Remembering Ricky Gardiner: A Beggars Opera Tribute


Welcome to a rough guide to Beggars Opera the 9th and final line-up (see below) and the creative process involved in the production of the 10 Beggars Opera Progressive Rock albums, released by RGS (Ricky Gardiner Songs )

In 1996, Ricky Gardiner fell ill with SHINGLES and then developed an extremely rare condition known as Electrical Sensitivity. As a result he was unable to do live performance or work on any of the extended symphonic guitar pieces he was creating at the time. His studio had to be totally remapped and was in fact spilt in two working units. One for Ricky and one for Virginia. 

Song structures, back tracks and lyrics were created by Virginia Scott and then she recorded vocals and keyboards in her studio . These tracks were then imported into Ricky’s studio and guitars were added. Tom Gardiner drummer sent tracks remotely from his pod and then Ricky produced a mix.

Since Ricky passed away in 2022 it has been very difficult to listen to these tracks, but now we are enjoying Ricky’s incredibly melodically beautiful guitar playing again.

CHECK IT OUT

Catching on to You from Beggars Opera All Tomorrows Thinking

  “Catching On To You” flows heavy, etching itself in a memory  https://dmme.net

Beggars Opera line-ups from 1970- 2022 

1/ Ricky Gardiner, Alan Park,  Martin Griffiths, Marshall  Erskine & Ray Wilson

2/ Ricky Gardiner, Alan Park,  Martin Griffiths, Gordon Sellar, Virginia Scott & Ray Wilson 

3/ Ricky Gardiner, Alan Park, Pete Scott, Gordon Sellar & Ray Wilson

4/ Ricky Gardiner, Alan Park, Linnie Patterson, Gordon Sellar & Ray Wilson

5/ Ricky Gardiner, Alan Park, Linnie Patterson, Gordon Sellar & Colin Fairley

6/ Ricky Gardiner, Virginia  Scott, Pete Scott & Mike Travis

7/ Ricky Gardiner, Virginia Scott, Pete Scott & Clem Cattini

8/ Alan Park, Gordon Sellar,  Linnie  Paterson, John Hollywood & Colin Pattenden

9/ Ricky Gardiner, Virginia Scott & Tom Gardiner

http://www.progressor.net/review/beggars_opera_overall.html#p2



Ricky Gardiner’s Guitar Solo in Electrofire Invasion

Enjoy this awesomely powerful guitar solo from Ricky Gardiner in Electrofire Invasion/ Beggars Opera / Lose a life.


AI says :
"Electrofire Invasion" is the opening track from the Beggars Opera album Lose a Life, released on August 31, 2010. The album is a concept album written by Virginia Scott and Ricky Gardiner, and the song and entire album are about the experience of living with electrical sensitivity.

electrofire invasion

my brain hurts
my eyes blur
i am crushed
i am numb and motionless
from electrofire invasion
save me
save me

my head spins
my cells shiver
my thoughts dissolve
i am numb and motionless
from electrofire invasion
save me
save me

www.beggarsopera.co.uk

Discover the Meaning Behind ‘More Blue Sky’

Ricky Gardiner
More Blue Sky


More Blue Sky song is from the Beggars Opera Doris EP , featuring Ricky Gardiner on guitar.


more blue sky
i felt grey
i feel it now
i feel it more than you
gimme some more blue sky
gimme some more blue sky
gimme some more blue sky

i saw the stars
i saw the darkening horizon i wished for you
burnt with puzzle over puzzle over puzzle
i finally saw the truth of it and now
i’m glad your gone

gimme some more blue sky
gimme some more blue sky
gimme some more blue sky

https://www.beggarsopera.co.uk/product-page/beggars-opera-doris-digital-download

Ricky Gardiner’s Unique Guitar Styles in Tango for the End of Time

Ricky Gardiner guitarist dances in Tango for the End of Time by Beggars Opera. This avant garde progressive rock track comes from Beggars Opera/ Lose a Life an album which has incredible presence as a result of Ricky Gardiner’s ability to create massive sound structures with his choices of guitars and effects. Ricky’s extended melodies and string bending are unique in the guitar world.

Tango for the End of Time video by Virginia Scott

Ricky Gardiner rip

Ricky Gardiner 1948/2022

It is with deep sadness that we annouce the passing of Ricky Gardiner Guitarist Songwriter/ Composer.
Ricky passed away in his sleep ealry in the morning of Friday the 13th of May. He had been suffering from Parkinson PSP for the last 12 years of his life.
We thank you for privacy at this time and welcome donations to https://pspassociation.org.uk to help to raise awareness of this rare condition.

Love and Light
Virginia and all the Gardiner family

Listen to Ricky’s last work ‘Songs For The Electric’ here: https://www.beggarsopera.co.uk