THE CHAMELEONS ‘Tomorrow Remember Yesterday’ EP : new recordings of early songs by influential UK post-punk act out today on Metropolis Records
THE CHAMELEONS
TOMORROW REMEMBER YESTERDAY
EP
out 11.10.24
(Metropolis Records)
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includes
THE FAN AND THE BELLOWS
Bandcamp | audio
THE CHAMELEONS | The Fan and The Bellows audio
Legendary Manchester-formed post-punk act The Chameleons have been riding a crest of rejuvenated momentum following their ‘Where Are You?’ EP in May 2024 (their first release of brand new music in over two decades). The year has also seen them touring on both sides of the Atlantic, playing to some of their biggest audiences ever, while it will end with a set of seven UK and Irish shows in December.
Just ahead of another run of US dates, the band have today released a new EP of refreshed and re-recorded archival songs entitled ‘Tomorrow Remember Yesterday’. It is available digitally on Metropolis Records, with a 12” vinyl edition out via the Berlin based label Aufnahme+Wiedergabe. A limited number of these are also being made available via Metropolis Records on mail order.
“These were amongst the very earliest songs we got together prior to our first John Peel session in 1981, but were discarded at the time due to them feeling unfinished,” states vocalist/bassist Mark Burgess. The idea of releasing the EP had been conceived at the band’s annual gathering in Manchester at Xmas 2023 where they performed two shows at The Ritz. “I had the idea of revisiting some of these very early songs but recording them in a way that reflects who the band is now, rather than who we were in 1981,” he continues. “We are so happy with the results.”
Legendary Manchester-formed post-punk act The Chameleons have been riding a crest of rejuvenated momentum following their ‘Where Are You?’ EP in May 2024 (their first release of brand new music in over two decades). The year has also seen them touring on both sides of the Atlantic, playing to some of their biggest audiences ever, while it will end with a set of seven UK and Irish shows in December.
Just ahead of another run of US dates, the band have today released a new EP of refreshed and re-recorded archival songs entitled ‘Tomorrow Remember Yesterday’. It is available digitally on Metropolis Records, with a 12” vinyl edition out via the Berlin based label Aufnahme+Wiedergabe. A limited number of these are also being made available via Metropolis Records on mail order.
“These were amongst the very earliest songs we got together prior to our first John Peel session in 1981, but were discarded at the time due to them feeling unfinished,” states vocalist/bassist Mark Burgess. The idea of releasing the EP had been conceived at the band’s annual gathering in Manchester at Xmas 2023 where they performed two shows at The Ritz. “I had the idea of revisiting some of these very early songs but recording them in a way that reflects who the band is now, rather than who we were in 1981,” he continues. “We are so happy with the results.”
EP opener ‘The Fan and The Bellows’ is a song that highlights the band’s penchant for creating epic soundscapes with searing guitar textures. “Most of the songs have been released over time in their original form on various retrospectives and suchlike, but were never really intended to be,” Burgess explains. “‘The Fan and The Bellows’ was the original choice of CBS/Epic to be our debut single, but we weren’t happy with that and rejected it in favour of our newest song at the time, ‘In Shreds’.”
Another song, ‘Nostalgia’, the chorus of which provides the origin of the EP title, was also resurrected. Recorded during the same sessions as ‘The Fan and The Bellows’ with producer Steve Lillywhite (whose CV at that point already included the likes of Ultravox!, Siouxsie & The Banshees, Penetration, Psychedelic Furs and U2), both songs originally appeared on a retrospective release via Statik Records.
The EP is a bridge to the highly anticipated 2025 release of ‘Arctic Moon’, which will be the band’s first new full-length album since ‘Why Call it Anything’ in 2001. “It’s quite different from anything we have done before, and it will probably polarise our legacy audience, but we’re excited about how it’s developing,” says Burgess. “I think the songwriting is much more mature in a lot of ways, which I suppose is to be expected given our age, but I really believe we’re taking the band forwards.”
THE CHAMELEONS | Mark Burgess 2024 photo by Mick Peek
TOMORROW REMEMBER YESTERDAY
TRACKLISTING
1 The Fan and the Bellows
2 Nostalgia
3 Nathan’s Phase
4 Every Day I’m Crucified
5 Things I Wish I’d Said
UK/RoI TOUR DATES
06.12.24 BRISTOL Marble Factory
07.12.24 LONDON O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire
09.12.24 DUBLIN (IE) Opium
10.12.24 BELFAST Limelight 2
12.12.24 GLASGOW The Garage
13.12.24 NEWCASTLE Riverside
14.12.24 MANCHESTER Albert Hall
tickets
The Chameleons have long been cited as a hugely influential act, having inspired the likes of (The) Verve, Oasis, Interpol, The Killers, Editors, White Lies and The Slow Readers Club. They are renowned for their transformative recorded catalogue and intense and emotionally charged live performances, creating a legacy that extends well beyond their four studio albums to date. Their widely acclaimed debut, ‘Script of the Bridge’ (1983) has been described by many as a masterpiece way ahead of its time, and was followed by ‘What Does Anything Mean? Basically!’ (1984), ‘Strange Times’ (1986) and ‘Why Call It Anything’ (2001).
The band’s unique sound has been captivating listeners for over four decades with a unique mix of melancholic yet energetic and powerful tunes, hypnotic ethereal riffs and a timeless lyrical style. One of the most important yet underrated rock bands of the ’80s and ’90s, they have contributed substantially to the post-punk, shoegaze and indie scenes of those decades and beyond.
THE CHAMELEONS
Mark Burgess – vocals, bass
Reg Smithies – guitar
Stephen Rice – guitar
Danny Ashberry – keyboards
Todd Demma – drums
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*Article photo: THE CHAMELEONS 2024 photo by Mick Peek
