About

Ricky Gardiner was born in Edinburgh in 1948 and is musically self taught.He used to listen to 78’s of Italian opera and was able to sing famous arias note perfect at the age of 2. He went to Craigmount School in the Borders of Scotland and later Eastwood School, Glasgow.
Ricky joined his first school band the Vostoks in 1962, where he met Virginia Scott. Next there was the Kingbees and the System, where Ricky was to join with Martin Griffiths and Marshall Erskine, later to become members of Beggars Opera.

1969: Ricky formed Beggars Opera, progressive rock band. They toured UK and Europe extensively and were signed to Vertigo Records from 1970 to 1974 and recorded 4 albums.
Act One
Waters of Change
Pathfinder
Get Your Dog off Me
1974/1975: A further two Beggars Opera albums for Jupiter Records Germany.
Sagittary
Beggars Can’t be Choosers
Session work on Tony Visconti’s solo album Inventory.
1976: Ricky recorded guitar on the now legendary Low album by David Bowie at the Chateux d’Herouville studio Paris, France. It was while working on this album that Ricky met Iggy Pop.
1977: Ricky went to Berlin for rehearsals with David Bowie and Iggy Pop. They were joined by Hunt and Tony Sales and they toured the UK and USA to promote Iggy’s Idiot album. Following this tour the band returned to Berlin and recorded the iconic Lust for Life album. Ricky wrote the The Passenger with Iggy Pop, Neighborhood Threat and Success with Iggy Pop and David Bowie. Ricky was once again asked to tour with Iggy Pop on the Lust for Life world tour of 77/78, but fatherhood loomed.
1978: Ricky set up his own recording studio. He started writing music for meditation and exploring the use of computers in music.

1985: The Flood: Ricky Gardiner: Guitar and Computers.
1987: Precious Life, Symphony for Computer, Clarinet and Voice. Ricky Gardiner, Computers, Alan Cooper, Clarinet and Delme Bryn Jones, Baritone
1994: Kumara Confluence, ambient music developed from keyboard, guitar and vocal improvisations was released with Ricky Gardiner: Guitar and Computers, Virginia Scott: Keys and Voice, Trevor Stainsby: Programming/Percussion/Synths
1995: Ricky fell ill and developed Electrosensitivity.
Auschwitz: Ricky Gardiner, Guitar and Virginia Scott, Keys and Vox
This piece commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz, was to be the last long improvisational piece of music written by Ricky, as due to Electrosensitivity, he was no longer to be able to spend long periods of time with computing devices.

Ricky continues to produce music in his modified studio with:
Virginia Aurora Scott
and
Tom Gardiner Drummer

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/artist/beggars-opera/id68168842

New work includes:

The Passenger RGS 9472
Close to My Heart RGS 9473
Touching the Edge RGS 9475
Suddenly Ahead Ahead RGS 9483
All Tomorrows Thinking RGS 9484
Lose a Life RGS 9485
Promise in Motion RGS 9486
Mrs Caligari’s Lighter RGS 9494
If We Couldn’t Speak RGS 9495