Mark King is the best!! One of my early inspirations to play bass, even though I'm sure I'll never play like him! So glad I got the chance to catch Level 42 live in Bospop 2019 in the Netherlands, what an experience! Thanks for the video! BTW, his brother, Nathan King, who plays guitar with the band nowadays (and also played on that show) is a monster bassist too, you can check him out demoing basses over at Andertons a few years back. Legends!
I felt bad for leaving out the details on Level 42's current lineup and that Nathan King is doing a great job filling Boon's shoes, but I planned on putting it in the next Level 42 video because I'm not finished talking about them. Wow! I thought Nathan looked familiar on Anderton's but I didn't put it together. Thanks for pointing that out and yes, he is a monster bassist too!
Level 42 is a band I have not paid much attention to, I am familiar with Lessons In Love and Something about you and like both songs, and back in the day I had a 12" single of Lessons In Love and spun it a lot, but for some reason I never bought one of their albums. Because of your video I am going to check out some of their stuff today while I work. BTW, Abraham Laboriel also uses the flamenco technique on bass. I used to have one of his instructional VHS tapes where he talks about learning flamenco guitar before applying the technique to bass guitar and then demonstrating it. That man is an absolute beast of a player!
I used to DJ a little bit too back in the 90s...if that's what you mean when you said "spun it a lot" but I never felt like the crowd at the club I worked at would get Level 42, so I never played them. World Machine isn't a bad start and you really can't go wrong with any of those first 5 albums. Those are the only ones I have anyway. Speaking of Abraham Laboriel, I mentioned him in my 8-String bass videos but I should've brought him up in this video. Either way, I'm going to be talking about him more but I appreciate you bringing him up. You definitely know your stuff!
@@progrockjock I actually did do some DJ-ing back in the 80s and 90s, but just for friends and family, I never made any money at it. I meant more that I played the 12” single of Lessons In Love a lot at home and it was on some of my mix tapes as well. I look forward to your Abraham Laboriel content, he’s always been one of my favorites. I actually got to meet him and talk to him once, back to in the 90s when he was touring with Ron Kenoli, I joined the choir and got to spend a little time with him before the show. He’s an incredibly humble and nice guy.
You didn't miss much by not DJ-ing for money, believe me. The most fun I ever had was stepping in to DJ for a party I attended and using my iPod along with some of the vinyl the host had on hand. I did it as a favor, so there was no pressure to spin music I didn't want to hear in order to keep people dancing. Ultimately, I'd prefer to be performing live any day. As for Abraham Laboriel, that's awesome that you got to meet him! I stumbled upon him on TH-cam several years ago but didn't know much about him when I did. I can't believe how many artists he's played with!
@@progrockjock I should also mention that Chester Thompson was drumming at that gig and I got to chat with him too! Also a very nice guy, and he mentioned how much he loved playing with Phil and Genesis.
Oh man, Chester Thompson gets totally underrated!! This is a shame because Phil Collins hired him, which is saying a lot. Collins is one of my favorite drummers, so his endorsement of any musician is to be held in high regard.
So glad you're talking about MK & Level 42. First seen them at my local venue in around 82 then again at wembley arena in 86. I was a thumb up guy because of Mark. Like you, any of those shenanigans are kept to minimum these dsys. Yes he is a top finger player. Persuit of Accidents is my favorite album too. Nice one PRJ
7:21 LFG!! I'm looking forward to your vids on the band connections here. In the start of this vid you said that you will ditch an idea if you see that another TH-camr has covered it. Obviously, follow your heart on the content you want to create but I will speak up as a niche viewer of some of your more niche content - There will never be too many "Hey" covers in the world, or "The Fool", or videos breaking down the Thompson Twins.
It's so great to see that more and more bassplayers are starting to recognize Mark King's bassplaying. back in the 80's if you were a Mark King fan you were nothing but an ego-tripper and according to *alot* of other bassplayers all Mark King did was play bass solo all the time, I'm not kiddin that's what other bassplayer said about him in the 80's. Probably just envy that they didn't make millions playing the style and the songs they want. Anyway that was the positive - If you wanna show and play Mark King basslines and if you are really a fan of Mark King you could atleast learn the *correct* notes in his basslines. I see this so many times when people talk about Mark King they sorta just do their own "version" of his basslines which is so disrespectful because they don't do that with other bassists. If they are to play a Victor Wooten or Flea bassline they play it absolutly 100% correct, but when it comes to Mark King they tend to think that it's "okay" that you make up your own version off his basslines. And tbh that is so disrespectful.
Maybe the people who criticized Mark King were jealous of his success. When I think about people coming onto other channels and dropping rude comments when they don't have anything to show for themselves, I think the same. That's disrespectful, dude. I have spent a lot of time mostly listening to the songs before attempting to play them. While the technique may not be a spot-on demonstration of how the actual bassist plays the song, the notes are definitely correct, as stated in this video. I see videos all over TH-cam titled "This is the Correct Way To Play [enter song here]" but there's always something off. I don't leave negative comments trashing the way other musicians play. So, let me give you some advice. Instead of coming on here, talking about how it should be done, just do it yourself!...or better yet, I invite you to come on this channel and show us how it's done. You appear to have the bass to get the job done, so let's do it!
Mark started out as a drummer himself, but since the band needed a bassist, he switched over and carried on drumming on the bass which is why he excels playing 16th note 'machine gun' triplets and slap. Mark has played on other artist songs like 'Easy' by Nik Kershaw, particularly the song intro. King also plays guitar pretty decent, too.
I know about MK being a drummer but didn't know he played on any of Nik Kershaw's recordings. Everyone in that band is ultra-talented! I wanted to get more into Mark King's background and his brother, Nathan King in another video.
@@progrockjock Another group you may enjoy is the Japanese jazz fusion band, Casiopea. Level 42 actually took the stage with Casiopea in the mid-80's for a recorded performance. It's here on YT somewhere, but audio only. Regarding Kershaw, MK played bass on his song, 'Easy'. You'll know it's MK when you hear it. That's all Jaydee bass, my friend. If you'd like, I can share some photos of my Jaydees with you, .. email works for me.
@@progrockjockI am so glad that you are a fan of Mark King and Level 42. I bought the "Level Best" album over 25 years ago. I put the CD into my work truck last year and listened to every song and really enjoyed it - A LOT!!! So many good songs on that greatest hits album.... OMG. To me, they are the British version of Earth Wind and Fire... Mike Lindup has the Philip Bailey falsetto that I love. Mark King's vocal style sort of reminds me of Maurice White...that vocal tone. You are so correct about the rest of the band just being insanely talented. Phil Gould is definitely one of the best drummers in the world and his Brother (R.I.P) was incredible on the guitar. Mike is amazing on the keyboard as well as his vocals....of course Mark King is a freak of nature with his bass playing and vocals. Something About You is still one of my favorite songs of all time .. My favorite songs so far .. Something About You, Lessons in Love, It's Over, Children Say, Leaving Me Now, Chinese Way, Starchild, Running In The Family, To Be With You Again, Tracie, Love Games....and others. PRJ, thanks again for this video... people need to know how great this band is. Boon Gould wrote some great songs... Nathan King does a nice job on guitar now...he is an amazing bassist as well. Pete "the beat" Biggin does a great job on drums now ... *Nathan King is how I found your great channel....he was demoing the Ibanez Mezzo Bass on "Anderton's Music" TH-cam Channel.
@@mdwayne741 WOW! I've always made the Earth Wind & Fire reference to people and only one of my friends, who is a Level 42 fan himself, got it! Also, Verdine White & Larry Dunn from Earth Wind & Fire produced Level 42's 4th album "Standing In The Light". It was only last month that realized Nathan King was on the Anderton's Music YT channel after @arieltz23 pointed this out to me! I always thought Nathan looked familiar, as I have watched an abundance of Level 42's live performances but just didn't put it together until he commented about it. What a small world that his demo led you to mine and that I am now also Saga fan!
I love Kansas City Milkman! To me, it is, hands down, the best song on True Colours. Yes, I can play it but I don't know it by heart yet. That would be a good song to post here on the channel. The bass is tuned to Drop D for KCM, which is rare for the King. I will certainly keep it in mind...
I own three Jaydee basses because of Mark King's influence on me as a bassist. The secret is the 30-90 gauge strings he uses,... which make makes them bouncy and snappy.
I also got to see Level 42 live in the U.S. 14 years ago during their brief 10-date U.S. tour. One of my Jaydees is a Series 1 which is exactly what King was using for the early albums and on the current tours. It is a real treat to finally have that bridge 'honk' pickup sound. Original Jaydee pickups are really just a pair of smaller Precision pickups inside handmade wooden pickup cases. Mark ordered a new Jaydee bass in late 2018, which has a build time of over a year. Sadly, John Diggins, (J.D.='JayDee') passed away in January of this year. However, his sons and grandsons are continuing the business.
You're a true fan! I wish I could say that I've seen them live but sadly, I haven't. My wife & I are considering flying out to the U.K. to see them live sooner than later. I once looked into buying a JayDee bass but couldn't justify the price. Maybe someday...
I keep hearing about lighter gauge strings being the secret sauce. I recently bought some Ernie Ball Hybrid Slinky Strings (45-105), which are currently on the Ibanez ATK 700 I'm playing in this video. I'm going to take it in to a luthier for a proper setup and will let you know the results. I appreciate you sharing that secret!
@@progrockjock You need to understand that with the lighter gauge strings, you lose some bottom end. And believe me, setting up a bass is much easier than setting up a guitar. Don't be afraid to turn the truss rod, that is if you understand the mechanics of it. When you put on the lighter strings compared to 45's, the neck will be bowed backwards until a truss rod adjustment is made to correct it. I only buy GHS nickel Roundwound BOOMERS in the 30 - 90's from a company called JustStrings. MK plays stainless steel strings, however, they irritate my hands. The lighter strings will feel like playing strings in between a bass and guitar. That 30 'D' string feels like the 'A' string on a guitar. I can play MK licks on 45's, but you have to put a lot of 'groin' into it as MK says. Or else all you get is 'plik,plik,plik' when trying to slap. It helps me build strength in my fingers when playing with 45's.
Also worth a mention is Status Graphite and the King Bass model that Mark contributed to the design. I had the good fortune to get one in 2003, it still gets many hours of play per week either practicing or gigging. It really is a fantastic piece of quality gear. Rigged up to either a TC Electronic RH450 or BH800 with RS210 and R212 cabs. I like a clean and crisp bass tone and this configuration delivers.
Not yet, but I did play the opening to "My New Career" in one of my fretless bass videos a year and a half ago. I agree with you 100%. Mick Karn has been a hero of mine for decades. Gone too soon. I planned on doing a video about MK and Japan a long time ago but then another more popular TH-cam channel posted a video after my teaser video. I know I wasn't the first to post a video about Mick Karn, but at the time, it broke my enthusiasm. Either way, I must defer to that guy's video because his post is great and he does MK a lot of justice.
Mark King is the best!! One of my early inspirations to play bass, even though I'm sure I'll never play like him!
So glad I got the chance to catch Level 42 live in Bospop 2019 in the Netherlands, what an experience!
Thanks for the video!
BTW, his brother, Nathan King, who plays guitar with the band nowadays (and also played on that show) is a monster bassist too, you can check him out demoing basses over at Andertons a few years back. Legends!
I felt bad for leaving out the details on Level 42's current lineup and that Nathan King is doing a great job filling Boon's shoes, but I planned on putting it in the next Level 42 video because I'm not finished talking about them. Wow! I thought Nathan looked familiar on Anderton's but I didn't put it together. Thanks for pointing that out and yes, he is a monster bassist too!
Nathan is also the bassist for Frost*, a great band in their own right.
Level 42 is a band I have not paid much attention to, I am familiar with Lessons In Love and Something about you and like both songs, and back in the day I had a 12" single of Lessons In Love and spun it a lot, but for some reason I never bought one of their albums. Because of your video I am going to check out some of their stuff today while I work.
BTW, Abraham Laboriel also uses the flamenco technique on bass. I used to have one of his instructional VHS tapes where he talks about learning flamenco guitar before applying the technique to bass guitar and then demonstrating it. That man is an absolute beast of a player!
I used to DJ a little bit too back in the 90s...if that's what you mean when you said "spun it a lot" but I never felt like the crowd at the club I worked at would get Level 42, so I never played them. World Machine isn't a bad start and you really can't go wrong with any of those first 5 albums. Those are the only ones I have anyway.
Speaking of Abraham Laboriel, I mentioned him in my 8-String bass videos but I should've brought him up in this video. Either way, I'm going to be talking about him more but I appreciate you bringing him up. You definitely know your stuff!
@@progrockjock I actually did do some DJ-ing back in the 80s and 90s, but just for friends and family, I never made any money at it. I meant more that I played the 12” single of Lessons In Love a lot at home and it was on some of my mix tapes as well.
I look forward to your Abraham Laboriel content, he’s always been one of my favorites. I actually got to meet him and talk to him once, back to in the 90s when he was touring with Ron Kenoli, I joined the choir and got to spend a little time with him before the show. He’s an incredibly humble and nice guy.
You didn't miss much by not DJ-ing for money, believe me. The most fun I ever had was stepping in to DJ for a party I attended and using my iPod along with some of the vinyl the host had on hand. I did it as a favor, so there was no pressure to spin music I didn't want to hear in order to keep people dancing. Ultimately, I'd prefer to be performing live any day.
As for Abraham Laboriel, that's awesome that you got to meet him! I stumbled upon him on TH-cam several years ago but didn't know much about him when I did. I can't believe how many artists he's played with!
@@progrockjock I should also mention that Chester Thompson was drumming at that gig and I got to chat with him too! Also a very nice guy, and he mentioned how much he loved playing with Phil and Genesis.
Oh man, Chester Thompson gets totally underrated!! This is a shame because Phil Collins hired him, which is saying a lot. Collins is one of my favorite drummers, so his endorsement of any musician is to be held in high regard.
So glad you're talking about MK & Level 42. First seen them at my local venue in around 82 then again at wembley arena in 86. I was a thumb up guy because of Mark. Like you, any of those shenanigans are kept to minimum these dsys. Yes he is a top finger player. Persuit of Accidents is my favorite album too. Nice one PRJ
Man, seeing them in 82 and 86 -- You caught their best action!!
7:21 LFG!! I'm looking forward to your vids on the band connections here. In the start of this vid you said that you will ditch an idea if you see that another TH-camr has covered it. Obviously, follow your heart on the content you want to create but I will speak up as a niche viewer of some of your more niche content - There will never be too many "Hey" covers in the world, or "The Fool", or videos breaking down the Thompson Twins.
Thank you 🙏🏾
It's so great to see that more and more bassplayers are starting to recognize Mark King's bassplaying. back in the 80's if you were a Mark King fan you were nothing but an ego-tripper and according to *alot* of other bassplayers all Mark King did was play bass solo all the time, I'm not kiddin that's what other bassplayer said about him in the 80's. Probably just envy that they didn't make millions playing the style and the songs they want. Anyway that was the positive -
If you wanna show and play Mark King basslines and if you are really a fan of Mark King you could atleast learn the *correct* notes in his basslines. I see this so many times when people talk about Mark King they sorta just do their own "version" of his basslines which is so disrespectful because they don't do that with other bassists. If they are to play a Victor Wooten or Flea bassline they play it absolutly 100% correct, but when it comes to Mark King they tend to think that it's "okay" that you make up your own version off his basslines. And tbh that is so disrespectful.
Maybe the people who criticized Mark King were jealous of his success. When I think about people coming onto other channels and dropping rude comments when they don't have anything to show for themselves, I think the same. That's disrespectful, dude.
I have spent a lot of time mostly listening to the songs before attempting to play them. While the technique may not be a spot-on demonstration of how the actual bassist plays the song, the notes are definitely correct, as stated in this video. I see videos all over TH-cam titled "This is the Correct Way To Play [enter song here]" but there's always something off. I don't leave negative comments trashing the way other musicians play.
So, let me give you some advice. Instead of coming on here, talking about how it should be done, just do it yourself!...or better yet, I invite you to come on this channel and show us how it's done. You appear to have the bass to get the job done, so let's do it!
Mark started out as a drummer himself, but since the band needed a bassist, he switched over and carried on drumming on the bass which is why he excels playing 16th note 'machine gun' triplets and slap. Mark has played on other artist songs like 'Easy' by Nik Kershaw, particularly the song intro. King also plays guitar pretty decent, too.
I know about MK being a drummer but didn't know he played on any of Nik Kershaw's recordings. Everyone in that band is ultra-talented! I wanted to get more into Mark King's background and his brother, Nathan King in another video.
@@progrockjock Another group you may enjoy is the Japanese jazz fusion band, Casiopea. Level 42 actually took the stage with Casiopea in the mid-80's for a recorded performance. It's here on YT somewhere, but audio only. Regarding Kershaw, MK played bass on his song, 'Easy'. You'll know it's MK when you hear it. That's all Jaydee bass, my friend. If you'd like, I can share some photos of my Jaydees with you, .. email works for me.
@@progrockjockI am so glad that you are a fan of Mark King and Level 42. I bought the "Level Best" album over 25 years ago.
I put the CD into my work truck last year and listened to every song and really enjoyed it - A LOT!!!
So many good songs on that greatest hits album.... OMG.
To me, they are the British version of Earth Wind and Fire... Mike Lindup has the Philip Bailey falsetto that I love.
Mark King's vocal style sort of reminds me of Maurice White...that vocal tone.
You are so correct about the rest of the band just being insanely talented.
Phil Gould is definitely one of the best drummers in the world and his Brother (R.I.P) was incredible on the guitar. Mike is amazing on the keyboard as well as his vocals....of course Mark King is a freak of nature with his bass playing and vocals.
Something About You is still one of my favorite songs of all time ..
My favorite songs so far ..
Something About You, Lessons in Love, It's Over, Children Say, Leaving Me Now, Chinese Way, Starchild, Running In The Family, To Be With You Again, Tracie, Love Games....and others.
PRJ, thanks again for this video... people need to know how great this band is.
Boon Gould wrote some great songs... Nathan King does a nice job on guitar now...he is an amazing bassist as well.
Pete "the beat" Biggin does a great job on drums now ...
*Nathan King is how I found your great channel....he was demoing the Ibanez Mezzo Bass on "Anderton's Music" TH-cam Channel.
@@mdwayne741 WOW! I've always made the Earth Wind & Fire reference to people and only one of my friends, who is a Level 42 fan himself, got it! Also, Verdine White & Larry Dunn from Earth Wind & Fire produced Level 42's 4th album "Standing In The Light". It was only last month that realized Nathan King was on the Anderton's Music YT channel after @arieltz23 pointed this out to me! I always thought Nathan looked familiar, as I have watched an abundance of Level 42's live performances but just didn't put it together until he commented about it. What a small world that his demo led you to mine and that I am now also Saga fan!
I LOVE the “The Pursuit of Accidents”! Great album. Kansas City Milk Man is awesome. Can you play that?
I love Kansas City Milkman! To me, it is, hands down, the best song on True Colours. Yes, I can play it but I don't know it by heart yet. That would be a good song to post here on the channel. The bass is tuned to Drop D for KCM, which is rare for the King. I will certainly keep it in mind...
thank you, sir
I own three Jaydee basses because of Mark King's influence on me as a bassist. The secret is the 30-90 gauge strings he uses,... which make makes them bouncy and snappy.
I also got to see Level 42 live in the U.S. 14 years ago during their brief 10-date U.S. tour. One of my Jaydees is a Series 1 which is exactly what King was using for the early albums and on the current tours. It is a real treat to finally have that bridge 'honk' pickup sound. Original Jaydee pickups are really just a pair of smaller Precision pickups inside handmade wooden pickup cases. Mark ordered a new Jaydee bass in late 2018, which has a build time of over a year. Sadly, John Diggins, (J.D.='JayDee') passed away in January of this year. However, his sons and grandsons are continuing the business.
You're a true fan! I wish I could say that I've seen them live but sadly, I haven't. My wife & I are considering flying out to the U.K. to see them live sooner than later. I once looked into buying a JayDee bass but couldn't justify the price. Maybe someday...
I keep hearing about lighter gauge strings being the secret sauce. I recently bought some Ernie Ball Hybrid Slinky Strings (45-105), which are currently on the Ibanez ATK 700 I'm playing in this video. I'm going to take it in to a luthier for a proper setup and will let you know the results. I appreciate you sharing that secret!
@@progrockjock You need to understand that with the lighter gauge strings, you lose some bottom end. And believe me, setting up a bass is much easier than setting up a guitar. Don't be afraid to turn the truss rod, that is if you understand the mechanics of it. When you put on the lighter strings compared to 45's, the neck will be bowed backwards until a truss rod adjustment is made to correct it. I only buy GHS nickel Roundwound BOOMERS in the 30 - 90's from a company called JustStrings. MK plays stainless steel strings, however, they irritate my hands. The lighter strings will feel like playing strings in between a bass and guitar. That 30 'D' string feels like the 'A' string on a guitar. I can play MK licks on 45's, but you have to put a lot of 'groin' into it as MK says. Or else all you get is 'plik,plik,plik' when trying to slap. It helps me build strength in my fingers when playing with 45's.
Also worth a mention is Status Graphite and the King Bass model that Mark contributed to the design. I had the good fortune to get one in 2003, it still gets many hours of play per week either practicing or gigging. It really is a fantastic piece of quality gear. Rigged up to either a TC Electronic RH450 or BH800 with RS210 and R212 cabs. I like a clean and crisp bass tone and this configuration delivers.
Level 42 is one of my all time favorite's since I was a teenager.
Gotta check out Wally badarou's chief inspector album it's a great album 👍🏼
Have u done a review of the bass player from the band japan, he plays a fretless bass, on another level, the legend that is mick karn
Not yet, but I did play the opening to "My New Career" in one of my fretless bass videos a year and a half ago. I agree with you 100%. Mick Karn has been a hero of mine for decades. Gone too soon. I planned on doing a video about MK and Japan a long time ago but then another more popular TH-cam channel posted a video after my teaser video. I know I wasn't the first to post a video about Mick Karn, but at the time, it broke my enthusiasm. Either way, I must defer to that guy's video because his post is great and he does MK a lot of justice.