Lessons_in_Love_(Level_42_song)

Lessons in Love (Level 42 song)

Lessons in Love (Level 42 song)

1986 single by Level 42

"Lessons in Love" is a single by English jazz-funk band Level 42, released in 1986 from the album Running in the Family, issued one year later. This single is the band's biggest hit in their homeland, where it reached number three on the UK Singles Chart, and internationally, entering the top 10 in numerous countries, reaching the number-one spot in five of them: Spain, Germany, South Africa, Switzerland, and Finland.

Quick Facts Single by Level 42, from the album Running in the Family ...

"Lessons in Love" is also one of the few singles from the band that entered the Billboard Hot 100, where it reached number 12 in 1987. It is the first of five singles from their 1987 album, Running in the Family, and it made way for the success of other singles from the album.

Writing and recording

According to bassist Mark King, the song started out as a melody from an add-on closing sequence for the live rendition of "Physical Presence" (from the World Machine album) on The Tube on 18 October 1985.[2]

In December 1985, just after Christmas, King put together a rough version of the song using a Sony digital recorder, featuring a verse, chorus and a bridge. The following January, he and producer/co-writer Wally Badarou revisited the tapes and deemed the original chorus weak; so the latter re-wrote the song's chorus from turning around the chorus chords and suggested King a new vocal line.[2]

A couple of months later, in early March 1986, the song was recorded with the band at Maison Rouge Studios in London. Altogether it has seven basslines—three analog synths, two FM synths and two electric basses (one thumb line and a finger-style line). Synths included a Synclavier, Prophet-5, Prophet-600, Yamaha DX7 and Yamaha TX816 rack—these were all kept in sync with a Garfield Electronics Doctor Click rhythm controller.[2]

Critical reception

In 2012, David Quantick described it in Q magazine as "one of the best singles of the '80s".[5]

Track listing

  • UK (1986) 12"[6]
  1. "Lessons in Love" (extended version)
  2. "Something About You" (remix)
  3. "Hot Water" (live)
  • Australia (1986) 12"[7]
  1. "Lessons in Love (extended version)
  2. "World Machine"
  3. "Hot Water" (live)
  • US (1987) 7"[8]
  1. "Lessons in Love"
  2. "Hot Water" (live)

Charts

More information Chart (1986–1987), Peak position ...

Certifications

More information Region, Certification ...

See also

References

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    "Level 42 – Lessons In Love" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
  2. [2]
    Bacon, Tony (April 1986). "Mark of Distinction". Making Music. Retrieved 29 August 2021 – via Muzines.co.uk.
  3. [3]
    Jisi, Chris (1 August 2010). "Royal Return: Mark King Leads Level 42 on Its 30th Anniversary Comeback". Guitar Player. Archived from the original on 3 February 2014.
  4. [4]
    Hermann, Andy (25 January 2017). "10 Underrated '80s Bands You Need to Hear Now". LA Weekly. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  5. [5]
    Quantick, David (November 2012). "Running in the Family: 25th Anniversary Edition". Q. p. 118.
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    "UK release". Ultimatelevel42.com. Retrieved 1 February 2014.
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    "Top RPM Singles: Issue 0820." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
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    Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 951-31-2503-3.
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    "Level 42 – Lessons In Love" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
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    "Level 42 – Lessons In Love" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
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    "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending JUNE 20, 1987". Cash Box. Archived from the original on 6 October 2012.
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    "Jahreshitparade 1986" (in German). Austriancharts.at. Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 February 2014.
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    "Jahrescharts – 1986" (in German). Officialcharts.de. GfK Entertainment. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 1 February 2014.
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    "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1986" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 1 February 2014.
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    "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1986" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 February 2014.
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    "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1986" (in German). Hitparade.ch. Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 February 2014.
  34. [34]
    "Top 100 Singles". Music Week. London, England: Spotlight Publications. 24 January 1987. p. 24.
  35. [35]
    "Top 100 Singles of '87". RPM. Vol. 47, no. 12. Library and Archives Canada. 26 December 1987. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
  36. [36]
    "Canadian single certifications – Level 42 – Lessons in Love". Music Canada. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
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    "Dutch single certifications – Level 42 – Lessons in Love" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved 16 July 2022. Enter Lessons in Love in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 1986 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
  38. [38]
    "British single certifications – Level 42 – Lessons in Love". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
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