Album · The Chameleons
Strange Times by The Chameleons
Strange Times is an album by The Chameleons, released in 1986. 4 songs from it have charted on rock radio countdowns, with 12 countdown appearances in total. The biggest is “Swamp Thing”, on 8 lists with a best position of #52.
Strange Times, the Chameleons' third album, came out on Geffen in September 1986, with David M. Allen producing, and it's the Middleton, Greater Manchester, band at its most dreamlike. Mark Burgess sings and plays bass, Reg Smithies and Dave Fielding weave their guitars into shimmering, echoing walls, and John Lever's drums keep the whole thing afloat.
Much of the early angst has melted into something hazier and more reflective, though the songs still carry a bruised ache. "Tears" and "Swamp Thing" were the singles, and the North American vinyl came with a bonus LP of six non-album tracks, which turned up again on the 1993 CD. Reviews were mostly kind, but tensions tore the band apart soon after, and apart from the EP Tony Fletcher Walked on Water it would be nearly 15 years before they made another studio record. Their atmospheric guitar sound kept a cult following waiting.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
Songs from Strange Times on radio countdowns
| # | Song | Strength | Lists | Best | #1s | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Swamp Thing | 8 | #52 | – | 1989–2026 | |
| 2 | Soul in Isolation | 2 | #502 | – | 2002–2003 | |
| 3 | Mad Jack | 1 | #1738 | – | 2003 | |
| 4 | Childhood | 1 | #2007 | – | 2003 |
Only songs that appear on at least one countdown are listed. Release data from MusicBrainz.