Okay, so the cool, funky rhythms of a band like Level 42 perhaps doesn’t deserve to have a place in my dooyoo Hall of Fame, but, on the other hand, they did have a history worth recording, despite them probably worming their way onto many a ‘yuk’ list.

Around the time of 1980, Isle of Wight songwriter, Mark King decided to embark on a professional, musical outfit along with the help of the Gould brothers, drummer, Phil and guitarist, Boon. They enlisted Mike Lindup to play on keyboards and also backing vocals.

Taking the basis of their passion of jazz/funk, they never strayed far away from this genre from beginning to end of the eighties. Whilst other bands were changing their image every year, Level42 remained sturdy and rather boring, like a suburban Library. Deciding that they glittering career was not going to take off so easily on the Isle of Wight, they all trooped over with their belongings to London on the mainland. Predominately an instrumental set up, their music was reminiscing of middle class cocktail parties. Mark King had only decided after a few flops that it would probably be best if one of them started singing. Compositions had come easily to King and song writing, equally, followed.

Know for they jumpy funk for those chaps in yellow sweaters and white towelling socks, their music was catchy and full of the joys of pop. Caged to the U.K scene, the States didn’t want to know about King’s thumb smacking bass and those feminine backing vocals until the release of their 1985 album, World Machine. Up until then, Level42 had been seen as screamingly wet behind the ears. Fashionable like a jelly bag, the band had held their position well in the pop charts and the disco dance floors. Forever seen as the party band for drunken gatherings, Level42 never failed to put a smile on our faces and springs in our steps. They legacy that they did leave us, unfortunately, was then an endless stream of God awful funky set ups who gave us such incredibly bad records which some how used to find themselves at number 1over night. Because of bands like Level42, we got Steps.

Things were not completely black for us, the listeners. Occasionally, they released something that was so unique, that we couldn’t but help ourselves rush out for a copy of Smash Hits just for the song lyrics. So now, I have either wet your appetites, or you have turned off this page totally. Either way, we had better look at this album, so we can get it over and done with….

We have already decided in our minds that Level42 had been an acquired taste. A band you either loved or hated. During the eighties, everything swung. It was a decade for the free for all, particularly when it came to music. If you weren’t donning black, black and more black and going to all the Bauhaus concerts, then you were probably sitting at home, in your room, twirling your beads in your pop socks and chewed your bubble gum away to Haircut 100. Level42 appealed to the latter. There was something about owning an Escort, stone washed jeans and sporting a bleached flick on your bonce that screamed out for some musical anthem in the form of Level42.