The Chameleons

Shimmering, atmospheric guitars are the first thing to know about the Chameleons, who grew out of Middleton, Greater Manchester. The group took shape in 1981 around vocalist and bassist Mark Burgess, guitarists Reg Smithies and Dave Fielding, and drummer John Lever. Today they are often counted among the most underrated bands of the Manchester scene in the 1980s. They never matched the commercial success of their contemporaries, yet they built a cult following that has endured.

Their debut album, Script of the Bridge, appeared in 1983 on Statik Records, carried by singles such as "Up the Down Escalator" and "As High as You Can Go". Basically followed in 1985, and Strange Times, released by Geffen Records in 1986, added "Tears" and "Swamp Thing" before the sudden death of manager Tony Fletcher in 1987 led to the group splitting. They reunited in 2000 and issued Why Call It Anything in 2001, but renewed tensions brought another break-up in 2003. John Lever died in 2017, and Burgess and Smithies brought the name back in 2021 with two members of Burgess's ChameleonsVox.