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'''[[File:The_Chameleons.jpg|right|300px]]The Chameleons''' (known as The Chameleons UK in the U.S.) are an English post-punk band, formed in Middleton, Greater Manchester in 1981. The band originally consisted of singer and bassist Mark Burgess, guitarist Reg Smithies, guitarist Dave Fielding and drummer John Lever (replacing original drummer Brian Schofield). The core quartet were sometimes augmented live by keyboardists Alistair Lewthwaite and Andy Clegg in the 1980s, and percussionist-vocalist Kwasi Asante during their reunion period (ex-Magazine drummer Martin Jackson also briefly replaced Lever during 1982–83 while the latter was on sabbatical). After splitting up in 1987, the band reformed in 2000 before splitting again in 2003. Singer Mark Burgess currently performs songs from their back catalogue under the name Chameleons Vox.
  
'''[[File:The_Chameleons.jpg|right|300px]]The Chameleons''' (known as The Chameleons UK in the U.S.) are an English post-punk band, formed in Middleton, Greater Manchester in 1981. The band originally consisted of singer and bassist Mark Burgess, guitarist Reg Smithies, guitarist Dave Fielding and drummer John Lever (replacing original drummer Brian Schofield). The core quartet were sometimes augmented live by keyboardists Alistair Lewthwaite and Andy Clegg in the 1980s, and percussionist-vocalist Kwasi Asante during their reunion period (ex-Magazine drummer Martin Jackson also briefly replaced Lever during 1982–83 while the latter was on sabbatical). After splitting up in 1987, the band reformed in 2000 before splitting again in 2003. Singer Mark Burgess currently performs songs from their back catalogue under the name Chameleons Vox.
 
==Links To Peel==
  
==Links To Peel==
−
According to [[Sheila Ravenscroft]] (Peel's wife) on Peel's biography, [[Margrave Of The Marshes]] (p388), David Fielding of the Chameleons loitered outside Broadcasting House in order to give his band's demo tape to Peel:
 +
According to [[Sheila Ravenscroft]] in [[Margrave Of The Marshes]] (p388), David Fielding of the Chameleons waited outside Broadcasting House to give his band's demo tape to Peel:
   
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: ''"For some, like Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine or David Fielding of The Chameleons, that meant loitering outside Broadcasting House in order to press their tape directly into John’s paw. In the case of The Chameleons, John thought he was the victim of a practical joke after listening to their demo: the recording was so accomplished that he suspected he had been given a cassette of an established band...." ''
 +
: ''"For some, like Kevin Shields of [[My Bloody Valentine]] or David Fielding of The Chameleons, that meant loitering outside Broadcasting House in order to press their tape directly into John’s paw. In the case of The Chameleons, John thought he was the victim of a practical joke after listening to their demo: the recording was so accomplished that he suspected he had been given a cassette of an established band...." ''
   
−
However Mark Burgess, the singer of the band, stated on a blog [http://www.nbrightside.com/blog/2006/09/14/john-peel-and-the-chameleons]that he was with David Fielding when they gave their demo tape to Peel in 1981 and also mentioned the demo tape that was mentioned in the book was from a second demo tape after their first demo sent to Peel did not have drums. Peel received their first demo tape, but found the sound muffled and sent a note replying to the band mentioning: [http://www.thechameleons.com/press/index.php?type=Photos&PhotoID=1]
 +
In a blog, however, Mark Burgess, the band's singer, stated that he was with David Fielding when they gave a demo tape to Peel in 1981, and that this was in fact their second tape, after an earlier one they sent to Peel had no drums.[http://www.nbrightside.com/blog/2006/09/14/john-peel-and-the-chameleons] Peel had received the first demo but found the sound muffled and sent a note to the band: 
⚫
: ''"Dear Mark Dave Reg,''
  
   
  ⚫
: ''Dear Mark Dave Reg,''
−
: ''herewith your tape back. Very muffled, but it sounded at though 'something worthwhile was going on. Forgive brevity but I've over 1,000 cassettes to hear. This is true! If you do another let me hear it.''
 +
: ''Herewith your tape back. Very muffled, but it sounded at though 'something worthwhile was going on. Forgive brevity but I've over 1,000 cassettes to hear. This is true! If you do another let me hear it.''
  +
: ''John Peel''[http://www.thechameleons.com/press/index.php?type=Photos&PhotoID=1]
   
  ⚫
After listening to the second demo, Peel was surprised by the high quality of the recording and invited the band for a session, ultimately leading to further sessions for his show in the early 80s.
−
: ''John Peel"''
  
−  
⚫
After their second demo tape was sent, and Peel was surprised about the high quality of the recording, he invited the band for a session in 1981, which ultimately led to more sessions for Peel's show in the early 80's.
  
   
 
==Festive Fifty Entries==
  
==Festive Fifty Entries==

Revision as of 12:39, 23 April 2014

The Chameleons

The Chameleons (known as The Chameleons UK in the U.S.) are an English post-punk band, formed in Middleton, Greater Manchester in 1981. The band originally consisted of singer and bassist Mark Burgess, guitarist Reg Smithies, guitarist Dave Fielding and drummer John Lever (replacing original drummer Brian Schofield). The core quartet were sometimes augmented live by keyboardists Alistair Lewthwaite and Andy Clegg in the 1980s, and percussionist-vocalist Kwasi Asante during their reunion period (ex-Magazine drummer Martin Jackson also briefly replaced Lever during 1982–83 while the latter was on sabbatical). After splitting up in 1987, the band reformed in 2000 before splitting again in 2003. Singer Mark Burgess currently performs songs from their back catalogue under the name Chameleons Vox.

Links To Peel

According to Sheila Ravenscroft in Margrave Of The Marshes (p388), David Fielding of the Chameleons waited outside Broadcasting House to give his band's demo tape to Peel:

"For some, like Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine or David Fielding of The Chameleons, that meant loitering outside Broadcasting House in order to press their tape directly into John’s paw. In the case of The Chameleons, John thought he was the victim of a practical joke after listening to their demo: the recording was so accomplished that he suspected he had been given a cassette of an established band...." 

In a blog, however, Mark Burgess, the band's singer, stated that he was with David Fielding when they gave a demo tape to Peel in 1981, and that this was in fact their second tape, after an earlier one they sent to Peel had no drums.[1] Peel had received the first demo but found the sound muffled and sent a note to the band: 

Dear Mark Dave Reg,
Herewith your tape back. Very muffled, but it sounded at though 'something worthwhile was going on. Forgive brevity but I've over 1,000 cassettes to hear. This is true! If you do another let me hear it.
John Peel[2]

After listening to the second demo, Peel was surprised by the high quality of the recording and invited the band for a session, ultimately leading to further sessions for his show in the early 80s.

Festive Fifty Entries

Sessions

1. Recorded: 1981-06-08. Broadcast: 17 June 1981. Repeated: 07 July 1981

  • The Fan The Bellows / Here Today / Looking Inwardly / Things I Wish I'd Said

2. Recorded: 1983-06-08. Broadcast: 14 June 1983. Repeated: 07 July 1983, 27 December 1983, 29 January 1985, Peel January 1985

  • Don't Fall / Nostalgia / Second Skin / Perfumed Garden

3. Recorded: 1984-05-05. Broadcast: 16 May 1984. Repeated: Peel April May again 1984, 11 June 1984, Karl's Tape June 1984

  • Dust To Dust ( Return Of The Roughnecks) / One Flesh / Intrigues In Tangiers / P.S. Goodbye

Other Shows Played

(The following list was compiled only from the database of this site and Lorcan's Tracklistings Archive and is certainly incomplete. Please add further details if known.)

1981

1982

  • 16 December 1982: 'In Shreds (7 inch-double A side with Less Than Human)' (Epic) FF #42

1983

1984

1985

1994

2004

External Links

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