First heard the Chamelons on KROQ, an alternative radio station in Pasadena, Ca. Rodney Bingenheimer was their eclectic DJ and he played all the upcoming English bands during the early 80's. "In Shreds" was the initial introduction. I've been hooked ever since ❤
Absolutely! Magical stuff. I basically just made the same comment. It feels like a higher power channeled it's energy through them to make this music with tremendous depth. I'll love them forever
This band is so underrated yet amazing and unforgettable. I saw them live several times around 10 years ago. I was lucky enough to open for them with my band October People at a concert in Madrid and meet Mark. It's one of my favorite memories.
At Chameleons gig last night..manchester...I have followed them since they began...part of the magic for that packed audience, and we all knew every word and every riff, is that sense of being in on such a miraculous secret, like a private club for people with the most pristine music taste of all!
Definitely underrated but I didn't realize they were this underrated. I love The Chameleons - some of the most existential provoking tracks I've ever heard from any band. Funny enough, I first listened to them when I was living in a zen monastery and one of the other guests shared their mp3 player with me. It was the best thing I'd heard, and I come back to this band every now and then.
not to mention arguably the finest, most captivating, goosebump-inducing crescendo in all of musicland. My favorite Chameleons song, no question, and they have written dozens of gems. Cheers.
@@2020Sound At the 4:53 mark you mentioned four bands: Editors, White Lies, Slow Readers Club but I didn't catch the last one. Could you tell me the name of that band please. If you have any other current or recent artists, besides Interpol, that sound like Joy Division or Chameleons can you send them to me as well, please again. I'm obsessed with that particular sound. Thank you.
One of my favorite bands ever. I lived in the mountains and was a pro snowboarder when it was just really starting to get big. I would listen to script of the bridge over and over on my walkman!!!! Still the best album ever to be up on a mountain flying through the tress with snow falling. Pretty magical, like it was made for that!!!!
Mark Burgess played a semi acoustic double set of 2 and a half hours in the yard of my apartment building on Sunday August 14, 2022. It was one of the 3 greatest days of my life.
Mark Burgess has got to be one of the most kindest gentlemen I have ever met... The Chameleons Vox played at The Fleece in Bristol and he was outside of the venue having a drink before the show. I drove to the venue in my car from where I live in Chipping Sodbury and I was talking to one of the road crew and another chameleons fan. I told them that I had the album cover of What Does Anything Basically painted on the bonnet and showed them the photos... With that, the guy got Mr Burgesses attention and showed him the photos of my car on my car and Mr Burgess asked me where I had parked the car, to which I replied that it was just around the corner... With that Mark put down his drink,stubbed his cigarette out and said he would like to see my car... We both walked to my car and he really liked the artwork. I asked him if I could please have a couple of photos of him stood by my car which he willingly obliged.. I still have the photos to this day..
I was very fortunate to play on stage with Mark and John (R.I. P.) at the O2 in London as 'second skin' supporting The Comsat Angels, I think it was in 2010; I am a tad addled. The guitarist from them was really impressed, the singer was furious that we overran on the alloted time by 2 mins, 😂. Mark pissed himself after the gig when I asked if he was singing 'bacon eyes' in the M8 of Swamp thing (vacant eyes😂)
I remember reading that when they sent their first demo into John Peel, JP was convinced that someone was pulling his leg and the demo was actually from an established, signed band - he couldn't believe a band could be so good and yet unsigned.
The Chameleons is the band of my life, their music shock me when i was 15, an spaniard teenager who didn’t speak english, but recognize the different vibration and energy of his music. Now I’m 51 and after all these years and a lot of records on my shelves, very few albums are at the level of creativity of theirs, both in sound and in texts.
Fell in love with the band ever since seeing them on the STRANGE TIMES tour in '86. The music (aggressive, driving, melodic, punk) combined with beautiful, haunting, romantic lyrics keeps the songs fresh in my mind. Still listening constantly. Still seeing them live every time they come to NYC. And I'm privileged to have meet them all. The nicest guys who deserved much more success then they ever got. But the music will continue to inspire songwriters like me to create for generations to follow.
The Chameleons are in what a consider the quintet of forgotten, yet influential post-punk bands. The others are: -Lowlife -Asylum Party -Consat Angels - The Sound
I just visited a Thrift Shop in Georgia and found 7 CDs of The Chameleons. I have to admit I'd never heard of them but googled them to see what style they played. I'm so glad I got these. Very nice video here.
I love The Chameleons since I listened to them for the first time in '83, my favourite band of all times. For me the first 3 albums are the best I ever heard. I saw the original lineup in '86, 2000, 2001 and 2002 and since then ChameleonsVox many times, always unbelievable Live-shows, either the original or the actual lineup. I always loved the guitar work of Dave and Reg, but for me personally it was always the otherworldly guitar sound of Dave that touched me deep. So when some friends and me started ourselves a band in '85 I always wanted to sound like Dave, but never got even near to his sound. Nowadays I got very much nearer. I simply love those etheral echo guitars and for me that's one big point why The Chameleons were and are that special. But to be honest it was the band as a whole that created perfection. Within only 5 years they wrote 3 albums with outstanding songs that stood and will forever stand the test of time. Reg Smithies and Dave Fielding creating wonderfull soundscapes, the unbelievable drum work of John Lever (Rest in peace John, best drummer in heaven), the punching basslines of Mark Burgess and the voice and lyrics of Mark, always loved that voice. Every bit simply fitted perfectly and made the band as a whole outstanding. Sorry for the long text but I simply love them so much, what I actually wanted to say: Thank you to The Chameleons for the gift you gave to me and all the other people that love your music
What a wonderful tribute Timm, I couldn't agree more with your sentiments. A band that have always influenced me and the way I try to play my guitar. although i have never managed to get close to emulating that guitar sound.
Can we talk about their song “Perfume Garden” and how it elicits such an emotional reaction from the listener? And the textures, layers, and intersecting guitar lines in that song are all genius! That song brings tears of both joy and melancholia simultaneously-words can’t rightly express how that song can affect me. It’s brilliant.
I've been a fan of Interpol for close to 20 years and today heard the intro to Swamp Thing. My heart was struck immediately, I can see the influence The Chameleons had on Interpol.. starting my journey into The Chameleons discography now!
Seen Interpol many times and until this video never thought of a connection. I guess one would have to ask Paul Banks if he was influenced by the Chameleons? Another band I think were influenced were The Killers.
Come down to Coventry and you'll hear 'Don't Fall' blasting out of this 65-year-old's car! I am of course in my autumn before winter having a last, mad surge of youth.
Being from North Manchester myself, I first got into The Chameleons whilst still at school in Prestwich in 1984. The gigs at Salford University Maxwell Hall and The Free Trade Hall particularly stand out for me. Script Of The Bridge had a huge affect on me growing up and it’s an album that still has the hairs on the back of my neck standing up. Criminally ignored
I was at that Maxwell Hall gig, sheer magic, unforgettable. Also the Ritz with its bouncy dance floor going mental for Splitting in Two. Oh happy days.
Hi fellow cult members! This music has gotten me through so many rough times. It's been a challenge spreading my love for the Chameleons to others. Finally found a woman who liked them and married her.
Have loved The Chameleons since first hearing Script of the Bridge in 1985. Saw them live at the 9:30 Club in Washington DC in 1987. Still listen to them almost every day. They should've been huge!
The chameleons are one of the best bands in the UK ever! They deserved so much better than they got ! Lyrics and music were all so original and unique. My husband got to see them perform at the town and country club in Kentish Town he said they were so brilliant live, I couldn’t go (damn) we need a revival of their music
I just recently got into DJing and I will definetely play a Chameleons song in every one of my sets. Theyre my favourite band ever and nobody knows them except some of my goth friends, so that needs to change :)
Just saw them live in Dallas a few weeks ago - and true to form - not in a stadium. There are no words that can express the emotional connection to Mark and the boys that spans 30+ years. Having heard their songs hundreds (if not thousands) of times over my lifetime, it all seemed empty compared to hearing them in live surrounded by family. Thank you Chameleons for these timeless masterpieces that will outlive us all. #WeAreChameleons
When I saw The Chameleons play at Cottingham Civic Hall, after the majority of their set the lead singer spoke to the crowd and said this: 'One day you're going to be taken, and it's going to happen really quickly in the blink of an eye, without any warning - its happened to a few friends of hours recently, and as you get older and you leave this physical construct we call reality, all that's left of you, all you can take of you are great experiences - and the last thing you want is to be stuck in eternity surrounded by shitty experiences. So go out and fill your experience bank as much as you can with great experiences, that's worth more than the ticket price...' My jaw was on the floor at that point. It was one of the best gigs I've been to, and they are massively overlooked - the missing link between The Smiths and The Stone Roses
I'm a huge punk and post-punk fan, and I think The Chameleons are the greatest band in music history. For years I've tried to share them with anyone who would listen. I've never experienced a bad reaction to their music from anyone, but I've only known one person to fall in love with them - some horrible goth woman from Newcastle who had never heard of them; which amuses me because I'm from Ohio in the US lol I blare their music religiously while I ride my bike all over town - so rest assured, people are hearing them 😎 lol Anyway - great video. I never quite realized how widely influential they are. I mostly viewed them as the cream of this style of music - which is all the more amazing to me with this new perspective that they very well may be the progenitors of it. Mark is still sounding really good and I hope I get to see him someday
@@2020Sound Oh, it's silly. Things got a bit complicated over a mutual attraction where I ended up feeling very egged on then abruptly disregarded entirely. It would've been fine with an apology - but some people can't admit to any oversights or shortcomings lol It's nothing serious. Just left me with a bit of a bitter taste lol
"For years I've tried to share them with anyone who would listen." Me, too! As recently as last week. Of all the bands I followed to back then, The Chameleons are the only ones still in heavy rotation on the playlist. Thanks for sharing.
Being from the U.S., I was fortunate enough to have been turned on to them in the 80's. A huge fan ever since. Got a chance to see ChamVox on a rare US tour a few years ago in Portland OR. Going to the show, my friend and I thought we were either going to be the only ones there or at least the oldest by far (at 55). We were absolutely blown away to walk into a sold out venue filled with 20 to 30 yr olds and up...knowing all the lyrics! We were speechless. Already bought tix for a Florida show 10 months from now!
I discovered this band in 1985. I was 20 and never stopped to love their music. I am a huge fan. I come back to their albums regularly. Second Skin and Monkeyland mean so much to me. Love them truly.
This appreciation definitely captures all the interest that we Chameleons fans have. The band is life-changing, and one you don’t abandon with age. Thanks for the detail and thoughtfulness of this piece.
Great video. I just saw the Chameleons last night in Phoenix AZ. They opened for the Mission UK. It was a stellar performance and just what you would expect from such a brilliant band. And, no, it was not in a stadium... small local club with about 200 attendees. An experience I will never forget.
Thanks for posting this insightful commentary. I have been a huge Chams fan since my college days in the early 80's. Like the Pistols and Joy Division, they captured a period of time and a musical style and atmosphere that was unique and influenced so many who followed after. As for why they never got press, I still don't fully understand it. Part of the reason, I think, is that they cared more about making music than seeking fame. It might also have been different had their manager not tragically passed away just when a U.S. tour was in the planning stage. Had things been different, they could have followed a career track similar to acts like The Cure and U2. Their music stands the test of time just as well.
I gotta give props to my Spotify account here honestly. Around a year ago now they put Swamp Thing in my recommended for you catalogue and I loved it immediately. After that was there for some time, Up the Down Escalator was recommended which then introduced me to all the music in Script of the Bridge. Which then brought me to What Does Anything Mean? Basically. Which THEN brought me to Tony Fletcher Walked on Water, which they must’ve created shortly after his passing now that I know who he was. Anyway, that “Album”? I don’t think you’d call it that but that piece has their song “Is it Any Wonder” which I think is probably one of my favorite songs of all time now, up their with most of their other music as well to be honest. It’s just so cool to me that through all of this modern technology through music, me, some dude in rural New York could be introduced to a Post-Punk band that didn’t even get much further outside Manchester all the way over in England and have it become easily one of my favorite bands.
I discovered them through Spotify too, for me it was Soul in Isolation :D went to Strange Times from there and never looked back. As a younger fan (mid 20s) I‘m incredibly grateful that they‘re still touring and still are so good live.
I think I've 'discovered' a lot of bands over the years but buying The Fan and the Bellows in 1989 on a whim was ,in retrospect, the biggest moment of them all. Thank you The Chameleons!
Enjoyed this. In short, The Chameleons are the 1980’s best kept secret. ‘Don’t Fall’ was the first riff I learnt on guitar in the early 90’s and it’s surprising how many other guitarists cited them as a major influence back then. Every album was brilliant, so many great songs; Tears, Less than human, Fan and the bellows, second skin, monkeyland… they were one of the best in an era of some great music.
I love this video, thanks for posting it. I was introduced to The Chameleons by John Peel on Radio 1 in 1984, and they've been my favourite band ever since! I bought 'Up the Down Escalator' on 7" and then went to see them play at York Rock Festival, along with Echo & The Bunnymen, Sisters of Mercy & Spear of Destiny. Chameleons Vox are good, but nothing can match seeing Mark, Dave, Reg & John together on stage back in the day. Part of me is gutted that they never achieved the superstardom they deserve, but then again, selfishly I love the fact that I've been a part of the best kept secret in music for all these years.
Finally! At long last there is a Chameleons retrospective on youtube that is made by a Real Head who knows the score and the truth of their inexplicably obscure "unknown post-punk legends" status. Great video. You even managed to summon Dave Fielding himself into the comments - this right here is what I use this platform for. Thank you! 'Swamp Thing' is one of the most beautifully ominous "sturm und drang" anthems in all of music. You're 100% correct when you assert that it should be on the highest pantheon of most revered yet universally known all-time post punk tracks. It's mindboggling that it isn't. I liken the monumentally massive build to crescendo of the intro to the Big Bang and the genesis of the universe. That's how endlessly all-encompassing its sound is. And that's what this band means to me.
For all those that like the Chameleons, check out Mark Burgesses book, View From a Hill. He goes thru the history of the Chameleons, and for those of us that thought the song, View from a Hill, was about the boys taking and acid trip, that's exactly what it was!
The song reminds me of a girl I liked my freshman year of college. She made me a mixtape and this was the grand ending to a phenomenal mix! Not sure what became of her, but I'll always remember how much I liked her taste in music.
I even hear the Chameleons sound's on pop bands like Coldplay 2 songs of them that have that "ambience lament like" sound : Politik ( from Rush of Blood to the Head album) and Spies (Parachutes) finally someone speaks of this I always thought that I am the only "crazy one" that thinks the Chameleons were very influential agree 100% mate
At their X&Y tour I wrote a letter to Coldplay anf gave it to the soundman (probably it never reached them). I wrote that Square One sounds exactly like the Chameleons! I`ve been a huge fan for ages. I love Coldplay`s early work, especially SPIES, the best song on Parachutes and their early stuff, even before the first album and certain B-Sides (Careful where you stand, Brothers and sisters, Such a rush-which has an electric guitar that again IS the Chameleons).
My girlfriend at the time was casually listening to me struggle with a complicated guitar riff one evening and, simply in passing, suggested that Swamp thing sounded quite easy to play, and maybe I could work that out. I put it on, having never heard the band, and the rest is history. They always remind me of her. My favourite band of all time, they've got to be.
2023 here, and I saw the Chameleons live a few days ago in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. Mark Burgess and Reg Smithies have reformed the band and are currently touring. Their live set was really freaking good, this band still projects power right into your face live, if you get a chance, go see them. Also, on one episode of the UK TV series "Luther" from a few years ago, the song "In Shreds" plays over the end credits. I was binge watching the show during covid and when the credits rolled I thought, "That sounds like The Chameleons", and sure enough, it was a song I hadn't heard before for some reason. No mistaking that sound and Mark's voice.
Such a bizarre video to happen upon now. As an early Gen Z'er, the Chameleons hit me at a critical moment in my musical development. My buddy took me to my first REAL concert-- the Chameleons Vox. A very strange first concert to be at! I remember recording voice memos of our Chameleons inspired riffs in his dark bedroom afterwards. Script of The Bridge was on my dinky little purple ipod nano. I of course loved Up The Down Escalator the most with my pop sensibilities (was always a New Order over a Joy Division guy, despite my efforts), but what an influential and strange and dark record for me. The rhythms and atmospheres still pound in my head. Brilliant. Thanks for posting about this, will require another listen!
I have loved the Chameleons UK since discovering their music while a college DJ in Baltimore, Maryland in the mid-80s. Their albums blew my mind, and I waited years in vain to see them live, but never got the chance. This Fall I will finally get my chance to see them live at the Darker Waves Festival in Huntington Beach, California. And I cannot wait! Their music was part of the soundtrack of my youth, and I continue to be a fan. They are amazing!
I've been listening to music for over 50 years... I've worked at record stores... I've worked as a college DJ... I've worked as a professional DJ on a rock station. I've collected thousands of albums. I'd rank The Chameleons right up there with the most important bands. I was fortunate enough to fly from San Francisco to England for their reunion show at The Witchwood. It was a transcendent experience. Absolutely brilliant. Thanks for the wonderful video. You pretty much nailed what makes them so special. Cheers!
honestly, I feel the reason was that they wouldn't play the rock game in anyway. There were no portfolios of pictures in which they posed against brick walls. They dressed like the rest of us. They let the music carry the weight. Sublime, really.
Excellent video about a criminally unknown band. When i first heard the opening chords of Up the Down Escalator as an 18 year-old freshman in college (in 1984), I knew then how much of a a massive impact the Chameleons would have on me. Then they put out their second album - What Does Anything Mean, Basically. Needless to say, it was even more incredible than the first, for me at least. And then in 1986, I heard the aforementioned single, Swamp Thing, from the Strange Times album, and thought this song is an absolute masterpiece. Perfection - musically, lyrically, vocally, etc. The entire album is stellar, and has a cohesive flow to it. If you like the band, I recommend the singer's book, (Mark Burgess), called View From a Hill. A long read (with perhaps a bit too much minutiae detail), but filled with incredible insight into the inner workings of its amazing singer and his experience within the band.
@@davidfielding7746 I get it Dave. I've been around long enough to know that everyone has their own perspective and the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle. Many thanks for all your amazing guitar work and musical compositions! To this day, especially as a guitarist, I'm still inspired by your unique and beautiful style. :)
@@davidfielding7746 it hurts my heart to hear this bad vibe, really. I unfortunately only discovered you guys a couple years ago, but i want you to know that I love your unmatched sound. Unique and i just love all the ways you guys played, your music really moves me deeply. Hope you guys can work it out, and come back to Peru. Idk about you guys when you came before, sadly. If you do, the pints are on me mate!
Oh, I love them and I’m seeing them Friday night and Saturday night in Los Angeles. Can’t wait to. They’re definitely in my top 10 bands of all time. Cheers.
What an amazing sound. I remember my skater friend in ‘88 was listening to the smiths and played the chameleons, yet I’d never heard of them and there was no trace on MTV at the time. Early 00’s when I went into a post punk rabbit hole (that I’ve happily never come out of) I downloaded all of their work and love it all! Fantastic band 🔥
One of the best influential bands of the 80s I first Heard these guys on a college radio station, and the sound of melodic guitars through me in unfortunately, it’s so sad that this band ever gets any recognition, but has influenced so many bands The lyrics and tones strike a deep note in my heart and brain. Love these guys.
I very rarely comment on UA-cam videos these days but i juat wanted to say this is such a fantastic video on one of my favourite bands. I love Interpol too, but I'd never realised just how much they sounded like Burgess and Co. You've just gained a new subscriber.
If I was ever stranded on a desert island with three albums, I would want Strange Times to be one of them. I've listenned to it more times than I can count since it came out and Im still in love with it. Swamp Thing was a HUGE dance hit in the US alternative dance clubs of the late 80s and made everyone loose their mind.
Swamp thing is one of my favorite songs. We played it for special music at church one time 😜 not sure that was appropriate lol. I've played the riff in that song so many times. Love it. And none of my music friends have ever heard of The Chameleons. So I make the introduction. I am going to check out some of the bands that you said were influenced by them. Some of those I've never heard of.
So happy to see you embracing this bafflingly under represented band. Weirdly I discovered them in 2004 too, under identical circumstances! Working nightshifts, I distinctly remember buying Script of the Bridge on CD and playing it all night sitting in this empty office. When I handed over my shift I said "I've discovered the best album ever made". Whilst some of that hyperbole has subsided I still regard their debut as one of my top twenty of all time. Your content is great, keep it up!
@@2020Sound Oddly I was kind of back to front there. I read about them on a vintage MySpace era blog for post punk/ Joy Division fans. I was sufficiently intrigued to buy the CD on a brief description on this website. I then came across Interpol a few months later when a friend played me their debut (bit late to that party). I actually didn't connect the two bands stylistically at the time, but it seems obvious now. Love Interpol too, FWIW. Footnote: soon after I discovered Script of the Bridge I emailed Mark Burgess to say how great I though it was. I can't even remember how TF I got his email address but it was definitely public domain! Anyway he sent a short but very sweet reply to the effect of "cheers man, glad something I was involved in all that time ago still means so much to people"
He comes across like a such a nice bloke in all the interviews I've read/footage I've seen. Fascinating guy, too. I read an interview Manchester City did with him whilst preparing for the video. Apparently he used to work for them in the back office for a while after the band split! I'm not a football fan, but it's one of the most insightful pieces on him I've seen online - you might enjoy it: mancity.com/news/club/city-and-i-mark-burgess-63734399
I just joined Spotify and was browsing through there New Wave and Post Punk bands of the early 80's, this is my generation and graduted high school in 1981. I must say this band flew under the radar for me as well as many other bands of that era. I have heard of the Cameleon's but, I dont believe I have listened to there music on the radio here in the U.S. I'm a fan of U2 and Interpol always thought these bands had an intesting sound. The Cameleon's was a GEM to find today. One of my favorite songs I listened to today was "HERE TODAY". "SCRIPT OF THE BRIDGE" album completely blew me away. A lot of great bands from the UK that most Americans never heard of. Must say the Cameleon's will be on my Playlist from now on. What a good band with an interesting sound.
I've been a huge fan since the 80's and recently re-purchased all the vinyls which I had lost when I moved to France over 30 years ago. Their music is so much a part of me that it brings a special feeling that I can't really describe every time I listen : masterful and poetic. I saw them play in Lyon last autumn and they are still amazing live today.
Great video. Great band. I´ve been a huge fan of The Chameleons since 1983, when I bought "Script...". Been following them ever since and I´ve got all their records (vinyl), and define them as "my secret band". They always come back to me. Not surprisingly, I love Interpol and such bands too. Kol topic, nicely done, and I totally agree with u - overlooked band. Hi from Oslo Norway.
Thank you for this. Like others here, introduced to The Chameleons, through the greatly missed John Peel. Took the boat and train from Dublin to London and when there bought, 'Script of the Bridge' which had just been released. They, and those first 3 albums, remain a magnificent beautiful gift.
I was 17, with my first love, James, standing behind me, both of us at the front of the stage at One Step Beyond, watching Reg play the intro, before singing along with Mark. It’s one of many memories burned into my mind. This is one of my time machine songs. Put on headphones , turn it up loud and I’m right there with my James again, hearing one of the finest songs ever, especially from my youth.
In 1986, my then German girlfriend played for me Second Skin from the Chameleons first album "Script of the Bridge." I was mesmerized and transformed and hooked. In 2017, when they announced that would be their final US tour, my buddy and I drove 6 hrs to see them in Brooklyn, NY. During the show, tears streamed down my face at the thought that this would be the very last time I would ever see them, albeit Chameleonsvox, live again....
Came across the Chameleons on Spotify (Perfume Garden). I loved the layering so listened to Script of the Bridge. It was one of those albums with no bad songs on it. I thought, how did I miss this band in the 80s? Well, it seems many others did too. I'm just glad I found them nearly forty years later. So good!
Been a Chameleons fan ever since that first Peel Session. Still play them regularly and I have never get bored of them. I love almost every track on each album. I hope I may have been the person in that car in Manchester, mentioned in the video, that was blasting out their songs, as I lived in the city centre for many years. BTW, one of the DJs in the Brick House on Whitworth Street (near the Hacienda) was also a big fan and did his best to raise their profile.
Fantastic band. A workmate suggested going to see them one Sunday night at the Marquee in London. I was hooked. Saw them several times including the gig at the Camden Palace that was filmed for TV and is on You Tube. Special memories of great songs.
Spot on! So underrated. In Buffalo, NY in the mid 80's, we had a couple of DJ's at our local punk bar that made sure we got our Chameleons fix every weekend, and the dance floor was always packed. NOTHING like hearing 'Swamp Thing' or 'Tears' at an ungodly volume on a packed floor with all your sweaty, freaky friends. The band never came here. I am, however, extremely thrilled that Mark Burgess is doing a house party here next weekend! I almost passed out when I heard- I can not wait...
Coming from an American perspective of why they never got the attention they deserved is because people didn't know about them. I am 60 years old and was a big fan of the post punk era when it occurred. Back then, FM radio did not play music like that except that you might hear a U2 song (pre-fame) late at night. MTV is what really introduced post punk to most Americans but even then, they never played any Chameleons videos. I discovered them in a record store when the art work on the album caught my attention. I picked it up to look at it and flipped it over and saw a couple of pictures of the band. They just looked like a band I would like. I was willing to take a chance on it and bought it. That was one of the only ways I discovered good music like that since we did not have the internet at that time and FM radio just didn't want to give bands like this a chance. The Chameleons became my all-time favorite band and I had the pleasure seeing The Chameleons Vox live a few years ago. Got a picture with Mark too! :)
It's about time someone mentioned these guys. Truly great stuff. I found out about them when I was hitch hiking and someone outside Manchester todl me about them and gave me a tape. Listening later, I had to admit they were genius.
Nice coverage👏👏 Script of the bridge is a peak album, You just can't beat that, on a higher level, along with Closer and Ju Ju, I Guess that The Cure took all the credit, they are great too.
So happy to hear this. It was my favourite band during my teens, a secret we shared with just a few friends here in Belgium. And 40 years later, it is still amazing what impact those guys had on their old fans.
The Chameleons, The Sound and The Comsat Angels - in a league of their own in the 80's and only a few of us realised it, it would seem. Depressing but true.
Love it. My best mate got me into the Chameleons in about 1989? Saw Mark Burgess play a few times at the Witchwood in Ashton in the very early 90s, and have managed to see some version of The Chameleons several times since over the years. Still have all of their original albums on vinyl, plus a few bootlegs. If you remember Vinyl Exchange in Manchester (is it still there??), good condition copies of Strange Times used to change hands for £25 in there in the late 80s. I once picked up the CD of Tony Fletcher Walked on Water at a carboot sale for a quid. Turns out it had been stolen out of my mate's car, so I had to give it back to him. BTW They may never have been on BBC TV, but they sure did play some Peel Sessions ;-)
Strangely enough The Chameleons were big in my group of friends in Portugal in middle 80's. And The script of the Bridge is surely on my top 10 post-punk albuns.
I can't remember how I discover this band in the 80's. Maybe because The Sound and The Church. They were populair in Holland. The Chameleons-sound became a part of life. Strange Times was my favorite album when it came out. I think Denims and Curls was their best song. I discover this song 20 years later. In a time when my musical taste had changed. The sound of Denims and Curls became another part of life. A new life but with the same strange delightful atmosphere of the past.
I'm a new fan. I wasn't born when they were active and I only found them about 6 months ago, but they've very quickly become a favourite. I'm enjoying finding out what I can about them :)
I discovered Chameleons in 1985- a Promo copy of Script of the Bridge fell into my lap, quite literally from a Program Director's stash at the radio station I was working with. They've been a "secret handshake" ever since, here in America. Everything from what you'd expect: mutual friend Jack Rabid introducing me to Sam from Interpol, on the basis of Chameleons worship, to unexpected connections like Jon from Sludge Metal act Torche wearing their T shirt on tour. Influential? Let me put it this way: Sturgill Simpson is a fan, Brad Laner is a fan, Greg Sage is a fan, Jack Grisham is a fan, Zach Lind is a fan, and many others- literally every genre of music has at least one fan of Chameleons. Yet, near zero media exposure, here in the US. No radio, no TV, and apart from fanzines, no print. That means that all of it is by word of mouth- interactions like I've had. Super fans like the aforementioned Jack Rabid, through his fanzine The Big Takeover, or Jack Sobel, who is in a band, Black Swan Lane, which has included Mark Burgess, Dave Fielding, and Andy Clegg- spread the word. So, why weren't they huge? In a word: fashion. Their visual presentation wasn't as pronounced as US media types wanted. No "flock of haircuts" overblown fashion, no Cowboy drag, no science fiction camp, no feral Metal machismo- you get the idea. This, as MTV made the visual presentation absolutely key to "success".
Hi Matt! Told you I'd do a video on them eventually - glad you spotted it. Great point about MTV: I can't picture the band in knitted jumpers larking about on a yacht like Duran Duran 😄. Was 'The Big Takeover' named after the Bad Brains song?
@@2020Sound Yes, you did. Big Takeover absolutely is named after the Bad Brains song. I'm actually a bit surprised you don't already know it, but, here's the website, you may have some joy in it: bigtakeover.com/
Secret handshake is very much the correct analogy. In 1986, a friend gave me a tape of SOTB, as a going-away present when I was leaving for college. I've been a fan since that day. I do sound for a local bar here in New Mexico. I have a WDAM,B? sticker on my live mixer rack. Every couple months or so, someone comes up and introduces themselves. It's great knowing that there are people around, for whom you can trust their taste. hahaha. CHEERS!
Being into punk, new wave, goth, hardcore, etc... all my life, I never gave them a proper listen and I so deeply regret it. They're a spiritual experience. Thanks for making this video.
Hi, Thanks for the excellent video and the information that you gave on The mighty Chameleons. Saw them live in 1985 at the Schlachthof in Bremen. I remember buying their first album on vinyl, at the concert. I had bought their second album at our local record store in Delmenhorst, Germany. I have all albums an also some solo-works such as The Reegs. I still like to listen to them from time to time remembering the good old times when I was young. Cheers from Germany, Oliver
I'm from México and been lisenting to the Chameleons for like 15 years and since i discovered them i went crazy about their music, thanks for the video!!!
I was lucky enough to see two gigs of the band in 2016 and one in 2017, all in Germany, I drove all the way from Russia, Moscow, and both times I had a chance to speak with Mark Burgess after the gig, and he was so fascinated as I was the only Russian who did that journey only because to see the band, and he was quite modest at the same time. What a memories... really underrated band that moved ahead of the time!
I was beyond excited to see The Chameleons will be here in San Diego in September. They are a bucket list band for me, and one I never thought I'd get a chance to see in person. The number of absolutely monumental bands to come out of Manchester is staggering!
Love from America! Chameleons UK (here) were a major influence on my musical choices. College radio was critically important for a vast majority of us.❤
Just got to see them in Athens, GA with Deceits and Athens own Vision Video. It was a fantastic show, all around, from all bands. So glad I got to see The Chamelons.
First heard the Chamelons on KROQ, an alternative radio station in Pasadena, Ca. Rodney Bingenheimer was their eclectic DJ and he played all the upcoming English bands during the early 80's. "In Shreds" was the initial introduction. I've been hooked ever since ❤
Not just a band for me, but something almost sacred and spiritual. Their music is timeless and will live on forever.
Absolutely! Magical stuff. I basically just made the same comment. It feels like a higher power channeled it's energy through them to make this music with tremendous depth. I'll love them forever
Absolutely agree
@@scott7521 you legend x
For me they share this quality with Joy Division
Occult band. Killing joke. Blitz
This band is so underrated yet amazing and unforgettable. I saw them live several times around 10 years ago. I was lucky enough to open for them with my band October People at a concert in Madrid and meet Mark. It's one of my favorite memories.
At Chameleons gig last night..manchester...I have followed them since they began...part of the magic for that packed audience, and we all knew every word and every riff, is that sense of being in on such a miraculous secret, like a private club for people with the most pristine music taste of all!
I've just seen them tonight in Copenhagen. Such a fantastic, moving experience. It was clear how much their music meant to everyone there. Pure magic.
Definitely underrated but I didn't realize they were this underrated. I love The Chameleons - some of the most existential provoking tracks I've ever heard from any band. Funny enough, I first listened to them when I was living in a zen monastery and one of the other guests shared their mp3 player with me. It was the best thing I'd heard, and I come back to this band every now and then.
swamp thing’s intro is probably the coolest and most chilling 90 seconds of music i’ve heard
Hell of a riff, isn't it?!
not to mention arguably the finest, most captivating, goosebump-inducing crescendo in all of musicland. My favorite Chameleons song, no question, and they have written dozens of gems. Cheers.
Reg's riff is a classic although it is a Peter Green riff played slightly different. X
@@davidfielding7746 interesting! it’s a fun one to play too
@@2020Sound At the 4:53 mark you mentioned four bands: Editors, White Lies, Slow Readers Club but I didn't catch the last one. Could you tell me the name of that band please. If you have any other current or recent artists, besides Interpol, that sound like Joy Division or Chameleons can you send them to me as well, please again. I'm obsessed with that particular sound. Thank you.
The Horrors’ first album too owes a lot to the Chameleons!
One of my favorite bands ever. I lived in the mountains and was a pro snowboarder when it was just really starting to get big. I would listen to script of the bridge over and over on my walkman!!!! Still the best album ever to be up on a mountain flying through the tress with snow falling. Pretty magical, like it was made for that!!!!
That’s cool. I was in a flat in Manchester. Which then was a shit hole. But we had the music I suppose.
Mark Burgess played a semi acoustic double set of 2 and a half hours in the yard of my apartment building on Sunday August 14, 2022. It was one of the 3 greatest days of my life.
I was so fortunate to be at one of the backyard shows Mark did on that tour. A magical evening. I saw people in the audience crying.
Mark Burgess has got to be one of the most kindest gentlemen I have ever met... The Chameleons Vox played at The Fleece in Bristol and he was outside of the venue having a drink before the show. I drove to the venue in my car from where I live in Chipping Sodbury and I was talking to one of the road crew and another chameleons fan. I told them that I had the album cover of What Does Anything Basically painted on the bonnet and showed them the photos... With that, the guy got Mr Burgesses attention and showed him the photos of my car on my car and Mr Burgess asked me where I had parked the car, to which I replied that it was just around the corner... With that Mark put down his drink,stubbed his cigarette out and said he would like to see my car... We both walked to my car and he really liked the artwork. I asked him if I could please have a couple of photos of him stood by my car which he willingly obliged.. I still have the photos to this day..
That is a chance of a life!
I saw his acoustic set at SXSW in '22, was so great! The band are coming back this fall!
The Chameleons , The Sound & The Comsat Angels are the three best bands of the 80's that most missed.
You sir have good taste. 3 of my favourite bands easily
Check out iron curtain. They are often missed
The Sound! 🖤
I loved Comsat angles too.
I was very fortunate to play on stage with Mark and John (R.I. P.) at the O2 in London as 'second skin' supporting The Comsat Angels, I think it was in 2010; I am a tad addled. The guitarist from them was really impressed, the singer was furious that we overran on the alloted time by 2 mins, 😂.
Mark pissed himself after the gig when I asked if he was singing 'bacon eyes' in the M8 of Swamp thing (vacant eyes😂)
I remember reading that when they sent their first demo into John Peel, JP was convinced that someone was pulling his leg and the demo was actually from an established, signed band - he couldn't believe a band could be so good and yet unsigned.
The Chameleons is the band of my life, their music shock me when i was 15, an spaniard teenager who didn’t speak english, but recognize the different vibration and energy of his music. Now I’m 51 and after all these years and a lot of records on my shelves, very few albums are at the level of creativity of theirs, both in sound and in texts.
Fell in love with the band ever since seeing them on the STRANGE TIMES tour in '86. The music (aggressive, driving, melodic, punk) combined with beautiful, haunting, romantic lyrics keeps the songs fresh in my mind. Still listening constantly. Still seeing them live every time they come to NYC. And I'm privileged to have meet them all. The nicest guys who deserved much more success then they ever got. But the music will continue to inspire songwriters like me to create for generations to follow.
The Chameleons are in what a consider the quintet of forgotten, yet influential post-punk bands. The others are:
-Lowlife
-Asylum Party
-Consat Angels
- The Sound
Was just listening to Lowlife's epic San Antorium last night. And think i'll give Comsat Angels a spin tonight, not played them for ages.
Not Forgotten ! Comment Reported !
Lowlife has become one of my favorite Post Punk bands, both Permanent Sleep and Diminuendo are masterpieces imo. Also love The Sound and Comsat Angels
I agree with Jackson, thank you for the recommendation :) Fantastic band, especially those two albums.
And Also The Trees
I just visited a Thrift Shop in Georgia and found 7 CDs of The Chameleons. I have to admit I'd never heard of them but googled them to see what style they played. I'm so glad I got these. Very nice video here.
I love The Chameleons since I listened to them for the first time in '83, my favourite band of all times. For me the first 3 albums are the best I ever heard. I saw the original lineup in '86, 2000, 2001 and 2002 and since then ChameleonsVox many times, always unbelievable Live-shows, either the original or the actual lineup.
I always loved the guitar work of Dave and Reg, but for me personally it was always the otherworldly guitar sound of Dave that touched me deep.
So when some friends and me started ourselves a band in '85 I always wanted to sound like Dave, but never got even near to his sound. Nowadays I got very much nearer.
I simply love those etheral echo guitars and for me that's one big point why The Chameleons were and are that special.
But to be honest it was the band as a whole that created perfection.
Within only 5 years they wrote 3 albums with outstanding songs that stood and will forever stand the test of time. Reg Smithies and Dave Fielding creating wonderfull soundscapes, the unbelievable drum work of John Lever (Rest in peace John, best drummer in heaven), the punching basslines of Mark Burgess and the voice and lyrics of Mark, always loved that voice.
Every bit simply fitted perfectly and made the band as a whole outstanding.
Sorry for the long text but I simply love them so much, what I actually wanted to say:
Thank you to The Chameleons for the gift you gave to me and all the other people that love your music
What a wonderful tribute Timm, I couldn't agree more with your sentiments. A band that have always influenced me and the way I try to play my guitar. although i have never managed to get close to emulating that guitar sound.
Can we talk about their song “Perfume Garden” and how it elicits such an emotional reaction from the listener? And the textures, layers, and intersecting guitar lines in that song are all genius! That song brings tears of both joy and melancholia simultaneously-words can’t rightly express how that song can affect me. It’s brilliant.
Fantastic song. One of my favourites by them, especially on 'WDAM?B'.
Couldn't agree more. The depth in that song in every sense is astounding.
That is very true! Has the same effect in me
Shoegaze many years before the term or the movement even began. If If had a dollar for every time I've listened to that song... masterpiece!
@@TheMorganRose I always called this group ShoeGoth...😊
Yesterday I saw them in Madrid for second time is the most underrated band and (for me) the best band ever......MAGIC!!!!!!❤
I've been a fan of Interpol for close to 20 years and today heard the intro to Swamp Thing. My heart was struck immediately, I can see the influence The Chameleons had on Interpol.. starting my journey into The Chameleons discography now!
Glad to introduce you to them 🙂
You'll never look back....
You are in for a treat!
Seen Interpol many times and until this video never thought of a connection. I guess one would have to ask Paul Banks if he was influenced by the Chameleons? Another band I think were influenced were The Killers.
Better late than never. Definitely a hidden gem
Come down to Coventry and you'll hear 'Don't Fall' blasting out of this 65-year-old's car! I am of course in my autumn before winter having a last, mad surge of youth.
Being from North Manchester myself, I first got into The Chameleons whilst still at school in Prestwich in 1984. The gigs at Salford University Maxwell Hall and The Free Trade Hall particularly stand out for me. Script Of The Bridge had a huge affect on me growing up and it’s an album that still has the hairs on the back of my neck standing up. Criminally ignored
I was at that Maxwell Hall gig, sheer magic, unforgettable. Also the Ritz with its bouncy dance floor going mental for Splitting in Two. Oh happy days.
Love the Chameleons! Criminally underrated.
Hi fellow cult members! This music has gotten me through so many rough times. It's been a challenge spreading my love for the Chameleons to others. Finally found a woman who liked them and married her.
I worked with Dave Fielding years ago he produced a band i was in.. hes a great guy
Have loved The Chameleons since first hearing Script of the Bridge in 1985. Saw them live at the 9:30 Club in Washington DC in 1987. Still listen to them almost every day. They should've been huge!
The Chameleons is indeed a lost treasure!
Script of the bridge is one my favorites albums of all time 🥰
The chameleons are one of the best bands in the UK ever! They deserved so much better than they got !
Lyrics and music were all so original and unique. My husband got to see them perform at the town and country club in Kentish Town he said they were so brilliant live, I couldn’t go (damn) we need a revival of their music
I just recently got into DJing and I will definetely play a Chameleons song in every one of my sets. Theyre my favourite band ever and nobody knows them except some of my goth friends, so that needs to change :)
Yes it does need to change so thank you! I LOVE this band
Just saw them live in Dallas a few weeks ago - and true to form - not in a stadium. There are no words that can express the emotional connection to Mark and the boys that spans 30+ years. Having heard their songs hundreds (if not thousands) of times over my lifetime, it all seemed empty compared to hearing them in live surrounded by family. Thank you Chameleons for these timeless masterpieces that will outlive us all. #WeAreChameleons
When I saw The Chameleons play at Cottingham Civic Hall, after the majority of their set the lead singer spoke to the crowd and said this:
'One day you're going to be taken, and it's going to happen really quickly in the blink of an eye, without any warning - its happened to a few friends of hours recently, and as you get older and you leave this physical construct we call reality, all that's left of you, all you can take of you are great experiences - and the last thing you want is to be stuck in eternity surrounded by shitty experiences. So go out and fill your experience bank as much as you can with great experiences, that's worth more than the ticket price...'
My jaw was on the floor at that point. It was one of the best gigs I've been to, and they are massively overlooked - the missing link between The Smiths and The Stone Roses
The Chameleons are the unsung heroes of the 80's. Remarkably poetic in their genius and humbleness.
I'm a huge punk and post-punk fan, and I think The Chameleons are the greatest band in music history. For years I've tried to share them with anyone who would listen. I've never experienced a bad reaction to their music from anyone, but I've only known one person to fall in love with them - some horrible goth woman from Newcastle who had never heard of them; which amuses me because I'm from Ohio in the US lol I blare their music religiously while I ride my bike all over town - so rest assured, people are hearing them 😎 lol Anyway - great video. I never quite realized how widely influential they are. I mostly viewed them as the cream of this style of music - which is all the more amazing to me with this new perspective that they very well may be the progenitors of it. Mark is still sounding really good and I hope I get to see him someday
Thanks Nastiya! I've got to ask now because I'm intrigued... why was the goth from Newcastle so horrible? 😆
@@2020Sound Oh, it's silly. Things got a bit complicated over a mutual attraction where I ended up feeling very egged on then abruptly disregarded entirely. It would've been fine with an apology - but some people can't admit to any oversights or shortcomings lol It's nothing serious. Just left me with a bit of a bitter taste lol
I met Mark after a show in Boston. He told me I look like someone who should be in a band.
"For years I've tried to share them with anyone who would listen." Me, too! As recently as last week. Of all the bands I followed to back then, The Chameleons are the only ones still in heavy rotation on the playlist. Thanks for sharing.
That band would be The Sound..!!!!
Being from the U.S., I was fortunate enough to have been turned on to them in the 80's. A huge fan ever since. Got a chance to see ChamVox on a rare US tour a few years ago in Portland OR. Going to the show, my friend and I thought we were either going to be the only ones there or at least the oldest by far (at 55). We were absolutely blown away to walk into a sold out venue filled with 20 to 30 yr olds and up...knowing all the lyrics! We were speechless. Already bought tix for a Florida show 10 months from now!
I discovered this band in 1985. I was 20 and never stopped to love their music. I am a huge fan. I come back to their albums regularly. Second Skin and Monkeyland mean so much to me. Love them truly.
they've been one of my all time favorite bands for years, finally seeing them today! super stoked, i just turned 19 yesterday too, life is good.
This appreciation definitely captures all the interest that we Chameleons fans have. The band is life-changing, and one you don’t abandon with age. Thanks for the detail and thoughtfulness of this piece.
Great video. I just saw the Chameleons last night in Phoenix AZ. They opened for the Mission UK. It was a stellar performance and just what you would expect from such a brilliant band. And, no, it was not in a stadium... small local club with about 200 attendees. An experience I will never forget.
Swamp thing and soul in isolation always made it onto my mix tapes waaaay back then.
Marian by the sisters as well.
Thanks for posting this insightful commentary. I have been a huge Chams fan since my college days in the early 80's. Like the Pistols and Joy Division, they captured a period of time and a musical style and atmosphere that was unique and influenced so many who followed after. As for why they never got press, I still don't fully understand it. Part of the reason, I think, is that they cared more about making music than seeking fame. It might also have been different had their manager not tragically passed away just when a U.S. tour was in the planning stage. Had things been different, they could have followed a career track similar to acts like The Cure and U2. Their music stands the test of time just as well.
I gotta give props to my Spotify account here honestly. Around a year ago now they put Swamp Thing in my recommended for you catalogue and I loved it immediately. After that was there for some time, Up the Down Escalator was recommended which then introduced me to all the music in Script of the Bridge. Which then brought me to What Does Anything Mean? Basically. Which THEN brought me to Tony Fletcher Walked on Water, which they must’ve created shortly after his passing now that I know who he was. Anyway, that “Album”? I don’t think you’d call it that but that piece has their song “Is it Any Wonder” which I think is probably one of my favorite songs of all time now, up their with most of their other music as well to be honest.
It’s just so cool to me that through all of this modern technology through music, me, some dude in rural New York could be introduced to a Post-Punk band that didn’t even get much further outside Manchester all the way over in England and have it become easily one of my favorite bands.
"Is it any wonder" is one of my favourite Chameleons, too. Great song!
I discovered them through Spotify too, for me it was Soul in Isolation :D went to Strange Times from there and never looked back. As a younger fan (mid 20s) I‘m incredibly grateful that they‘re still touring and still are so good live.
The Chameleons sound great live, saw the last night June 19, 2024 in Tucson, Az
Loved them!
I cannot find any videos from the 80s 😢
I think I've 'discovered' a lot of bands over the years but buying The Fan and the Bellows in 1989 on a whim was ,in retrospect, the biggest moment of them all. Thank you The Chameleons!
Enjoyed this. In short, The Chameleons are the 1980’s best kept secret. ‘Don’t Fall’ was the first riff I learnt on guitar in the early 90’s and it’s surprising how many other guitarists cited them as a major influence back then. Every album was brilliant, so many great songs; Tears, Less than human, Fan and the bellows, second skin, monkeyland… they were one of the best in an era of some great music.
I love this video, thanks for posting it. I was introduced to The Chameleons by John Peel on Radio 1 in 1984, and they've been my favourite band ever since! I bought 'Up the Down Escalator' on 7" and then went to see them play at York Rock Festival, along with Echo & The Bunnymen, Sisters of Mercy & Spear of Destiny. Chameleons Vox are good, but nothing can match seeing Mark, Dave, Reg & John together on stage back in the day. Part of me is gutted that they never achieved the superstardom they deserve, but then again, selfishly I love the fact that I've been a part of the best kept secret in music for all these years.
Thanks Simon! That festival must've been fun!
Sadly John passed away. But Chamaleons remains etheral. My youth forever.
Finally! At long last there is a Chameleons retrospective on youtube that is made by a Real Head who knows the score and the truth of their inexplicably obscure "unknown post-punk legends" status. Great video. You even managed to summon Dave Fielding himself into the comments - this right here is what I use this platform for. Thank you!
'Swamp Thing' is one of the most beautifully ominous "sturm und drang" anthems in all of music. You're 100% correct when you assert that it should be on the highest pantheon of most revered yet universally known all-time post punk tracks. It's mindboggling that it isn't. I liken the monumentally massive build to crescendo of the intro to the Big Bang and the genesis of the universe. That's how endlessly all-encompassing its sound is. And that's what this band means to me.
Thanks very much! Glad you enjoyed it!
For all those that like the Chameleons, check out Mark Burgesses book, View From a Hill. He goes thru the history of the Chameleons, and for those of us that thought the song, View from a Hill, was about the boys taking and acid trip, that's exactly what it was!
The song reminds me of a girl I liked my freshman year of college. She made me a mixtape and this was the grand ending to a phenomenal mix! Not sure what became of her, but I'll always remember how much I liked her taste in music.
I even hear the Chameleons sound's on pop bands like Coldplay 2 songs of them that have that "ambience lament like" sound : Politik ( from Rush of Blood to the Head album) and Spies (Parachutes) finally someone speaks of this I always thought that I am the only "crazy one" that thinks the Chameleons were very influential agree 100% mate
Those first two Coldplay albums had some great moments - just played 'Spies' for what must be the first time in nearly 20 years. Lovely song.
At their X&Y tour I wrote a letter to Coldplay anf gave it to the soundman (probably it never reached them). I wrote that Square One sounds exactly like the Chameleons! I`ve been a huge fan for ages. I love Coldplay`s early work, especially SPIES, the best song on Parachutes and their early stuff, even before the first album and certain B-Sides (Careful where you stand, Brothers and sisters, Such a rush-which has an electric guitar that again IS the Chameleons).
My girlfriend at the time was casually listening to me struggle with a complicated guitar riff one evening and, simply in passing, suggested that Swamp thing sounded quite easy to play, and maybe I could work that out. I put it on, having never heard the band, and the rest is history. They always remind me of her. My favourite band of all time, they've got to be.
2023 here, and I saw the Chameleons live a few days ago in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. Mark Burgess and Reg Smithies have reformed the band and are currently touring. Their live set was really freaking good, this band still projects power right into your face live, if you get a chance, go see them.
Also, on one episode of the UK TV series "Luther" from a few years ago, the song "In Shreds" plays over the end credits. I was binge watching the show during covid and when the credits rolled I thought, "That sounds like The Chameleons", and sure enough, it was a song I hadn't heard before for some reason. No mistaking that sound and Mark's voice.
Such a bizarre video to happen upon now. As an early Gen Z'er, the Chameleons hit me at a critical moment in my musical development. My buddy took me to my first REAL concert-- the Chameleons Vox. A very strange first concert to be at! I remember recording voice memos of our Chameleons inspired riffs in his dark bedroom afterwards. Script of The Bridge was on my dinky little purple ipod nano. I of course loved Up The Down Escalator the most with my pop sensibilities (was always a New Order over a Joy Division guy, despite my efforts), but what an influential and strange and dark record for me. The rhythms and atmospheres still pound in my head. Brilliant. Thanks for posting about this, will require another listen!
I really really enjoyed this episode. I had never heard of them but they were excellent and should have got more recognition for their work.
Glad you enjoyed it Steven!
I have loved the Chameleons UK since discovering their music while a college DJ in Baltimore, Maryland in the mid-80s. Their albums blew my mind, and I waited years in vain to see them live, but never got the chance. This Fall I will finally get my chance to see them live at the Darker Waves Festival in Huntington Beach, California. And I cannot wait! Their music was part of the soundtrack of my youth, and I continue to be a fan. They are amazing!
One of my favorite bands of all time. Thank you.
I've been listening to music for over 50 years... I've worked at record stores... I've worked as a college DJ... I've worked as a professional DJ on a rock station. I've collected thousands of albums. I'd rank The Chameleons right up there with the most important bands. I was fortunate enough to fly from San Francisco to England for their reunion show at The Witchwood. It was a transcendent experience. Absolutely brilliant.
Thanks for the wonderful video. You pretty much nailed what makes them so special. Cheers!
Thanks John! The Witchwood is tiny - must've been a great spot to catch them live!
I’ve been binging their albums, and I just don’t get why they weren’t a big deal. They’re so so good
honestly, I feel the reason was that they wouldn't play the rock game in anyway. There were no portfolios of pictures in which they posed against brick walls. They dressed like the rest of us. They let the music carry the weight. Sublime, really.
@@robins.2749 They were just a bunch of Middleton lads who likes banging out good tunes.
Saw them in 1987. With the might lemon drops. In Rhode Island at a warehouse type venue called the living room. Fantastic show
Saw them in Toronto on the same tour. 2 shows. Awesome
Excellent video about a criminally unknown band. When i first heard the opening chords of Up the Down Escalator as an 18 year-old freshman in college (in 1984), I knew then how much of a a massive impact the Chameleons would have on me. Then they put out their second album - What Does Anything Mean, Basically. Needless to say, it was even more incredible than the first, for me at least. And then in 1986, I heard the aforementioned single, Swamp Thing, from the Strange Times album, and thought this song is an absolute masterpiece. Perfection - musically, lyrically, vocally, etc. The entire album is stellar, and has a cohesive flow to it. If you like the band, I recommend the singer's book, (Mark Burgess), called View From a Hill. A long read (with perhaps a bit too much minutiae detail), but filled with incredible insight into the inner workings of its amazing singer and his experience within the band.
Thanks B K! Glad you enjoyed it
Don't believe everything you read though. Most of it is Bollocks! Mark believes his own lies... Dave. Best wishes. Xx
@@davidfielding7746 I get it Dave. I've been around long enough to know that everyone has their own perspective and the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle. Many thanks for all your amazing guitar work and musical compositions! To this day, especially as a guitarist, I'm still inspired by your unique and beautiful style. :)
@@davidfielding7746 it hurts my heart to hear this bad vibe, really. I unfortunately only discovered you guys a couple years ago, but i want you to know that I love your unmatched sound. Unique and i just love all the ways you guys played, your music really moves me deeply. Hope you guys can work it out, and come back to Peru. Idk about you guys when you came before, sadly. If you do, the pints are on me mate!
Oh, I love them and I’m seeing them Friday night and Saturday night in Los Angeles. Can’t wait to. They’re definitely in my top 10 bands of all time. Cheers.
What an amazing sound. I remember my skater friend in ‘88 was listening to the smiths and played the chameleons, yet I’d never heard of them and there was no trace on MTV at the time. Early 00’s when I went into a post punk rabbit hole (that I’ve happily never come out of) I downloaded all of their work and love it all! Fantastic band 🔥
Been listening to Chameleons since the mid 80s, never understand why they weren't bigger but also happy to be in on the secret of their amazing music.
One of the best influential bands of the 80s I first Heard these guys on a college radio station, and the sound of melodic guitars through me in unfortunately, it’s so sad that this band ever gets any recognition, but has influenced so many bands The lyrics and tones strike a deep note in my heart and brain. Love these guys.
I very rarely comment on UA-cam videos these days but i juat wanted to say this is such a fantastic video on one of my favourite bands.
I love Interpol too, but I'd never realised just how much they sounded like Burgess and Co.
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If I was ever stranded on a desert island with three albums, I would want Strange Times to be one of them. I've listenned to it more times than I can count since it came out and Im still in love with it. Swamp Thing was a HUGE dance hit in the US alternative dance clubs of the late 80s and made everyone loose their mind.
Swamp thing is one of my favorite songs. We played it for special music at church one time 😜 not sure that was appropriate lol. I've played the riff in that song so many times. Love it. And none of my music friends have ever heard of The Chameleons. So I make the introduction. I am going to check out some of the bands that you said were influenced by them. Some of those I've never heard of.
So happy to see you embracing this bafflingly under represented band. Weirdly I discovered them in 2004 too, under identical circumstances! Working nightshifts, I distinctly remember buying Script of the Bridge on CD and playing it all night sitting in this empty office. When I handed over my shift I said "I've discovered the best album ever made". Whilst some of that hyperbole has subsided I still regard their debut as one of my top twenty of all time. Your content is great, keep it up!
Awww thanks! So it was a tip of the hat from Interpol that turned you on to The Chameleons, too?
@@2020Sound Oddly I was kind of back to front there. I read about them on a vintage MySpace era blog for post punk/ Joy Division fans. I was sufficiently intrigued to buy the CD on a brief description on this website. I then came across Interpol a few months later when a friend played me their debut (bit late to that party). I actually didn't connect the two bands stylistically at the time, but it seems obvious now. Love Interpol too, FWIW. Footnote: soon after I discovered Script of the Bridge I emailed Mark Burgess to say how great I though it was. I can't even remember how TF I got his email address but it was definitely public domain! Anyway he sent a short but very sweet reply to the effect of "cheers man, glad something I was involved in all that time ago still means so much to people"
He comes across like a such a nice bloke in all the interviews I've read/footage I've seen. Fascinating guy, too. I read an interview Manchester City did with him whilst preparing for the video. Apparently he used to work for them in the back office for a while after the band split! I'm not a football fan, but it's one of the most insightful pieces on him I've seen online - you might enjoy it: mancity.com/news/club/city-and-i-mark-burgess-63734399
I just joined Spotify and was browsing through there New Wave and Post Punk bands of the early 80's, this is my generation and graduted high school in 1981. I must say this band flew under the radar for me as well as many other bands of that era. I have heard of the Cameleon's but, I dont believe I have listened to there music on the radio here in the U.S. I'm a fan of U2 and Interpol always thought these bands had an intesting sound. The Cameleon's was a GEM to find today. One of my favorite songs I listened to today was "HERE TODAY". "SCRIPT OF THE BRIDGE" album completely blew me away. A lot of great bands from the UK that most Americans never heard of. Must say the Cameleon's will be on my Playlist from now on. What a good band with an interesting sound.
Fantastic film about a fantastic band.
I've been a huge fan since the 80's and recently re-purchased all the vinyls which I had lost when I moved to France over 30 years ago. Their music is so much a part of me that it brings a special feeling that I can't really describe every time I listen : masterful and poetic. I saw them play in Lyon last autumn and they are still amazing live today.
Great video. Great band. I´ve been a huge fan of The Chameleons since 1983, when I bought "Script...". Been following them ever since and I´ve got all their records (vinyl), and define them as "my secret band". They always come back to me. Not surprisingly, I love Interpol and such bands too. Kol topic, nicely done, and I totally agree with u - overlooked band. Hi from Oslo Norway.
Thank you for this. Like others here, introduced to The Chameleons, through the greatly missed John Peel. Took the boat and train from Dublin to London and when there bought, 'Script of the Bridge' which had just been released. They, and those first 3 albums, remain a magnificent beautiful gift.
Thanks Mark, glad you liked it! 🙂
I was 17, with my first love, James, standing behind me, both of us at the front of the stage at One Step Beyond, watching Reg play the intro, before singing along with Mark. It’s one of many memories burned into my mind. This is one of my time machine songs. Put on headphones , turn it up loud and I’m right there with my James again, hearing one of the finest songs ever, especially from my youth.
beautiful insight and gentle words for such a influential band. Greetings from Portugal.
In 1986, my then German girlfriend played for me Second Skin from the Chameleons first album "Script of the Bridge." I was mesmerized and transformed and hooked. In 2017, when they announced that would be their final US tour, my buddy and I drove 6 hrs to see them in Brooklyn, NY. During the show, tears streamed down my face at the thought that this would be the very last time I would ever see them, albeit Chameleonsvox, live again....
Came across the Chameleons on Spotify (Perfume Garden). I loved the layering so listened to Script of the Bridge. It was one of those albums with no bad songs on it. I thought, how did I miss this band in the 80s? Well, it seems many others did too. I'm just glad I found them nearly forty years later. So good!
Better late than never!
Wow the ending of your video made me emotional. I love the chameleons and would sell a kidney of mine for the opportunity to see them live
Been a Chameleons fan ever since that first Peel Session. Still play them regularly and I have never get bored of them. I love almost every track on each album.
I hope I may have been the person in that car in Manchester, mentioned in the video, that was blasting out their songs, as I lived in the city centre for many years.
BTW, one of the DJs in the Brick House on Whitworth Street (near the Hacienda) was also a big fan and did his best to raise their profile.
Fantastic band. A workmate suggested going to see them one Sunday night at the Marquee in London. I was hooked. Saw them several times including the gig at the Camden Palace that was filmed for TV and is on You Tube. Special memories of great songs.
Would you like some of my Ribena..? 😉
Spot on! So underrated. In Buffalo, NY in the mid 80's, we had a couple of DJ's at our local punk bar that made sure we got our Chameleons fix every weekend, and the dance floor was always packed. NOTHING like hearing 'Swamp Thing' or 'Tears' at an ungodly volume on a packed floor with all your sweaty, freaky friends. The band never came here. I am, however, extremely thrilled that Mark Burgess is doing a house party here next weekend! I almost passed out when I heard- I can not wait...
Fantastic. Every time I hear Swamp Thing get shivers up and down, just like listening to Lady Stardust for me :-). Thanks for doing this.
No problem Steve!
Coming from an American perspective of why they never got the attention they deserved is because people didn't know about them. I am 60 years old and was a big fan of the post punk era when it occurred. Back then, FM radio did not play music like that except that you might hear a U2 song (pre-fame) late at night. MTV is what really introduced post punk to most Americans but even then, they never played any Chameleons videos. I discovered them in a record store when the art work on the album caught my attention. I picked it up to look at it and flipped it over and saw a couple of pictures of the band. They just looked like a band I would like. I was willing to take a chance on it and bought it. That was one of the only ways I discovered good music like that since we did not have the internet at that time and FM radio just didn't want to give bands like this a chance. The Chameleons became my all-time favorite band and I had the pleasure seeing The Chameleons Vox live a few years ago. Got a picture with Mark too! :)
It's about time someone mentioned these guys. Truly great stuff. I found out about them when I was hitch hiking and someone outside Manchester todl me about them and gave me a tape. Listening later, I had to admit they were genius.
I love stories like that. I swear, these guys are the world's biggest "local" band!
@@2020Sound Middleton’s finest!
Swamp Thing has always been one of my favorite songs. I also had no idea The Chameleons wrote the song when I started watching this vid.
Nice coverage👏👏
Script of the bridge is a peak album, You just can't beat that, on a higher level, along with Closer and Ju Ju, I Guess that The Cure took all the credit, they are great too.
So happy to hear this. It was my favourite band during my teens, a secret we shared with just a few friends here in Belgium. And 40 years later, it is still amazing what impact those guys had on their old fans.
The Chameleons, The Sound and The Comsat Angels - in a league of their own in the 80's and only a few of us realised it, it would seem. Depressing but true.
Love it. My best mate got me into the Chameleons in about 1989? Saw Mark Burgess play a few times at the Witchwood in Ashton in the very early 90s, and have managed to see some version of The Chameleons several times since over the years.
Still have all of their original albums on vinyl, plus a few bootlegs.
If you remember Vinyl Exchange in Manchester (is it still there??), good condition copies of Strange Times used to change hands for £25 in there in the late 80s.
I once picked up the CD of Tony Fletcher Walked on Water at a carboot sale for a quid. Turns out it had been stolen out of my mate's car, so I had to give it back to him.
BTW They may never have been on BBC TV, but they sure did play some Peel Sessions ;-)
Strangely enough The Chameleons were big in my group of friends in Portugal in middle 80's. And The script of the Bridge is surely on my top 10 post-punk albuns.
I can't remember how I discover this band in the 80's. Maybe because The Sound and The Church. They were populair in Holland. The Chameleons-sound became a part of life. Strange Times was my favorite album when it came out. I think Denims and Curls was their best song. I discover this song 20 years later. In a time when my musical taste had changed. The sound of Denims and Curls became another part of life. A new life but with the same strange delightful atmosphere of the past.
i heard in shreds for the first time on the radio, and i immediately fell in love with their standout music.
I'm a new fan. I wasn't born when they were active and I only found them about 6 months ago, but they've very quickly become a favourite. I'm enjoying finding out what I can about them :)
I just wanted to come back to say that last night I went to see the Chameleons live in Bristol, and I absolutely loved it!
I discovered Chameleons in 1985- a Promo copy of Script of the Bridge fell into my lap, quite literally from a Program Director's stash at the radio station I was working with. They've been a "secret handshake" ever since, here in America. Everything from what you'd expect: mutual friend Jack Rabid introducing me to Sam from Interpol, on the basis of Chameleons worship, to unexpected connections like Jon from Sludge Metal act Torche wearing their T shirt on tour. Influential? Let me put it this way: Sturgill Simpson is a fan, Brad Laner is a fan, Greg Sage is a fan, Jack Grisham is a fan, Zach Lind is a fan, and many others- literally every genre of music has at least one fan of Chameleons. Yet, near zero media exposure, here in the US. No radio, no TV, and apart from fanzines, no print. That means that all of it is by word of mouth- interactions like I've had. Super fans like the aforementioned Jack Rabid, through his fanzine The Big Takeover, or Jack Sobel, who is in a band, Black Swan Lane, which has included Mark Burgess, Dave Fielding, and Andy Clegg- spread the word. So, why weren't they huge? In a word: fashion. Their visual presentation wasn't as pronounced as US media types wanted. No "flock of haircuts" overblown fashion, no Cowboy drag, no science fiction camp, no feral Metal machismo- you get the idea. This, as MTV made the visual presentation absolutely key to "success".
Hi Matt! Told you I'd do a video on them eventually - glad you spotted it. Great point about MTV: I can't picture the band in knitted jumpers larking about on a yacht like Duran Duran 😄. Was 'The Big Takeover' named after the Bad Brains song?
@@2020Sound Yes, you did. Big Takeover absolutely is named after the Bad Brains song. I'm actually a bit surprised you don't already know it, but, here's the website, you may have some joy in it: bigtakeover.com/
Secret handshake is very much the correct analogy. In 1986, a friend gave me a tape of SOTB, as a going-away present when I was leaving for college. I've been a fan since that day. I do sound for a local bar here in New Mexico. I have a WDAM,B? sticker on my live mixer rack. Every couple months or so, someone comes up and introduces themselves. It's great knowing that there are people around, for whom you can trust their taste. hahaha. CHEERS!
Being into punk, new wave, goth, hardcore, etc... all my life, I never gave them a proper listen and I so deeply regret it. They're a spiritual experience. Thanks for making this video.
Hi, Thanks for the excellent video and the information that you gave on The mighty Chameleons. Saw them live in 1985 at the Schlachthof in Bremen. I remember buying their first album on vinyl, at the concert. I had bought their second album at our local record store in Delmenhorst, Germany. I have all albums an also some solo-works such as The Reegs. I still like to listen to them from time to time remembering the good old times when I was young. Cheers from Germany, Oliver
I'm from México and been lisenting to the Chameleons for like 15 years and since i discovered them i went crazy about their music, thanks for the video!!!
I was lucky enough to see two gigs of the band in 2016 and one in 2017, all in Germany, I drove all the way from Russia, Moscow, and both times I had a chance to speak with Mark Burgess after the gig, and he was so fascinated as I was the only Russian who did that journey only because to see the band, and he was quite modest at the same time. What a memories... really underrated band that moved ahead of the time!
Great piece on my favourite band ever. Thank you.
Going to see them on Tuesday, so excited!
I was beyond excited to see The Chameleons will be here in San Diego in September. They are a bucket list band for me, and one I never thought I'd get a chance to see in person. The number of absolutely monumental bands to come out of Manchester is staggering!
I was there too! Wasn’t the show great?
Love from America! Chameleons UK (here) were a major influence on my musical choices. College radio was critically important for a vast majority of us.❤
Just got to see them in Athens, GA with Deceits and Athens own Vision Video. It was a fantastic show, all around, from all bands. So glad I got to see The Chamelons.