Dragon (band)

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For the English band, see Dragons (band).
Dragon

Dragon at ARIA Hall of Fame
Melbourne Town Hall, 1 July 2008
L–R: Kerry Jacobson, Rob Taylor, Todd Hunter, Alan Mansfield
Background information
Also known as Hunter
Origin Auckland, New Zealand
Genres rock, pop progressive rock
Years active 1972–1979, 1982–1998, 2006–present
Labels Vertigo, CBS, Portrait, Polydor, RCA, J & B, Liberation Music
Associated acts Mammal, XL Capris, XTC
Website Official website
Members Todd Hunter
Mark Williams
Bruce Reid
Pete Drummond
Past members see personnel list below

Dragon are a rock band which were formed in Auckland, New Zealand in January 1972 and relocated to Sydney, Australia in May 1975.[1][2][3][4] They were previously led by singer Marc Hunter[5][6] and are currently led by his brother bass player Todd Hunter.[7] They performed and released material under the name Hunter in Europe and the United States during 1987.[2][4][7]

Keyboard player Paul Hewson wrote or co-wrote most of the group's hits: "April Sun in Cuba"[8] peaked at #2 on the 1977 Australian singles chart;[9] "Are You Old Enough?"[10] reached #1 in 1978;[9] and "Still in Love with You"[11] reached #15 also in 1978.[4][7][9] The Hunter brothers with Todd's partner, Johanna Pigott, wrote "Rain"[12] a #2 hit in 1983.[9] The name, Dragon, came from a consultation of I Ching cards by early band vocalist Graeme Collins.[13]

Dragon have endured tragedy and notoriety. Several band members died during their association with the band: Drummer Neil Storey of a heroin overdose in 1976,[6] Paul Hewson of a drug overdose in 1985[6] and Marc Hunter of smoking-related oesophageal cancer in 1998.[2][6] The Stewart Royal Commission (1980–1983) which investigated the Mr. Asia drug syndicate[14] obtained evidence that Dragon members were clients.[5] Two members were involved in a serious car crash in 1977, where Paul Hewson's neck was in a brace as well as having a broken arm and Robert Taylor needed plastic surgery.[15] The band also had a disastrous 1978 tour of USA which ended when Marc Hunter accused his Texan audience of being "faggots" and the band were pelted off stage.[5] On 1 July 2008 the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) recognised Dragon's iconic status when they were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame.[2][16][17]

History

1972–1975: Early years in New Zealand

Dragon formed in Auckland, New Zealand, in January 1972 with a line-up that featured Todd Hunter on bass guitar, guitarist Ray Goodwin, drummer Neil Reynolds and singer/pianist Graeme Collins.[1][7] All had been in various short-lived bands in Auckland, Collins is credited with using I Ching to provide the name Dragon. Their first major gig was an appearance at The Great Ngaruawahia Music Festival in early January 1973.[4] By 1974 several personnel changes had occurred, with Todd Hunter's younger brother Marc Hunter joining on vocals and Neil Storey on drums.[1][7] The band recorded two progressive rock albums in their native New Zealand, Universal Radio in 1974 and Scented Gardens for the Blind in 1975 both on Vertigo Records.[1][7][18] Despite being New Zealand's top live attraction by late 1974,[1] neither albums nor related singles had any local chart success,[1] and they recruited Robert Taylor (ex-Mammal) on guitar as they searched for a raunchier pop sound.[1] By early 1975, manager Graeme Nesbitt (ex-Mammal), who had obtained regular gigs and organised their first New Zealand tours,[4] felt they should tackle the larger Australian market.[18] Nesbitt was unable to travel with them to Australia - he had been arrested for selling drugs.[4][18]

1975–1979: Initial stardom

Dragon relocated to Sydney in May 1975, they toured Australia as support act to Status Quo in October.[1] The band sent for keyboard player Paul Hewson who had a reputation, in New Zealand, as a pop songwriter.[4] Hewson had been scouted by Nesbitt when Dragon were still in New Zealand but had declined to join at that time.[4] In 1976 they secured a residency at the Bondi Lifesaver club,[1] and landed a contract with CBS Records after being seen by record producer Peter Dawkins.[3][4][18] Often courting or creating controversy, the band was rocked by the heroin overdose death of drummer Neil Storey in September 1976, aged 22.[5][13][18] By then, founding member Goodwin had left the group, and their single "This Time" had begun charting.[1][18]

After considering disbanding, Todd Hunter consulted with Nesbitt who advised him to continue and organised for Kerry Jacobson (ex-Mammal) to join on drums.[4] Between 1977 and 1979, the line-up of the Hunter brothers, Taylor, Hewson and Jacobson had a string of major hits on the Australian National charts with singles "April Sun in Cuba", "Are You Old Enough?" and "Still In Love with You" and albums Sunshine, Running Free and O Zambezi.[1] These releases made them one of Australia's most popular rock acts.[2][5] They attempted a breakthrough into the American market with a tour supporting Johnny Winter, starting in November 1978, but this was foiled after a disastrous show in Dallas Texas,[1] at which Marc Hunter incited a crowd by suggesting all Texans were "faggots": band members had to dodge flying beer bottles.[3][4][18]

In 1994, Marc Hunter related his version of the Texas show to rock journalist Glenn A. Baker:

"I remember seeing someone standing holding a pistol and shouting 'Im gonna kill you, you son of a bitch'... I didn't know it but by this point the rest of the band had left the stage. I was still singing because I could still hear the music in my head. It took ages to clear the pile of debris on the stage - broken glass, bottles, chairs, half a table - but I was totally unaware of this, I thought I was going over really well and I'm standing there in a crucifixion pose with my arms out, really gone, with heaps of eye make-up on, looking like some sort of twisted priest. And apparently Johnny Winter was taking bets on the side of the stage as to how long it would take before somebody shot me. Then I turned around and saw no one was on stage so I realised I wasn't going over too well after all and I went back to the dressing room and everyone was just standing there... I said 'We went great, weren't we terrific?' At that stage of the band I was really a shocking sod. And all the record company people were just staring at me like I was an insectoid from Mars. And so that was it for us for that trip to America."[19]
—Marc Hunter , 1994

Upon returning to Sydney, Marc Hunter was sacked from Dragon in February 1979 due to drug problems which were seriously affecting both his vocal performances and his general health.[1][4][5][18] According to Todd Hunter:

"Things like Dallas happened all the time... Most of the time I wasn't drinking or anything and, from my perspective, this Fall of the Roman Empire thing was pretty wild. I hated a lot of it. People came along because they wanted to see Dragon decombust. They were enjoying it but Marc was just killing himself. We had to fire him or he'd have destroyed himself."[19]
—Todd Hunter, 1994

Jane Clifton - who also played Margo Gaffney in Prisoner - relates a time when she saw them live:

"I would see him do the most unspeakable things on stage. One night at Dallas Brooks Hall they had some long song about someone going down by the riverside and getting raped or something. He got some girl out of the audience, had her on her back and he was doing this whole rave to her. He had a bottle of champagne which he proceeded to spew from his mouth all over her. I thought: I don't believe this person is letting this happen to her."[20]
—Jane Clifton, 1993

Singer Billy Rogers formerly of Perth group Last Chance Cafe and violinist Richard Lee from Melbourne band Sidewinder were recruited and Dragon recorded the commercially unsuccessful Power Play LP before breaking up in December 1979.[1][4][5][7]

1979–1982: First split

Marc Hunter cleaned up in the post-Dragon years and released two successful solo singles, "Island Nights" (1979) from Fiji Bitter and "Big City Talk" (1981) from Big City Talk.[18] "Big City Talk"'s video was filmed in the Broadway Tunnel, a long and dreary pedestrian walkway linking Sydney's Central Station with Broadway. It captured the seedy and unsettling atmosphere of the tunnel, adding extra mood to the song's words.

Todd Hunter had meanwhile teamed up with his partner (and later second wife) Johanna Pigott, formerly of indie punk group XL Capris,[7] and together they became a successful songwriting team.[2] XL Capris were not commercially successful, although their memorable re-working of crooner Tommy Leonetti's "My City Of Sydney" became a minor cult classic. Todd Hunter produced both their albums Where's Hank? (March 1981) and Weeds (October 1981), and was a member of the band for the second.[1][7]

Paul Hewson moved back to Auckland and joined The Pink Flamingos, who became one of New Zealand's top musical acts in the early 1980s.[1] They were led by Dave McArtney ex-Hello Sailor, which had toured with Dragon but had also split.

1982–1997: Reformation

Dragon reformed in August 1982 to pay off outstanding debts,[1] not long after Jacobson left the band for health reasons and was replaced by British drummer Terry Chambers (ex-XTC),[1] with the band then staying together when their second comeback single, "Rain", proved to be a #2 hit in 1983,[21] American keyboard player and Dragon's producer Alan Mansfield also joined.[1][7] Mansfield had worked for Robert Palmer (including guitar for the "Johnny and Mary" single from Palmer's album Clues) and Bette Midler in the late 1970s,[22] by 1982 Mansfield was living in Sydney and produced tracks for Marc Hunter.[23] Marc Hunter convinced Mansfield to also produce Dragon's single "Rain".[23]

Dragon's 1984 album Body and the Beat became one of the biggest-selling albums in Australia and New Zealand;[1] they were restored to something close to their late 1970s glory. Their public profile was further raised by Marc Hunter's solo album, Communication. Its title track became a moderate hit in Australia and featured a loosely cabaret-oriented video-clip filmed in Amsterdam in which Marc — resplendent in a bright red cowboy hat — was flanked by two women who also danced away under red Stetsons. Body and the Beat yielded further successful Australasian singles, notably "Magic" and "Cry".[1] Mansfield and New Zealand-born singer-songwriter Sharon O'Neill met on Dragon's Body And The Beat tour: they later became domestic and professional partners.[24]

Paul Hewson left Dragon and died of a drug overdose in New Zealand on 9 January 1985;[18][25] fellow members Terry Chambers and Robert Taylor left some time after.[1] Dragon performed three songs for 13 July 1985 Oz for Africa concert (part of the global Live Aid program) - "Speak No Evil", "Rain" and "Are You Old Enough?"; which was broadcast in Australia (on both Seven Network and Nine Network) and on MTV in the US.[26] American drummer Doane Perry replaced Chambers, and Taylor was eventually succeeded by local Sydney guitar ace Tommy Emmanuel.[1] This line-up recorded the Todd Rundgren-produced Dreams of Ordinary Men album in 1986 and toured Europe with Tina Turner under the name Hunter in 1987. By this time Mansfield was writing with O'Neill; they wrote "Western Girls" for Dreams of Ordinary Men and then three tracks for her 1987 solo album Danced in the Fire.[24]

Dragon briefly split up in 1988 but the Hunter brothers and Mansfield had regrouped with guitarist Randall Waller and drummer Barton Price (ex-Models) for the Bondi Road album released in April 1989 on RCA,[1] it also featured Emmanuel's guitar work.[7] Bondi Road reached #18 on the Australian albums charts[9] and the single "Young Years" written by Mansfield and O'Neill[27] also reach #18.[9] The pair had written two other tracks: "Ice in this Town" and "Good Time Girl".[24] Dragon continued to record and tour with varying line-ups centered around the Hunter brothers and Mansfield. They also supported Elton John for his 1990 Australian tour. Todd Hunter worked on Heartbreak High (TV series) from 1994 for six years as Music Composer[28] he retired from Dragon in 1995 after the release of Incarnations.[5][7]

Dragon continued on without Todd Hunter. Then, in November 1997, Marc Hunter was diagnosed with severe oesophageal cancer and died on 17 July 1998.[5] A memorial service for him was held at St. Andrew's Cathedral in Sydney; and, a compilation CD Forever Young was released on Raven Records, highlighting his solo career.[7]

1997–2006: Second split

Dragon broke up a second time after Marc Hunter's illness had been diagnosed. Todd Hunter continued composing music for TV and film with Heartbreak High to 1999, Walk the Talk (2000 film), Out There (2003 TV series) and Out of the Blue (2008 BBC-TV series).[29] Mansfield and O'Neill continued songwriting including "True Love" co-written with Robert Palmer[30] for his 1999 album Rhythm and Blues.[31] They both performed with Leo Sayer during his tours in 2006 and 2007, O'Neill would sing "Young Years" in honour of Marc Hunter.[24]

2006–present: Reformation

Todd Hunter (bass) reformed Dragon in 2006 with a line-up of Mark Williams (vocals, guitar), Bruce Reid (guitar), and Pete Drummond (drums).[7] The new line-up released Sunshine to Rain on the Liberation Blue label.

On 1 July 2008, Dragon were inducted by Richard Wilkins into the ARIA Hall of Fame, Dragon were joined on-stage by James Reyne and Ian Moss to perform "April Sun in Cuba" and "Rain":[32]

Dragon's performance featured Ian Moss and James Reyne on vocals, alongside founding member Todd Hunter. During a fiery version of "April Sun in Cuba", the late Dragon singer Marc Hunter was incorporated into the chorus via a stirring performance video shown on a huge screen behind the band. Reyne said: "I used to go and see Dragon play in the mid to late 1970s before I even had a proper band, so it's great to be able to do this. I'm a big Dragon fan, and did tours with them when Marc was alive, and I knew him quite well. He'd think this is a blast." According to Todd Hunter, Dragon has had, at last count, 35 members and umpteen reincarnations. "Well, Wikipedia says 35 members so far," he said. "We had a long break as a band, but we started doing acoustic shows a couple of years ago. But we couldn't be heard above the crowd because they were singing so loud, so now we're back doing electric shows."[33]
—2 July 2008

In October 2009, Dragon released Happy I Am on Ozmo Records, distributed internationally by MGM Records.[34]

Dragon have played 500 shows with the current line-up including the Rhythm and Vines Festival in NZ, New Year's Eve 2011 (http://www.dragononline.com.au/rain-rhythm-and-vines). The band has played many one off shows, events and tours in 2012/13. Tours include 18 shows in NZ in October 2012 (The 40th anniversary NZ Tour) Long Way To The Top. the Red Hot Summer Tour with Jimmy Barnes (18 shows) The 40th Anniversary Concert Series in Australia (12 shows) starting at the Sydney Opera House in March 13 and finishing in Cairns mid June.

Dragon's 1978 hit single "Are You Old Enough" is now used in the opening credits of Australian television drama series Puberty Blues first airing in 2012.

Personnel

In chronological order:[1][7][35]

  • Todd Hunter (bass guitar, vocals) 1972–1995, 2006–current
  • Ray Goodwin (guitar, keyboards, vocals) 1972–1976
  • Graeme Collins (vocals, piano) 1972
  • Neil Reynolds (drums) 1972
  • Neil Storey (drums) 1972–1975 (replaced Reynolds) d. 1976
  • Ivan Thompson (vocals, keyboards) 1973–1974 (replaced Collins)
  • Marc Hunter (vocals) 1973–1979, 1982–1997 d. 1998
  • Geoff Chunn (drums) 1974
  • Robert Taylor (guitar) 1974–1984 (replaced Thompson)
  • Paul Hewson (keyboards) 1975–1985 d. 1985
  • Kerry Jacobson (drums) 1976–1983 (replaced Storey)
  • Richard Lee (vocals, guitar, violin) 1979–1980 (replaced Marc Hunter)
  • Billy Rogers (harmonica, sax, piano, vocals) 1979
  • Alan Mansfield (keyboards) 1982–1997
  • Terry Chambers (drums) 1983–1985 (replaced Jacobson)
  • Tommy Emmanuel (guitar) 1985–1988, 1995
  • Don Miller-Robinson (guitar) 1985 (replaced Taylor)
  • Doane Perry (drums) 1985–1988 (replaced Chambers)
  • David Hirschfelder (keyboards) 1987–1989
  • Peter Grimwood (guitar) 1988
  • Lee Borkman (keyboards) 1988–1989
  • John Watson (drums) 1988–1989
  • Andy Sidari (samples) 1989
  • Randall Waller (guitar) 1989
  • Barton Price (drums) 1989
  • Mike Caen (guitar) 1989–1995, 1996–1997
  • Jeffrey Bartolomei (keyboards) 1989–1996
  • Mitch Farmer (drums) 1989
  • Rajan Kamahl (keyboards) 1991(?)–1993(?)
  • Peter Northcote (guitar) 1995
  • Ange Tsoitoudis (guitar) 1996–1997
  • Dario Bortolin (bass) 1996
  • Brad Ford (drums) 1996
  • Mick O'Shea (drums) 1996–1997
  • Billy Kervin (bass) 1996–1997
  • Mark Williams (vocals, guitar) 2006–current
  • Bruce Reid (guitar) 2006–current
  • Pete Drummond (drums, vocals, keyboards) 2006–current
  • Darren Percival (guest vocals) 2007
  • Bernie Segedin (guest vocals) 2007

Discography

Main article: Dragon discography

Awards

  • 1977 - Best New Group (TV Week King of Pop Awards)[36]
  • 1978 - Outstanding Local Achievement (TV Week King of Pop Awards)[36]
  • 2008 - ARIA Hall of Fame Award (for contributions to Australian pop music). Awarded Tuesday, 1 July 2008 in Melbourne.

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.23 1.24 McFarlane, Ian (1999). "Encyclopedia entry for 'Dragon'". Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop. Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-86448-768-2. Retrieved 2008-12-07. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 "ARIA Hall of Fame - Dragon". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). 2008-05-22. Archived from the original on 2008-06-15. Retrieved 2008-05-22. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Groups & Solo Artists - Ariel". Milesago. Retrieved 2008-05-20. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 4.9 4.10 4.11 4.12 "Dragon". Bruce Sergent. Retrieved 2008-05-20. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 "Marc Hunter (1953–1998)". MILESAGO. Retrieved 2007-10-25. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Simmonds, Jeremy (2006). Number one in heaven - the heroes who died for rock n roll. London: Penguin. ISBN 978-0-14-102287-1. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 7.8 7.9 7.10 7.11 7.12 7.13 7.14 "Dragon". Australian Rock Database. Magnus Holmgren. Retrieved 2008-05-20. 
  8. ↑ ""April Sun in Cuba" at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 15 November 2010. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6. 
  10. ↑ ""Are You Old Enough?" at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 15 November 2010. 
  11. ↑ ""Still in Love with You" at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 15 November 2010. 
  12. ↑ "ASCAP ACE Title Search for "Rain"". American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). Retrieved 15 November 2010. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Dragon history". Dragon Online. Retrieved 2007-10-21. 
  14. ↑ Hughes, Gary (24 February 2007). "War on drugs failing: ex-judge". The Australian. Retrieved 2008-05-21. 
  15. ↑ Rolling Stone magazine - 4 July 1977, page 50. "Around the Traps" section.
  16. ↑ Cashmere, Paul (17 May 2008). "Dragon and Russell Morris to be Inducted into ARIA Hall of Fame". undercover.com.au. Retrieved 2008-05-17. 
  17. ↑ Mangan, John (18 May 2008). "Old rockers never die, says ARIA". The Age. Retrieved 2008-05-20. 
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 18.4 18.5 18.6 18.7 18.8 18.9 Ed Nimmervoll (ed.). "Dragon". Howlspace – The Living History of Our Music. Archived from the original on 27 July 2012. Retrieved 22 January 2014. 
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Baker, Glenn A. "Marc Hunter biography". Hotdigital. Retrieved 2008-05-24. 
  20. ↑ Wilmoth, Peter: Glad All Over: The Countdown Years 1974-1987, page 152. 1993 McPhee Gribble/Penguin Books. ISBN 0-86914-293-3
  21. ↑ "The best of 1983". Oz Net Music Chart. Archived from the original on 2007-09-08. Retrieved 2007-09-28. 
  22. ↑ "The Independent Major: Alan Mansfield". peermusic. Archived from the original on 2008-03-28. Retrieved 2008-05-25. 
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 "Marc Hunter". Bruce Sergent. Retrieved 2008-05-25. 
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 24.2 24.3 Taylor, P J (24 August 2006). "The Times interview, Sharon O'Neill explain yourself to PJ Taylor". The Times (Auckland, New Zealand). Retrieved 2008-05-25. 
  25. ↑ Jewel Brown, Jen. ""wave to wave" - goodbye to my friend Paul Hewson, piano player in Dragon (25 October 1952 - 9 January 1985)". University of Melbourne. Retrieved 2008-05-23. 
  26. ↑ "Oz for Africa". liveaid.free.fr. Retrieved 2008-03-12. 
  27. ↑ ""Young Years" at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 15 November 2010. 
  28. ↑ "Heartbreak High (1994)". Internet Movie Database (IMDb. Retrieved 2007-10-25. 
  29. ↑ "Todd Hunter entry at Internet Movie Database (IMDb)". IMDb. Retrieved 2008-05-25. 
  30. ↑ "ASCAP ACE Title Search for "True Love"". American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). Retrieved 15 November 2010. 
  31. ↑ "Rhythm & Blues by Robert Palmer". Rate Your Music. Retrieved 2008-05-25. 
  32. ↑ "ARIA announced all-star cast to induct and perform" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Archived from the original on 2008-07-19. Retrieved 2008-07-02. 
  33. ↑ Murfett, Andrew (2 July 2008). "Rockers hail Rolf in Hall of Fame". The Age. Retrieved 2008-07-05. 
  34. ↑ "Happy I Am (2009)". MGM. 5 October 2009. Retrieved 8 May 2010. 
  35. ↑ "Albums by Dragon". Rate Your Music. Retrieved 2008-05-25. 
  36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 "Australian Music Awards". Retrieved 2007-10-25. 

External links

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