The Chameleons

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The Chameleons
The Chameleons in 1984: Mark Burgess, Reg Smithies, John Lever, Dave Fielding
The Chameleons in 1984: Mark Burgess, Reg Smithies, John Lever, Dave Fielding
Background information
Origin Middleton, Greater Manchester, England
Genre(s) Post-punk, Dream Pop
Years active 1980-1987
Former members
Mark Burgess, Reg Smithies, John Lever, Dave Fielding

The Chameleons (called The Chameleons UK on some American releases) were a dream pop/post-punk band that formed in Middleton, in the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England in 1981 (see 1981 in music). They consisted of singer and bassist Mark Burgess, guitarist Reg Smithies, guitarist Dave Fielding, drummer John Lever as well as keyboardists Alistair Lewthwaite and Andy Clegg. Their body of work is still critically acclaimed within the music press and influenced bands as diverse as Protokoll, The Comsat Angels, Puressence, Interpol, Editors.[1] Through Mark Burgess' penetrating vocals and dark and ironic lyrics, their songs often dealt with personal themes of childlike innocence and a reverence for nostalgia. Musically, perhaps most notable in their work was the band's innovative and distinctive use of dual guitar melodies, courtesy of Reg Smithies and Dave Fielding, as opposed to the traditional rhythm-and-lead guitarist format prevalent in rock music even to this day. These arrangements were often characterized by the use of delay and choral effects.

Contents

[edit] History

The band initially released three studio albums in the 1980s. In 1981, after the band recorded a series of demos and released their first single "In Shreds", the late legendary Radio 1 DJ John Peel featured The Chameleons in a Peel Session on his radio program. Many of these recordings were re-released years later, following the band's breakup. Several live albums and compilations were also released. Following the Peel Sessions, The Chameleons released their first full-length studio LP, the critically-acclaimed Script of the Bridge, on the Statik label in 1983. The album features a blend of rhythmic electric guitar textures, all of which provide a moody and intense backdrop for Mark Burgess' haunting vocals. After their third release, Strange Times, in 1987 they abruptly disbanded following the sudden death of band manager Tony Fletcher.

The Chameleons were, for all practical purposes, extinct for well over a decade before releasing a final studio album in 2001, entitled Why Call It Anything. The band quickly dissolved once again in 2002 due to personal differences, after a successful reunion tour which took them across Europe and the United States. The band never attained the level of commercial success or fame enjoyed by their contemporaries (e.g. U2, Echo and the Bunnymen).

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

[edit] Live Albums

  • 1990 John Peel Sessions
  • 1993 The Radio One Evening Sessions
  • 1993 Dali's Picture
  • 1993 Live in Berlin
  • 1996 Live at the Gallery Club, Manchester, 1982
  • 1996 Live Shreds
  • 2002 Live at the Academy

[edit] Compilations

  • 1986 The Fan and the Bellows
  • 1997 Return of the Roughnecks: The Best of the Chameleons (2CD)

[edit] Singles

  • 1982 "In Shreds/Less Than Human"
  • 1983 "As High As You Can Go"
  • 1983 "A Person Isn't Safe Anywhere These Days"
  • 1983 "Up the Down Escalator" (Import)
  • 1983 "Don't Fall" (Import)
  • 1985 "In Shreds"/"Nostalgia" [#11 UK Indie]
  • 1985 "One Flesh" (Import)
  • 1985 "Singing Rule Britannia (While the Walls Close In)" [#2 UK Indie]
  • 1986 "Tears" [UK #85]
  • 1986 "Swamp Thing" [UK #82]

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ The Chameleons - band - Mark Burgess