Editing Level 42 (section)

===1979–1980: Prehistory and formation===
[[Mark King (musician)|Mark King]] and the Gould brothers ([[Phil Gould (musician)|Phil]] and [[Boon Gould|Rowland]], the latter generally known by his nickname Boon) were all brought up on the [[Isle of Wight]] and played together in various bands during their teenage years. Phil Gould went on to study at London's [[Guildhall School of Music and Drama]], where he met keyboard player [[Mike Lindup]] in a percussion course. Both musicians found that they had the same feelings about musical heroes: [[Miles Davis]], [[John McLaughlin (musician)|John McLaughlin]], [[Keith Jarrett]] and [[Jan Hammer]].{{cn|date=March 2025}}

By 1979, Phil Gould and Mark King were both based in London and became involved in [[Robin Scott (singer)|Robin Scott]]'s pop project [[M (band)|M]]. While working with M, they became acquainted with Afro-French keyboard player [[Wally Badarou]], who played synthesizer on M's [[United States|US]] [[number one single]] "[[Pop Muzik]]". In late 1979, Phil Gould introduced Mark King and Mike Lindup to each other, and all of them began playing together in loose rehearsal sessions, developing their own [[jazz-funk]] [[fusion (music)|fusion]] style. The developing band's original guitarist was [[Dominic Miller]] (later to find fame playing with [[Sting (musician)|Sting]]), but he was replaced by [[Boon Gould]] on the latter's return from working in the United States.

Initially, instrumental roles were flexible, with Boon Gould also playing bass guitar and saxophone and Lindup doubling on keyboards and drums. Mark King was primarily a drummer (although he also played guitar) but had recently sold his drum kit to pay for transport back to the UK after an ill-fated European venture. With Phil Gould and Boon Gould established (respectively) as the most accomplished drummer and guitarist in the quartet, King opted to learn [[bass guitar]] instead. At the time, King was working in a London music shop. A flexible musician and quick learner, he had observed visiting American funk players demonstrating the [[Slapping (music)|thumb-slap bass guitar technique]] and developed his own take on the style in a matter of weeks.{{cn|date=March 2025}}

The developing band (at this point, entirely an instrumental act) took the name Level 42 and settled on a working line-up of King (bass guitar, percussion), Lindup (keyboards, percussion), Boon Gould (guitar, saxophone) and Phil Gould (drums). The name of the band is a reference to the novel ''[[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (novel)|The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy]]'' by [[Douglas Adams]], in which "[[42_(number)#The_Hitchhiker.27s_Guide_to_the_Galaxy|42]]" is the answer to "the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.level42.com/blog/2006/06/12/interview-mark-king-level-42/ |title=Interview: Mark King – Level 42 |publisher=level42.com |access-date=18 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006120529/http://www.level42.com/blog/2006/06/12/interview-mark-king-level-42/ |archive-date=6 October 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Having maintained their links with Wally Badarou, Phil Gould and Mark King invited him to work with Level 42. Although he never formally joined the band, Badarou would become a fifth member in all but name: co-writing songs, playing keyboards and synthesizers in the studio and co-producing the records.