Hi, I'm just a few weeks away from getting my new S2 Classic and I've been digesting some Level 42. Does any one know what bass Mark is playing on that album? Is there a list somewhere for the gearheads of what he plays on other albums? It sounds a bit more neck pickup than some of his later tones.

Thanks.

Early Tapes.... JayDee!!

I think the original cherry red one all the way!

;)

I'm sure I read somewhere that Mark used the in-house studio bass on some of those sessions, and it was a Shergold if I remember..??

I'd read something about a Shergold too... I think I remember Mark saying he had to lean forward while playing the thing or the strings stuck to the pick-ups... lol.

I read that too - "before I discvered gaffa tape" i think he said!:D

Mark talked about this on the Capital Radio show promoting Running in the Family in 1987 - I still have the tape. He claims it was Shergold studio bass and yes that during Love Meeting Love you can hear the magnetic poles being sucked onto the strings every time he leant forward (the poles were loose)

I have my doubts that the Shergold was entirely used - certain tracks certainly sound like the Jaydee, but if you listen you can hear the basslines are double tracked, so maybe he did overdubs with the Jaydee after he got it?

He bought the Jaydee with money from the Polydor advance after Early Tapes had already been released by Elite, so he can't have done original recordings with it.

Has anyone here heard a white label original? Maybe that would clear up whether he did overdubs with the Jaydee for Polydor before they re-released it?

He double tracked for sure, especially on Mr Pink, where you can hear the main bassline going on under his
" snaps! " B)

He used an old Hayman 'modular' bass on Love Meeting Love and Wings Of Love, and for the rest of the album he used his newly aquired Jaydee 003sa through a Roland Jazz Chorus.
Cheers, Paul.

I also remember reading he bought his Jaydee with the 5K advance they got from Polydor..

Hayman! That was it! I was thinking Hagstrom or something with H then everyone else was saying Shergold so I figured it must be that.

Thanks for info Paul - can you go into further detail over how he recorded the tracks with the Jaydee when that supposedly didn't arrive til Polydor days? From where is the confusion stemming? I have heard him telling the tale of buying the Jaydee with Polydor advance money on at least 3 recordings, so is he fibbing, or did they get the Polydor money BEFORE Early Tapes/Strategy was finished recording?

This is a mystery I would love to have solved by the collective wisdom of the group!

Until this intriguing mystery is solved why not indulge in a flash-back session -> http://www.ultimatelevel42.com/media/...terkey1=13

Polydor was involved with Love Meeting Love soon after it's release on the Elite label. And it was shortly after that the band had their £5000 advance in which Mark bought his Jaydee for a monkey.

Wasn't that elite album called Strategy??

There were only half a dosen copies of Strategy made, and as far as i am aware, they are just press white labels that were given out to certain indaviduals. There is no sleeve art work just 'Strategy' written on the disc itself. As rare as rockin' horse..

Well while we are at it, I am still selling my Vinyl collection, there is a link here somewhere with a list if anyone want's to reminise! It's a great 12" and album collection all in good order.

slacker42 is correct and a scan of the Strategy LP/EP can be found here -> http://www.ultimatelevel42.com/media/...terkey1=87

Six test pressings of the first album recorded by Level 42 for Elite were made by the late Elite label boss Andy Sojka (1951-2000). Sojka threatened to release this as the follow-up to the debut 'Level 42' Polydor album. Polydor bought the rights from Sojka and released the album as 'The Early Tapes'. One of the six copies is with the Sojka's family. The matrix number for this record (if you ever find one) is 12-LYN-10910-1M and this can be found on the run-out groove near the label. Certainly one copy accounted for (the one with Andy Sojka's estate) is signed by Andy himself in biro and reads 'LEVLP1. Strategy'.

The mastertape info can be found here -> http://www.ultimatelevel42.com/media/...rkey1=1174

Sorry I must be thick but this still doesn't make sense to me - are we saying the 42s recorded Love Meeting Love and Wings of Love, which was released as a single by Elite, then Polydor signed them and gave them an advance part of which Mark bought the Jaydee for, but they then carried on recording the rest of Strategy for Elite and Mark used the Jaydee for the rest of the recording?

That is the only way I can see it working chronologically, but surely signing to Polydor would be exclusive and they would have had to desist their work with Elite as soon as they signed?

So it's down to a Shergold, Hayman or Jaydee? :) I though this would would be a bit more definitive.

When I listen to Sandstorm or Autumn or 88 I hear something that sounds like a P Bass mixed with another pickup. To me at least.

I heard that Mark King was using a very unusual guitar, because the tighteners at the end are very large compared to others I have seen and this seems rare because it is only four strings versus six.


:D

Odd, I wrote nearly the same thing on an eBay ad I'm running.