Mark Burgess (musician)

Mark Burgess
Mark Burgess with Chameleons Vox 2013
Background information
Birth name	Mark Burgess
Born	(1960-05-11) 11 May 1960 (age 57) Manchester, England
Genres	Post-punk, alternative rock, dream pop, new wave
Occupation(s)	Musician, songwriter
Instruments	Vocals, bass guitar, guitar, keyboards
Years active	1981-present
Associated acts	The Chameleons, the Cliches, the Sun and the Moon, Invincible, Bird, Black Swan Lane, ChameleonsVox

Mark Burgess (born 11 May 1960) is an English singer, bass player and songwriter, formerly the frontman of post-punk band the Chameleons.

Burgess (ex-the Cliches) formed the Chameleons in 1981, with guitarists Dave Fielding and Reg Smithies and drummer John Lever. After three full-length albums, the band split up in 1987, with the relationship between Burgess and Fielding particularly strained.

Soon after, Burgess and John Lever formed the Sun and the Moon with guitarists Andy Clegg (who had played keyboards with the Chameleons) and Andy Whitaker, releasing an eponymous 1988 album on Geffen Records before splitting up.

Zima Junction, Burgess' first solo album (under the name Mark Burgess & the Sons of God), was released in 1993, backed by former Wonky Alice guitarist Yves Altana, among others. The duo of Burgess and Altana issued the Paradyning album a year later.

In 1997, Burgess and Altana formed Invincible, recording the album Venus with drummer Geoff Walker in a water tower in North Manchester. The group toured the UK in 1998 with Phil Cuthbert playing bass and keyboards. Following the tour, Cuthbert left the group to pursue a solo career, at which point Burgess took over on bass, and Danny Ashberry was recruited to fill the keyboard/backing vocal role. After several concerts, Walker was replaced by drummer Craig Barrie. Upon the album's release in 1999, Invincible embarked on a successful UK tour, before the band disintegrated.

The Chameleons reunited in 2000 with all four original members, originally for several live performances in England. They eventually added Ghana-born percussionist/vocalist Kwasi Asante, releasing several live albums and one new studio recording, Why Call It Anything, and touring North America, before a final acrimonious breakup in early 2003.

Burgess and Altana next formed the band Bird, initially with Barrie on drums (supporting New Model Army on their UK tour). In 2006, they enlisted drummer Achim Faerber, playing a selection of Invincible and Chameleons songs interwoven with a selection of new material. In November 2006, Bird played a short set at the Middleton Civic Hall in Manchester as part of a benefit concert for lighting technician and ex-Chameleons live keyboard player Andy Moore, who had been diagnosed with a brain tumour while touring with Jamie Cullum. Moore died one year later, in November 2007.