Scented Gardens for the Blind explained

Scented Gardens for the Blind
Type:studio
Artist:Dragon
Cover:ScentedGardens.jpg
Released:February 1975
Recorded:December 1974
Studio:Stebbings Studio Auckland
Genre:Progressive rock
Length:37:35
Label:Vertigo, TRC
Producer:Rick Shadwell
Prev Title:Universal Radio
Prev Year:1974
Next Title:Sunshine
Next Year:1977

Scented Gardens for the Blind is the second album by New Zealand group Dragon released in February 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 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). In June 2023 the album is repressed by Replica/MUSEA in LP format

Track listing

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

Grey Lynn is a suburb of Auckland.

Personnel

Dragon
Additional personnel

Notes and References

  1. Encyclopedia: McFarlane . Ian . Ian McFarlane . . Encyclopedia entry for 'Dragon' . 27 September 2009 . 1999 . . St Leonards, NSW . 1-86508-072-1 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20040803183418/http://www.whammo.com.au/encyclopedia.asp?articleid=295 . 3 August 2004 .
  2. Web site: ARIA Hall of Fame – Dragon . Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) . 22 May 2008 . 27 September 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20081011083504/http://www.ariahalloffame.com.au/inductees/dragon.htm . 11 October 2008 .
  3. Web site: Dragon. Bruce Sergent. 27 September 2009. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20091004025944/http://www.sergent.com.au/dragon.html. 4 October 2009.
  4. Web site: https://web.archive.org/web/20131022062925/http://hem.passagen.se/honga/database/d/dragon.html . Dragon . Holmgren . Magnus . Chuck . Miller . Passagen.se . Australian Rock Database (Magnus Holmgren) . 22 October 2013 . 5 May 2014.
  5. Web site: Amazon Online Reader: Scented Gardens for the Blind . Amazon.com . 20 November 2007 .
  6. Web site: https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20120726191200/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/14231/20120727-0512/www.howlspace.com.au/en/dragon/dragon.htm . Dragon . Howlspace – The Living History of Our Music (Ed Nimmervoll) . Nimmervoll . Ed . Ed Nimmervoll . 26 July 2012 . 30 January 2014 .
  7. Web site: Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). "Vermillion Cellars" at APRA search engine. 27 September 2009.
  8. Web site: Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). "L'Gash Lagoon" at APRA search engine. 27 September 2009.
  9. Web site: Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). "Sunburst" at APRA search engine. 27 September 2009.
  10. Web site: Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). "Grey Lynn Candy" at APRA search engine. 27 September 2009.
  11. Web site: Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). "Scented Gardens for the Blind" at APRA search engine. 27 September 2009.

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