iSound

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.
The band formed in 1981 in Middleton, six miles north of Manchester. Before
this, Mark had been in the Clichés while Reg and Dave were in Years. Dave
was in a school band called Sen. The three started without a drummer and got
the attention of the legendary Radio 1 DJ 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 disagr...