HE'S one to talk.
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 18 June 2004 04:03 (nineteen years ago) link
Another band that occurs to me to fall in the category of "doomed outsiders of fashion": Adorable. Do you like them Ned? Oh, I know, I know...do a search. Frankly, I can't be bothered at the moment, don't mind me, I've obviously had a few drinks and plan on departing here for another website soon, anyway...
― Bimble (bimble), Friday, 18 June 2004 04:29 (nineteen years ago) link
― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Friday, 18 June 2004 05:07 (nineteen years ago) link
― stockholm cindy (Jody Beth Rosen), Friday, 18 June 2004 05:14 (nineteen years ago) link
― Bimble (bimble), Friday, 18 June 2004 06:22 (nineteen years ago) link
― Bimble (bimble), Friday, 18 June 2004 06:24 (nineteen years ago) link
― college rocker, Friday, 18 June 2004 17:22 (nineteen years ago) link
Incidentially I went to a huge goth night in leeds a couple of years ago where they played Swamp Thing and it rammed the dancefloor!
― flowersdie (flowersdie), Friday, 18 June 2004 17:28 (nineteen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 18 June 2004 17:55 (nineteen years ago) link
I also remember an art project I had in high school where I had to redesign an album cover - I chose Scrpit of the Bridge. I used the Union Jack and thought it was pretty cool, but it certainly wasn't.
― metfigga (metfigga), Friday, 18 June 2004 18:10 (nineteen years ago) link
― JC (JC A.), Friday, 18 June 2004 19:40 (nineteen years ago) link
― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Sunday, 13 February 2005 21:00 (nineteen years ago) link
― Bimble... (Bimble...), Sunday, 13 February 2005 21:12 (nineteen years ago) link
― poortheatre (poortheatre), Sunday, 13 February 2005 21:27 (nineteen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 13 February 2005 21:41 (nineteen years ago) link
― poortheatre (poortheatre), Sunday, 13 February 2005 21:52 (nineteen years ago) link
"If this is the stuff dreams are made ofNo wonder I feel like I'm floating on air..."
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 20 March 2006 20:03 (eighteen years ago) link
Classic, classic, classic.
The guitar riff on the track you quoted is amazing and timeless (and just as influential today as any JD riff).
(Saw them a few years ago at Kintting Factory- they still sound great!)
― Giles Manius (jsoulja), Monday, 20 March 2006 20:33 (eighteen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 20 March 2006 21:02 (eighteen years ago) link
― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Monday, 20 March 2006 21:39 (eighteen years ago) link
Talking of which, a very many aeons ago, a wee Ned Raggett wrote:
I have every last dug-out-of-the-archive recording, just about all the various solo and side projects, and await the new album with bated breath
Ned, as well as the first three albums, I think I only have the mighty Peel Sessions record, the Fan and the Bellows and the Gallery Club show (so great to see the live footage on that). What stuff out of the rest of the archival/live material would you say was worth hunting down?
― NickB (NickB), Tuesday, 21 March 2006 09:48 (eighteen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 21 March 2006 16:53 (eighteen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 21 March 2006 16:55 (eighteen years ago) link
― Yoo Doo Nut (donut), Tuesday, 21 March 2006 17:05 (eighteen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 21 March 2006 17:07 (eighteen years ago) link
― Yoo Doo Nut (donut), Tuesday, 21 March 2006 18:01 (eighteen years ago) link
http://www.townsend-records.co.uk/i/covers/10000154.jpg
― NickB (NickB), Wednesday, 22 March 2006 09:24 (eighteen years ago) link
― NickB (NickB), Wednesday, 22 March 2006 09:31 (eighteen years ago) link
Yeah, that must be it. I had blanked on the fact that the baby-head reappeared on the cover! I've yet to get any of the DVDs.
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 23 March 2006 16:06 (eighteen years ago) link
about once a year i dig this out again and fall head over heels in love with it again as much as i did the first time. it never fails to send shivers up and down my spine.
― stirmonster (stirmonster), Thursday, 23 March 2006 16:13 (eighteen years ago) link
― Yoo Doo Nut (donut), Thursday, 23 March 2006 18:00 (eighteen years ago) link
Related to that, the second DVD features stuff from their final show ever in Long Beach, one of their semi-acoustic sets they did at various points on that tour, and quite lovely it was to hear, as I was there - - so I wouldn't be surprised if I'm in the footage somewhere! But I've also realized that means I was actually lucky enough to attend the final shows of my two favorite bands of all time, the Chams and MBV, even though both weren't planned as such at the time.
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 2 August 2006 15:32 (seventeen years ago) link
― Stephen Bush (Stephen B.), Wednesday, 2 August 2006 23:59 (seventeen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 3 August 2006 00:07 (seventeen years ago) link
From Mark's management:
http://www.simonlawlor.co.uk/mark.html
Mark is also near to completing his book, which should now be available this Autumn.
A few copies of the limited edition Alive ’05 CD, together with the 2-disc Magic Boomerang, are available from the shop section of this site.
Dave Fielding’s new band, Coconut DF, are planning various shows in UK and Europe during 2006. Dave and Reg are also negotiating the re-release of The Reegs back catalogue. And John Lever is busy promoting his regular Club Chameleon nights in the north west of England www.myspace.com/clubchameleon
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 3 August 2006 00:09 (seventeen years ago) link
― Stephen Bush (Stephen B.), Thursday, 3 August 2006 01:51 (seventeen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 3 August 2006 01:57 (seventeen years ago) link
But the main reason I clicked on this thread was to say that "Soul in Isolation" is really fucking entertaining if you imagine Birdy is singing "I'm a lime in here, I'm a liiiiiime, turn on the light."
― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Saturday, 12 August 2006 23:06 (seventeen years ago) link
*is beaten*
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 12 August 2006 23:18 (seventeen years ago) link
― kephm (kephm), Saturday, 12 August 2006 23:40 (seventeen years ago) link
― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Sunday, 13 August 2006 00:50 (seventeen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 13 August 2006 04:08 (seventeen years ago) link
― Kiss My Grits! (Bimble...), Sunday, 13 August 2006 14:00 (seventeen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 13 August 2006 14:05 (seventeen years ago) link
"I hear my name above everything else/Mark, Mark above everything else"
"How did we come to be...in the mess...ahhhh..FUCKING MESS!!!"
It must be my first year of high school again for The Chameleons are playing at loud volume in my house.
BUT THIS ROARING SILENCE WILL DEVOUR US ALL???
― Lick The Strobelight Lollipops (Bimble...), Sunday, 28 January 2007 20:30 (seventeen years ago) link
― Lick The Strobelight Lollipops (Bimble...), Sunday, 28 January 2007 20:31 (seventeen years ago) link
Alone in a room I've been in once beforeShapes in the hallI'm running for the doorI'm out on the edgeBut I'm not defeated yetI hear my name above everything elseMark! Mark!Above everything elseDon't fall!
It's a freak outNothing's familiarNothing seems to fit into the scheme of thingsSeeing faces where there shouldn't be facesNo-one's ever certain what tomorrow bringsSo don't fall my friendAll nightmares have an end.
Hiding insideA room that's running redThe place to beExists only in your headAnd the focus of fearIn the creases of a dressA female dressHow did I come to be drowning in this messThis fuckin' messDon't fall
It's a freak outNothing's familiarNothing seems to fit into the scheme of thingsSeeing faces where there shouldn't be facesNo-one's ever certain what tomorrow bringsDon't fall
I know your back's against the wallBut this roaring silenceWon't devour us allDon't fallAlternative Lyrics from Marks songbook (Dearest dead days):
Don't fall! Don't fall!
Alone in a room I've been in once beforeShapes in the hallI'm running for the doorI'm out on the edgeBut I'm not defeated yetI hear my name above everything else
Mark! Mark!Above everything elseDon't fall!
It's a freak-outNothing's familiarNothing seems to fit into the scheme of thingsSeeing faces where there shouldn't be facesNo-one's ever certain what tomorrow brings
So don't fall my friendAll nightmares have an endHiding insideA room that's running redThe place to beExists only in your headAnd the focus of fearIn the creases of a dressA female dressHow did I come to be drowning in this messThis fucking messDon't fall
It's a freak-outNothing's familiarNothing seems to fit into the scheme of thingsSeeing faces where there shouldn't be facesNo-one's ever certain what tomorrow bringsDon't fall
I know your back's against the wallBut this roaring silenceWon't devour us allDon't fall
― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Sunday, 28 January 2007 20:52 (seventeen years ago) link
where's tha luv for "thursday's child"?
― joseph (joseph), Sunday, 28 January 2007 21:41 (seventeen years ago) link
― Guymauve (Guymauve), Sunday, 28 January 2007 22:24 (seventeen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 28 January 2007 22:53 (seventeen years ago) link
hmm, dave not involved with the chams. those dudes have been through it. has anyone heard any of his stuff post-reunion? last i knew, he was in a band called coconut dogfuck but i never checked it out. he strikes me as a very misunderstood person, just in general.
glad to see mark has reconciled with reg to the point that they can share a stage again. wonder who's going to be on drums - i didn't see any details in the link.
in any case, yes the mish are quite boring.
― things repeat forever and there never is a remedy (Austin), Saturday, 9 October 2021 00:42 (two years ago) link
is there a rundown of the beef between Mark and Dave somewhere?
― aegis philbin (crüt), Saturday, 9 October 2021 00:50 (two years ago) link
well, mark's book was about two-thirds about exactly that, so lol not really.
it stems from mark and dave both having gigantic egos and was really ignited by mark pressing up unreleased chameleons recordings and selling them without asking all of the other members of the group (though he did give them a part of the profits) [citation needed].
i think that sums up the genesis of their beef, but there is a lot more. how they ever got back together for the reunion boggles my mind.
― things repeat forever and there never is a remedy (Austin), Saturday, 9 October 2021 01:25 (two years ago) link
The unreleased stuff, that's what came out on Imaginary Records - "Dali's Picture", "Here Today", those albums, right?
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Saturday, 9 October 2021 04:23 (two years ago) link
not the imaginary stuff; that was after they had somewhat come to an agreement. the initial conflict was over the glass pyramid stuff, i.e. the tony fletcher ep. from what i understand, the band agreed when they went their separate ways in 1988 that those recordings were "not finished" and therefore would not be releasing them.
basically summarizing from mark's book. as one-sided as his story is, it is pretty illuminating as to why those guys have such a strained relationship. considering they split on even worse terms after the initial reunion, i wonder how this new incarnation came to be.
all of this just makes me sad thinking of jon sitting back there pounding away at "soul in isolation." you know he'd be involved in this new tour if he was still alive.
― things repeat forever and there never is a remedy (Austin), Saturday, 9 October 2021 13:34 (two years ago) link
Yeah that's why I can't be bothered with this. Having seen Mark solo throughout the 90s, even with John on drums at points, he was absolutely essential there, but no guitarists could even approach the perfect flow of Reg and Dave together -- when I saw the 2001/2002 shows it all made SENSE, it has to be the quartet or nothing when it comes to Chameleons songs. I did see Mark solo with a backing band later in the 2000s and it was a solid enough show, but when he started doing that ChameleonsVox approach I was out, and now that John's gone, I'm sorry, but the band has definitively ended, no matter what label is being used. I'd think that even if Dave was on board.
― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 9 October 2021 15:55 (two years ago) link
I'd think that even if Dave was on board.― Ned Raggett, Saturday, October 9, 2021 8:55 AM
― Ned Raggett, Saturday, October 9, 2021 8:55 AM
inclined to agree here.
at this point, the innerband conflicts are becoming their most known legacy; and half of the band playing as "THE CHAMELEONS" doesn't seem like the kind of thing one does to extend the olive branch.
though i doubt most folks seeing them on this kind of bill really care. i do genuinely believe that mark feels like he is "giving the fans what they want."
― things repeat forever and there never is a remedy (Austin), Saturday, 9 October 2021 16:57 (two years ago) link
Have seen chameleons vox a couple of times not really sure what to expect, but hearing Mark singing those songs right there in front of ne, it was impossible for me not to get swept away
― primate marmite (NickB), Saturday, 9 October 2021 17:18 (two years ago) link
see that's the thing: he is an outstanding performer. i saw him play one of his post-reunion pre-chamsvox pick up band gigs and it was fucking awesome. he played a bit acoustic before the proper set and he was taking requests for the sun and the moon songs, for fucks sake.
like i said, the guy seems to genuinely love his fans as much as they love him. and he has a gigantic ego, so he loves the attention it brings.
― things repeat forever and there never is a remedy (Austin), Saturday, 9 October 2021 19:37 (two years ago) link
also i didn't mean that ego thing in a demeaning way. don't get me wrong or whatever.
― things repeat forever and there never is a remedy (Austin), Saturday, 9 October 2021 19:46 (two years ago) link
Anyone seen them on the current tour? I'm thinking of going next week. Doubt I'd stay for the Mission but eight or so Chameleons songs still seems worth it.
― soup of magpies (geoffreyess), Sunday, 24 September 2023 18:41 (seven months ago) link
I saw them in June if that counts as 'the current tour'. Very enjoyable! Mark was on excellent form - charming and combative.
― giraffe, Monday, 25 September 2023 06:49 (seven months ago) link
ah thanks, that seals it
― soup of magpies (geoffreyess), Wednesday, 27 September 2023 15:16 (seven months ago) link
Saw 'em a few weeks ago, had a really good time! The Mission were fun too.
― the absence of bikes (f. hazel), Wednesday, 27 September 2023 15:18 (seven months ago) link
Playing the US in August
― from a prominent family of bassoon players (Boring, Maryland), Saturday, 2 March 2024 01:56 (two months ago) link
Sweet. Still kicking myself for missing them last year, was utterly shocked how cheap it was and how small the venue was. Straight up injustice.
― brimstead, Saturday, 2 March 2024 03:58 (two months ago) link
Oh wow, and they're playing Strange Times. I might have to find a way to be in... Kansas City?
― soup of magpies (geoffreyess), Sunday, 3 March 2024 03:04 (one month ago) link
They were so good last fall, just wish the set had been longer, esp. after finding out they'd ended up headlining the night before. Could've listened to Mark riff on popular songs in the middle of "Soul in Isolation" for at least another hour.
― soup of magpies (geoffreyess), Sunday, 3 March 2024 03:05 (one month ago) link