Standing In The Light fares even better, thanks in part to the FM smash “The Sun Goes Down (Living It Up)”, featuring Lindup on lead vocals. While their fans greeted this good news Level 42 hit them with The Pursuit Of Accidents, a Top Twenty entry that spawns “the Chinese Way” and suggests a change of direction with Pete Wingfield adding clarinet and Badarou starring on the Solina String Ensemble. Such is their rise that a set of previous sessions – The Early Tapes aka Strategy – is made available in 1982, though the recordings date back to summer of 1980. They were now up and running, fusing their quartet line-up to Badarou’s Prophet 5 and Minimoog, Leroy Williams’ extra percussion and the sax duo of Barnacle and Dave Chambers. Working with producer Mike Vernon they simply gelled as a credible act and the track “Starchild” made inroads in America. In 1981 they released the single “Love Games”, a respectable hit and then cut their critically acclaimed debut album, Level 42. A connection with Wally Badarou persuaded them to adapt and incorporate vocals and songwriting of their own and their independent track “Love Meeting Love” won them a deal with Polydor Records. 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. A broadcast of the event will air on CBS at a later date.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. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. The 45th Kennedy Center Honors ceremony will take place at the John F. We consider America to be a home away from home and we are very grateful to the Kennedy Center Honors for welcoming us into this great clan of extraordinary artists.” The band added, “It has been a four-decade love affair with the country and its people, its artists, and culture. But even in the wilder thoughts, we never imagined that 40 years on, we would be invited back to receive one of the nation’s greatest honors.” We had big dreams then, fueled in part by the commonly held belief at home that America smiles on Ireland.

Our first show was at The Ritz in New York City, the second, The Bayou in D.C. In a joint statement on the honor, U2 said, “In December 1980, we made our first trip across the Atlantic to America.

Staring at the sun level 42 album