What on earth are you talking about?
40 years ago (Erm, yesterday to be exact,) The Chameleons released their debut album Script of the Bridge.
This is the mighty Second Skin.
In his autumn before his winter comes mans last mad surge of youth.
by 26 Comments
Great stuff Freddy. As you say, mighty. Have you seen the current live incarnation?
I have yes@nick-l
Me and my mates have an annual reunion in Manchester each Christmas. I’m glad Reg seems to be around to stay .
Never saw them in the early days but the first reunion gigs at the Witchwood in Ashton were truly something.
I actually think Strange Times is their masterpiece.
I saw them once with their original lineup and could never really understand why they weren’t bigger. Loads of inferior subsequent Manchester bands acknowledge their influence.
Nearly went to see them in Guildford recently but couldn’t as I wasn’t well but I will try again in the future.
We’re looking at you Pure Essence. And over the Atlantic at Interpol. Even Noel Gallagher admits they were an influence, somehow.
They seem to be doing a lot of gigs at the moment, well worth seeing.
One of the worst album covers of all time won’t have done their cause any good.
Reg’s artwork? It’s an acquired taste I guess!
I always wondered whether that might have been one of the reasons why they didn’t quite break through in the same way as, say, the Bunnymen did. I imagine there were quite a few “full and frank” discussions with their record companies about those album covers.
I hadn’t thought that could possibly have been why they didn’t break through but I guess you might be right. The Cams did have label issues and I suppose Mac the Mouth had more of an image than Burgess or the rest of the band. Reg was definitely anti image.
What might have been.
I must admit, the artwork has out me off in the past. Had they been on Factory and had Peter Saville…
Definitely. It’s a shame that these things matter but how different things would have seemed with a tasteful Saville sleeve. What they ended up with always seemed like a “budget prog” almost Marillionesque you could say, in a supposedly cooler, more minimalist era.
Now you mention it, you might be onto something.
What a fantastic, under-appreciated album. My mate Steve bought it and I illegally taped it. I have bought it in several formats since. to make up for it. Saw them at Band on the Wall shortly after this release. They were amazing.
That must have been ace!
This is great, I am a huge Puressence fan & used to be staggered at how many Chameleons t-shirts were in the audience but have somehow never delved any further. This will be remedies today. Thanks @Freddy
First three albums before their first split are essential.
The debut is raw yet spiky and in places dreamy. Second album (What does anything mean? Basically.,) a bit more keyboards driven but still ace.
Their third , Strange Times is , ahem, a sprawling masterpiece of sturm and drang. Contains the real Manchester anthem, “Swamp Thing.”
Albums two and three are good, but their debut is just astonishing. And one of
The worst album covers of all time.
Poor old Reg!
Have you managed to listen to their back catalogue @seanioio?
Thank you @Freddy. I have listened to a lot & have enjoyed the bulk of it. I do find I have to be in the right mood for them though & on a couple of occasions I have had them on & it’s not taken.
It is very good when the mood is right though, although I am sad to say my partner does not agree so it is headphone only listening! She does prefer them to the Fall though!
Fair enough @seanioio
My partner doesn’t like the Fall OR the Chameleons. Her loss!
Puressence were very clearly in debt to the Chameleons and are another who should have been far bigger. Good band.
A band I should enjoy more, but somehow find hard to love.
Debut single In Shreds was everything I needed.
@fentonsteve
Somehow I confused In Shreds with Fan and the Bellows….I should resign.
In Shreds rocks.
Strangely, one of my least like songs of theirs. Good chiming riff but, like my cooking, lacks depth.
I’d never heard of them at all. They sound very promising. Top marks on my Jangleometer.
Ah yes – Middleton’s finest!
Saw the Chameleons three times back in the day:
– 18 December 1982 at the Gallery, Manchester (this gig was filmed for a concert VHS)
– 3 March 1985 at the Ritz, Manchester
– Sometime in spring 1985 at Salford University (my only visit to this venue)
Had a bit of a chat with Mark Burgess after the gig at the Gallery. He seemed like a nice bloke.
What do I remember from these gigs many decades ago? I remember the crowds going berserk every time. Anyone just walking into the venue, not knowing who the Chameleons were, would’ve thought they were world megastars.
Side One of “Script of the Bridge” is just about perfect.