Over the years you have been told you are an exceptional bassist many times. How do you first view yourself, as a singer, a songwriter or as a bassist?

Mark: This wasn´t part of any great plan, everything has evolved very nicely. When Level 42 began in 1980, I just wanted to be a drummer in a band. But it just didn´t work that way. Phil had the drums. I had gone out and joined a disastrous band in Austria on the understanding that when the tour was over they would give me a ticket back home to the U.K.

They kept my gear as collateral to pay them back for that trip home. That took months and months to pay back. So they kept all my drums, I had nothing. So I borrowed a bass guitar. In fact, the first record we cut, Love Making Love, was using the borrowed studio bass. It was a Shergold Modulator actually.

It had no pickup screws in the neck position actually. It was the oddest thing, when you leaned forward it would go ´buoomp´ and stick itself to the strings. Now I didn't know what the hell gaffer tape was back then (which of course now I know, Rock and Roll runs on gaffer tape!), so I had to do the whole thing leaning back in my chair! That was on the first track, but it was all borrowed equipment. Phil was the only guy who had his own instrument.