Genre: psych
Rating: **** (4 stars)
Title: Chamaeleon Church
Company: MGM
Catalog: SE 4574
Year: 1968
Country/State: US
Grade (cover/record): VG-/VG
Comments: cut out hole lower left corner; minor cut out notch bottom seam
Available: 1
GEMM catalog ID:
Price: $30.00
Can't say we know all that much about this outfit's history. Multi-instrumentalist Kyle Garrahan and guitarist Ted Myers had been in The Lost (see separate entry), before hooking up with drummer Chevy Chase and multi-instrumentalist Tony Scheuren. In the process of trying to develop the Bosstown sound, the quartet attracted the attention of manager/producer Alan Lorber, who promptly signed them to MGM.
For some reason, this one-LP outfit seems to command little respect from the collecting community. It may have something to do with the fact they're lumped together with other mid-60s' Bosstown rejects, or perhaps has something to do with the fact future SNL star Chevy Chase was the band's drummer. Whatever the reason, it's a shame since 1968's "Chamaeleon Church" offers up a wonderful set of harmony rich, "flower pop" and lite psych. Largely written by guitarist Ted Meyers, tracks such as "Come Into Your Life", "Blueberry Park" and "" bare more than a passing resemblance to the likes of Millennium and The Left Banke, though without the latter's Baroque touches. Sounding like it was ripped from a Simon and Garfunkel, to our ears the standout track is the ballad "Camilla Is Changing". The track was also released as a single under MGM catalog K 13929.
"Chamaeleon Church" track listing:
1.) Come Into Your Life (Ted Myers - Tony Scheuren) - 2:16
2.) Camillia Is Changing (Ted Myers - Tony Scheuren) - 4:11
3.) Spring This Year (Ted Myers) - 4:15
4.) Blueberry Pie (Ted Myers) - 3:30
5.) Remembering's All I Can Do (Ted Myers) - 4:00
6.) Flowers In the Field (Ted Myers) - 2:33
7.) Here's a Song (Ted Myers) - 2:02
8.) In a Kindly Way (Ted Myers) - 3:05
9.) Tompkins Square Park (Ted Myers - Tony Scheuren) - 3:02
10.) Picking Up the Pieces (Ted Myers) - 2:15
11.) Off with the Old (Ted Myers) - 4:20
Garragan subsequently embarked on a brief solo career, while Meyers and Scheuren reappeared as members of Ultimate Spinach. Meyers also has a short-lived solo career, while Scheuren hooked up with National Lampoon. We don't need to tell you about Chase's post-Chamaeleon Church work.