Original members of the band:
Mark King - Phil Gould & Mike Lindup - Roland Gould
1986

Level 42 is a four-member funk-jazz-pop band from southern England (Isle Of Wight), and a longtime success on the European music scene. The group's centerpieces are bassist/vocalist Mark King and keyboardist/vocalist Mike Lindup. The band's strong jazz-funk influences, formal classical training and virtuoso-caliber musicianship have consistently set Level 42 apart from other bands.

CHRONOLOGY/DISCOGRAPHY

(Excerpted from the Level 42 FAQ)

Level 42 was formed in early 1980. The group's beginnings trace back to the Gould brothers, drummer Phil and guitarist Boon, and bassist Mark King, who had all played together in various bands during their teenage years on the Isle of Wight. In late 1979 Phil introduced Mark to keyboard player Mike Lindup, a soulmate he had met while studying at London's Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
In July their debut single "Love Meeting Love" shot to the top of the UK charts and brought the band to the attention of Polydor Records. A follow-up single was released at the end of 1980 with the band signed direct to Polydor. "(Flying On The) Wings Of Love" again charted and Level 42's live shows displayed a controlled energy and uninhibited inventiveness that drew commendation from every critic who saw them. Finally, this year was marked by the release of their first album, LEVEL 42.

1981 saw the release of the Top 40 single "Love Games" off of TRUE COLOURS, which has since become a classic Level 42 recording throughout Europe. Their debut album, Level 42, was greeted with unanimous praise and climbed into the UK Top 20 and Dutch Top 5.

In July 1982 the album THE PURSUIT OF ACCIDENTS was completed and preparations were underway for simultaneous UK and European releases of the album during early September, coupled with an ambitious three-month tour of the UK, France, Switzerland, Austria, Holland, Belgium and Germany.

July 1983 found their single "The Sun Goes Down (Living It Up)" chart into the UK Top 10 coupled with their accompanying album STANDING IN THE LIGHT charting to No. 9.

In 1985 the band released the single "Something About You". Regarded by many fans as the "flagship" Level 42 track, it topped the charts in the UK, Europe, and for the first time in the US, reaching No. 5 on the American charts. Their album WORLD MACHINE has now sold over 4 million copies worldwide.

December 1986 was a landmark date for the band, when they played for four nights at Wembley Arena. These performances are chronicled in the video Live At Wembley.

February 1987 saw the band in the Top Ten once again with their new single RUNNING IN THE FAMILY and LP of the same name. The album achieved platinum status ONE WEEK after release w/ the help of their "Lessons In Love" single. In September, during a world tour promoting Running In The Family, Boon Gould left Level 42, suffering from exhaustion. A month later, Phil Gould also left the group, reportedly unhappy with the band's direction toward pop and away from jazz and funk.

In 1988 ex-Allan Holdsworth drummer Gary Husband joined Level 42, followed by guitarist Alan Murphy, who had previously played on albums by Kate Bush and Go West.

In July 1989 they appeared as the "house band" behind The Prince's Trust Concert held at the NEC in Birmingham. Sadly, the new line-up of Mark, Mike, Gary and Alan was not to last. Alan became seriously ill and died of AIDS-related symptoms on Thursday, 19 October 1989. A devastated Level 42 cancelled all promotional work connected with the single "Take Care Of Yourself" released earlier in October.

November 1989 saw the release of the LEVEL BEST album, a collection of their greatest hits. It went double platinum within three weeks; a fitting tribute to a great band and to Alan Murphy, a gifted musician.

In 1991 fans patiently awaited the release of the next album,GUARTANTEED, featuring studio work by guitar legend Allan Holdsworth, while Level 42 was in dispute with their label Polydor. Polydor's rejection of the tracks recorded for Guaranteed and wanting a more "commercial" sound from the band led to leaving Polydor and signing with RCA/BMG. The year ended with a record-breaking 15 nights at the Hammersmith Odeon overtaking a previous record of 14 shows set by Elton John. The band's lineup now included top UK session guitarist Jakko Jacszyk.

March 1994 saw drummer Phil Gould back with the band.The album FOREVER NOW and first single by the same name hit the UK Top 40. A few weeks later the album's second single,"All Over You", debuted in the UK charts at No. 26, the first time Level 42 had two consecutive UK Top 40 hits since 1987.

Sadly, Level 42 disbanded in October 1994. Many of the band's members have continued collaborating on other projects together. Some have gone on to release solo projects and most of the members have worked on projects with other successful artists.

One final note, 1996 saw the long-awaited release of the second LIVE AT WEMBLY project. This time an album, the recording was taken from the GUARANTEED tour
in the early 1990's.

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