World Machine

World Machine
Studio album by Level 42
Released	September, 1985 October, 1985 [1]
Recorded	1985 at Maison Rouge Studios, Fulham, London
Genre	Dance-rock, jazz-funk
Label	Polydor - POLH 25 (UK Release) Polydor - 827 487-2 (US Release)
Producer	Wally Badarou & Level 42
Level 42 chronology
True Colours (1984) World Machine (1985) Running in the Family (1987)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[2]
Rolling Stone	(favorable)[3]

World Machine is the sixth studio album by the British pop group Level 42, released in 1985; it was the band's breakthrough album internationally.

It peaked at #3 on the UK album charts, staying on the chart for 72 weeks. It was also the band's first disc to enter the Billboard 200 (reaching notably the Top 20) where it stayed for 36 weeks. This release marked a transition from their jazz-funk beginnings to the funky pop they are best known for - a transition which eventually resulted in the departure of drummer Phil Gould subsequent to the release of their follow up album Running in the Family. The cover photo is of Hafnarfjall, a mountain in west Iceland.

The record featured the singles "Something About You" (the band's only American top 10 hit, peaking at number 7, and a success internationally) and "Leaving Me Now". Also featured was "Physical Presence", the song from which the name for their first live record was taken.

The album was re-released in 2000 along with the "True Colours" album on a 2-CD set. In 2007, World Machine has been re-released as a 2-CD Deluxe Edition. Album sales have reached over three million copies, being notably certified 2x Platinum by the BPI.

Track listing

• Note: The American versions of the album feature a re-ordered track listing, as well as the substitution of the tracks "Hot Water" and "The Chant Has Begun" (both of which had originally appeared on the band's previous album True Colours) for "I Sleep On My Heart" and "Coup d'état." The vinyl U.S. version of the album featured the single versions of both "Hot Water" and "The Chant Has Begun," while the full-length album version of "The Chant Has Begun" did appear on the U.S. CD edition. ("Dream Crazy," which only appeared on certain European versions of the album did not appear on any of the North American versions).^[4][5][6]

Bonus tracks, released 2000

Bonus tracks (deluxe edition), released 2007

1. World Machine (Live Hammersmith Odeon 1.2.86) *
2. Leaving Me Now (Live Hammersmith Odeon 1.2.86) *
3. Something About You (Live Hammersmith Odeon 1.2.86) *
4. Coup d'état (Backwards Mix) - originally the b-side to the "Something About You" single
5. Something About You (Shep Pettibone Mix)
6. I Sleep On My Heart (Liveat Ryde Theatre, Isle of Wight Nov 2000)
7. Dream Crazy (Live at Ryde Theatre, Isle of Wight Nov 2000)
8. Lying Still (Live at Ryde Theatre, Isle of Wight Nov 2000)
9. Physical Presence (Live at Hammersmith Apollo, London, Nov 2003)
10. Leaving Me Now (Live at Hammersmith Apollo, London, Nov 2003)
11. World Machine (Phunk Investigation Club Mix) – Electrokingdom featuring Mark King

Personnel

• Mark King – bass and vocals
• Mike Lindup – keyboards and vocals
• Boon Gould – guitars
• Phil Gould – drums

with

• Wally Badarou – keyboards, Synclavier, vocals and co-writer/producer
• Gary Barnacle – saxophone

2007 Re-issue

• Gary Husband – drums (Deluxe edition CD2, tracks 6–10)
• Nathan King – guitars and vocals (Deluxe edition CD2, tracks 6–10)
• Lyndon Connah – keyboards and vocals (Deluxe edition CD2, tracks 6–10)
• Sean Freeman – saxophone and vocals (Deluxe edition CD2, tracks 9,10)

References

1. ↑ Amazon.com
2. ↑ Allmusic review
3. ↑ Rolling Stone review
4. ↑ Level 42- World Machine (U.S. vinyl LP edition) @Discogs.com Originally retrieved 4-19-2009.
5. ↑ Level 42- World Machine (Canadian vinyl LP edition) @Discogs.com Originally retrieved 4-19-2009.
6. ↑ Level 42- World Machine (U.S. CD edition) @Discogs.com Originally retrieved 4-19-2009.