World Machine


World Machine is the sixth studio album by the English jazz-funk band Level 42, released on 18 October 1985 by Polydor Records. It was the band's breakthrough album internationally and features one of their most successful singles, "Something About You".

Composition

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 studio album Running in the Family.
The album features the singles "Something About You" and "Leaving Me Now". Also featured is "Physical Presence", the song from which the name for their first live album was taken.
The album was re-released in 2000 as a 2-CD set also including the band's previous studio album, True Colours. In 2007, World Machine was re-released as a 2-CD remastered Deluxe Edition containing several remixes and live versions as bonus tracks.
The cover photo is of Hafnarfjall, a mountain in west Iceland.

Commercial performance

World Machine peaked at No. 3 on the UK Albums Chart, staying on the chart for 72 weeks. It was also the band's first album to enter the US Billboard 200, peaking at number 18 and staying on the chart for 36 weeks. Album sales have reached over three million copies, being certified 2× Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry.

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" for "I Sleep On My Heart" and "Coup d'état." The vinyl US 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 US CD edition..

Bonus tracks (deluxe edition), released 2007

  1. "World Machine" *
  2. "Leaving Me Now" *
  3. "Something About You" *
  4. "Coup d'état" – originally the B-side to the "Something About You" single
  5. "Something About You"
  6. "I Sleep On My Heart"
  7. "Dream Crazy"
  8. "Lying Still"
  9. "Physical Presence"
  10. "Leaving Me Now"
  11. "World Machine" – Electrokingdom featuring Mark King

Personnel

Level 42
with:
2007 Re-issue:

Production