Since The Chameleons released their debut album in 1983, many artists have decided to make a tribute to this band from Middleton performing different covers; some of them have been included on their albums, some others are on compilations, and in some cases these covers are only available through their web sites. This section intends to compile all the information regarding these covers: artist or band involved, year of the release of the cover, a short description and the album where you can find the mentioned song.
Jon Auer
Song: Tears
Author: Jon Auer (The Posies)
Comments: Jon Auer, leader of The Posies, includes in his covers EP called 6 1/2 an electric cover of Tears, which The Chameleons recorded for Strange Times. Although it is slightly stronger, there isn´t much change on this cover from the original version.
The song is available for downloading on his official site: http://www.pattern25.com/MP3s/tears.mp3
Robert Hakalski & David P. Wyat
Song: The Fan And The Bellows
Author: Robert Hakalski & David P. Wyat
Comments: Robert Hakalski, professional photographer who has taken some photographs to Dave Fielding (they are available on the Chameleons official site), recorded some time ago a cover of The Fan And The Bellows with David P. Wyat. This is a much more quiet, intimate and delicate version than the original, with the piano as the main instrument. The song is available through their official site Visual Machinery.
The Jealous Type
Song: Love Is
Author: The Jealous Type
Comments: The Jealous Type has recorded a cover of Love Is, increasing its punk feeling. It has been done for a compilation project of skipping discs record company.
Skimos & Egypt
Song: Swamp Thing
Author: Skimos And Egypt
Comments:
Dance cover for the clubs the one this band has performed, although the guitar riff remains almost unchanged. Tech effects and femenine chorus in contrast to the low voice of the singer, very similar to Burgess´s one. This song can be found on their debut album The Rest Is Silence from 1996.
The Pernice Brothers
Song: Up The Down Escalator
Author: The Pernice Brothers
Comments: The Pernice Brothers dare to perform an acoustic cover of Up The Down Escalator. The rythmical section is substituted by an acoustic guitar and a keyboard. The choruses in a duet with melancholic voices give the song a special atmosphere. This song can be found on the CDSingle
7:30 belonging to the album The World Won´t End from 2001.
The Bates
Song: Up The Down Escalator
Author: The Bates
Comments: The Bates on their covers´album Second Skin (in a clear reference to the Chameleons´ classic and to the fact of playing songs from other ones) perform cover which is very close to the original, without adding anything new.
The Convent
Song: Less Than Human (live)
Author: The Convent
Comments: Great live cover of Less Than Human,the one included on their live album For A Fistful of Deustchmarks from 1998, which is almost better than the original, with a more paused rythm and a more acoustic sound.The Melancholy and sadness rule this song. More info on their web site: http://www.theconvent.de/
The Faith And The Muse
Song: Soul In Isolation (live)
Author: The Faith And The Muse.
Comments: Live cover the one performed by this gothic band, which is included in their double album from 2001 named Vera Causa:Night And Morning. More info on their web site http://www.mercyground.com/disc/FMDisc.html
Elliott
Song: The Fan & The Bellows
Author: Elliott
Comments: The alternative rock band Elliott includes on its single called Will You a cover of The Fan and The Bellows. The single is an introduction for the album False Cathedrals, and contains Calvary Song as the main title. More info in: http://www.revelationrecords.com/releases/88.html
Sim Stim
Song: Swamp Thing (instrumental)
Author: Sim Stim
Comments: The techno-electronic duet Sim Stim in their album Jack In - Log On - Nod Off, makes an instrumental cover of Swamp Thing in a very original way. Due to the electronic arrangements, the song is almost unrecognizable. More info in:http://www.egbt.com/simstim/
Zarths
Song: The Fan and The Bellows
Author: Zarths
Comments: The german pop-punk group Zarths, has done a cover of The Fan and The Bellows, with many similarities to the original one. This song has been released in a compilation album called UNITED-Music for Compilations.
Jesus on Extasy
Song: Second Skin
Author: Jesus on Extasy
Comments: This german Gothik Band made a quite personal cover of Second Skin on their album from 2007, called Holy Beauty. Very Gothik-like. Not sure if the die hard Chameleons fans will like this one. Think about HIM singing Second Skin and you´ll have a close idea about what it looks like. More info about Jesus on Extasy here.
The Mirror Reveals
Song: Swamp Thing
Author: The Mirror Reveals
Comments: This NYC band made a cover of Swamp Thing on their EP Cover Your Bets from 2003. This band recognizes to be influenced by The Chameleons (apart from other artists like Killing Joke or even Roxy Music). James Babbo, the guitarrist, has mentioned in an interview that his favourite piece of art is the Artwork from Reg Smithies of What Does Anything Mean? Basically, and that he blew it up to poster size to have it on his wall. You can listen to some tunes of this band on their MySpace Website.
Vendemmian
Song: Don´t Fall
Author: Vendemmian
Comments: Another Gothik band performing a cover of a Chameleons song on their album One Eye Open from 1996. More info about them on their MySpace Website.
Misfortune500
Song: Don´t Fall
Author: Misfortune500
Comments: Another cover of the same song but this time performed by Misfortune500, and which is included on their album from 2007 Before This Winter Ends. The song is very similar to the original one and can be listened to on their MySpace Website.
(thanks for this one, Pedro MC)
