Chameleon in the Shadow of Night

by

Peter Hammill

Edit

Chameleon in the Shadow of the Night was the second solo album by British singer-songwriter Peter Hammill. It followed in the aftermath of the breakup of Hammill's band Van der Graaf Generator, although (as with many of Hammill's "solo" albums from this period) the other members of Van der Graaf Generator all perform on the album, blurring the distinction between solo and group work.

The album was produced by John Anthony at Rockfield Studios, Wales, for the first time using pre-recorded parts done by Peter Hammill in his home studio in Worth. For final mixing the then much better equipped Trident Studios were used. The album was released in May 1973 on Charisma records.

Some of the songs ("German Overalls" and "In the End") relate to Van der Graaf Generator's decision to split, following an exhausting, demoralising and poverty-stricken experience of being a touring rock band.

Hammill has continued to perform "Easy to Slip Away" in concert to the present day. The song relates to him losing touch with student housemates Mike and actress Susan Penhaligon (who were also namechecked in the Van der Graaf Generator song "Refugees").

The complex and atmospheric "(In the) Black Room/The Tower" was originally planned for inclusion on Van der Graaf Generator's album following Pawn Hearts, an album that because of the band's split never came to be. It features all of Van der Graaf Generator's ex-members. The song was later performed on stage by Van der Graaf Generator when the band reformed in 1975, and also during their 2005 reunion.

The cover was designed by Paul Whitehead, who also was the artist for Fool's Mate as well as for other Van der Graaf Generator and Genesis albums in the beginning of the 1970s. It shows Peter Hammill's astrological sign scorpio twice, as a painting of a real scorpion and as part of a personal logo which Hammill introduced with this album and which would appear on the covers of many coming releases. The photo on the front side was taken by Bettina Hohls in Hamburg.