Karma Chameleon
| Karma Chameleon | |
|---|---|
| Culture Club | |
| publication | September 5, 1983 (UK) December 3, 1983 (USA) |
| length | 4:12 (album) 3:51 (single) |
| Genre (s) | pop |
| Author (s) | Roy Hay , Boy George , Mikey Craig , Jon Moss , Phil Pickett |
| Producer (s) | Steve Levine |
| Label | Virgin Records |
| album | Color by Numbers |
Karma Chameleon is a Culture Club song that appeared on the Color by Numbers album in 1983 . It was number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for three weeks in 1984 .
Origin and content
Karma Chameleon was written by the group together with keyboardist and composer Phil Pickett . The harmonica in the song was played by Judd Lander, a former member of The Hideaways , who also played on it in the Culture Club song Church of the Poison Mind and the Spice Girls song Say You'll Be There . The song was originally supposed to be called Cameo Chameleon , according to interviews from 1983. In another interview, Boy George said of the song:
"The song is about the terrible fear of alienation that people have, the fear of standing up for one thing. It's about trying to suck up to everybody. Basically, if you aren't true, if you don't act like you feel, then you get Karma-justice, that's nature's way of paying you back. "
“The song is about the terrible fear of alienation people have, the fear of getting involved in a cause. It's about how you try to sneak in on everyone. Basically, if you are not true to yourself, if you don't behave the way you feel, then you get karma justice, that is nature's way of getting you back. "
Publication and reception
Karma Chameleon was released on September 5, 1983.
The single was released in two versions, with the B-side That's the Way (I'm Only Trying to Help You) as a studio and a live version. The maxi single was released with the B-side I'll Tumble 4 Ya (US 12 "Remix)
In 2006, the Labor Party used the song as the theme song for a series of commercials against David Cameron , leader of the Conservative Party, ahead of the 2006 UK local elections .
Music video
The music video is set in Mississippi in 1870 . People appear on the bank in colorful costumes, including dancers in red, gold and green. Boy George sings the song while a pickpocket walks around. A ship called The Chameleon ("The Chameleon") passes by on the riverbank and is boarded by the people. On board the ship, some of the passengers play poker . When the pickpocket is caught stealing, he is chased over the plank .
The music video was shot in Weybridge in the summer of 1983 . The ship shown in the video belongs to the Turk Launches shipping company from the London borough of Kingston-upon-Thames and is still in use today, mainly during the summer months on the shipping route from Kingston to Hampton Court .
Chart successes
The single reached number one on the charts in 16 countries worldwide. In England, Karma Chameleon stayed at the top of the charts for six weeks, sold over 1.4 million copies and became the best-selling single there of 1983.
| country | Top position |
|---|---|
| Ö3 Austria Top 40 | 3 |
| Germany | 2 |
| Swiss hit parade | 1 |
| British music charts | 1 |
| Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
Individual evidence
- ↑ The Rock Yearbook 1984. St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0-312-68786-9
- ↑ Karma Chameleon by Culture Club. In: songfacts.com. Accessed August 9, 2019 .
- ↑ release date
- ↑ hitparade.ch: Culture Club - Karma Chameleon (Song)
- ↑ Times Online : Dave and Labor's Bad Karma Chameleon