Editing Level 42 (section)

===1980–1983: Early albums (''Level 42'', ''The Early Tapes'', ''The Pursuit of Accidents'')===
After they were seen jamming together, Level 42 were invited to sign to Elite Records (a small independent label) in 1980. They were also encouraged to branch out into vocal music. Having considered recruiting a singer, the band eventually settled on giving King and Lindup the vocal role. The two men developed a complementary style, with Lindup's falsetto frequently used for harmonies and choruses while King's deep tenor led the verses (although Lindup would also sing entire songs on his own). Lyrics were generally written by the Gould brothers while King, Badarou and Lindup concentrated on Level 42's music.

The Elite Records single "[[Love Meeting Love]]" brought the band to the attention of [[Polydor Records]], with whom they signed their second [[recording contract]]. In 1981, they released their first Polydor single, "[[Love Games (Level 42 song)|Love Games]]", which became a [[Top 40]] hit. They then cut their critically acclaimed [[Level 42 (album)|self-titled debut album]], which was a success throughout Europe. 

The band quickly established themselves as concert favourites on the budding British and European jazz-funk scene, taking advantage of the musical expertise and performance skills of all four members.{{citation needed|date=October 2013}} Polydor capitalised on the band's success by releasing a second album, ''[[The Early Tapes]]'' later in the same year. This was a compilation of material from the Elite Records period (and is also known by an alternate name, ''Strategy'').

In 1982, Level 42 released their third album ''[[The Pursuit of Accidents]]''. This was a further development of the Level 42 formula, maintaining their instrumental jazz-funk skills and styling but also experimenting further with pop songs. Both of the singles from the album — "[[Weave Your Spell]]" and "[[The Chinese Way]]" — charted. The latter, in particular, rose high in the charts and gained the band a wider audience than before.