Before grunge came along and re-centered the alternative world on noisy guitars, the scene was filled with a vast multitude of sounds and styles. This is how a lot of people were introduced to Level 42, the jazz-funk/synth-pop/dance-rock band born on the Isle of Wight back in 1979. (Fun fact: Their name was inspired by The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.)
Originally formed by bassist Mark King and the Gould Brothers, the lineup expanded and move from being exclusively about instrumentals into something that was embraced by the UK and Europe. The band’s entry into North America began on alternative radio, which got behind the first four albums. Things blew up in 1984 with the True Colours album (the hit was Lessons in Love) and taken further with World Machine (1985) and Running in the Family (1987).
By the end of the 80s, Level 42 had crossed over into a couple of different formats. I have about a dozen remixes of this song in my vinyl library.
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