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Level 42 frontman and bassist Mark King is a musician who has truly created a sound and style all of his own.
As the band hit the road for their ‘Living It Up’ UK tour, which comes to the Bath Forum on 26th October, super fan, Darren Maplesden spoke to Mark about the tour, working with Earth, Wind and Fire and how ‘The Old Girl’ is still his prized possession.
LEVEL 42
We are looking forward to seeing the ‘Living It Up on tour' at the Bath Forum this autumn. For those who have not been to a Level 42 concert before, what can they expect?
We are very much looking forward to plying Bath Forum again too! It’s always a fantastic atmosphere there and we’ve had some great nights over the years. As to what you can expect, how about a fun filled extravaganza of 80’s Brit-Funk fuelled pop?
As an added bonus, you’re supported by The Christians this time around?
Yes, I’m very happy that Gary and the band are joining us for the UK leg of the tour. Their musical history speaks for itself.
Has it really been 40 years since The Sun Goes Down (Living it up) was released. What are your memories of writing and recording the song, did you know it was going to be a big hit for you?
Time is a thief indeed, and it really doesn’t seem like 40 has passed since we got the invitation from Larry Dunn and Verdine White of Earth, Wind, and Fire to have them produce an album for us at The Complex Studio in L.A.
It was quite surreal in a way, because we were such admirers of them as artistes, and to find yourself sitting in the control room with the likes of George Duke, and Louis Johnson amongst other legends popping their heads round the door to say ‘hi’ was so great!
Image credit: Roy Longley
‘Living It Up’ on tour is a nod to the anniversary of your first Top 10 hit. Going back to 1983, did you feel you were on the verge of something good when you recorded it?
Paul Fishman was a good friend in those days, and he came over for dinner one evening when we’d just got back from recording ‘Standing in the Light’, and on hearing ‘The Sun Goes Down’ declared it a hit. That was good enough for me.
Have you ever finished writing a song and thought that is a hit?
I have, and I’ve been wrong most times, but you crack on and eventually another tune pops up. As with most things in life if you want to crack it, you just have to keep at it.
What about a song you wished you had written?
A song called ‘God Said’ by Todd Rundgren springs to mind, but then again so many of his songs are brilliant. When I think about it we are so lucky to have so much amazing music to be able to enjoy that choosing just one is impossible….
Most of the ’Standing in the Light’ album was produced by Larry and Verdine White (Earth, Wind and Fire), did working with these guys help develop your craft and develop the ‘Level 42’ sound?
Working with them certainly helped our musical development at that stage, and they had this aura of showmanship around them that you really wanted to tap into somehow. I think it was also the first time we had stylists get involved which helped our visual image immensely.
There has been a real 80’s revival recently. What do you think it is about the music and artists from the 80’s that has so much longevity?
That’s a good question as it does seem to be a very resilient decade musically. I think the broad palette of genres has a lot to do with it’s longevity, and there were so many huge artistes from the 70’s still making great records too.
1985 - 87 saw a string of hits and huge commercial success for the band, however this period also lead to the bands original line-up splitting. It must have been a very difficult time, achieving worldwide success but at the same time causing the band to split.
The only constant in life is change, and in many ways we were very lucky to have still been touring and recording with the original line-up by 1987. Personally I’m still chuffed to bits to be able to get out on tour and play those songs, so you accept the changes as they come and crack on!
What about today’s music. Are there any bands/artists you are listening to at the moment?
Loads. YouTube is a revelation when it comes to checking out new, and not so new talent. Knower, Pedro Martins, and Kneebody are well worth trying out.
Now the £3m thumb is only insured for 3rd party fire and theft, what is your most prized possession?
Ha! ‘The Old Girl’ is my original Jaydee Supernatural bass and has been there for the whole journey with me, so I guess she is my most prized possession.
Looking back over your career, what advice would you give the young Mark King if we were back in the early 80s?
Enjoy all of it Nipper, because it will fly by…
