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Remembering Ricky Gardiner: A Beggars Opera Tribute

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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



Beggars Opera: Pete Scott’s Key Contributions

Beggars Opera Backstage with Pete Scott
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Singer Pete Scott joined Beggars Opera in 1973 He was a classically trained and sang blues, having previously been with Savoy Brown on a tour of USA. He has an amazing improvisational ability. This is a rare image of the band at the time, taken at the Legendary Marquee club in London of l/ r Ricky Gardiner, Pete Scott, Raymond Wilson and Gordon Sellar. Pete Scott was to return to Beggars Opera in 1975 and sang on Beggars Opera releases Sagittary and Beggars Can’t be Choosers for Jupiter Records Germany.

Discover the Meaning Behind ‘More Blue Sky’

Ricky Gardiner
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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

When Prog Rock ruled the world – the Glasgow band which led the way (The Herald)

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Thanks to Russel Leadbetter for his write up in the Herald recently about Beggars Opera in 70’s Glasgow.

“BACK in the November of 1969, the discerning music fan in Glasgow had lots of intriguing concerts to choose from.

David Bowie, Deep Purple, and Fat Mattress – the latter featuring Noel Redding, former bassist with the Jimi Hendrix Experience – all played the Electric Garden on Sauchiehall Street. Such shows were billed as ‘Electric Garden goes Underground every Monday night’.

Jon Hiseman’s Colosseum were at the Maryland Club, in Scott Street, across the road from the Glasgow School of Art. And, down at Burns Howff on West Regent Street, a progressive rock band called Beggars Opera was about to start a residency.

The quintet took over the slot from the popular rock band Stone the Crows (who themselves included Maggie Bell, Jimmy Dewar, and Les Harvey), and were an immediate success. At one point in 1970, a city newspaper reported that there was an hour-long queue outside the venue on a Saturday morning, prior to a Beggars Opera appearance.”

For the full article click on this link: BACK in the November of 1969, the discerning music fan in Glasgow had lots of intriguing concerts to choose from.

For full article:

https://www.heraldscotland.com/life_style/25081470.glasgow-prog-rock-band-whose-journey-started-burns-howff/?fbclid=IwY2xjawJtnldleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHod2AwPMRhiNICDaJ9Odofwauz7glIsTU4FJVt0fSChbOOjUU_W9oprM07tj_aem_p8Ef1r7pV7vC9F4AyF5oMg

Exploring the Legendary Chateaux Marmont and Bowie’s Sound Techniques

the Chateaux Marmont 1976
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Photo: Ricky Gardiner on Tour with David Bowie and Iggy Pop.

This villa is situated behind the legendary Chateaux Marmont Hotel, Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles where Ricky Gardiner stayed during the Idiot Tour of 1976 with David Bowie on Keys.

David’s piano was set up with an electronic pick up and a Lesley cabinet which gave it that tremendous spooky sound. How about that for a prepared piano 🙂

Rare Behind-the-Scenes Photos of David Bowie’s Low Sessions

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From David Bowie News – I came across this post today about Ricky’s vintage photos of the Low Sessions at Chateau D’Herouville, Paris 1976 taken on his trusty Nikormat.

There are other great images in the film of the musicians who were there, but this one is especially rare as apparently, according to Tony Visconti, it is the only image there is of David Bowie, Tony Visconti and Brian Eno together.

David Bowie Low Sessions 1976

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David Bowie Low sessions at the Chateau d’Herouville 1976, featuring all the band and Tony Visconti and Brain Eno, kids and crew.

Behind the scenes photos by Ricky Gardiner’s Nikkormat camera and Kodachrome film.

Music: Night/ Songs for the Electric Ricky Gardiner and Virginia Scott