The Chameleons - Swamp Thing

[Maskedhaven]

My reason for preferring this version to the acoustic is this version doesn't lose the intensity that this one sticks with to the very end.  Listen to the acoustic and you can hear what I'm talking about.

[Maskedhaven]

It really is one of the better if not the best songs by The Chameleons. This particular version of the song is also my favorite, not as powerful as the acoustic.

[emmanuelakritikaki71]

amazing song!

trying to find the tab for this.... I can only find one version which is not gd...

anyone have it?

[guband]

f*ck me, the best song ever written, found it here on UTUBE...i am tingling all over....WOWZA!!!! takes me back to the alternative 80s....

[bonniej78]

my dad was a huge chameleons fan

lucky me!

[vieveatron]

the dj on KALX just played this. i totally had forgotten my mad mad obsession with this song back when i rediscovered college radio at the tender age of 13. i'd learn about new music by always having a blank tape at the ready in the boom box when i turned the radio on. for the longest time, i had a taped copy of this but never heard the dj back announce the song. wow- the way i(we) discover and collect music sure has changed since then.

[ajittffcure]

Sure, it has changed.

[SanatyAssassin]

one of my favs!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[avacea]

Awesome song

[bonniej78]

one of the best bands along w/ joy division, souxie and the smiths

very powerful song, makes me so happy

[larremann]

one of my old favorites, learned to love it when I was an exchange student in ste-therese quebec in 87-88. Thanks to Eric Gagnon.

[Purplemood2]

I'm hooked, thanks

[NewPaltzIndie]

I remember reading this article written by a "music critic" saying The Chameleons were as original as a bottle of Coke and calling them cliche'. what a twat

[mahans30]

From what I understand there was a lot of lawyering that went on after the break up that made the albums difficult to come by. A bunch of poor-quality live recordings didn't help the cause (tripping dogs et al). I had all the studio albums but my friends couldn't get them to save their life.

[NCJ66]

la millor epoca que he viscut mai. finals dels 80.un saludo a tot bcn i voltans

[jensen1901]

interesting. It seems there are a number of Chameleons fans in the L.A. area I'm certainly one! "Scipt of the Bridge" is just fantastic and I turn on as many people as I can. It's on of my most prized albums.

[Konner]

Burgess wasn't an awesome singer, but what made him great was his timing and great vocal hooks

[ricspeed1971]

mark burgess rules

[Mitchw22]

About the only song that still uplifts me ! Fantastic lyrics even now !

[TheCephalicCarnage]

This IS the most underrated band ever, I think the main reason was (like "Coil") that their records, CDs, were VERY hard to find (even in LA), their songs stood the test of time and are as solid as the best Alt or indie songs today.

Bring some justice to the music world, introduce Chameleons UK to a friend.

[redshaftedflicker]

Amen brother. One of the very best bands EVER.

[Boudosaved]

I was looking up a song from the film Real Genius, a song by The Comsat Angels. I got into them and then learned on wikipedia that they were influenced by The Chameleons. I bought the first two albums of The Chameleons in July of this year (25 years after the 1st album was made) and I have been playing them every day in my car. I don't know why I never heard of them in Los Angeles but they are timeless. Wish they'd get back together and play in LA.

[EdwardTheFat]

Two things: they are the chameleons not the chameleons UK and second I think it's better that The Chameleons are unknown the most commercial music isnot neccesairly the best

[theonlytruepunk]

The Chameleons UK are one of the greatest non commercial bands.

[zottffssent]

One of the few bands that can transform their feelings into the moment that I am listening to them. This was the music that I relied upon during architecture school during the all nighters. Beautiful,sad and breaks my heart still twenty years later.

[LadySleek83]

I love the long instrumental intro!

Its hard to listen to without trying not to tap your feet!

[jay1970]

I was thining and doing same thing.

[ajittffcure]

Yes, you are right.

[zweiosterei]

Hehe, so true.

[ErebusRed]

classic!

[Littlechinaquail]

This is great!

[Loppylugs1]

I used to hear this track in a club and I didn't know who it was, but I was knocked over by it - totally awesome track. I saw The Sun and The Moon live.

[sinister138]

I think it's one of the most moving songs that I can remember.

[Bigbahe2]

yep

[allth3s4me]

Goth? who said it's fucking goth? it's one of the most amazing post-punk songs ever written, a psalm of post-punk. "The Chameleons' unique sound is quite often compared to U2's The Edge" wtf? wikipedia doesn't say that AND it's not true, The Chams were from the same wave of bands as U2- post-punk- it's just that u2 could write more pop oriented stuff and subsequently got famous while these didn't. Remove that bullshit

[LeftHandOfDarkness]

Hey buddy, Wikipedia is constantly revised and when I cut-and-pasted their write-up, that's what it DID say. I didn't feel like writing up my own thing, so I just cut-and-paste.

[allth3s4me]

alright, alright, i know it ain't your fault but still....

[Krashdavus]

I'd put this in my list of top ten songs from the 80's. Outstanding tune! The intro is amazing.

[tebb1t]

When they came out they were a goth band, one of the early ones, its just that they and we who liked them at the time moved on.

[ajittffcure]

I just discovered their music through this audio track. Awesome song. The melodies are infectious here. Thank-you very much for posting this track.

[kidtwist]

Good song, but I'll never understand why it's a goth hit. They're hardly goth...

[ATXrollerblader]

Yeah, I don't quite get it either...

Awesome song though. English music is the best.

[etsed]

They're not goth themselves, but I think their style applies strongly to goth sensibilities... dark, brooding, infection, dealing with particular themes such as isolation, alienation, and nostalgia...

Just a guess though ;p

[ajittffcure]

Yes, well remarked. I think you are not wrong because you made a clear distinction between Goths and Goth sensibilities. It is a valid point. In fact, I agree.

[allth3s4me]

it's called post-punk.

[DeadFishDirector]

i discovered them searching up "Dream-pop"

this is the first ive heard of this band, i think they are so ahead of their time, this is immense...

[EarlGreyIII]

immense is a good word. take over your life is another. Seriously, burn a CD, give it to a friend, tell them later about the boys from Middleton.

[GriefTourist]

Check out my Chameleons clips.

[toph41]

in shreds was by the sun & the moon,the band formed after the chameleons.

[bigbadbruins8]

'In Shreds' was the first Chameleons single, released in 1981

[SMdiabla]

One of the best bands of the '80s. This album is excellent & I always come back to it. Thank you to DJG for introducing me to the Chameleons! To new fans: check out "In Shreds" if you aren't familiar w/ the band; it's considered their signature song. I also love "Soul in Isolation". Thanks for posting!

[NegativeBlues]

Bliss.

[ivyblue1664]

A truly complete album, something of a lost art. Is it possible to be an old fart and a UK Chameleons fan at the same time?

[crown47s]

one of the best bands to come out of Manchester and slip the net.they would have been huge.so many others did well on the back of these guys.

[notsurbutsur]

Such a great track. Thanks for posting!

[aquaskye]

perfect...this song has been like a beautiful memory for a long time.

[luckyinlondon]

Oh man,when this came out i used to work in virgin records in peterborough,i used to cane this track in the store.Also people always say that johnny marr was the best guitarist to come out of a manchester band,but i say that the chameleons guitar lines and amazing use of delay pedals puts them right up there.

[LeftHandOfDarkness]

Yeah, and I'm completely baffled that - in North America at least - this album went nowhere. Even to this day, a band like Joy Division has now become pretty mainstream, even biopic movies made about them, yet this album continues to languish in relative obscurity. I like Joy Division, but this album is simply more perfect. Like Joy Division, early U2, and The Smiths all fused into one.

[etsed]

I agree man. It's baffling how obscure they were for how absolutely great they were. Especially with so many terrible bands from this era still riding fame as one-hit-wonders off of songs that aren't much better than awful.

[LeftHandOfDarkness]

It is baffling. But though obscure with the general public, they've had a major influence on other bands.

[Boudosaved]

I am an LA native, 35 years old and I only recently discovered The Chameleons. I raced to Amoeba Records and bought the first two albums. I have been listening to them every day for the last month. They blow my mind. Is the third album just as good?

[eddyfoto60]

listened to this track in the late 80's in a one room tenement over and over..in denver..your getting there, their is a lot of music from this time that needs to be listen too..joy division etc. etc....

[Boudosaved]

love joy division, comsat angels, smiths

[LeftHandOfDarkness]

I'm kinda amazed Joy Division & of course The Smiths are so well known, but The Chameleons remain little known even to the public that enjoys Joy Division, for instance. As good as they are, this band is just as good. I can't figure out why this album flopped. Every single song on it is good, incl. the bonus tracks.

[Boudosaved]

Really? The first 2 albums are great. I'll have to buy this one too.

[LeftHandOfDarkness]

Boudosaved if you dont have this album yet, MAKE SURE you get the version with the bonus tracks included! The re-release has 6 bonus tracks, 4 originals + 2 covers, & you don't want to miss 'em.

[Boudosaved]

thanks for the tip

[ftwelve12]

The Chameleons are better than Joy Division

[thecosmosisfake]

SAY WHAAAAT

[Spanglemaker42]

Me too, in Detroit no less. A crappy town, but what a great scene in the day

[hyperpoop5000]

did virgin records even exist in 86? We didnt get em here in manchester till the mid 90's...it was still all independent record stores back then ... probably why so many good manc bands came around in that era...still dance to this every friday in Jilly's :D...

[brucefetter]

what an unique sound. I may be wrong, but was this used on miami vice once? Also, their album art, done by one of the members, is really cool. In some of the albums you would also get a fold out poster. I have them hangin up where I am typing this. Thanks!

[flintania]

One of the bands that had an incredible impact upon my existence...

Coolest riffs, cannot forget the lyrics..."not enough sunshine, too much rain"

[jbriandavies]

This was played in every goth club in the 90's

Which is funny cause' they look so average.

[Cameleonsfan]

Absolutly the best brit. band ever.THX

[etsed]

Fuckin eh.

I love your name by the way. Haha

[skiprooney]

Sweet.

Think I have cd packed in some box.

Now I should dig it out and rip it.

[mollydolan]

great song great days never to be forgotten

[XV24]

no change for the meter...

reminds me of leeds poly bop, dancing on sticky beer floor!!

[markogelido]

I really love this song

[lizilizi1]

PS: Wow, weren't the '80s the time of the ENDLESS instrumental intro?

[lizilizi1]

Loved this song way back when--thanks for posting!

[TheBeerInMe]

I had this album...yeah album..lol...I love this song!

[flintania]

My sense of this is that there is, well, not a lot of sunshine, too much pain. Still, we must be optimistic as there is a lot left for us... Come on, we have a fantastic existence!

This is a must for all my girlfriends.

[captainzod]

selling love, by the litre

[captainzod]

wow, found it. cheers