Almost 35 years on, The Chameleons return once again, to one of Manchester’s most iconic venues, playing the original set they played that evening...

The atmospheric post-vocalist/bassist Mark Burgess began with the Cliches, guitarists Reg Smithies and Dave Fielding arrived from the Years, and drummer John Lever (who quickly replaced founding member Brian Schofield) originated with the Politicians. After establishing themselves with a series of high-profile BBC sessions, the Chameleons signed to Epic and debuted with the EP Nostalgia, a tense, moody set produced by Steve Lillywhite which featured the single 'In Shreds.'.... The quartet was soon released from its contract with Epic, but then signed to Statik and returned in 1983 with the band's first full-length effort, Script of the Bridge. What Does Anything Mean? Basically followed in 1985, and with it came a new reliance on stylish production; following its release, the Chameleons signed to Geffen and emerged the following year with Strange Times. The dark, complex record proved to be the Chameleons' finale, however, when they split following the sudden death of manager Tony Fletcher; while Burgess and Lever continued on in the Sun & the Moon, Smithies and Fielding later reunited in the Reegs. In 1993, Burgess surfaced with his proper solo album Zima Junction. He and his band the Sons of God toured America the following year.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: There's no mistaking The Chameleons, and they're in fine fettle here, smashing through a perfectly performed set of classics and sounding every bit the band we remember at Manchester's iconic Ritz.

TRACK LISTING

LP & 7" Tracklist:
Silence Sea & Sky
Pleasure & Pain
Here Today
Intrigue In Tangiers
Singing Rule Britannia
Return Of The Roughnecks
Perfume Garden
Less Than Human
Nostalgia
Second Skin
One Flesh
Home Is Where The Heart Is
PS Goodbye
In Shreds
A Person Isn’t Safe

7”
Looking Inwardly
Don’t Fall

CD Tracklist:
Silence Sea & Sky
Pleasure & Pain
Here Today
Intrigue In Tangiers
Singing Rule Britannia
Return Of The
Roughnecks
Perfume Garden
Less Than Human
Nostalgia
Second Skin
One Flesh
Home Is Where The Heart Is
PS Goodbye
In Shreds
A Person Isn’t Safe
Looking Inwardly
Don’t Fall

To celebrate 40 years since its original release, a special coloured vinyl edition of The Chameleons seminal debut album ‘Script of the Bridge’. This brand-new package contains two heavyweight (180g) vinyl discs (transparent orange and blue) plus digital download code, with printed inner sleeves and new artwork by guitarist Reg Smithies.

Script of the Bridge was restored and re-mastered for vinyl at Abbey Road Studios, London.The restoration project was undertaken by production team Guy Massey and Steve Rooke, who received a Grammy Award for their work on the Beatles Box Set. Guy Massey quotes Script of the Bridge as an influential album on his career.

Forty years after its original release, Script of the Bridge still proves to be that very rarest of records. One, that despite the merciless passage of time, has lost none of its ability to still awe and astonish the devoted, while enchanting the adoration of new listeners all over the world, for many years to come.

TRACK LISTING

Side A
Don't Fall
Here Today
Monkeyland

Side B
Second Skin
Up The Down Escalator
Less Than Human

Side C
Pleasure And Pain
Thursday's Child
As High As You Can Go

Side D
A Person Isn't Safe Anywhere These Days
Paper Tigers
View From A Hill

Recorded in 1984 for a special performance for a satellite TV broadcast, this iconic gig at The Camden Palace features Middleton’s finest on top of their game and includes songs taken from ‘Script of the Bridge’ & ‘What Does Anything Mean? Basically’...

Released on vinyl for the first time, this album also includes 4 bonus tracks from the Arsenal concert, which was recorded for an independent Catalonian local tv channel, in 1985...

The cover art has been exclusively designed by Chams guitarist Red Smithies, who designed all official Chameleons studio releases.

TRACK LISTING

Side 1
1 Don't Fall 4:14
2 Intrigue In Tangiers 3:22
3 Monkeyland 4:29
4 Second Skin 5:40

Side 2
5 Singing Rule Britannia (While The Walls Close In) 3:40
6 Pleasure And Pain 4:04
7 Return Of The Roughnecks 3:28
8 A Person Isn't Safe 4:47

Side 3
9 In Shreds 3:59
10 Splitting In Two 6:28 (ATV Cover Version)
11 Here Today 3:55
12 Thursday's Child 3:16
13 Paper Tiger 4:01

Side 4 - Bonus Tracks From The Arsenal Gig, Recorded For An Independent Catalonian TV Show Called "temps Estranys" (strange Times..!).
14. Return Of The Roughnecks
15. Less Than Human
16 Splitting In Two
17.Here Today

• Live extravaganza from post-punk “sonic cathedrals” (©The Independent), The Chameleons featuring live sets recorded in the ‘80s across two CDs and one DVD

• Featuring two live shows at The Hacienda and Camden Palace that have never been previously released on CD and an earlier set at the Gallery Club

• Plus a DVD featuring all three shows and an episode of Catalan TV programme Arsenal devoted to the band

Formed in Greater Manchester in 1981, The Chameleons pioneered post punk, combining Reg Smithies’ and Dave Fielding’s layered, shimmering guitars, drummer John Lever’s tribal rhythms and Mark Burgess’ driving bass and impassioned vocals with lyrics often reflecting the anxiety and alienation of the Thatcher era.

“All tribal percussion and jagged guitar shards straining to frame vast vistas with one hand while clutching their alienated urban roots with the other.” NME

The Chameleons are an acknowledged influence on future generations of indie and alternative rock bands including Stone Roses, Oasis, The Charlatans, Smashing Pumpkins, The Flaming Lips, The Killers, The Horrors, The National and Interpol.

‘Elevated Living’ includes their two celebrated hometown Manchester shows, ‘Live At The Gallery Club’ (1982) and ‘Live At The Hacienda’ (1983) and their superb show filmed for the ITV, ‘Live At The Camden Palace’ (1984) on both CD and DVD. The latter two shows are presented on CD for the first time.

The DVD also includes an episode of Catalan TV programme Arsenal devoted entirely to the band. Broadcast in January 1986, it mixes four tracks taken from a live show at the Discoteca 666 in Barcelona from 1985 (also on CD) plus studio performances and interviews with singer/bassist Mark Burgess and drummer John Lever.

The Gallery show includes rarities ‘Nathan’s Phase’ and ‘Things I Wished I’d Said’, while The Hacienda includes early versions of ‘A Person Isn’t Safe Anywhere These Days’ under the working title of ‘Men Of Steel’ and ‘Thursday’s Child’ as ‘Years Ago’.

TRACK LISTING

DISC 1:
LIVE AT THE GALLERY CLUB,
MANCHESTER, 18.12.82
1 PAPER TIGERS
2 NATHAN’S PHASE
3 DON’T FALL
4 PLEASURE & PAIN
5 HERE TODAY
6 IN SHREDS
7 UP THE DOWN ESCALATOR
8 SECOND SKIN
9 MONKEYLAND
10 AS HIGH AS YOU CAN GO
11 THINGS I WISH I’D SAID
12 VIEW FROM A HILL
LIVE AT THE HACIENDA,
MANCHESTER, 28.1.83
13 PAPER TIGERS
14 PLEASURE & PAIN
15 MEN OF STEEL
16 YEARS AGO
17 IN SHREDS
18 DON’T FALL
19 SECOND SKIN

DISC 2:
LIVE AT THE CAMDEN PALACE,
LONDON 9.11.84
1 DON’T FALL
2 INTRIGUE IN TANGIERS
3 MONKEYLAND
4 SECOND SKIN
5 SINGING RULE BRITANNIA
(WHILE THE WALLS CLOSE IN)
6 PLEASURE & PAIN
7 RETURN OF THE
ROUGHNECKS
8 A PERSON ISN’T SAFE
ANYWHERE THESE DAYS
9 IN SHREDS
10 SPLITTING IN TWO
11 HERE TODAY
12 THURSDAY’S CHILD
13 PAPER TIGERS
ARSENAL: LIVE AT DISCOTECA
666, BARCELONA 7.6.85
14 HERE TODAY
15 RETURN OF THE ROUGHNECKS
16 LESS THAN HUMAN
17 SPLITTING IN TWO

DISC 3:
DVD: LIVE AT THE GALLERY CLUB, MANCHESTER, 18.12.82 TRACKLISTING AS DISC ONE
LIVE AT THE HACIENDA, MANCHESTER, 28.1.83 TRACKLISTING AS DISC ONE
LIVE AT THE CAMDEN PALACE, LONDON, 9.11.84 TRACKLISTING AS DISC TWO

ARSENAL: (SPANISH TV) 1985
1 DON’T FALL
2 SINGING RULE BRITANNIA
(WHILE THE WALLS CLOSE IN)
3 HERE TODAY
4 RETURN OF THE ROUGHNECKS
5 MONKEYLAND
6 LESS THAN HUMAN
7 PLEASURE & PAIN
8 SECOND SKIN
9 HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS
10 IN SHREDS
11 SPLITTING IN TWO
NTSC DVD Visual Content.
FSK - 0