Who are the Chameleons?
The Chameleons are: Mark “Birdy” Burgess – Vocals, Bass Reg Smithies – Electric & Acoustic Guitar Dave Fielding – Electric & Acoustic Guitar, and John Lever – Drums Dave does some keyboards (and didgeridoo!), as did Alastair Lewthwaite and then Andy Clegg. Brian Schofield was their original drummer. Martin Jackson replaced Lever when he took a year off in 82-83. They were managed by Tony Skinkiss until May 1985, and thereafter by Tony Fletcher until his death in 1987. [please see question #8] The band formed in 1981 in Middleton, six miles north of Manchester. Before this, Mark had been in the Clichs while Reg and Dave were in Years. (Dave was in a school band called Sen.) Years released a 7″, “Come Dancing”; b/w “Red Chevy”, “Don’t Leave” on their own Tuff Going Records label. The three started without a drummer and got the attention of John Peel. Their first single, “In Shreds” on CBS, made number 42 on John Peel’s Festive Fifty in 1982.
The Chameleons are: Mark “Birdy” Burgess – Vocals, Bass Reg Smithies – Electric & Acoustic Guitar Dave Fielding – Electric & Acoustic Guitar, and John Lever – Drums Dave does some keyboards (and didgeridoo!), as did Alastair Lewthwaite and then Andy Clegg. Brian Schofield was their original drummer. Martin Jackson replaced Lever when he took a year off in 82-83. They were managed by Tony Skinkiss until May 1985, and thereafter by Tony Fletcher until his death in 1987. [please see question #8] The band formed in 1981 in Middleton, six miles north of Manchester. Before this, Mark had been in the Clichs while Reg and Dave were in Years. (Dave was in a school band called Sen.) Years released a 7″, “Come Dancing”; b/w “Red Chevy”, “Don’t Leave” on their own Tuff Going Records label. The three started without a drummer and got the attention of John Peel. Their first single, “In Shreds” on CBS, made number 42 on John Peel’s Festive Fifty in 1982. They originally signed with CBS, but they disa
