The Chameleons

Formed in 1981 in Middleton, just north of Manchester, The Chameleons are a post-punk band that gained attention from legendary Radio 1 DJ John Peel. Their first single "In Shreds" made waves on the music scene and despite encouraging sales, they faced setbacks with their record labels. However, the band persevered and released their debut album "Script of the Bridge", followed by "What Does Anything Mean? Basically". After a tumultuous period, they reunited in the new millennium and released an unplugged album titled 'Strip'.

The Chameleons started their journey when Mark Burgess joined forces with Reg Smithies and Dave Fielding. With no drummer initially, they caught the attention of John Peel who played a pivotal role in their early success. Despite signing with CBS for their first single "In Shreds", disagreements over their sound led to them parting ways after just one release. They then signed with Statik but were overlooked by the music press due to distribution limitations through Virgin.

The band's debut album "Script of the Bridge" was recorded during a six-week period in Rochdale. However, MCA released a reduced version of the album in the US without consulting or informing The Chameleons, causing frustration within the band. Despite facing contractual obligations with Statik, they eventually signed with Geffen after releasing their second album "What Does Anything Mean? Basically". Unfortunately, tragedy struck when their manager