It would be unfair to think of Level 42 as a one-hit wonder. Children of the 1980s will remember their Top-10 hit “Something About You”—a song that was as inescapable in the spring of 1986 as it was infectious. “Lessons in Love” just missed the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 in 1987, and it is actually Level 42’s most-streamed song on Spotify by a wide margin. Several other songs had success on the dance or adult contemporary charts. Even more to the point, Level 42 had plenty of hits in Europe, including 20 Top-40 singles on the UK Official Singles Chart.
It’s not clear why U.S. audiences were less exposed to Level 42’s unique blend of rock, funk, jazz, and soul, but regardless of the reasons, it’s not too late to rectify this. Here are five singles that show why Level 42 should be remembered for more than just one or two songs.
“Love Games” from Level 42 (1981)
“Love Games” was the first single from Level 42’s debut album and the band’s first Top-40 single in the UK. It introduced listeners to Level 42’s two-vocalist attack, with Mark King handling most of the vocal duties but with Mike Lindup singing the bridge section and ad-libbing through the instrumental section. The song also provided a stunning introduction to King’s virtuosic bass playing. In an interview for the video series Top 2000 a go go, King likened his frenetic approach to playing on this song as “drumming on the bass.”
“Starchild” from Level 42 (1981)
While it took Level 42 nearly five years after the release of “Love Games” to break out in the U.S., another single from their debut album gained them their first real notice on this side of the Atlantic. “Starchild” was a minor dance hit, going to No. 57 on Billboard’s Dance Club Songs chart. One has to wonder if it had been released a year or two earlier, if it would have had more crossover appeal, given that its driving force is a disco beat. By the time Level 42 released “Starchild” as a single in the fall of 1981, disco had all but disappeared from the pop charts. As with most of their songs, “Starchild” blends a variety of genres, and it features Lindup’s falsetto vocals, spacey keyboards, and an irresistible and melodic King bass line.
“The Sun Goes Down (Living It Up)” from Standing in the Light (1983)
Though their sound is distinct, one could argue Level 42 followed in the footsteps of Earth, Wind & Fire, writing melodic songs while blending funk with a variety of genres. It made sense, then, that Larry Dunn and Verdine White of Earth, Wind & Fire produced Level 42’s fourth album Standing in the Light. It was something of a breakthrough in the UK, becoming Level 42’s first Top-10 album there, plus spawning their first Top-10 single, “The Sun Goes Down (Living It Up).” Lindup and King share the vocals, and for the most part, it’s a groovy party song. The lyrics delivered by King in the first post-chorus remind us this was recorded amid Cold War tensions, with lines like I need to love someone before they drop the atom bomb.
“The Chant Has Begun” from True Colours (1984)
“The Chant Has Begun” first appeared on True Colours—Level 42’s final album before their U.S. breakthrough. The song sports a leaner sound, foreshadowing the poppier direction the band would take on World Machine and on “Something About You” specifically. Level 42 must have recognized the similarity between “The Chant Has Begun” and the general vibe of World Machine, as it was re-released as a track on the U.S. version of that album. The same was true for another True Colours track, “Hot Water,” which was actually released as a single from World Machine. “The Chant Has Begun” did not get put out as a single, but as a quintessential mid-’80s dance-rock number (think Tears for Fears’ “Shout”), it could have had some commercial appeal.
“Heaven in My Hands” from Staring at the Sun (1988)
Level 42 would not place a song on a Billboard chart after two singles from Running in the Family (1987)—”Lessons in Love” (No. 12) and the title track (No. 83)—cracked the Hot 100, but their subsequent album was not short on bangers. “Heaven in My Hands” was the lead single from Staring at the Sun, and it continued Level 42’s run of hits in the UK (peaking at No. 12). U.S. radio stations moved on from the band, so only their hardcore fans got to hear this bit of blistering funk-rock bliss. Anyone who expected Level 42 to water down their music after the success of “Something About You” just needs to check out this track. The songwriting and playing rivals that of their early gems.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Photo by Eugene Adebari/Shutterstock
Local News
