Manchester has its greats: Joy Division, Stone Roses, The Smiths, Oasis… the list goes on. Just because the city had already birthed Herman’s Hermits, The Bee Gees and the Hollies in the 60s, it didn’t mean it was going to stop there; the decades to come showed a strong output of music creation; everyone and their mothers started a band.
Everyone knows the story—the Sex Pistols came to town, the Buzzcocks were already buzzing about, the city explodes with many bands, record labels, hip clubs, all the cool drugs and with the attention of the media, Manchester becomes the epicenter for the British music scene.
The sounds coming out of Manchester were diverse and exciting; the early sounds of punk transform into post-punk, the jangly guitar bands and the whole Madchester scene take over the city in the 80s, and acid-house is king.
Just under the radar were bands like The High (with former member of the Stone Roses, Andy Couzens) Northside (on Factiory Records) and The Waltones (with future members of The Charlatans). All these bands and many more had the right chops and were just as good as the greats, but just never got enough media attention; there was just so many bands. One of the more underground gems to come out of Manchester in the 80s, melodic post-punks The Chameleons, never really took off as high as the music they were making.
Formed in in Middleton, Greater Manchester, The Chameleons (known as Chameleons UK in the US) started making noise as far back as 1981. Compared to the dreaminess of The Cure and complexity of Echo and the Bunnymen, with the standout vocals of Mark Burgess, the band’s first 3 albums are all essential listening.
The first album Script of the Bridge (1983) has the beautiful and haunting song “Up the Down Escalator” with its surging guitar and boosting vocals. On their second album, What Does Anything Mean? Basically (1985) the band has stronger production, still capturing the sonic landscapes of the first, but they are still nowhere near as popular as other Manchester artist like New Order.
The band is on a hot streak and make an impressive third album Strange Times (1986). At this point the band has perfected their sound, and their most inventive output is delivered. The second single “Swamp Thing” is melodic post-punk dreariness soaked in dreamy tones and swaying emotions.
The contrast in the dark tones on the verses and the overwhelming sensation of optimism when the chorus kicks in, balance the song between emotions. The long intro eases you into the groove of the song like a slow drug. The verses start and the mood is cynical. The bridge takes on a different turn and lifts you up slightly, with lyrics “all around you walls are tumbling down, stop staring at the ground.” The chorus kicks in and the guitar lick, you get that overwhelming sensation and get lost in a sad jangle.
The b-side is a unique take on David Bowie’s “John, I’m Only Dancing. “ Not included in the actual LP as did “Swamp Thing,” this song was exclusive to the single. Their take on the Bowie classic is a more straight forward post-punk song that rocks along from beginning to end, unlike the ever beautifully swaying a-side.