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Ariel was an Australian band based around the duo Mike Rudd and Bill Putt, who formed the band in 1973 after previously playing in the bands Spectrum and Murtceps. The original line-up included Rudd (guitar, harmonica, vocals), Putt (bass), Tim Gaze (guitar), Nigel Macara (drums) and John Mills (keyboards). Gaze and Macara were recruited from seminal Australian progressive rock band Tamam Shud.

The band released three studio albums and two live albums between 1973 and 1977, during which there were several line-up changes, with Rudd and Putt the only permanent members. Other members of Ariel included guitarists Harvey James and Glyn Mason and keyboard player Tony Slavich. James had previously been the lead guitarist in the popular harmony-rock group Mississippi (which later became Little River Band) and Mason had be.

Their debut album A Strange Fantastic Dream, produced by Peter Dawkins was released in 1974 and reached #16 in the Australian music charts.[1]. It included what was to prove their most successful single "Jamaican Farewell", which peaked at #34, and the dark song "Confessions of a Psychopathic Cowpoke", although their were calls to ban the album because of its cover illustration, which included a figure holding a hyperdermic syringe.

Founding members Tim Gaze and Nigel Macara left the band abruptly after a visit to Perth in early 1973, so Rudd and Putt began work on a new project, a concept work entitled The Jellabad Mutant. During rehearsals they brought in drummer John Lee (later a member of The Dingoes) who in turn brought in Harvey James, thereby establishing the second lineup of the group, which lasted until late 1974.

Ariel recorded a full demo of the Jellabad Mutant project and presented it to their label EMI, but it was rejected. However, on the strength of the first LP, EMI in Britain had arranged recording time for the group at their famous Abbey Road Studios in London, but the rejection of the Jellabad Mutant by EMI Australia forced Ariel to fall back on reworked material from Rudd's previous group Spectrum, supplemented by new songs hastily written by Rudd for the sessions. Despite the problems surrounding the recording, the resultant album Rock & Roll Scars (1975) is now regarded as one of the most accomplished by an Australian band form that period, although it failed to make nay significant commercial impression. It was mixed in the UK by Geoff Emerick, who worked on many of the later recordings by The Beatles, and produced by Peter Dawkins.

After returning to Australia in early 1975 Ariel added a fifth member, singer-guitarist Glyn Mason, a former member of early '70s Australian "supergroup" Axiom with Glenn Shorrock and Brian Cadd. The five-piece version of the band performed for several months but recorded only one single, although unofficial live recordings of this lineup have survived. It was during this period that Rudd introduced Dawkins to newly-arrived New Zealand band Dragon. Dawkins (who had by them moved to CBS Records]] immediately signed Dragon and produced a string of Australian hit albums and singles with them in the late 1970s.

Harvey James quit Ariel abruptly in early 1976 after he was invited to join leading Australian pop group Sherbet, where he replaced founding member Clive Shakespeare as guitarist. James' first recording with Sherbet was their Australian #1 and UK Top 5 hit "Howzat". James was replaced in Ariel by keyboard player Tony Slavich.

Following Dawkins to CBS, Ariel recorded their third Goodnight Fiona (1976) and the only other charting single, I'll take you high which reached #36 in January 1976.

Their final concert in August 1977 at Dallas Brooks Hall, Melbourne was recorded and released over the two albums Aloha Ariel (1977) and Live - More From Before (1978). These two albums were subsequently reissued in 1980 as Ariel Live In Concert.

References

http://www.nostalgiacentral.com/music/ariel.htm
http://www.milesago.com/interviews/rudd2002.htm Interview with Rudd about Ariel
http://www.milesago.com/Artists/ariel.htm Details of the various lineups

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 '''Ariel''' was an Australian band based around the duo [[Mike Rudd]] and Bill Putt, who formed the band in 1973 after previously playing in the bands [[Spectrum (band)|Spectrum]] and Murtceps.  The original line-up included Rudd (guitar, harmonica, vocals), Putt (bass), [[Tim Gaze]] (guitar), Nigel Macara (drums) and John Mills (keyboards).  Gaze and Macara were recruited from seminal Australian progressive rock band [[Tamam Shud]].
-The band released three studio albums and two live albums in the period 1974-1977, during which there were several line-up changes, with Rudd and Putt the only permanent members.  Other members of Ariel included guitarists Harvey James (ex-[[Sherbet]]) and Glyn Mason, and keyboard player Tony Slavich.
+The band released three studio albums and two live albums between 1973 and 1977, during which there were several line-up changes, with Rudd and Putt the only permanent members.  Other members of Ariel included guitarists Harvey James and Glyn Mason and keyboard player Tony Slavich. James had previously been the lead guitarist in the popular harmony-rock group [[Mississippi (band)|Mississippi]] (which later became [[Little River Band]]) and Mason had be.
-Their debut album ''A Strange Fantastic Dream'', produced by [[Peter Dawkins (musician)|Peter Dawkins]] was released in 1974 and reached #16 in the Australian music charts.[http://www.milesago.com/Artists/ariel.htm].  It included what was to prove their most successful single "Jamaican Farewell", which peaked at #34, and the dark song "Confessions of a Psychopathic Cowpoke".
+Their debut album ''A Strange Fantastic Dream'', produced by [[Peter Dawkins (musician)|Peter Dawkins]] was released in 1974 and reached #16 in the Australian music charts.[http://www.milesago.com/Artists/ariel.htm].  It included what was to prove their most successful single "Jamaican Farewell", which peaked at #34, and the dark song "Confessions of a Psychopathic Cowpoke", although their were calls to ban the album because of its cover illustration, which included a figure holding a [[hyperdermic syringe]].
+Founding members Tim Gaze and Nigel Macara left the band abruptly after a visit to Perth in early 1973, so Rudd and Putt began work on a new project, a concept work entitled ''The Jellabad Mutant''. During rehearsals they brought in drummer John Lee (later a member of [[The Dingoes]]) who in turn brought in Harvey James, thereby establishing the second lineup of the group, which lasted until late 1974.
-The subsequent albums ''Rock'n'Roll Scars'' (1975) and ''Goodnight Fiona'' (1976) were also produced by Dawkins, while the only other single to chart was ''I'll take you high'' which reached #36 in January 1976.
+Ariel recorded a full demo of the ''Jellabad Mutant'' project and presented it to their label [[EMI]], but it was rejected. However, on the strength of the first LP, EMI in Britain had arranged recording time for the group at their famous [[Abbey Road Studios]] in London, but the rejection of the ''Jellabad Mutant'' by EMI Australia forced Ariel to fall back on reworked material from Rudd's previous group [[Spectrum (band)|Spectrum]], supplemented by new songs hastily written by Rudd for the sessions. Despite the problems surrounding the recording, the resultant album ''Rock & Roll Scars'' (1975) is now regarded as one of the most accomplished by an Australian band form that period, although it failed to make nay significant commercial impression. It was mixed in the UK by [[Geoff Emerick]], who worked on many of the later recordings by [[The Beatles]], and produced by Peter Dawkins.
+After returning to Australia in early 1975 Ariel added a fifth member, singer-guitarist [[Glyn Mason]], a former member of early '70s Australian "[[supergroup]]" [[Axiom (band|Axiom]] with [[Glenn Shorrock]] and [[Brian Cadd]]. The five-piece version of the band performed for several months but recorded only one single, although unofficial live recordings of this lineup have survived. It was during this period that Rudd introduced Dawkins to newly-arrived New Zealand band [[Dragon (band)|Dragon]]. Dawkins (who had by them moved to CBS Records]] immediately signed Dragon and produced a string of Australian hit albums and singles with them in the late 1970s.
+Harvey James quit Ariel abruptly in early 1976 after he was invited to join leading Australian pop group [[Sherbet (band)|Sherbet]], where he replaced founding member [[Clive Shakespeare]] as guitarist. James' first recording with Sherbet was their Australian #1 and UK Top 5 hit "Howzat". James was replaced in Ariel by keyboard player Tony Slavich.
+Following Dawkins to CBS, Ariel recorded their third ''Goodnight Fiona'' (1976) and the only other charting single, ''I'll take you high'' which reached #36 in January 1976.
 Their final concert in August 1977 at Dallas Brooks Hall, [[Melbourne]] was recorded and released over the two albums ''Aloha Ariel''  (1977) and ''Live - More From Before'' (1978). These two albums were subsequently reissued in 1980 as ''Ariel Live In Concert''.