The Magic Garden

About The Magic Garden

The Magic Garden is the second album by American pop group the 5th Dimension, released in 1967 (see 1967 in music). Considered a concept album, it tells the story of a couple's love and the end of their relationship. In more recent discussions of the album, that love affair is said to be about Jimmy Webb — who authored 10 of the album's 11 tracks — and his time with singer and then-girlfriend Susan Horton (In fact, the name Susan is referenced by name on the track "Dreams/Pax/Nepenthe"). The only non-Jimmy Webb song on the album, "Ticket to Ride", is an unused track from the group's first album, Up, Up and Away. Following the ubiquitous success of Up, Up and Away, which spawned two Top-20 singles on the Billboard Pop Chart, expectations were high for The Magic Garden. However, the album just missed the Billboard Hot 100, and no Top 20 singles would emerge from it in the US. The first single, "Paper Cup", rose only to #32. "Carpet Man", the album's second single, landed at #29 in the US, but found great success in Canada, charting at #3 on Toronto's CHUM chart, and #11 on the RPM chart, in March 1968. The group performed the song on Kraft Music Hall (on an episode hosted by John Davidson) and the Ed Sullivan Show more »