Music for Chameleons (song)

"Music for Chameleons" is a 1982 single by Gary Numan from his fourth solo studio album, I, Assassin. The song peaked at number 19 on the UK Singles Chart. The song was composed during Numan's round-the-world trip in a light aircraft, which he undertook together with another pilot. The song is highly unusual in using fretless bass as the main melody instrument.

Track listing

Taken from UK releases.

7" single

Music for Chameleons - 3:40
Noise Noise - 3:44

12" single

Music for Chameleons
Noise Noise
Bridge? What Bridge?

There are at least three released mixes; the 7-inch edit, the 12-inch "Extended Version" and the album mix running at 6:06.

Personnel

Taken from 7" UK release.
;Music for Chameleons

Gary Numan - vocals, keyboards
Pino Palladino - bass
Chris Slade - drums

;Noise Noise

Gary Numan - vocals, instruments
Thereza Bazar - vocals
David Van Day - helpful hints

In popular culture

'Music for Chameleons' features in the fifth episode of the second season of the 2002 BBC comedy I'm Alan Partridge, "I Know What Alan Did Last Summer", when Alan plays air bass to the track while in his sad trailer.