high-class pop band Level 42 are renowned for their brilliant musicianship – in particular Mark King’s instantly recognizable slap-bass guitar style and his seamless vocal work with keyboard player Mike Lindups’s counter harmony.
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