“Mr. Pink” by Level 42
From the 1982 album Strategy (The Early Tapes)

Level 42 is a strange band. Immensely talented, but perhaps a decade too late on the scene, they’re best known for their huge 1986 pop hit “Something About You.” That’s a great song, much better live than in the studio (where Mark King’s bass was so processed and restrained that it’s hard to believe it’s not a synth), but the band’s legendary instrumental “Mr. Pink” is where King (along with the rest of the group) really shines.

Like Geddy Lee, Mark King dazzles not just with his bass playing, but with his ability to play intricate bass parts and sing at the same time. But he’s arguably a better bassist (in fact I’d say it’s hard to argue that he’s not) and unquestionably a better vocalist. So why has Level 42 languished in obscurity? This performance from 1984 may hold the key: even at the peak of New Wave synth mania, in a live setting Level 42 sounds almost nothing like it does on record. In fact, if it weren’t for the clothes and hair, I’d say this recording sounds almost like mid-’70s Return to Forever.

The band apparently released a number of albums over the years in the U.K., but failed to make much of a dent here in the U.S. Of the band’s original albums, only World Machine, which contains the hit “Something About You,” is readily available today. A number of low-budget live recordings from the later years are available though, and they show off an immense talent. But if that’s still not enough for you to welcome them into the prog pantheon, consider this: future Porcupine Tree drummer Gavin Harrison toured with the band briefly before their initial breakup in 1994.