Contents
Early life
King began life on the Isle of Wight, a small island just off the southern mainland coast of England. His father, Raymond King, was a dairyman, and the family lived in a tied dairy house. King recalled in a 2006 newspaper interview [1], "it was post-war, with one brass tap, an outside toilet and a zinc bath in front of the fire." He later lived on the Camp Hill and Albany prison estates on the outskirts of Newport. He attended Kitbridge Middle School where he met his childhood sweetheart Tracey Wilson, later writing a song about her. He then went to Cowes High School.
Originally, King pursued a career as a drummer. His father bought him his first kit for £10, whilst he gained encouragement to pursue a career in music from his music teacher at middle school.
Level 42
King moved to London at the age of nineteen, subsequently forming Level 42 in 1979 with Mike Lindup and fellow Islanders, brothers Phil and Rowland Charles Gould. Still drumming at this point, when the band began jamming and needed a bass player, King reluctantly took over the role at the age of twenty-one. He went on to make a lead instrument of the bass guitar. It should be noted that he did not intend to take up the role of playing bass, but merely did it by way of necessity. He had lost his drum kit on an ill-fated trip to Austria, having to sell it to pay for a ticket back home. Since Level 42 already had a drummer lined up, King played bass.[citation needed]
At one of their first gigs, at the La Babalu club in Ryde, Level 42 were spotted by Andy Sojka, the head of small independent record label Elite and signed. The next year they were signed to Polydor and King spent the next nine years recording and touring with the band. The first Top 40 single, "Love Games", was released in 1981, heralding the band's first appearance on Top of the Pops. The big breakthrough came with the release of "The Sun Goes Down (Livin' it up)" in 1983.
While in Level 42, King found his bass-playing services in some demand. He was invited by Nik Kershaw to play on his second album The Riddle (1984) and by Midge Ure to play on his albums The Gift (1985) and Answers To Nothing (1988).
Level 42 supported The Police in 1981, followed by tours with Steve Winwood in 1986 and Madonna in 1987. In 1986, King and Lindup performed alongside Eric Clapton, Phil Collins, Mark Knopfler and Elton John at a Prince's Trust charity concert.
Solo and later work
In 1984 he released his first solo album, Influences (at the time he needed a deposit to put down on a house - this album gave him that opportunity), followed by One Man in 1998. In 1999 he issued a collection of unused songs in the form of the album 'Trash'; the name hinted at the rough, unpolished nature of the recordings (which were rejected by Virgin Records in favour of the tracks which would ultimately appear on the 'One Man' album). 'Trash' was an historic release as it was issued without a record company and initially offered to hardcore fans via a low-key guestbook entry, made by King, on www.level42.com. Using an Apple Mac, CD burner and inkjet printer, King manufactured the CD himself and posted it directly to fans, charging £17 plus postage. He hand signed and numbered early copies. Clearly not anticipating the popularity of the album, the initial CDs were numbered as part of a series of 100. Word soon spread of the CD and King eventually shifted in excess of 1,000 copies. In the years following Trash, King repeated the successful 'home-made' formula releasing a string of live recordings including 'Live At The Jazz Cafe', 'Live On The Isle of Wight' and 'Live At Reading Concert Hall' (which despite being performed as a Mark King solo show, was released under the name of Level 42 as King retained the rights to the name shortly before releasing the CD). Despite being contracted to Universal Music imprint W14, King continues to release live shows on his own Summerhouse Record label, of which 2007's 'Retroglide Live' DVD was the first.
Since coming back into the limelight in 1996 with 'One Man' and the supporting US and UK tour, King has toured consistently. With the exception of 'Trash' he has only issued one new studio album in the 8 year period, September 2006's 'Retroglide' under the Level 42 banner.
In 2007 King is still the Level 42 frontman and plays a number of festival dates with founder band member and keyboard player Mike Lindup. A UK tour is planned for 2008.
Playing style
Mark King helped to develop and popularize the slap and pop style of playing the bass guitar in the 1980s. The slapping and popping style was developed in the 1970s by funk bassists such as Larry Graham and further developed by jazz fusion bassists such as Stanley Clarke. King developed a rapid playing speed using this technique, and introduced technical elements that enabled him to produce a mix of percussive effects while still playing a bass line.
One of King's greatest influences was the musician Tom Taylor who gave King guitar lessons at the age of twelve.
King's bass playing style is largely based on continuous 16th notes (aka semiquavers), variously described as "machine-gun" style. The "machine-gun" style of playing consists of popping a note, hammering on, then slapping (occasionally with a left hand slap combined) very rapidly.
King and Level 42 are considered highly influential artists of the brit funk movement of the 1970s and 1980s.
Instruments
King has used various models of bass guitar through the years, the two most commonly used brands have been JayDees (as exemplified by "Love Games") and the Status Graphite (evident on his solo works). The JayDees were built by John Diggins, a former employee of John Birch. JayDee is phonetic for his initials, J.D.
Mark King has used Status Graphite basses since the 1980s including the Series-2000 and Empathy models. In November 2000, Rob Green and Mark King developed the Status KingBass, a headless, double cut-away bass with a woven graphite through-neck, Status Hyperactive pickups and active electronics. Status LEDs are a custom option on all Status models. Status Graphite basses are handmade in England by Rob Green.
Other known basses he has used are Alembics, Pangborn basses, a Zon bass (on the album "World Machine" for the song "Lying Still"). King's first fretless bass was a Japanese-made "Moon" jazz bass. King also owned two MusicMan basses, a Wal bass, which was fitted with an MB4 MIDI interface (used on the album "Guaranteed", on the track "Lasso The Moon").
In 1996, King briefly used Fender basses. A limited run of 42 "Mark King" Jazz basses were made, built and set up to King's specifications. They all came fitted with SIM's LED lights, flat-radiused fingerboards and a custom neck plate engraved with his signature. Also in 1999, King used GB basses, handmade in England by Bernie Goodfellow.
Home life
King moved back to his native Isle of Wight in 1988. During the 1990s, he bought a pub in Ryde, Isle of Wight. The pub was called Joe Daflo's, a contraction of the names of his (then) three children, Jolie (born 1988), Darcy (born 1985) and Florrie (born 1982). King sold the pub in 2000 and it has since become a chain of pubs[citation needed] operating in the coastal towns of southern England.
King lives in Alverstone Garden Village on the Isle of Wight with his Dutch longtime companion, Maria Van de Brohm (Ria), and fourth child, Marleigh, born in 1996.
Sooner or Later
Mark King Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're gonna meet the man that burns your hands with fire
But you know he isn't doing what you'd like to
Picking up the reigns and everything they're holdin'
It's a long way down
Sooner or later
That's how it is
Oh no
Sugar
Am I still the one and only in your garden
Does the thought of me in your dream make you smile
Can I feel a certain distance in between us
Or is this dance only mine
Help me
To remember round and turn another page dear
Did we make a contribution to the pile
Even if it's only one man in his place dear
It will be worthwhile
Sooner than later
How it should be
Time fast became the rarest world commodity
I waste a good thing
Good thing I've stopped
If I try harder is it too late for us all
And in another place
Another time, another space
Is it any easier
Chance
Another chance is all I ask of you
I'd be so different, I'd be so new
You'd love me, you really know you would
Baby
Sooner than later
How it should be
Time fast became the rarest world commodity
I waste a good thing
Good thing I've stopped
If I try harder is it too late for us all
Sooner or later
That's how it is
Whatever made you think your credit lasts for years
I waste a good thing
Good thing I've stopped
If I try harder is it too late for us all
The song "Sooner or Later" by Mark King depicts the lamentations of a man who feels he has wasted something good, and is struggling to make amends. In the first verse, King speaks of a man who will soon come into the singer's life, inflicting pain and leaving them feeling helpless. The man is evidently symbolic of the idea of life's unfairness, and the inevitable crises all humans will have to face at some point in their lives. The second verse addresses an individual who is clearly special to the singer, but with whom the singer feels a growing distance. It is unclear what happened to cause this rift in their relationship, but it is clear that the singer is troubled by it. The chorus reiterates the idea that time is precious, and that one should make the most of it while they can. The singer ponders whether it is too late to turn things around and salvage something good out of what remains.
The final verse returns to the idea of chances, with the singer expressing a desire for one more opportunity to prove himself. He speaks of a transformed version of himself that he believes his loved one would accept, given the chance. However, he acknowledges that time is fleeting and that opportunities may pass us by before we are ready to seize them. The repeated line "I waste a good thing" underlines the importance of making the most of the time we have, and not regretting the missed opportunities. The song ends without giving a clear resolution, leaving the listener to ponder the importance of time and whether there is such a thing as a second chance.
Line by Line Meaning
Sooner or later
At some point in time
You're gonna meet the man that burns your hands with fire
You will encounter someone who harms and damages you
But you know he isn't doing what you'd like to
You are aware that he is not meeting your expectations
Picking up the reigns and everything they're holdin'
Taking control of the situation and all responsibilities
It's a long way down
There will be consequences and challenges to face
That's how it is
That is the reality
Whatever made you think your credit lasts for years
What made you believe that your positive reputation would endure forever?
Sugar
Term of endearment to refer to someone you care for
Am I still the one and only in your garden
Do I remain the sole focus of your affection?
Does the thought of me in your dream make you smile
Do thoughts of me bring you happiness?
Can I feel a certain distance in between us
Do I sense a growing separation between us?
Or is this dance only mine
Am I the only one participating in this complicated relationship?
Help me
Assist me
To remember round and turn another page dear
Recall old memories and move forward
Did we make a contribution to the pile
Did we make an impact on the world or on those around us?
Even if it's only one man in his place dear
Even if one person improves their situation or themselves
It will be worthwhile
It will have value and meaning
Sooner than later
Soon
How it should be
The way things ought to be
Time fast became the rarest world commodity
Time is valuable and scarce
I waste a good thing
I have lost something valuable due to my own actions
Good thing I've stopped
It's good that I have stopped this destructive behavior
If I try harder is it too late for us all
If I make more effort, will it be too late for everyone?
And in another place
In a different location
Another time, another space
At another moment in history and in a different setting
Is it any easier
Is it less difficult than it is currently?
Chance
Opportunity
Another chance is all I ask of you
I am seeking another chance from you
I'd be so different, I'd be so new
I would be a changed and improved version of myself
You'd love me, you really know you would
You would fall in love with me again, you realize it
Baby
Term of endearment
Contributed by Jake J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.