So Long Ago the Garden
Encyclopedia
So Long Ago the Garden is an album recorded by Larry Norman
, released in 1973. It is the second album in what came to be known as his "trilogy," which began with the album Only Visiting This Planet
and concluded with In Another Land
. So Long Ago the Garden was controversial because Norman's previously blatant Christian
beliefs were more veiled on this album. In the song "Shot Down", on the album In Another Land, Norman responded to accusations by fellow Christians that he had abandoned his faith in search of fame and fortune.
By 1 October 1973 these recording sessions were completed and the recordings were submitted to MGM. However, financial problems at MGM, which would result in its collapse within fifteen months, "couldn't adequately promote or advertise the album. The corporate attention was focused on more pressing things like survival and solvency". According to Norman, the record company dropped several Christian songs, including "Butterfly," "If God Is My Father," "Kulderachna", and "I Hope I'll See You In Heaven", in favor of more lightweight love songs like "Fly, Fly, Fly," the album's opening track", and "Christmastime', both previously released as singles. Norman discussed this matter in 1991:
When Norman reissued the album in 1980 (with a modified track list), he retitled the album Almost...So Long Ago the Garden and the MGM Singles. As part of a Compleat Trilogy series, in 2008 Solid Rock released a version of this album that restored two of the censored songs.
The release of So Long Ago the Garden in November 1973 caused controversy in the Christian press primarily due to its album cover, which some insisted featured a naked Norman, and that this was proof he had fallen away from God. As John J. Thompson explains: "The cover featured a seminude Norman with a photo of a lion superimposed on his skin. The symbolism
(an Old Testament
prophecy
referred to the Messiah
as 'the lion of the tribe of Judah
,' and C.S. Lewis' Narnia series made a Christlike figure out of a lion named Aslan
, as well as the obvious insinuation of Adam
in the Garden of Eden
, flew over the heads of many people, who focused on a patch of grass covering Larry's nether parts".
Steve Turner adds: "The songs which examined the fall were mostly written from the perspective of the scarred and his public just could not take the idea of an artist taking another persona
to make a point. To them he was a backslider who had broken with his wife and was seeking fame (the ideas being taken from his songs)". Turner indicated that Bible bookstores, especially in the southern and midwestern States of the USA, refused to sell his albums, and that all of his concerts were canceled until Noel Paul Stookey invited him onto stage during one of his concerts eighteen months later.
However, believing that MGM was interfering with the subject matter of his records, by 1974 Norman left MGM due to "a squabble with MGM over song choices for his next album, ..."In Another Land". Not long after this decision, MGM Records folded due to economic difficulties.
A version of the song "Christmas Time" originally appeared on the rare album Born Twice
, by Norman's friend Randy Stonehill
, which Norman had produced in 1969. On that LP, the song is credited as having been written by Stonehill, but So Long Ago the Garden credits Norman as the writer.
"Lonely By Myself" was recorded using the same mellotron
The Beatles
used on "Strawberry Fields Forever
" while Paul McCartney
was in the next room recording "Live and Let Die
."
The song "Nightmare #71" mentions silent film star Elmo Lincoln
. Lincoln has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
at 7042 Hollywood Boulevard. Norman's Solid Rock Records
office was next door at 7046 Hollywood Boulevard.
Original LP release
Side 1
Side 2
Extra tracks on subsequent releases
"Baroquen Spirits" was co-written by Denny Fridkin, but never credited to him.
Production notes
Larry Norman
Larry David Norman was an American Christian musician, singer, songwriter, record label owner, and record producer, who worked with Christian rock music...
, released in 1973. It is the second album in what came to be known as his "trilogy," which began with the album Only Visiting This Planet
Only Visiting This Planet
Only Visiting This Planet is the title of an album recorded by Larry Norman in 1972. The album was selected as the second album in 's The 100 Greatest Albums in Christian Music.-History:...
and concluded with In Another Land
In Another Land (album)
In Another Land is the title of an album recorded by Larry Norman and released in 1976. It is the third album in Norman's "trilogy," which began with Only Visiting This Planet and continued with So Long Ago the Garden...
. So Long Ago the Garden was controversial because Norman's previously blatant Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
beliefs were more veiled on this album. In the song "Shot Down", on the album In Another Land, Norman responded to accusations by fellow Christians that he had abandoned his faith in search of fame and fortune.
History
On 7 August 1973 Norman entered AIR studios in London to record his favorite album, the second album in his Trilogy, So Long Ago the Garden, which was produced by The Triumvirate of British producers Rod Edwards, Roger Hand, Jon Miller. According to John J. Thompson, "lyrically, as the title suggests, the album reflects on the nature of the human condition. The songs deal with characters ... knee deep in the madness of life without God". In a 1980 interview, Norman explained the purpose of So Long Ago the Garden:It is my favourite album, and one of the most banned and misunderstood albums that I've recorded. Christians don't seem to be as aware of, or as sensitive to, the dire state of humanity as they are about the pleasant growth of their Christian walk. So Long Ago The Garden was as definitive a statement as I could make about the emptiness of our lives without Christ, just how lonely and wretched we truly are. I alternated songs. One song would talk about a man trying to find satisfaction and true love, and expecting a woman to somehow fill all of his needs and be his whole world. The next song would be Lonely By Myself. Strictly about a man looking for something, and he doesn't know what it is. We know it's God, and he knows it's something like great universal love, but he can't find it, and it causes him Ecclesiastical despair. Then Be Careful What You Sign, making that choice between God or Satan, and the song after that was making a choice between your own integrity, or giving up your integrity for things like love, whatever momentary, ephemeral things that we look to for lasting happiness. So it was all a very premeditated and carefully written album.
By 1 October 1973 these recording sessions were completed and the recordings were submitted to MGM. However, financial problems at MGM, which would result in its collapse within fifteen months, "couldn't adequately promote or advertise the album. The corporate attention was focused on more pressing things like survival and solvency". According to Norman, the record company dropped several Christian songs, including "Butterfly," "If God Is My Father," "Kulderachna", and "I Hope I'll See You In Heaven", in favor of more lightweight love songs like "Fly, Fly, Fly," the album's opening track", and "Christmastime', both previously released as singles. Norman discussed this matter in 1991:
The record company, obviously, was more concerned with commerce than art. They wanted "Fly, Fly, Fly" and "Christmastime" on the album. These songs were B-Sides, recorded for singles. I was of the old school from where the Beatles had come, believing that singles should be recorded for single release and that albums should not contain the singles but be works of art, separate unto themselves. I tried to keep the polished "commercial" singles separate from the artistic music made for the album, as I intended with "I Love You" during my days at Capitol Records. It was disappointing to me when the music was mixed together in the same format.
When Norman reissued the album in 1980 (with a modified track list), he retitled the album Almost...So Long Ago the Garden and the MGM Singles. As part of a Compleat Trilogy series, in 2008 Solid Rock released a version of this album that restored two of the censored songs.
The release of So Long Ago the Garden in November 1973 caused controversy in the Christian press primarily due to its album cover, which some insisted featured a naked Norman, and that this was proof he had fallen away from God. As John J. Thompson explains: "The cover featured a seminude Norman with a photo of a lion superimposed on his skin. The symbolism
Religious symbolism
Religious symbolism is the use of symbols, including archetypes, acts, artwork, events, or natural phenomena, by a religion. Religions view religious texts, rituals, and works of art as symbols of compelling ideas or ideals...
(an Old Testament
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
prophecy
Prophecy
Prophecy is a process in which one or more messages that have been communicated to a prophet are then communicated to others. Such messages typically involve divine inspiration, interpretation, or revelation of conditioned events to come as well as testimonies or repeated revelations that the...
referred to the Messiah
Messiah
A messiah is a redeemer figure expected or foretold in one form or another by a religion. Slightly more widely, a messiah is any redeemer figure. Messianic beliefs or theories generally relate to eschatological improvement of the state of humanity or the world, in other words the World to...
as 'the lion of the tribe of Judah
Tribe of Judah
According to the Hebrew Bible, the Tribe of Judah was one of the Tribes of Israel.Following the completion of the conquest of Canaan by the Israelite tribes after about 1200 BCE, Joshua allocated the land among the twelve tribes....
,' and C.S. Lewis' Narnia series made a Christlike figure out of a lion named Aslan
Aslan
Aslan, the "Great Lion," is the central character in The Chronicles of Narnia, a series of seven fantasy novels for children written by C. S. Lewis. He is the eponymous lion of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and his role in Narnia is developed throughout the remaining books...
, as well as the obvious insinuation of Adam
Adam
Adam is a figure in the Book of Genesis. According to the creation myth of Abrahamic religions, he is the first human. In the Genesis creation narratives, he was created by Yahweh-Elohim , and the first woman, Eve was formed from his rib...
in the Garden of Eden
Garden of Eden
The Garden of Eden is in the Bible's Book of Genesis as being the place where the first man, Adam, and his wife, Eve, lived after they were created by God. Literally, the Bible speaks about a garden in Eden...
, flew over the heads of many people, who focused on a patch of grass covering Larry's nether parts".
Steve Turner adds: "The songs which examined the fall were mostly written from the perspective of the scarred and his public just could not take the idea of an artist taking another persona
Persona
A persona, in the word's everyday usage, is a social role or a character played by an actor. The word is derived from Latin, where it originally referred to a theatrical mask. The Latin word probably derived from the Etruscan word "phersu", with the same meaning, and that from the Greek πρόσωπον...
to make a point. To them he was a backslider who had broken with his wife and was seeking fame (the ideas being taken from his songs)". Turner indicated that Bible bookstores, especially in the southern and midwestern States of the USA, refused to sell his albums, and that all of his concerts were canceled until Noel Paul Stookey invited him onto stage during one of his concerts eighteen months later.
However, believing that MGM was interfering with the subject matter of his records, by 1974 Norman left MGM due to "a squabble with MGM over song choices for his next album, ..."In Another Land". Not long after this decision, MGM Records folded due to economic difficulties.
A version of the song "Christmas Time" originally appeared on the rare album Born Twice
Born Twice
Born Twice is the title of an album by Randy Stonehill, which was released in 1971.-Track listing:All Songs Written by Randy Stonehill, except "Hand in the Hand" by Gene MacLellan, "I Need You" by Jimmy Owens, and "He's Got the Whole World" and "He is a Friend of Mine" are Public Domain-Words & Arr...
, by Norman's friend Randy Stonehill
Randy Stonehill
Randall Evan "Randy" Stonehill is an American singer-songwriter from Stockton, California, best known as one of the so-called "fathers of contemporary Christian music". His music is primarily folk rock in the style of James Taylor, but he has assayed other styles, with various albums focused on...
, which Norman had produced in 1969. On that LP, the song is credited as having been written by Stonehill, but So Long Ago the Garden credits Norman as the writer.
"Lonely By Myself" was recorded using the same mellotron
Mellotron
The Mellotron is an electro-mechanical, polyphonic tape replay keyboard originally developed and built in Birmingham, England in the early 1960s. It superseded the Chamberlin Music Master, which was the world's first sample-playback keyboard intended for music...
The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
used on "Strawberry Fields Forever
Strawberry Fields Forever
"Strawberry Fields Forever" is a song by The Beatles, written by John Lennon and attributed to the Lennon–McCartney songwriting partnership. It was inspired by Lennon's memories of playing in the garden of a Salvation Army house named "Strawberry Field" near his childhood home."Strawberry Fields...
" while Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
was in the next room recording "Live and Let Die
Live and Let Die (song)
"Live and Let Die" is the main theme song of the 1973 James Bond film Live and Let Die and was performed by Paul McCartney & Wings for the movie soundtrack and appears on the soundtrack album. The song was one of Wings' most successful singles, and the most successful Bond theme to that point...
."
The song "Nightmare #71" mentions silent film star Elmo Lincoln
Elmo Lincoln
Elmo Lincoln was an American film actor.Born Otto Elmo Linkenhelt, the barrel-chested actor is best known in his silent movie role as the first Tarzan in 1918's Tarzan of the Apes as an adult --...
. Lincoln has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
at 7042 Hollywood Boulevard. Norman's Solid Rock Records
Solid Rock Records
Solid Rock Records is the record label of Larry Norman. It was set up in 1975 to distribute his own work, after he had been released by Capitol Records. Solid Rock had a distribution deal with Word Records until 1980....
office was next door at 7046 Hollywood Boulevard.
Tracks
All songs by Larry Norman.Original LP release
Side 1
- "Meet Me at the Airport (Fly, Fly, Fly)"
- "It's the Same Old Story"
- "Lonely By Myself"
- "Be Careful What You Sign"
- "Baroquen Spirits"
Side 2
- "Christmas Time"
- "She's a Dancer"
- "Soul Survivor"
- "Nightmare #71"
Extra tracks on subsequent releases
- "Up In Canada" (1973 single)
- "Soul Survivor" (previously unreleased alternate take)
"Baroquen Spirits" was co-written by Denny Fridkin, but never credited to him.
Personnel
- Larry NormanLarry NormanLarry David Norman was an American Christian musician, singer, songwriter, record label owner, and record producer, who worked with Christian rock music...
– vocals, keyboards - Bob Brady – piano
- Tony Carr – percussion
- Malcolm DuncanMalcolm Duncan (musician)Malcolm "Molly" Duncan is a tenor saxophonist and founding member of Average White Band.Duncan has recorded with Ray Charles, Tom Petty, Buddy Guy, Ben E...
– saxophone - Roger Ball – saxophone
- Rod EdwardsEdwards HandEdwards Hand are a musical group formed by Englishmen Rod Edwards and Roger Hand...
– piano, clavinet, wurlitzer, Mini Moog, Hammond Synth - Michael GilesMichael GilesMichael Giles is an English drummer, best known as a co-founder of King Crimson in 1969...
– drums - Roger HandEdwards HandEdwards Hand are a musical group formed by Englishmen Rod Edwards and Roger Hand...
– percussion - Hollywood Street Choir – vocals
- Graham Smith – harmonica
- Randy StonehillRandy StonehillRandall Evan "Randy" Stonehill is an American singer-songwriter from Stockton, California, best known as one of the so-called "fathers of contemporary Christian music". His music is primarily folk rock in the style of James Taylor, but he has assayed other styles, with various albums focused on...
– guitar, background vocals - Mickey Keene – guitar
- Dave Markee – bass
- Dave WintourDave WintourDave Wintour is a bass guitarist and session musician.He has played and recorded with artists such as Rick Wakeman, Pete Atkin, Kenny Young, the pioneer jazz-rock band If, Clifford T. Ward, Roger Daltrey, Slapp Happy, Steve Swindells, The Pretty Things, Stealers Wheel and Leo Sayer.From 1995 to...
– bass - Graham Preskett – violin
Production notes
- Gareth Edwards – assistant engineer
- George MartinGeorge MartinSir George Henry Martin CBE is an English record producer, arranger, composer and musician. He is sometimes referred to as "the Fifth Beatle"— a title that he often describes as "nonsense," but the fact remains that he served as producer on all but one of The Beatles' original albums...
– recording - Bill PriceBill Price (record producer)Bill Price is a producer and engineer famed for his work with The Clash, The Sex Pistols, Guns N' Roses, The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Nymphs and The Waterboys....
– engineer - Tony ScottiTony ScottiAnthony "Tony" Joseph Scotti is an American actor, television and film producer, and co-founder of Scotti Brothers Records.-Acting:...
– mix down - Tommy Vicari – mastering