Scented Gardens for the Blind

Scented Gardens for the Blind
Studio album by Dragon
Released March 1975
Recorded 1974
Genre Rock, Progressive rock
Length 37:35
Label Vertigo, TRC
Dragon chronology

Universal Radio
(1974)		 Scented Gardens for the Blind
(1975)		 Sunshine
(1977)
Singles from Scented Gardens for the Blind
  1. "Vermillion [sic] Cellars"
    Released: March 1975

Scented Gardens for the Blind is the second album by New Zealand group Dragon released in March 1975 on Vertigo Records before they relocated to Australia in May.[1][2][3][4] Scented Gardens for the Blind, along with their first album Universal Radio, is in the progressive rock genre—all subsequent albums are hard rock/pop rock.[1][2][3] "Vermillion [sic] Cellars" was released as a single in March and was followed by non-album singles, "Education" in May and "Star Kissed" in August but neither albums nor singles had any local chart success.[1]

The title of New Zealand author Janet Frame's fourth novel was Scented Gardens for the Blind (1963).[5] In 1994 the album was re-released as a CD. It was re-packaged as a double CD (with first album Universal Radio) in 2004.

Background

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][4] 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.[3] By 1974 several personnel changes had occurred including Collins leaving, with Todd Hunter's younger brother Marc Hunter joining on vocals and Neil Storey on drums.[1][4] The band recorded two progressive rock albums in their native New Zealand, Universal Radio in June 1974 and Scented Gardens for the Blind in March 1975 both on Vertigo Records.[1][4][6] "Vermillion Cellars" was released as a single in March and was followed by a non-album single, "Education" in May.[3] Despite being New Zealand's top live attraction by late 1974,[1] neither albums nor 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 organized their first New Zealand tours,[3] felt they should tackle the larger Australian market.[6] Nesbitt was unable to travel with them to Australia—he had been arrested for selling drugs—before they relocated in May.[3][6] In Australia, they released another non-album single, "Star Kissed" in August.[3]

The title of New Zealand author Janet Frame's fourth novel was Scented Gardens for the Blind (1963).[5] In 1994 the album was re-released as a CD. It was re-packaged by the Spanish record company Esterlla Rockera as a double CD (with first album Universal Radio) in 2005 (Catalogue Number: ER 42117).

Track listing

  1. "Vermillion [sic] Cellars" (Marc Hunter, Todd Hunter, Ray Goodwin)[7] - 3:23 - Lead Vocal - Ray Goodwin
  2. "La Gash Lagoon" aka "L'Gash Lagoon" (M. Hunter, T. Hunter, Goodwin)[8] - 8:18 - Lead Vocal - Marc Hunter
  3. "Sunburst" (Goodwin, T. Hunter, M. Hunter)[9] - 8:33 - Lead Vocal - Marc Hunter
  4. "Greylynn Candy" aka "Grey Lynn Candy" (Goodwin, T. Hunter)[10] - 4:57 - Lead Vocal - Marc Hunter
  5. "Darkness" (M. Hunter, T. Hunter, Goodwin) - 4:44 - Lead Vocal - Ray Goodwin
  6. "Scented Gardens for the Blind" (M. Hunter, T. Hunter, Goodwin)[11] - 7:40 - Lead Vocal - Marc Hunter

Grey Lynn is a suburb of Auckland.

Liner Notes

Dragon are:

Dragon thank

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 McFarlane, Ian (1999). "Encyclopedia entry for 'Dragon'". Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop. St Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-86508-072-1. Retrieved 27 September 2009.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "ARIA Hall of Fame - Dragon". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). 22 May 2008. Retrieved 27 September 2009.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 "Dragon". Bruce Sergent. Retrieved 27 September 2009.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Holmgren, Magnus; Miller, Chuck. "Dragon". Passagen.se. Australian Rock Database (Magnus Holmgren). Archived from the original on 22 October 2013. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Amazon Online Reader: Scented Gardens for the Blind". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2007-11-20.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Nimmervoll, Ed. "Dragon". Howlspace – The Living History of Our Music (Ed Nimmervoll). Archived from the original on 27 July 2012. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
  7. ↑ ""Vermillion Cellars" at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 27 September 2009.
  8. ↑ ""L'Gash Lagoon" at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 27 September 2009.
  9. ↑ ""Sunburst" at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 27 September 2009.
  10. ↑ ""Grey Lynn Candy" at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 27 September 2009.
  11. ↑ ""Scented Gardens for the Blind" at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 27 September 2009.