Level 42 - Mr. Pink (The Tube, 12.10.1984)

Level 42 performing live on The Tube on 12th October 1984. "Mr. Pink" was first included on the band's album "The Early Tapes" which was released in March 1982. It was later one of the highlights of their 1985 live album "A Physical Presence".
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[@davidwelsford3189]

People trying to dance to “Mr Pink”?! Now that’s admirable!

[@MrSilver261]

ditto !

[@kingmezs23]

I've done it and will continue to do it, it's your own fault for not freeing your mind for your ass to follow!

[@jameswhite7997]

Done it many times. Never good. 😢 But enjoyable.

[@thesuncollective1475]

I know right..jus do what we did and chant whoa.....New Romantics..crikey!

[@MrSilver261]

i forgot to that i love the track but i get embarrassed for them when i watch this ,so i have to pluck up the courage !

[@captaincomputaa]

Best bass player of all time.

[@lazycalm41]

Mr. Pink at its most raw and pure. Apart from the obvious talents of Mark, Mike and of course Boon. Phil's drumming always amazed me back then, as far as drummers go id say he was the UK's Jeff Porcaro in terms of laying down a groove. Fabulous drummer!

[@andrewharbron5841]

And he improved further when he moved onto what was to be the WorldMachine layout of his kit, in my mind. The acoustics/recording improved no end and naturally, with more cymbals everything got better :)

[@Ron-nd1yu]

Do you think that bad ass bass might have helped

[@lazycalm41]

Definitely! @@Ron-nd1yu

[@inglepropnoosegarm7801]

A great British band. Phil Gould was a marvelous drummer. It has never been the same without him, or Boon for that matter. This, for me, is the real Level 42 at their best.

[@davidsanderson5918]

Ingleprop Noosegarm Yep you're certainly hearing what I hear too! :)

[@MrDrummer316]

Ingleprop Noosegarm well said Ingleprop. The real deal.

[@Frauenhaus]

Agreed.

[@jameswhite7997]

Sadly true. They were spectacular as this four piece.

[@MISTERZANZAN]

I'm the 42nd to like & agree this comment.

[@rangerwhite5165]

I've seen them about six times in concert in the 80s. I'm still playing A Physical Presence to death. Talk about a tight band. Just awesome. This is them hitting their mark. I still don't know how Mark physically played Lessons In Love for a whole song. Talk about endurance. RIP Boon. Thanks for the tunes mate.

[@repoman5581]

saw then too in the 80s. wembley arena and albert hall.. amazing.

[@MrChrissyBeech]

A physical presence is by far the best live album by anyone ever.

[@rangerwhite5165]

Apart from the bloke in the audience with the whistle.😁😁@@MrChrissyBeech

[@tacofortgens3471]

​@@MrChrissyBeech mic drop.

[@MbdslEst1964]

The sound of that Jaydee Supernatural through those old trace Elliots....Just great.

[@RastaSaiyaman]

I never liked that glassy spank he gets from his Status kingbass models, he should pick up the old JayDee again. But then again, I don't make decisions for him.

[@MbdslEst1964]

@@RastaSaiyaman Different live, more organic and more bottom end. Same as when I saw Stanley Clarke playing his Tenor Basses live. Completely different.

[@dslapster64]

I think he sounds better with the Alembic

[@apolloc.vermouth5672]

I actually saw an 80s Trace 4 x 10 combo on Reverb for £200 recently... weird how they fell out of fashion.

[@MrDrummer316]

Boon keeps looking at Mark at the end, You can see they were very close friends. We still remember you fondly.

[@khobia2]

A true band these guys. Glad I grew up in the 80s. Still remember when I first heard them. Blown away ever since.

[@monty6545]

Lol even the old punks were giving it a go sayin ' how do we dance to this ? RIP Boon .

[@markpearson1588]

Phil gould is one of my favourite drummers of all time

[@richardclarke376]

absolutely totally fucking brilliant! RIP Boon.

[@eloisefreire2477]

This is essential for a lockdown vibe

[@bernhardwall6876]

This is not dance music. This is absorbing-into-your-soul music.

[@zagortenay114]

E' musica.

[@jameswhite7997]

Where has this popped up from randomly after 36 years?!!?! Nice surprise! I think 4:50 is in my top 5 Mark King bits of bass.

[@davidsanderson5918]

James White Yeah that bit's even better on the live album A Physical Presence too with of course the better live mix. Their songs arrangements were at their best on this tour I think and perhaps this was due to them deciding to produce a double live LP at the time so they made a bloody good job of their set. I'm fond of this performance on The Tube. I remember it well and was well excited having just got my ticket to see them soon after.

[@MrRedrocket42]

Killer post! I really love how Level performed "Mr. Pink" during this broadcast, most likely aware that it was completely over the heads of most of the mutts in the Tube's audience, but the opportunity to demonstrate their musical superiority won the day. Now that's OG Level 42 at their finest!

[@moochincrawdad]

No one could even remotely touch Mike Lindup in Level 42 - he eclipses every other keyboardist who played in this band and pretty much most players out there! 😃

[@fragwagon]

His soloing on this tune in particular is spectacular, rhythmic, just the right tones. Wouldn't be Level 42 without him.

[@neilthurgate3417]

Absolutely PG's style/ interpretation fitted their music better than any successor.

[@bassthumper7331]

I need this WHOLE Concert....CRAZY Cool!!!!!!!

[@TrevBec]

In the old days when all of a sudden you could hear the local taxis talking through the wireless system. Lol!

[@thesiren821]

Woah! Fastest thumbs in the wild west! OMG Mark!!

[@carlangas977]

Wow, great song! They are super tight and coordinated 👌

[@amandaLe4V2eL]

Fantastic!

[@chriscuthbertson]

I apologise on behalf of the geordies for not appreciating this at the time.

[@pfunkpjb1]

They weren’t mostly geordies at all. Most of my sixth form were in the audience that night along with myself. And we all came over from Sunderland. Same every week. We were there every Friday.

[@chriscuthbertson]

@@pfunkpjb1 So i can blame the mackems then. ;)

[@shillbuster2886]

I love the sound of the Jaydee bass that I now own three of them.

[@drixtrb]

LOVE LEVEL42 .. 4 EVER

[@bassthumper7331]

right on BROTHA!!!

[@davecarty6503]

Fab.. that bass tone is lush

[@josefapaula941]

wonderfull

[@FaceBassFieldy]

Brilliant! Classic Level 42. Thanks for sharing

[@tago69mago]

Wow! That was amazing. I remember them playing amazing stuff like this back in the day but most people just know them as a pop band.

[@spreeathener1972]

Mr. Pink live for the first time was released at the album "A physical presence" from 1985.

[@Sattel42]

spreeathener 1972 This could be true... Da könntest du glatt Recht haben! 😜

[@spreeathener1972]

@@Sattel42 Habe die CD zu Hause.

[@Leankin]

Of course Mark is the next level, but also great solo by Mike and very cool Boon's funky rhythm

[@johndoyle1810]

Ahead of its time,,brilliant

[@lucy-me-lucy]

Leaves me breathless

[@batandball617]

That was so good, I’m off for a smoke!

[@m623]

Always will be a bangin tune

[@danieledeangelis8406]

Grandissimo Mark

[@zagortenay114]

Dal vivo erano unici.

[@danieledeangelis8406]

@@zagortenay114 si visti a roma

[@nandn5269]

I play guitar and this makes me wanna learn bass.

[@martinkolomaznik7306]

Luxusní nádhera!

[@johndoyle1810]

Terrific always

[@dominicwood3451]

Very, very very good, perhaps even the best playing I've ever seen.. That was so tight, Mark probably at his best, but the rest also were so tuned in to this. This is magnificent. I have a friend who also ranks this as the best he ever saw them play, and the git saw Level 42 12 times live. I only saw this because of a recomendation, but thank god this has been preserved, it's one of the most awesome videos out there. It should serve as a benchmark to any aspiring band who want to improve. Thanks for posting this absolute gem, it's absolutely superb.

[@davidsanderson5918]

Wow they were in a hurry here!! Ha ha. Very soon after this they played Newcastle City Hall. I met them and talked about the broadcast with Phil Gould who had heard on the grapevine that the sound was poor. I told him it sounded great on my telly from what I recalled. I don't think I was wrong watching this some 35 yesrs later! Boon's guitar maybe needed sorting, but hey!

[@thesuncollective1475]

Boons guitar was not good and the lead on Keys too low..The Engineer...was Shit...terrible...listen to NPR nowadays blows my minds how good you can be if you a have an ear

[@davidsanderson5918]

@@thesuncollective1475 Agreed about Boon's guitar on this track definitely. It improves for Hot Water and quite like it high in the mix there for a change (not here though). To be fair I was just so excited to see L42 live on the TELLY....on the best music programme of the week, way back then, between all sorts of other music....a week or so before I was going to see them, so I just loved what I heard anyway! :)

[@CANALROBBY]

Une très belle version live 👍 Les belles années de Level 42 avec la Jaydee et le talent énorme de King, un vrai régal cette vidéo, merci ! ☮

[@chriswelsh6170]

Yup, I sat on the keyboard player in Kensington. Hey it was dark! Mark and David Bowie were dancing in the living room. 1981 Chinese Way. Great times.

[@benfox8709]

It’s the best

[@jeanmariemopty3987]

Level 42.... For ever.... ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@overcompensation5354]

Wow.

[@gideonsikk8733]

WTF .where did this come from ..never seen this on tube always 3 songs they recorded I thought . Wow fantastic

[@davidrobertson3633]

I also am curious about where this video has come from.

[@jameswhite7997]

@@davidrobertson3633 Me too!

[@lawrenceofarabia5299]

After I reenlisted I wouldn't advise that for the young whom think that doing that would seem to be the perfect career choice starting out, There's additionally those whom wil differ believing it's going to be easy, believe me there's going to be a lot if things you won't like, anyway I bought the "early tapes" CD so long ago that I only recall certain cuts from that LP, I can't even recall this one. Although peeping them live was an inded treasure I don't remember them performing this cut at that particular show but they put their foot in that performance!!!! But check it homeboy chewed gum and thumped his way through the whole thing so I wonder how much money did he actually invest in purchasing gum?

[@gideonsikk8733]

@@lawrenceofarabia5299 maybe it's used gum ..marlon Brando I'm thinking lol. Never seen aband live that had that level nrg . Just kept u right in the palm of his hand .. what a force of nature king is. I like him best in level 42 .his b line are so much fun to jam and hes a great writer .

[@MbdslEst1964]

Probably recorded after the broadcast had finished, the Tube was always finishing just as the band was doing something great....

[@joeltudor521966]

I saw them live in Bologna in 1985. No band as good as them in those days! Unbelievable looking back after something like 40 years...great!

[@franciscobrandaocarega]

Mike Lindup is looking so fresh!

[@SALESPRODUCTIONS]

This is an incredibly hard and complex song to play as a "bassist/percussionist" and their meter was ALL OFF and rushed big time. I give it a 6 or 7 out of 10 for performance. I wish there was a live video of the "physical presence" take - it is REALLY good. 10 out 10. That being said - Level 42 was a FUSION band that also had to keep the bean counters happy and so they wrote and promoted POP songs. Also they are incredibly underrated around the world.

[@stefanoripari1816]

Level 42 The police the Best

[@tacofortgens3471]

BEAST!

[@moe9196]

Mark is playing hand slap or hand wacka bass in this song . thats how you get that snare drum effect along with the bass notes . King credits old Sly and the Family Stone bassist Larry Graham in the late 1960s for inventing this technique of playing bass . but both don't use it all the time

[@wjgreer]

#1 - I'm so happy this exists. How could we only be seeing this now? #2 - This apparently is from 12/10/1984. Liner notes on Physical Presence say it recorded in March 1985, so about 3 months later. Pretty interesting the small arrangement changes they made in that time and that the Physical Presence performance is, to my ears, about 20% tighter. They must have played a lot in the interim. #3 - Mark King's tone was so strange at this point. Super midrangey and you can hear every single note. But no bottom end at all.

[@kingmezs23]

The live versions are all somehow tighter than the recordings, like to the point where I found the band thru a live Mr Pink and was shocked at the studio version's deadness

[@wjgreer]

@@kingmezs23 Agreed, the studio version of Mr. Pink is dreadful.

[@fragwagon]

I definitely hear a good bottom end on this, in my headphones at least. The Jaydee spanks. Yet again, it is mostly slap and that tends to the midrange but no bass at all?

[@oliverbowen17]

Mark king uses very light gauge strings so there’s not as much low end.

[@canvight8446]

sick....

[@guidoklap3753]

SLAP THAT BASS!!!!!

[@profpiehead7559]

42 and Mark at their absolute peak here, before they went proper pop.

[@terrycapewell1717]

Right ,let us correct the above statement, firstly it was not on 'True Colours' at all, it was on the first album 'The Early Tapes' which was the first recorded album on Elite records but released by Polydor as a second none official album. If you as the author of this video(and it is excellent and I was there in the crowd somewhere !) then it would be wise to research your information correctly.

[@gideonsikk8733]

Terry so how many songs did they play in total ? 5 ? Anymore

[@terrycapewell1717]

@@gideonsikk8733 It was 36 years ago, 4 or 5 in total, I may be wrong, I do remember them playing 'Hot Water' though

[@gideonsikk8733]

@@terrycapewell1717 yeah physical presence. Chant .hot water . Something about u . Mr pink . Dont think would have played more .. cheers

[@jameswhite7997]

@@gideonsikk8733 Hot water and the Chant were 84...A Physical Presence and Something about You 85- there were at least two performances I always thought?!

[@gideonsikk8733]

@@jameswhite7997 yeah 2 performances think ur right. 84. 85 then . I'm confused now lol . Mr pink from the 1st . Which I've never seen untill yesterday. 85 is when he did the bass solo .. . Introduced by jules Holland. Who introduced the 84 show ? .. arrh my head hurts

[@ZenturaAudio]

dx7! i didn't even know of them till 85!!

[@ZenturaAudio]

late85

[@JBass42]

My dad got one in '84 😁

[@OGBrawlerina]

Mark King in the 80s...😍😍😋😋

[@delicate28]

👌👍✊

[@blackexcobar]

Padu. 😍👍

[@comfibold]

Superb playing in front of a lame crowd.

[@MrSilver261]

yes they dont have a clue LOL

[@johnringoo756]

I've seen a lot worse many times (crowds

[@greatwhite61967]

If it has a beat you can dance to it & not feel foolish... Many detractors are forgetting the the great composers from 100s of years ago but ill bring us more up to date with the decade over 1935 to 1945 & of the Big Band or Swing Song Year's which were fundamental in moving music forward yet most of those huge bands were (if not all) instrumentals & with each new decade music would continue to adapt experiment & find newer audiences with its constant ongoing evolving momentum... You don't always need to have lyrics & a singer to move to music & as corny as it sounds but this is what drives musician's & singer's & that is heart aka emotional content & if you add that then if your free of any enforced restrictions placed upon you then your body will move to the music & feel the beat... I've usually taken the idea that a song can or it should still be able to move the human body whether it had lyrics or not & many song's that are classics because of the lyrics & singer can still stand on its own as an instrumental musical piece only or vice versa... Obviously " Mr Pink " is more aimed as an instrumental but it can still be danced to as long as you can feel, as thats what music is about human emotions... I'm currently watching for the 3rd time (to try & like it) the 2014 remake of " Robocop " & at one point there is a musician who is a double hand amputee & he is looking at his hands in disbelief & that he will never play again with those robotic hands until (actor) Gary Goldman's character tells him its ok as you play from inside & places 1 hand on his heart & asks him to just try & play the acoustic guitar & at first it looks successful but not long into that piece of music his human emotions are kicking in & this isn't working in coordination with his new state of the art robotic hands... The musician gets & understands what the Dr is trying to say as regards to trying to get him to play & that the music doesn't come from the fingers but the mind but as the musician slowly starts to make more mistakes he comments that how a i meant to play as i use emotion to play music & this applies to what your head is hearing & if you want to let yourself go to the music... Think back to Elvis in his early year's & it was not just because he was a attractive young man but it was the emotion he put into his music & women relate to this quicker than men as we are mostly thinking about the overall product & if we want to like it... For many music becomes their life yet they have never been in a band or played an instrument & this is because of how it affects us & moves us through many different emotions & many different emotions can be written within any one song... This is why many would go on to follow Elvis throughout his career but especially his later year's which some regarded at the time as a joke (but they retracted this later on) as you have this almost god like superstar singer playing out the rest of his career & unfortunately his life in Las Vegas but he proved his detractors wrong by singing some of his best song's during the Las Vegas year's as he always put his heart into his music & yes its sad that he put on weight & was popping pills to get up & to go to sleep but to me any way his voice was much more stronger & emotive than in his younger year's as song writer's were throwing all sorts of song's for him to sing & he did so as it was part of his deal & contract but as he aged he became very choosy about what song writer's would want him to sing as all he ever wanted to do was serve the music & sing... Yes i went off on a tangent but my point is still the same & in another way of describing it would be when your in a Night Club or Bar/Pub & a particular song comes on its women who are always the first to hit the dance floor or to start dancing on the spot & shortly after so do men as its a about how music makes us feel inside & the body cant help but move to the music & hence why all the different types of genres of music have broken througj language/racial & political barriers because of how it makes us feel inside & this is why to me music has a very special place in my mind & heart & i bet you everyone (or most) have listened to music & found solace & the strength to endure what they went through because music was there to help them througj those difficult times & although i have great joy & admiration for other artistic mediums like Art or Acting as just 2 examples it will always be music that gets us through our lives & also it would be disrespectful & remiss of me not to add the faith that one has for their religion, whatever religion that might be... With music whether it is instrumental song's or songs with lyrics the world is a much more better place with music in it no matter what life throws at us music is always there to ease our pain & Yes music isnt the huge massive industry that it was but we have along with some of today's talent a whole massive collection of music to fall back on & we need to keep passing it on to the younger generations to keep it alive & maybe just maybe the music industry will make a huge come back & are lives wont also be based around technological gadgets & social media & the reason im on KZbin is to see that music is still being kept alive & during such a difficult time wuthin the last 12 months & more this coronavirus has tested the will of us all around the world as we felt helpless against this virus but no doubt music has been listened to along with movie's & other artistic mediums to help us through this difficult & testing time & i am thankful for this & why we need to pass these art forms on to keep them alive & in return they help us to live also... In light of this still ongoing coronavirus stay safe and healthy wherever you all are around this world... .....

[@ramadonna8016]

Gokil Abis .. !! Tjakep

[@Teeb2023]

This is great, if only they didn't have to catch that bus.

[@MrAuftakt]

!!!

[@ashdown1981]

The guitarist is like "why am I even here?"

[@patrickselden5747]

☝️😎

[@RoyLake]

Since when was Mr Pink on True Colours?

[@fenderfetish]

yeh, I'm scratching my head at that one

[@gastonlamarque4979]

Early tapes Album

[@johnhodgetts6617]

Not quite as tight as the version on A Physical Presence but damn good nonetheless! Plus this video is great for its historical value.

[@BorislavVeselinov]

Heck. Not even as tight as their performance in reading in 2001. Next to the physical presence performance, this is maybe my most favorite version of this piece.

[@chasey2327]

pretty sure theres a few Stanley Clarke Schooldays chords in there but why not

[@beng1lh00ly]

this video answers the question "how do zombies dance?"

[@perrysar5954]

Love Mark King .....but.....is it bass with 90-30 guage strings? The keyboards covers all the low end frequency range,what if there was no keys in Level 42?

[@jameswhite7997]

I'm pretty sure it was 90-30 strings in these days and mostly throughout the years. This song didn't have a synth bass like Hot Water, Lessons in Love etc so I'm pretty sure it was all down to old fashioned thumb...

[@terrycapewell1717]

@@jameswhite7997 The norm for the day to which everyone wanted that sound, JD bass, 90-30 stainless steel strings(more treble twang!) Trace Elliot AH 250( I think in this case) with 12 band graphic pre amp(graphic set to look like a smile, bass boost, cut middle and treble boost). This was THE Level 42 bass sound. 'Hot Water' had a sequencer bass riff to reinforce his thumb playing !

[@eddiemoohan5539]

Heard it was double tracked on the early tapes , a Hayman bass I think, sounded great to me

[@FUNKLABOR_DL1LEP]

See You tomorrow in Germany - Eschweiler! 🤠💪

[@megasoid]

Good Lord, I'm out of breath..lol! While the "Physical Presence" version of "Mr. Pink" is better, the band are NO slouches here whatsoever.

[@MrChrissyBeech]

Playing britfunk to a room full of boy George lookalikes.

[@johndoyle1810]

Yeah definitely it is certainly contortionist style dancing to Mr pink

[@jean-marcevans1439]

Pearls before swine.

[@revyu6754]

Great groove. Tight as a… drum! It wouldn’t have killed the stupid photographer to have shown the drummer every now and then. They didn’t even focus on him during his solos. Terrible cinematography.

[@MrSilver261]

i love this track and video except i cant stand watching the people trying to dance to the track!

[@SBKPete]

Looking at their haircuts, I’d say that they’d turned up to watch Kajagoogoo and not Level 42.

[@batandball617]

Sounds like pure witch-craft coming from that bass guitar.....

[@JBass42]

That's because it's in the King's hands 😉

[@Mazinga]

People dancing to funk - Hilarious! 😄👌🏻

[@regaltip8A]

Back when the drummer played the music not the drums. This is the real Level 42 now sadly they are just a glorified cover band.

[@AnselmG1970]

Guitar far too high in the mix

[@oliverbowen17]

No it isn’t

[@mastercraft5798]

I hate Mark's tinny bass sound when he plays live. Sounds like he's slapping a six string guitar. Studio version is way better.

[@dr.miguelitoloveless9478]

He's not playing with much bottom end here,..........He's also playing entirely on the bridge pickup. The 30 - 90 gauge strings allow for more bounce as they are light, however, you lose some bottom end with the lighter gauge strings. He never used both pickups at the same time except on some songs like "Can't Walk You Home" and 'Love Games'. He never used just the bridge pickup by itself, which sounds like an Gibson EB-1 bass with its 'muddy' tone. Boon's guitar sound was atrocious back then because he played through Roland Jazz Chorus amps and pushed distortion through that as they were not known for distortion, but rather for their clean chorus tone.

[@mastercraft5798]

@@dr.miguelitoloveless9478 I get all of that. But, they need to cook that bass sound a little bit before it gets to the front of house speakers. I've seen Mr King play live six times, and only once, at 'The Jazz Cafe' in Camden did he have a good 'full' sound.... probably due to the fact that it's a small venue. Come on sound engineers, give us what we want to hear!

[@Ganeshrada]

Wooooow Ih my God media.tenor.com/u7yDZgVVkN4AAAAM/love-caseylina.gif