Level 42's Mark King Interview - Tracking - Part 4 of 4

Interview with Mark from 1989 on a TV show called Tracking.

[@user-gw3rs5zx7g]

Mark King Bassist is Awesome. He inspired me to Learn Bass Guitar while watching there Hit Lessons in Love. Thank you Mark King. Vernon katipa

[@far0n]

These days you could just look Tracy up on Facebook and start an illicit affair behind your wife's back 😁

[@vincebevis2277]

Mark looking remarkably like Klaus Kinski

[@davidsanderson5918]

Vince Bevis Ha ha!! Very much so, fortunately not quite as intense.

[@OGBrawlerina]

OMG no he does not! Klaus Kinski was a creepy-looking mofo.

[@mazzarouni5608]

Mark seems frustrated with Staring at the Sun.

[@L12Bong]

I can't understand why, Staring at the Sun is the only Level 42 album to this day that I play in its entirity. From start to finish it is so tight! Maybe Mark felt coming off the success of Running in the Family that the pressue was on to make the next album an as commercial hit. From Heaven in my Hands to Greasham Blues, even including the subsequent single with massive sound of Take care of Yourself, Staring at the Sun is one of my favourite Level 42 albums. I even went to see them touring at Whitley Bay Ice rink back in 88/89 and the song Man stood out to me as a work of genius.

[@mazzarouni5608]

L12Bong yes it is a good album. Man is one of the best songs they have ever recorded and Heaven in my hands I think is one the best singles they ever released. However, it's not perfect. The lyrics on I don't know why seem a little bit muddled, take the first few lines: I don't know why, I love you like I do, but baby I love you, and always I'll be true. The scat was also a bit naff but the sound of that song is so good, just IMHO let down by the lyrics. The fact is that Level 42 didn't have a top ten single hit with that album and maybe Mark was feeling the pressure. They followed it up with Guaranteed...

[@davidsanderson5918]

One can only speculate what it must've been like to be darlings of the top ten everywhere, experiencing the trimmings and trappings of major success then....what happens?....half the band leave, mental strain, musical differences, marital problems, the wheels buckling a bit on the wagon. You make a decent album but the record company obviously wanted something bright, big and bold with big fat hits on it. Then the critics give it a thumbs down. Naturally your confidence can start to slip. Mark puts a brave face on it in the documentary 'Fait Accomplit' but even at the time I could see that they were wondering who and what Level 42 was all of a sudden. I like Staring At The Sun too but I wouldn't be surprised if that's been their hardest album to make. It was definitely time for a break to recharge and rediscover what it was about. Suddenly it wasn't so easy.

[@mazzarouni5608]

@@davidsanderson5918 yes you are spot on. The band had its pressure but I think Mark maybe rushed out that album, on the orders of Polydor and their manager. They knew the band was popular so you have to ride the wave for as long as possible. Staring at the Sun was rushed and needed more time. Now Guaranteed was not rushed but yet it didn't work either and that was because the sound of the band changed and the fans didn't buy. I actually think it's a good album and I know Mark wanted to try different things but they should have made sure the singles they released remained the energetic bouncy stuff that the fans liked and the album tracks could be different, so for example release Her Big Day and not My Father's Shoes.

[@garylester6878]

I think Mark seems unhappy here for a number of reasons , fatigue at the end of the tour , the album and singles not selling as well as RITF , pressure of doing Fait Accompli and the biography by Michael Cowton, a new line up, and problems with the press.I also believe his marriage was suffering..its enough to drive anyone a bit crazy.!