Dragon (NZ/Australian rock group)

Dragon are a New Zealand rock band which was formed in Auckland in January 1972, and, from 1975, based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The band was originally fronted by singer Graeme Collins, but rose to fame with singer Marc Hunter and is currently led by his brother, bass player and co-founder Todd Hunter. Their name "Dragon" came from a consultation of I Ching cards by Collins. The group performed, and released material, under the name Hunter in Europe and the United States during 1987. Keyboard player Paul Hewson wrote or co-wrote most of the group's 1970s hits: "April Sun in Cuba" peaked at No. 9 in New Zealand and No. 2 in Australia; "Are You Old Enough?" reached No. 6 in New Zealand and No. 1 in Australia in 1978; and "Still in Love with You" reached No. 35 and No. 27 in each country respectively that same year. Later hits, from when the band re-grouped in the 1980s, were written by other band members, often working with outside associates: The Hunter brothers, with Todd's partner, Johanna Pigott, wrote "Rain", a No. 2 hit in 1983, while other, more minor hits were written by the Hunters and/or Alan Mansfield, frequently in collaboration with any combination of Pigott, Mansfield's partner Sharon O'Neill, Marc Hunter's partner Wendy Hunter, or producers Todd Rundgren and David Hirschfelder. Dragon has endured tragedy, adversity and notoriety, and three band members have died from drug-related causes. Problems began soon after the band's arrival in Sydney in late 1975, when all of their equipment was stolen. Several months later, in 1976, drummer Neil Storey died of a heroin overdose. The following decade, in 1985, Paul Hewson died from a drug overdose. Marc Hunter died from smoking-related throat cancer in 1998. Several members of the group including Hewson and Marc Hunter were heavy heroin users during the band's heyday and the Stewart Royal Commission (1980–1983) which investigated the Mr. Asia drug syndicate obtained evidence that Dragon members were clients. Two members were involved in a serious car crash in 1977, when Paul Hewson's neck was in a brace as well as having a broken arm and Robert Taylor needed plastic surgery, and Hewson also suffered from debilitating scoliosis and arthritis, the pain of which reportedly contributed to his heroin use. The band also undertook a famously disastrous 1978 tour of the US, supporting Johnny Winter, which ended when Marc Hunter abused a Texan audience as "faggots" and the band were pelted off stage, while Winter's band were said to have taken bets about how long it would be before Hunter was shot. On 1 July 2008, the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) recognised the Auckland-formed band's iconic status in its country by inducting Dragon into the ARIA Hall of Fame. Dragon formed in Auckland in January 1972 with a line-up that featured Todd Hunter on bass guitar, guitarist Ray Goodwin, drummer Neil Reynolds and IvanThompson on keys. All had been in various short-lived bands in Auckland, and 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. By 1974 several personnel changes had occurred, with Todd Hunter's younger brother, Marc Hunter, joining on vocals and Neil Storey on drums. The band recorded two progressive rock albums in Auckland, Universal Radio in June 1974 and Scented Gardens for the Blind in February 1975 both on Vertigo Records. Despite being one of Auckland's top live attractions by late 1974, neither albums nor related singles had any local chart success, and they recruited Robert Taylor (ex-Mammal) on guitar as they searched for a raunchier pop sound. By early 1975, manager Graeme Nesbitt (ex-Mammal), who had obtained regular gigs and organised their first New Zealand tours, felt they should tackle the larger Australian market. Nesbitt was unable to travel with them to Australia as he had been arrested for selling drugs. Dragon relocated to Sydney, Australia, in May 1975 and toured the country as support act to Status Quo in October. They recorded the single "Starkissed" for PolyGram, but it was not commercially successful. The band then sent for keyboard player Paul Hewson (not to be confused with Bono, frontman of Irish rock band U2) who had a reputation in New Zealand as a pop songwriter. Hewson had been scouted by Nesbitt when Dragon were still in New Zealand but had declined to join at that time. The group had originally intended to go to Canada, but opted to stay in Australia, settling in Bondi in late 1975, where they secured a residency at the Bondi Lifesaver club. They convinced Sebastian Chase to become their talent manager. On the recommendation of fellow New Zealand expatriate Mike Rudd, CBS house producer Peter Dawkins went to see the group at the Recovery Wine Bar in Camperdown, Sydney, in early 1976 and he was so impressed by their performance and Hewson's material that he immediately signed them to a contract with CBS Records. Often courting or creating controversy, the band was rocked by the heroin overdose death of 22-year-old drummer Neil Storey in September 1976. By then, founding member Ray Goodwin had left the group and their single "This Time" had begun charting. Dragon considered disbanding after Storey's death, but Todd Hunter consulted with Nesbitt who advised him to continue and organised for Kerry Jacobson (ex-Mammal) to join on drums. Between 1977 and 1979 the Hunter brothers, Taylor, Hewson and Jacobson had a string of major hits on the Australian charts with singles "April Sun in Cuba", "Are You Old Enough?" and "Still in Love with You" and albums Sunshine (February 1977), Running Free (November 1977) and O Zambezi (September 1978). These releases, and their dynamic concert performances, made them one of Australia's most popular rock acts. 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, at which Marc Hunter incited a crowd by suggesting all Texans were "faggots": band members had to dodge flying beer bottles. 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 'I'm 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." — Marc Hunter, 1994 In their 1970s heyday Dragon were regulars on the teen-oriented national TV pop show Countdown, which greatly enhanced their sales and popularity, with Marc Hunter hosting the show on several occasions, but the band's darker side, especially Marc's unpredictable stage behaviour, were often in evidence at their live performances. Singer and actress Jane Clifton (who 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