Their debut album A Strange Fantastic Dream, produced by Peter Dawkins was released in Australia on EMI and in the UK on progressive label Harvest in 1974, and reached No.
[1] According to the liner notes for the CD release of the album, there were calls to ban the LP because of its psychedelic cover artwork by Stephen Nelson, which included a figure holding a hypodermic syringe.
Airplay for the LP was further hindered by the banning of three songs (the darkly satirical "Confessions of a Psychotic Cowpoke", "Miracle Man" and "Chicken Shit") by the commercial radio industry's self-regulatory body in Australia, the FACB.
One particularly important outcome for the group was that EMI International's President, Allan Davies, who fell in love with the album saying "You know, Peter (Dawkins), I can't recall ever hearing a song about necrophilia!"
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.
After returning to Australia in early 1975 Ariel added a fifth member, singer-guitarist Glyn Mason, formerly of Chain, Jeff St John & Copperwine and Home.
Harvey James quit Ariel abruptly later in 1976 after he was invited to join leading Australian pop group Sherbet, where he replaced founding member Clive Shakespeare.
Ariel announced its breakup in July 1977 and just before their CBS contract expired, the "Island Fantasy" themed farewell concert was staged on Sunday 21 August 1977 at the Dallas Brooks Hall in Melbourne.