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 comment, 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 the DJ had no drums. Peel had received the first demo but found the sound muffled and sent a note to the band: 
Dear Mark Dave Reg, Here with 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 
After listening to the second demo, Peel was surprised by the high quality of the recording and invited the band in for a first session, which led quickly to a publishing deal with Virgin. 
When Peel started playing tracks from their first LP in 1983 he opined that it was too lon and thought the title of the album  was a bad sign...
==Festive Fifty Entries==
*1982 Festive Fifty: In Shreds #42
*1983 Festive Fifty: Second Skin #31
==Sessions==
*All three sessions are found available on the John Peel Sessions(Strange Fruit, 1990)
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
*Don't Fall / Nostalgia / Second Skin / Perfumed Garden
3. Recorded: 1984-05-05. Broadcast: 16 May 1984. Repeated: 11 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.)
thumb|330x330px|'In Shreds', #42 in the 1982 Festive Fifty
;1982
* 25 February 1982: Here Today (v/a album - Your Secret's Safe With Us...) Statik STAT LP7
* 28 February 1982 (BFBS): Here Today (v/a album - Your Secret's Safe With Us...) Statik STAT LP7
*23 March 1982: In Shreds (7") Epic EPC A2210
*14 April 1982 (BFBS): In Shreds (7") Epic EPC A2210
*16 December 1982: In Shreds (7") Epic EPC A2210 FF #42
;1983
*30 January 1983 (BFBS): In Shreds (7") Epic EPC A2210
*08 February 1983: As High As You Can Go (7") Statik
*16 February 1983 (BFBS): As High As You Can Go (12") Statik
*10 May 1983: A Person Isn't Safe Anywhere These Days
*19 May 1983: Thursday's Child (12" - A Person Isn't Safe Anywhere These Days) Statik TAK 6/12
*22 May 1983 (BFBS): A Person Isn't Safe Anywhere These Days (12") Statik TAK 6/12
*06 June 1983 (BBC World Service): A Person Isn't Safe Anywhere These Days (12") Statik TAK 6/12
*26 June 1983 (BFBS): A Person Isn't Safe Anywhere These Days (single) Statik
*20 August 1983 (BFBS): Don't Fall (album - Script Of The Bridge) Statik STAT LP 17
*20 August 1983 (BFBS): Up The Down Escalator (album - Script Of The Bridge) Statik STAT LP 17
*Peel August September November 1983: Thursday's Child (LP - Script Of The Bridge) Statik
*27 August 1983 (BFBS): Up The Down Escalator (album - Script Of The Bridge) Statik STAT LP 17
*22 August 1983: Up The Down Escalator (12") Statik
*Karl's Tape 25 - August 1983: Up The Down Escalator (12") Statik
*12 September 1983 (BBC World Service): Don't Fall (album - Script Of The Bridge) Statik STAT LP 17
*29 October 1983 (BFBS): In Shreds (7") Epic EPC A2210
*29 October 1983 (BFBS): Up The Down Escalator (12") Statik TAK 11/12
*Peel Early Dec 1983: Up The Down Escalator (12") Statik TAK 11/12
*Helen And Her Horns: Up The Down Escalator (12") Statik TAK 11/12
*13 December 1983: Up The Down Escalator (12") Statik TAK 11/12
*22 December 1983: 'Second Skin (LP-Script Of The Bridge)' (Statik) FF #31
thumb|330x330px|'Second Skin', #31 in the 1983 Festive Fifty
;1984
*29 February 1984: A Person Isn't Safe Anywhere These Days (album - Script Of The Bridge) Statik
*Peel Late Feb Early Mar 1984: In Shreds (7") Epic A2210
*09 May 1984 (BFBS): Don't Fall (album - Script Of The Bridge) Statik STAT LP 17
*26 May 1984 (BFBS): In Shreds (7") Epic A2210
*19 August 1984 (BFBS): View From A Hill (album - Script Of The Bridge) Statik STAT LP 17
;1985
*05 February 1985: In Shreds (7") Epic EPC A2210
*13 February 1985: Nostalgia
*03 June 1985 (BBC World Service): On The Beach (LP What Does Anything Mean, Basically?) Statik
*Karl's Tape June 1985: Looking Inwardly (album - What Does Anything Mean? Basically) Statik 
*04 June 1985: On The Beach (album - What Does Anything Mean? Basically) Static
*11 June 1985: Looking Inwardly (album - What Does Anything Mean? Basically) Statik
*16 June 1985 (BFBS): Looking Inwardly (album - What Does Anything Mean? Basically) Statik
*06 August 1985: A Person Isn't Safe Anywhere These Days (LP - Script Of The Bridge) Statik
*29 July 1985 (BFBS): Monkeyland (12" - Up The Down Escalator) Statik TAK 11/12
*Peel 015 (BFBS): 'Monkeyland (12"-Up The Down Escalator)' (Statik)
*Peel 017 (BFBS): 'Looking Inwardly (LP-What Does Anything Mean? Basically)' (Statik)
;1988
*03 May 1988: Swamp Thing (LP - Strange Times) Geffen
;1994
*16 July 1994 (BFBS): Thursday's Child (album - Script Of The Bridge) Statik
;2004
*09 September 2004: Swamp Thing (single) Geffen
*16 December 2004: 'In Shreds (7")' (Epic) 
==External Links==
*Wikipedia
*Discogs
*Official Website
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