Originally intended to be released by Elite Records and titled Strategy, The Early Tapes (July/August 1980) is the second album released, but first to be recorded, by the British group Level 42

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...

. The band subsequently signed to Polydor, who bought the masters from Elite and issued it in March 1982. It features Level 42's first two singles - "Love Meeting Love" (UK #61) and "(Flying On The) Wings Of Love" (UK #76).

Tracks

1. "Sandstorm" (Badarou, King) – 4:41
2. "Love Meeting Love" (Gould, King) – 6:24
3. "Theme to Margaret" (King) – 3:59
4. "Autumn (Paradise Is Free)" (King) – 4:45
5. "Wings of Love" (Badarou, Gould, Gould, King) – 6:58
6. "Woman" (Lindup) – 4:38
7. "Mr. Pink" (Badarou, King) – 5:08
8. "88" (King) – 5:11

Personnel

• 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,...
  
   – Bass Guitar, Percussion, Vocals on "Love Meeting Love" & "Autumn (Paradise is Free)", Chant Vocals on "88"
• 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....
  
   – Keyboards, Percussion, Vocals on "Wings of Love", Chant Vocals on "88"
• Boon Gould – Guitars, Alto Saxophone
• 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...
  
   – Drums, Percussion

Plus:

• 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...
  
   – Prophet 5 and inspiration
• Leroy Williams – Percussion (Courtesy EMI
  EMI
  The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
  
  )
• Dave Chambers
  Dave Chambers
  Dave Chambers is a former Canadian ice hockey coach. He was head coach of the Quebec Nordiques from 1990 to 1992....
  
   – Tenor and Soprano Saxophone

Releases

Year	Type	Label
1982	LP	Polydor
1986	LP	Polydor
1986	CS	Polydor
1986	CD	Polydor
1990	CD	Polygram PolyGram PolyGram was the name of the major label recording company started by Philips from as a holding company for its music interests in 1945. In 1999 it was sold to Seagram and merged into Universal Music Group.-Hollandsche Decca Distributie , 1929-1950:...
1993	CD	Polydor
2004	CD	Universal/Spectrum Universal Records Universal Records was a record label owned by Universal Music Group, and it is now owned by Manny Patino and Michael Jackson, and operated as part of the Universal Motown Republic Group.-History:...
2006	CD	Universal Universal Records Universal Records was a record label owned by Universal Music Group, and it is now owned by Manny Patino and Michael Jackson, and operated as part of the Universal Motown Republic Group.-History:...
2007	CD	Polydor

Album

Year	Chart	Position
1982	UK album charts	#46