The Chameleons

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The Chameleons
General information
origin Manchester , England
Genre (s) Post punk
founding 1981, 2000
resolution 1987, 2002
Website www.thechameleons.com
Founding members
Mark Burgess
Dave Fielding
Reg Smithies
Brian Schofield
Last occupation
Mark Burgess
Dave Fielding
Reg Smithies
John Lever († 2017)

The Chameleons were an English rock band from the post-punk environment .

Band history

Mark Burgess at Rock in the Ruins 2013 in Dortmund

The Chameleons were founded in 1981 in Middleton / Greater Manchester ( England ). In contrast to related bands such as U2 , Joy Division , Psychedelic Furs or Echo & The Bunnymen , they did not achieve a notable commercial breakthrough with their dark, melancholy songs dominated by faded double guitars. Nevertheless, their 1983 album debut Script of the Bridge is now counted among the most important records of post-punk. In 1985 the second record What Does Anything Mean? Basically . When the third long player Strange Times finally announced greater success and the last single Swamp Thing entered the UK TOP 100 at least for a short time, the band surprisingly split up in 1987 after the death of their manager and fatherly friend Tony Fletcher. The reason was internal quarrels between singer and bassist Mark Burgess and guitarist Dave Fielding.

After the band members had pursued various side and solo projects in the following years (including The Reegs , The Sun and the Moon, Invincible), the group reformed in 2000 and took the acoustic albums Strip and This Never Ending Now as well as new material which was released on the album Why Call It Anything . Despite some benevolent reviews, sales of the comeback record remained below expectations. After initially successful tours through Europe and the USA, the group's career came to a standstill again, and in 2002 - on the band's website - another rift broke out. Today, bands like Interpol or the Editors refer to The Chameleons, the dark-wave duo Soul in Isolation named themselves after the group's song of the same name.

From 2005 the front man of “Manchester's most underrated band”, Mark Burgess, was active with a new formation - simply named Bird after his nickname . In autumn 2005 the trio toured the UK as the opening act for New Model Army and then played a few concerts in Italy. In the spring of 2007 a club tour through the USA followed. Between 2007 and 2010 Burgess was involved in the creation of the first three albums of the group Black Swan Lane . For a few years, Mark Burgess and John Lever also gave concerts under the name Chameleons Vox , where they presented the old The Chameleons songs live with other guest musicians. In November 2013, Burgess released four new tracks on the EP M + D = 1 (8) with this project , already without lever on the drums, who died on March 13, 2017. The current line-up of ChameleonsVox consists of Burgess (vocals / bass), Yves Altana (drums), Neil Dwerryhouse (guitar) and Chris Oliver (guitar).

In 2008, on the occasion of its 25th vinyl anniversary, the debut album of The Chameleons Script of the Bridge was re-released as a deluxe edition - remastered and provided with bonus material. In 2009 a Collectors Edition of their second studio album What Does Anything Mean? Basically , also remastered and with a bonus CD with demo versions of the album titles. Mark Burgess' self-published autobiography View From A Hill in spring 2007 offers an insight into the music scene in Manchester between post-punk, new wave and Britpop .

In 2014 John Lever played an album with the guitarist of the group Dave Fielding under the name Red-Sided Garter Snakes .

Discography

Studio albums

  • 1983: Script of the Bridge
  • 1985: What Does Anything Mean? Basically
  • 1986: Strange Times
  • 2000: Strip
  • 2001: Why Call It Anything
  • 2002: This Never Ending Now
  • 2008: Script of the Bridge - 25th Anniversary Edition (Remastered)
  • 2009: What Does Anything Mean? Basically - Collectors Edition (Remastered)

Live albums

  • 1985: Live at the Markthalle, Hamburg
  • 1986: Hey Mr. Undecided (Live at the Camden Palace)
  • 1986: Eclipse of the Sun (Live in London)
  • 1986: Roughnecks
  • 1990: Tripping Dogs
  • 1990: Still in Love with Melancholy ...
  • 1992: Live in Toronto
  • 1992: Here Today ... Gone Tomorrow
  • 1992: Here Today… Gone Tomorrow / Live in Toronto
  • 1993: Radio 1 Evening Show Sessions
  • 1993: Free Trade Hall Rehearsal
  • 1993: Performance in Berlin
  • 1993: Dali's Picture
  • 1993: Dali's Picture / performance in Berlin
  • 1994: Northern Songs
  • 1996: Live at the Gallery Club Manchester
  • 1996: Live Shreds
  • 2000: Live at the Witchwood
  • 2002: Live at the Academy

Singles

  • 1982: In Shreds
  • 1983: Up the Down Escalator
  • 1983: Don't Fall
  • 1983: As High As You Can Go
  • 1983: A Person Isn't Safe Anywhere These Days
  • 1985: One Flesh
  • 1985: Singing Rule Britannia (While the Walls Close In)
  • 1986: The Wait Until Dark EP
  • 1986: Mad Jack
  • 1986: Tears
  • 1986: Swamp Thing
  • 1986: Tears / Swamp Thing (Limited Double Single)
  • 1986: The Fan and the Belows (Promo)
  • 1990: Tony Fletcher Walked on Water EP… La La La La La - La La - La La
  • 1990: Here Today (Split-12 ″ with the New Fast Automatic Daffodils - Promo for Peel Session Album)

Compilations

  • 1986: The Fan and the Bellows
  • 1990: John Peel Sessions
  • 1997: Return of the Roughnecks: The Best of the Chameleons
  • 2010: Acoustic Sessions: This Never Ending Now & Strip (Remastered)
  • 2013: Dreams in Celluloid

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Chameleons Vox. Retrieved July 6, 2017 .
  2. ^ The funeral of John Lever, the drummer from cult band The Chameleons, will be held on Friday. Retrieved July 6, 2017 .
  3. ↑ Chameleons Vox. Retrieved July 6, 2017 .
  4. ↑ Todd Fitzgerald: John Lever, the drummer from cult post-punk band The Chameleons, dies. In: Manchester Evening News . March 13, 2017, accessed March 14, 2017