Boris Gardiner
Encyclopedia
Boris Gardiner is a Jamaica
n singer, songwriter
and bass guitarist.
and Byron Lee
's Dragonaires
. In the late 1960s and 1970s he worked extensively as a session musician as a member of the Now Generation, The Upsetters
, The Aggrovators
, and The Crystallites
.
Gardiner as a solo artist had a chart hit with the song "Elizabethan Reggae" in 1970, a version of Ronald Binge
's "Elizabethan Serenade
". Actually, he nearly did not appear at all. The story about his first hit is that, when it was released in the UK
, the first copies were printed with the label incorrectly identifying Byron Lee as the performer. The reality was that he was the instrumental
track's record producer
. The UK Singles Chart
for the first entry, and the subsequent first four weeks of its re-entry into the charts all reprinted this error. However, all charts and discs printed after 28 February 1970, duly gave Boris Gardiner the credit he deserved.
His debut album
Reggae Happening was also released in 1970 and (although it did not make the pop
chart
) "sold respectably for a reggae
LP
" in the UK, according to music journalist Ian McCann. Although Gardiner continued to be successful in Jamaica
, he had no more hits in the UK during that decade.
However, in 1986 he recorded
the single
, "I Want to Wake Up with You
", a surprise UK Number One
, which spent two months in the Top Ten. The accompanying album, Everything to Me also included the follow-up hit, "You're Everything to Me" (which just missed out being another Top 10 entry, when it peaked at Number 11). The single "The Meaning of Christmas" was also released later that year.
Later, Gardiner signed to RCA Records
.
In 2002, a twenty two track anthology, The Very Best of Boris Gardiner was issued on CD
by Music Club.
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
n singer, songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
and bass guitarist.
Career
Gardiner performed on the tourist circuit for much of the 1960s and was a member of Carlos Malcolm & the Afro CaribsCarlos Malcolm
Carlos Malcolm is a Jamaican trombonist, percussionist and bandleader who was most popular in the late 1950s and 1960s.-Biography:Carlos Malcolm was born in Panama c.1935 to Jamaican parents and grew up in Kingston. His father, Wilfred Malcolm , went to Panama and worked as a bookkeeper in the...
and Byron Lee
Byron Lee
Byron Lee OD, OJ was a musician, record producer, and entrepreneur, best known for his work as leader of Byron Lee and the Dragonaires.-Biography:Lee was born in Christiana in Manchester Parish to an Afro-Jamaican mother and a Chinese father Byron Lee OD, OJ (born Byron Aloysius St. Elmo Lee, 27...
's Dragonaires
Byron Lee & the Dragonaires
Byron Lee and the Dragonaires are a Jamaican ska, calypso and soca band. The band played a crucial pioneering role in bringing Caribbean music to the world...
. In the late 1960s and 1970s he worked extensively as a session musician as a member of the Now Generation, The Upsetters
The Upsetters
The Upsetters was the name given to the house band for Jamaican reggae producer Lee "Scratch" Perry. The name of the band comes from Perry's nickname of Upsetter, after his song "I Am The Upsetter", a musical dismissal of his former boss Coxsone Dodd....
, The Aggrovators
The Aggrovators
The Aggrovators were a dub/reggae backing band in the 1970s & 1980s, and one of the main session bands of producer, Bunny Lee. The line-up varied, with Lee using the name for whichever set of musicians he was using at any time. The band's name derived from the record shop that Lee had run in the...
, and The Crystallites
Derrick Harriott
Derrick Harriott is a singer and record producer. He has produced recordings by Big Youth, Chariot Riders, The Chosen Few, Dennis Brown, The Ethiopians, Keith & Tex, The Kingstonians, Rudy Mills, Scotty, Sly & Revolutionaries, and Winston McAnuff.-Biography:As a student at Excelsior High School,...
.
Gardiner as a solo artist had a chart hit with the song "Elizabethan Reggae" in 1970, a version of Ronald Binge
Ronald Binge
Ronald Binge was a British composer and arranger of light music.-Biography:He was born in a working-class neighbourhood in Derby in the English Midlands. In his childhood he was a chorister at Saint Andrews Church , London Road, Derby - 'the railwaymens church'...
's "Elizabethan Serenade
Elizabethan Serenade
Elizabethan Serenade is a light music composition by Ronald Binge. When it was first played by the Mantovani orchestra in 1951, it was simply titled "Andante cantabile"...
". Actually, he nearly did not appear at all. The story about his first hit is that, when it was released in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, the first copies were printed with the label incorrectly identifying Byron Lee as the performer. The reality was that he was the instrumental
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
track's record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
. The UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
for the first entry, and the subsequent first four weeks of its re-entry into the charts all reprinted this error. However, all charts and discs printed after 28 February 1970, duly gave Boris Gardiner the credit he deserved.
His debut album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
Reggae Happening was also released in 1970 and (although it did not make the pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
) "sold respectably for a reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
LP
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
" in the UK, according to music journalist Ian McCann. Although Gardiner continued to be successful in Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
, he had no more hits in the UK during that decade.
However, in 1986 he recorded
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
the single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, "I Want to Wake Up with You
I Want To Wake Up With You
"I Want to Wake Up with You" is a song made popular by Boris Gardiner.Written by Ben Peters and produced by Ken Lindo, veteran reggae artist Boris Gardiner took the song to #1 on the UK Singles Chart for three weeks in August 1986. The song has subsequently been covered by John Holt and Engelbert...
", a surprise UK Number One
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, which spent two months in the Top Ten. The accompanying album, Everything to Me also included the follow-up hit, "You're Everything to Me" (which just missed out being another Top 10 entry, when it peaked at Number 11). The single "The Meaning of Christmas" was also released later that year.
Later, Gardiner signed to RCA Records
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
.
In 2002, a twenty two track anthology, The Very Best of Boris Gardiner was issued on CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
by Music Club.
Selected album discography
- Let's Take a Holiday - (1992) - (VP RecordsVP RecordsVP Records is an independent reggae record label, located in Queens, New York. It is best known for producing Caribbean singers.-The foundation:...
) - Next to You - (1992) - (VP)
- Reggae Happening - (1996) - (Jamaican GoldJamaican GoldJamaican Gold is an independent record label from Netherlands specialized in Jamaican music reissues.Aad Van Der Hoek founded the label in 1992 and has since been working closely with Jamaican producers and sound engineers, transferring usually the music directly from the original mastertape in...
) - The Very Best of Boris Gardiner - (2002) - (Music Club Records)
- I Want to Wake Up With You: The Best Of Boris Gardiner - (2004) - (SanctuarySanctuary RecordsSanctuary Records Group Limited was a record label based in the United Kingdom and a subsidiary of Universal Music Group. Until June 2007, it was the largest independent record label in the UK and the largest independent music management company in the world...
/TrojanTrojan RecordsTrojan Records is a British record label founded in 1968. It specialises in ska, rocksteady, reggae and dub music. The label currently operates under the Sanctuary Records Group. The name Trojan comes from the Croydon-built Trojan truck that was used as Duke Reid's sound system in Jamaica...
)