Merry FUNKY X-mas from Level 42 !

[Level42]

Be sure to watch it all

[ChadTower]

So that is where Roddy Piper disappears to all the time...

[Level42]

Uh ?

[ChadTower]

[Ginsu Victim]

So that is where Roddy Piper disappears to all the time...

I saw it too.

[ChadTower]

I kept expecting him to throw down the guitar, go off on an incoherent rant, then bash the cameraman over the head with a coconut.   

[wp34]

That is a fun video.  Is there a story behind it?

[polaris]

thats pretty cool, is she a real fan or have the band just put it out like that?



and in response, this video was made by some of the technical crew whilst on tour with simply red, its pretty impressive considering they had to do it around their jobs which are pretty full on and time consuming.

its just over 10 minutes long the last 5 mins are bloopers etc

[Level42]

That is a fun video.  Is there a story behind it?

Yeah I found it very funny, being of course a Level 42 fan....

Well, the story is this:

Level 42 was a major band in the 80's in Europe. Of course they tried to gain ground in the US too, but they had very moderate success. They were the opening act on a Madonna US tour (so the best music and band was on stage first ) and the biggest hit they had there was Something About You.

Some people claimed that the radio system (which is/was still pretty segregated) in the US hurt them a lot.
They sounded like a "black" band, but they were a "white" band. Following, they were not played by either "sides".

Anyway, there is a (small) group of dedicated Level 42 lovers in the US that have been praying and begging for a US tour since....well since about the last tour they did there which was in the 80's actually.

From what I understand touring the US was not the band's favorite thing to do for some reason.

Level 42 stopped in 1994, but Mark King (the bass player and lead singer) picked up some small venue concerts again from 1998. There were actually a small number of hard-core fans from the US coming over to the UK for this. Since the early 2000's, Mark got the OK to use the band name again. The 2nd drummer in the band (from 1986 on) was Gary Husband and he'd been drumming with Mark ever since. Mike Lindup, one of the forming members, rejoined about 2 years ago. So it's almost the complete band from the late 80's /early 90s now.

Anyway, those hardcore members are doing "everything" to get the band to do a US tour. I don't see it happening for various reasons, but hey they can dream (I'm at a very luxury position, since the band now tours about every year in the UK and The Netherlands).

Heather is one of the more fanatic of the group of US fans and I think Mark liked what she did and gave her a sort of "thank you" for X-mas this way.

Mark is a great guy, I've met him quite a number of times and he's _always_ been very cool and friendly with the fans. We sent a birth-card when our son (who's name totally incidentally is also Mark !) was born and we got a very nice hand-written card back from him.

Sorry if this was a bit too long

I'd love to have the original quality sound recording of this....I love the bass on it ! (DuH !) And Mark's voice is SO much nicer to hear than that irritating high-squeeling voice of Mariah Carey.

[Level42]

Polaris, that was funny !

Yeah, we technicians always get the ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- when something goes wrong, but never the credits when things go right ! 

[wp34]

That is a fun video.  Is there a story behind it?

Yeah I found it very funny, being of course a Level 42 fan....

Well, the story is this:

Level 42 was a major band in the 80's in Europe. Of course they tried to gain ground in the US too, but they had very moderate success. They were the opening act on a Madonna US tour (so the best music and band was on stage first ) and the biggest hit they had there was Something About You.

Some people claimed that the radio system (which is/was still pretty segregated) in the US hurt them a lot.
They sounded like a "black" band, but they were a "white" band. Following, they were not played by either "sides".

Anyway, there is a (small) group of dedicated Level 42 lovers in the US that have been praying and begging for a US tour since....well since about the last tour they did there which was in the 80's actually.

From what I understand touring the US was not the band's favorite thing to do for some reason.

Level 42 stopped in 1994, but Mark King (the bass player and lead singer) picked up some small venue concerts again from 1998. There were actually a small number of hard-core fans from the US coming over to the UK for this. Since the early 2000's, Mark got the OK to use the band name again. The 2nd drummer in the band (from 1986 on) was Gary Husband and he'd been drumming with Mark ever since. Mike Lindup, one of the forming members, rejoined about 2 years ago. So it's almost the complete band from the late 80's /early 90s now.

Anyway, those hardcore members are doing "everything" to get the band to do a US tour. I don't see it happening for various reasons, but hey they can dream (I'm at a very luxury position, since the band now tours about every year in the UK and The Netherlands).

Heather is one of the more fanatic of the group of US fans and I think Mark liked what she did and gave her a sort of "thank you" for X-mas this way.

Mark is a great guy, I've met him quite a number of times and he's _always_ been very cool and friendly with the fans. We sent a birth-card when our son (who's name totally incidentally is also Mark !) was born and we got a very nice hand-written card back from him.

Sorry if this was a bit too long

I'd love to have the original quality sound recording of this....I love the bass on it ! (DuH !) And Mark's voice is SO much nicer to hear than that irritating high-squeeling voice of Mariah Carey.

Thanks for sharing.  Glad to know the video is legit.  Always like to hear stories where someone famous is cool and appreciates their fans.

I never got past "Something About You" -- mainly because they didn't have any other US hits that I know of.   I still listen to that song frequently as it was popular when my wife and I had just started dating and it always reminds me of that time in our lives.  Would you recommend "Level Best"?

You may have to be from the US but the Rowdy Roddy Piper comment was really funny.

[shmokes]

I thought my eyes and ears were going to start bleeding at any moment that video was so bad.  Except the VERY end when he holds up the sign.  That was kinda cool.

[mccoy178]

I thought my eyes and ears were going to start bleeding at any moment that video was so bad.  Except the VERY end when he holds up the sign.  That was kinda cool.

I really liked his version of the song.  I could do without the lady, but the song was cool.

[pinballwizard79]

I must be very American.

[mwong168]

I never got past "Something About You" -- mainly because they didn't have any other US hits that I know of.   I still listen to that song frequently as it was popular when my wife and I had just started dating and it always reminds me of that time in our lives.  Would you recommend "Level Best"?

You may have to be from the US but the Rowdy Roddy Piper comment was really funny.

I didn't really grow up listening or knowing much about 80's music (born in 1978) but I remember my father was really into his LPs and he had all the Level 42 albums.  Some of the songs I enjoyed and still to this date are by Level 42 are:

Lessons In Love
Children Say
Running in the Family
Something About You
It's Over