Something About You (Level 42 song)
Encyclopedia
"Something About You" is a single released by British Jazz funk band Level 42
in 1985, in advance of its inclusion on the album World Machine
the same year. The song was written by Mark King
, Mike Lindup
, Phil Gould
, Boon Gould, and Wally Badarou
.
, Germany
, Italy
, Canada
, and many countries of South America
and Asia
. It is the only Level 42 song to be a top 10 hit in the United States
, where it reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100
chart, and it is their second top 10 hit in the United Kingdom, reaching #6 on the UK Singles Chart
.
"Something About You" appears in many Level 42 collections: Level Best
, The Very Best of Level 42
, and The Definitive Collection. This song also is ranked in #24 at the 100 Greatest New Wave
songs, for the Britain website Digital Dream Door.
The song was featured on the soundtrack of the video game Grand Theft Auto IV
on the fictional in-game station "Vice City FM".
of Something About You is directed by Stuart Orme, who also directed videos for the Level 42 songs "Lessons in Love" and "Running in the Family
", as well as Phil Collins
and Genesis
. The music video appears in their video album Family of Five, released in 1987.
Mark King is characterized as a dark magician. It represents the negative side of the relationship of Mike Lindup, Phil, and Boon Gould with their girlfriends, all played by actress Cherie Lunghi
.
Level 42
Level 42 are an English pop rock and jazz-funk band who had a number of worldwide and UK hits during the 1980s and 1990s.The band gained fame for their high-calibre musicianship—in particular that of Mark King, whose percussive slap-bass guitar technique provided the driving groove of many of the...
in 1985, in advance of its inclusion on the album World Machine
World Machine
World Machine is the sixth studio album by the British pop group Level 42, released in 1985. It peaked at #3 on the UK album charts, and it stayed on the chart for 72 weeks. It was the band's first disc to enter the Billboard 200 , and it stayed on the chart for 36 weeks...
the same year. The song was written by Mark King
Mark King (musician)
Mark King is an English musician. He is most famous for being the lead singer and bassist of the band, Level 42. In the early 1980s King popularized the 1970s-era slap and pop style for playing the bass guitar by incorporating it into pop music.-Early life:King was brought up on the Isle of Wight,...
, Mike Lindup
Mike Lindup
Mike Lindup is best known as the keyboard player and falsetto voiced singer, who joined with Mark King and brothers Phil and Boon Gould to form the 1980s - 1990s British funk/rock/pop band, Level 42....
, Phil Gould
Phil Gould (musician)
Philip Gabriel Gould, also known as Phil Gould is a British professional drummer, song writer, and singer from the Isle of Wight in southern England...
, Boon Gould, and Wally Badarou
Wally Badarou
Wally Badarou is a musician from Benin.-Biography:A synthesiser specialist, Badarou was the longtime associate of the British band Level 42, known for its blend of funk, pop, soul and rock...
.
Song
"Something About You" was released in several countries beyond the United Kingdom, including United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and many countries of South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. It is the only Level 42 song to be a top 10 hit in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where it reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart, and it is their second top 10 hit in the United Kingdom, reaching #6 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
"Something About You" appears in many Level 42 collections: Level Best
Level Best
Level Best is a compilation of the largest successes of the UK band Level 42.- Track listing :#"Running in the Family" #"The Sun Goes Down "...
, The Very Best of Level 42
The Very Best of Level 42
The Very Best of Level 42 is a compilation released by the UK band Level 42. It features a chronological track listing of the band's hit single releases from 1981 to 1994.-Tracks:# Love Games 4:14...
, and The Definitive Collection. This song also is ranked in #24 at the 100 Greatest New Wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
songs, for the Britain website Digital Dream Door.
The song was featured on the soundtrack of the video game Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto IV is a 2008 open world action video game published by Rockstar Games, and developed by British games developer Rockstar North. It has been released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 video game consoles, and for the Windows operating system...
on the fictional in-game station "Vice City FM".
Music video
The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
of Something About You is directed by Stuart Orme, who also directed videos for the Level 42 songs "Lessons in Love" and "Running in the Family
Running in the Family (song)
"Running in the Family" is a single released in 1987 by the UK band Level 42, from the album Running in the Family. The song had different lyrics when sung at the Wembley Arena in 1986. . It was then popped up for the release of the single which had significant success, reaching #6 on the UK...
", as well as Phil Collins
Phil Collins
Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
and Genesis
Genesis (band)
Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years...
. The music video appears in their video album Family of Five, released in 1987.
Mark King is characterized as a dark magician. It represents the negative side of the relationship of Mike Lindup, Phil, and Boon Gould with their girlfriends, all played by actress Cherie Lunghi
Cherie Lunghi
Cherie M. Lunghi is an English film, television and theatre actress. She is probably best known for her role as Guinevere in the 1981 film Excalibur, as football manageress Gabriella Benson in the 1990s television series The Manageress and for starring in a series of adverts for Kenco coffee. She...
.
Cover and other versions
- Paul ShafferPaul ShafferPaul Allen Wood Shaffer, CM is a Canadian musician, actor, voice actor, author, comedian, and composer who has been David Letterman's sidekick since 1982.-Early years:...
and the Party Boys of Rock 'n' Roll recorded an instrumental version on their 1993 album The World's Most Dangerous PartyThe World's Most Dangerous PartyThe World's Most Dangerous Party was Paul Shaffer's second album, released as a double CD in July 1993. Assembled as if Paul and his band were playing live at a house party, the album features the voices, but not necessarily singing, of many celebrities and recording artists like David Letterman,...
.
- The Japanese rapper ZeebraZeebra, real name , is a Japanese hip hop artist, who made his first appearance in 1995. Zeebra is a former member of the hip-hop group King Giddra, which also included DJ Oasis and K Dub Shine, and the older brother of fellow hip-hop artist SPHERE of INFLUENCE...
sampled Something About You in his song "Touch The Sky".
- Guitarist Craig SharmatCraig SharmatCraig Sharmat composes music for TV and Film, and also is an accomplished guitarist whose work has been noteworthy in the Smooth Jazz charts. He has scored a wide variety of reality TV shows, TV animation, television commercials, and documentary movies. He has also played guitar on thousands of...
covered "Something About You" on his album "Outside In", released on Innervision records in February, 2011.
- Cary BrothersCary BrothersCary Brothers is an American indie rock singer-songwriter originally from Nashville, Tennessee. After moving to Los Angeles and becoming a regular performer at the influential Hotel Cafe venue, Brothers first gained national attention with his song "Blue Eyes" on the Platinum-selling,...
covered "Something About You" on his album "Under Control", released on April 6, 2010.
- Anthony David covered "Something About You" on his album "The Red Clay Chronicles," released in 2006.
Charts
| Chart (1985) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Dutch Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
32 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
6 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
7 |
| US Hot Dance Songs Billboard charts The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine... |
4 |