Boris Gardiner (born 13 January 1943)
In 1960 he joined Richard Ace's band the Rhythm Aces, which also included Delano Stewart, later of the Gaylads. With the group he recorded "Angella", and the local hits "A Thousand Teardrops" and "C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S" (written with his brother Barrington). The group split up and by 1963 Gardiner had joined Kes Chin and The Souvenirs as vocalist, and began learning guitar. 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. While working at Studio One he played on hits such as The Heptones' "On Top", Larry and Alvin's "Nanny Goat", and Marcia Griffiths' "Feel Like Jumping". Gardiner told Jamaican vlogger Teach Dem on February 14, 2023 that he did not receive a penny of royalties, or any payment, for "Elizabethan Reggae".
His debut album, Reggae Happening, was also released in 1970,
In 1986, Gardiner recorded the single "I Wanna Wake Up with You", which became a surprise number one hit in the UK. The song also opens the 2016 film Moonlight.
Discography
Albums
- Reggae Happening (1970), Trojan
- It's So Nice to Be with You (1970), Steady
- Soulful Experience (1971), Dynamic Sounds
- For All We Know (1972), Dynamic Sounds
- Is What's Happening (1973), Dynamic Sounds
- Every Nigger Is a Star OST (1973), Leal Productions
- Everything to Me (1986), Revue, AUS No. 45
! style="width:45px;"|<small>UK</small><br>
|-
| rowspan="1"| 1970
| "Elizabethan Reggae"
| align=center | —
| align=center | 14
|
|-
| rowspan="3"| 1986
| "I Wanna Wake Up with You"
| align=center | 1
| align=center | 1
|
- BPI: Gold
|-
| "You're Every Thing to Me"
| align=center | —
| align=center | 11
|
|-
| "The Meaning of Christmas"
| align=center | —
| align=center | 69
|
|-
| rowspan="1"| 1987
| "Friends and Lovers" <small>(with Gwen Guthrie)</small>
| align=center | —
| align=center | 97
|
|-
| colspan="5" style="text-align:center; font-size:9pt;"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.
|}
References
External links
- Trinidad Guardian biography
- Reggae Train biography
- "I Want to Wake Up with You" story
- BORIS GARDINER shares his STORY