The Chameleons - Peel Session 1981

The complete session recorded by The Chameleons on 8 June 1981 for the John Peel show on BBC Radio 1 and broadcast on the 17th of that month.
Tracklist:
1. The Fan and The Bellows (0:07)
2. Here Today (3:28)
3. Looking Inwardly (7:09)
4. Things I Wish I'd Said (11:32)

[@-sunstar9778]

No one could ever compare to the Chameleons.

[@andymcquade]

53 years old and still able to heave my creaky knees around the front room and bounce like a loon. What a track.

[@brhelodrvr]

56-yo here. Same for me. I just downloaded the whole thing from iTunes. Can't wait for live shows to start again and see them come through Seattle at some point (as ChameleonsVox of course).

[@nikblanshard8709]

Bet everyone can remember where they were in this era.Saw them at Middleton Civic,awesome would be an understatement! God bless John Lever sadly missed..

[@andymcquade]

@@nikblanshard8709 Lucky man. Never saw them on proper home turf, but lucky enough to catch a few other Manc shows. No words really.... RIP John, a true legend.

[@AlanUniacke-kt1jh]

Borstal Boy I,m 64 and my head keeps hitting the CEILING..

[@StevenAddison-akasteaddy]

We are all Chameleons ❤

[@theg9566]

The most underrated band of all time. My absolute favorite after Joy Division.

[@vv247]

Agree for sure... Joy Division are also my favourite ...being 16 in 1980 ! So lucky ,the music was fantastic.

[@ivorbiggun710]

This was at the height of my interest in popular music and I listened to John Peel almost every night and yet the Chameleons completely passed me by for some reason. Now I have 'discovered' them I think they have to be one of the most underrated bands ever. I can't help thinking that they were a big influence on Kasabian (although much better).

[@nittosantapaola.8350]

I find the Cameleons not special, yes there are a good post punk group but Joy Division.. have lightyears distances to all other, apsolut the best

[@shane7092]

I've been infatuated immediately by the chameleons when I found out about them. This channel didn't introduce me the the chameleons but I found "the sound" recently due to vibracobra23. Been listening to bands like soft kill, the chameleons and the sound lately. Such good music.

[@fatheremmet2003]

My favourite then Joy Division.

[@Muesli711]

I read somewhere that when John Peel first got and listened to a demo from the Chameleons, he assumed it was a practical joke from a signed, established band - he couldn't believe they were an unsigned band.

[@AlanUniacke-kt1jh]

Poor Boy's never had Computer's then WWW.What.

[@rob4146]

First heard The Chameleons in some girls bedroom, sometime in the '80s - thanks Mandy.

[@Pilcha.]

This has to be the best john peel session ever!

[@csopr]

Forgotten heroes. Middleton’s finest. 👊🏻

[@fhs8807]

please dont make any fucking hereos any more , make friends , ty . x

[@thesound-chameleonman3580]

not forgotten....

[@fatheremmet2003]

Still sounds wonderful. Imagine hearing it in 1981. No wonder Peel fell in love with them straight away.

[@ericjensen9091]

The Cure, the Smiths, Joy Division/New Order rightfully deserved the attention received in the eighties, however so did these guys. Also the Sound.

[@MCNOISE666]

Agreed. And the Bunnymen.

[@yefartz108]

Comsat Angels too!

[@hawkdsl]

The 80's is the greatest decade ever. How much proof do we need? Dam.

[@barryworswick4639]

Absolutely brilliant raw music, never to be bettered! Chameleons at their best! Awesome! Can’t say anymore really 😊

[@haydenwittig8877]

Those guitar sounds on Here Today are that Haunting style that takes you to that special place.

[@cathsalazar9930]

Sure damn well does man!!!!!!!❤️👍

[@theointhebeanie7008]

Vibe is stronger on this version than the studio one imo

[@thesound-chameleonman3580]

he sounds like bowie on here today parts lol I wonder why.. nowhere near as good as original.

[@vv247]

The Fan and the Bellows is an awesome song...The Chameleons are an awesome band

[@thesound-chameleonman3580]

I have it signed by...

[@shaunbryant947]

This whole peel session is so good 🤘

[@renegadesoundsurfer1496]

Looking Inwardly sounds so victorious that it comes over as Looking Outwardly!

[@Monkeytown_UK]

Love The Chameleons. Got to know them all from working in The Dusty Miller in Middleton. I went there as Assistant Manager around 1993. Can you imagine my face when I saw them all stood at the bar 😮 Great set of lads. Still watch them every December in Manchester

[@fredriklundin290]

I have listened to them since 1983 or 1984. I never get tired on their special sound - just love it 🙂🙃🙂

[@thefloyd3295]

The best twin guitar interplay along with Wishbone Ash...true genius! Saw them in Long Beach around 1985 I guess...never again...they hate each other...too bad....

[@davidcopson5800]

The Fan and the Bellows has blown me away.

[@preving]

great song!

[@thesound-chameleonman3580]

Nathan's phase..

[@thesound-chameleonman3580]

Mark signed my copy

[@35sixer]

Music much much better then... miss bands like this..

[@cathsalazar9930]

Me too music was so much better then never will be this great ever again!!!! 👍❤️😻

[@petetaylor9370]

Why these weren’t massive will always be a mystery to me. Way ahead of their time and better than many who made it bigger at the time

[@garypearn5886]

Much like The Sound (Jeopardy a masterpiece), Modern Eon etc... but yeah, awesome stuff... So many variables, marketability, appetite/connxn's of their record label, band unity & luck.

[@cathsalazar9930]

Absolutely right agreed 100% bro!!!! ❤️👍😻

[@vv247]

The label F'd them.

[@thesound-chameleonman3580]

@@garypearn5886 Dudley didn't like it lol

[@thesound-chameleonman3580]

@@garypearn5886 from the lion's mouth is a masterpiece.

[@lucab9783]

They 're awesome

[@cathsalazar9930]

Love this awesome great band!!! Thanks for sharing!!! One of best ever!! Killer indeed!!....... ......👍❤️😻

[@dbsound882]

Brings Back memories..Rock on..

[@cathsalazar9930]

Definitely does dude!!!! ❤️👍😻

[@gregoryswift9573]

Why have I not heard of them before. What a fat sound. Melodic as well

[@softlightsymphonyband]

Gregory Swift They are largely unknown by many. Their loss. One of the greatest bands ever.

[@clintdavies491]

Softlightsymphony [test vid] The best band ever

[@thesound-chameleonman3580]

Interpol STOLE their musical identity.. Killers Editors and Bloc Party too! chameleons got there first!!

[@ericjensen9091]

I was a teen in the early eighties. I wasn't aware of them. My loss.

[@karencopsey2625]

Same here... Only recently discovered them on Spotify...Been listening to The Cure & every other band for the last 30 odd years... May be its because I'm a Southerner...

[@martynjones8560]

Wow, better than than the records! I'd not heard the first and last song before. The opening track is phenomenal. Thank you for posting the works of an amazing band.

[@preving]

agreed Martyn Jones. First track is amazing!

[@Albrecht777]

I can't agree that the version of "The Fan and the Bellows" here is better than the record. The bass and drums are underdeveloped in comparison, although the ending is nice.

[@sublime12201]

They never fail to put me in a mood to listen to the cure

[@pressureworks]

The "people" who've selected the downward facing thumb icon, are forever condemned to traveling up the downwards escalators.

[@MarvinSumpter]

They're forever condemned to be Ed Sheeran's marketing people

[@markbradley6602]

'You couldn't have phrased it better; well said 👏; marko!'

[@formdissolve]

ugh, the best

[@pabloimireia]

The Chameleons & The Sound..

[@andywarstar]

Yes!

[@guillermoortega4119]

AWESOME

[@therealparanormale]

A great performance indeed.

[@ivorbiggun710]

So Kasabian, Bloc Party and Hard-Fi have been doing similar stuff to the Chameleons only 20-odd years later.

[@joachimpeiper8076]

Fuckin fantastic.......

[@Antipole]

Classic!

[@lisak1895]

Gah! Thanks for posting!!

[@cicerorogerio734]

Grande voz de mark

[@MrHoefnix]

This is great actually.

[@charliecroker6445]

Welsh girlfriend got me into these guys 85 whilst at St Athens.

[@JL-rt9mi]

God I wish I had seen the lads live. They rock so hard!

[@michaelsnow7252]

dident even know they were recording in '81

[@paxmaya8189]

Súper bandota!!

[@richardrandomk]

woah, Here Today is so tight and hard! makes the album version sound soft! (but perfect nonetheless)

[@poemeetsludwig2410]

😎

[@mikaelsjoberg1894]

Amazing drummer - this must be their first one, Brian Schofield?

[@w4ldron]

I just started a new job where Brian works top bloke

[@mikaelsjoberg1894]

@@w4ldron WOW! You do?? Please ask him if he in deed was the drummer on that first Chameleons Peel Session from 1981. If so - please tell him that one of the main reasons to listen to that session is the fenomenal drumming he did on that. I love it.

[@w4ldron]

@@mikaelsjoberg1894 yeah it's Brian, he drums on his desk at work haha

[@mikaelsjoberg1894]

@@w4ldron Wow to that!!...:) Give him my regards and tell him he sure did an outstanding job , if you would be so kind. I love this kind of drumming style. And thanks to you for letting me know this. 👍

[@miguelvichplanisi9407]

Krakssss +++++ kracsssss

[@1599maybole]

Huge in Manchester but nowhere else.

[@whk759]

Faux, je suis en France et connais les Chameleons depuis 1983... 😁

[@thesound-chameleonman3580]

(sarcasm intended!) 😉😂

[@mateuszminsky5619]

Sounds like The Jam on quaaludes.

[@thesound-chameleonman3580]

the melody? disagree.

[@thesound-chameleonman3580]

Interpol ripoffs

[@p51mustang18]

The Chameleons formed in 1981. A full 16 years prior to Interpol.

[@garypearn5886]

As the title is Peel Session 1981 let's hope you are merely being naughty... Either way, listen to Script of the Bridge, fantastic album.

[@thesound-chameleonman3580]

i think i must have been taking the.. lol i know should be other way around haha.. oh only mark burgess of the chameleons messaged me the other day!! going to sign my albums for free!

[@tbwatch88]

you're funny fun

[@thesound-chameleonman3580]

I obviously was being comical.. oh yes he signed my album.. postcard off him too.. on Facebook