Paul Gardiner
Encyclopedia
Paul Gardiner was a British musician who played bass guitar
with Gary Numan
and Tubeway Army
as well as material under his own name.
, Middlesex
. In early 1976 he was playing in a band called The Lasers when Gary Numan (then using his real name Gary Webb) auditioned as lead guitar
ist. The two became fast friends and when Numan left the band soon after, Gardiner followed. The pair formed Tubeway Army, initially with Numan's uncle Jess Lidyard
on drum
s. In October 1977, the band was signed to the independent label Beggars Banquet
and released their first single, "That's Too Bad
", in February 1978. The trio used assumed names, Gardiner's being 'Scarlett'.
An ever-changing line-up played gigs over the next few months, Gardiner and Numan being the only constant members. Settling back to a three-piece outfit with Lidyard, the band released two albums as Tubeway Army, an eponymously-titled debut
in 1978 and the #1 hit Replicas
in 1979. When Numan dropped the name Tubeway Army in mid-1979, Gardiner remained as bassist, playing on the #1 albums The Pleasure Principle
(1979) and Telekon
(1980), and touring with Numan throughout the world in 1979-81.
Following Numan's 'retirement' in April 1981, after final concerts at Wembley Arena
, his backing band went its separate ways. Most of the members formed a new group called Dramatis
, while Gardiner elected to concentrate on a solo career. Gardiner's debut solo release was a single co-written with Numan called "Stormtrooper in Drag
" b/w "Night Talk" in 1981. It made #49 in the UK Singles Chart
. On these tracks Gardiner and Numan were credited with guitar and bass, respectively; Gardiner also played synthesizer.
Gardiner's recording of The Velvet Underground
's "Venus in Furs
" was the first release on Numan's own label, Numa, in 1984. The single's B-side, "No Sense", was written by Gardiner. Aside from work on solo projects, he played with Dramatis in 1982 and, shortly before his death, worked with Marc Anthony Thompson
on the latter's debut album.
Paul Gardiner struggled with heroin addiction in his last years and died of a fatal heroin overdose
on February 4, 1984 in Limetrees Park in Northolt
, Middlesex. He was survived by a son, Chris.
Gary Numan wrote the song "A Child with the Ghost" (from the 1984 album Berserker) in memory of his friend and former bass-player. He also paid tribute to Gardiner on the 10th and 20th anniversaries of his death by playing, respectively, "Stormtrooper in Drag" on his 1994 tour (released on the 1995 live album Dark Light) and "Night Talk" at a 2004 charity gig.
During the 2009 Pleasure Principle tour Numan paid tribute to Gardiner on his 25th anniversary by playing "Complex" (the demo version) with a picture of Gardiner displayed on the large screen background.
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
with Gary Numan
Gary Numan
Gary Numan is an English singer, composer, and musician, most widely known for his chart-topping 1979 hits "Are 'Friends' Electric?" and "Cars". His signature sound consisted of heavy synthesizer hooks fed through guitar effects pedals.Numan is considered a pioneer of commercial electronic music...
and Tubeway Army
Tubeway Army
Tubeway Army were a London-based punk rock and new wave band led by lead singer Gary Numan. They were the first band of the post-punk era to have a synthesizer-based hit, with their single Are 'Friends' Electric? and its parent album Replicas both topping the UK Album Chart in mid-1979.-Line-up:The...
as well as material under his own name.
Biography
Paul Gardiner was born in HayesHayes, Hillingdon
Hayes is a town in the London Borough of Hillingdon, West London. It is a suburban development situated west of Charing Cross. Hayes was developed in the late 19th and 20th centuries as an industrial locality to which residential districts were later added in order to house factory workers...
, Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
. In early 1976 he was playing in a band called The Lasers when Gary Numan (then using his real name Gary Webb) auditioned as lead guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
ist. The two became fast friends and when Numan left the band soon after, Gardiner followed. The pair formed Tubeway Army, initially with Numan's uncle Jess Lidyard
Jess Lidyard
Jess Lidyard is the former drummer of Tubeway Army. He is bandleader Gary Numan's uncle, and played on the band's self-titled debut album and on the highly successful Replicas, which featured the hit "Are 'Friends' Electric?"...
on drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s. In October 1977, the band was signed to the independent label Beggars Banquet
Beggars Banquet Records
Beggars Banquet is an English independent record label that began as a chain of record shops owned by Martin Mills and Nick Austin, and is part of the Beggars Group of labels...
and released their first single, "That's Too Bad
That's Too Bad
"That's Too Bad" is the debut single by Tubeway Army, the band which provided the initial musical vehicle for Gary Numan. It was released in February 1978 by independent London record label Beggars Banquet...
", in February 1978. The trio used assumed names, Gardiner's being 'Scarlett'.
An ever-changing line-up played gigs over the next few months, Gardiner and Numan being the only constant members. Settling back to a three-piece outfit with Lidyard, the band released two albums as Tubeway Army, an eponymously-titled debut
Tubeway Army (album)
Tubeway Army is the debut album by Gary Numan and his band Tubeway Army, released in 1978. Its initial limited-edition run of 5000 sold out but did not chart...
in 1978 and the #1 hit Replicas
Replicas (album)
Replicas is an album by Tubeway Army, released in 1979. It was the second and final Tubeway Army LP, following a self-titled debut the previous year...
in 1979. When Numan dropped the name Tubeway Army in mid-1979, Gardiner remained as bassist, playing on the #1 albums The Pleasure Principle
The Pleasure Principle (Gary Numan album)
The Pleasure Principle is the third studio album, and debut album under his own name, by electronic music pioneer Gary Numan, released in 1979...
(1979) and Telekon
Telekon
Released in 1980, Telekon is the fourth studio album, and second album under his own name, by the British musician Gary Numan. It debuted at the top of the UK charts in September 1980, making it his third and consecutive no.1 album....
(1980), and touring with Numan throughout the world in 1979-81.
Following Numan's 'retirement' in April 1981, after final concerts at Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena is an indoor arena, at Wembley, in the London Borough of Brent. The building is opposite Wembley Stadium.-History:...
, his backing band went its separate ways. Most of the members formed a new group called Dramatis
Dramatis
Dramatis were an English synthpop band from the early 1980s. Chris Payne , Russell Bell , Cedric Sharpley , and Denis Haines were all originally members of Gary Numan's backing band. They formed Dramatis following Numan's announced retirement in April 1981.They released six singles and one album...
, while Gardiner elected to concentrate on a solo career. Gardiner's debut solo release was a single co-written with Numan called "Stormtrooper in Drag
Stormtrooper in Drag
"Stormtrooper in Drag" is the debut single by Paul Gardiner previously the bass-player for Tubeway Army) and Gary Numan.-Production background:...
" b/w "Night Talk" in 1981. It made #49 in 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 ...
. On these tracks Gardiner and Numan were credited with guitar and bass, respectively; Gardiner also played synthesizer.
Gardiner's recording of The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground was an American rock band formed in New York City. First active from 1964 to 1973, their best-known members were Lou Reed and John Cale, who both went on to find success as solo artists. Although experiencing little commercial success while together, the band is often cited...
's "Venus in Furs
Venus in Furs (song)
"Venus in Furs" is a song by The Velvet Underground, written by Lou Reed and originally released on the 1967 album The Velvet Underground & Nico. Inspired by the book of the same name by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, the song includes sexual themes of sadomasochism, bondage and...
" was the first release on Numan's own label, Numa, in 1984. The single's B-side, "No Sense", was written by Gardiner. Aside from work on solo projects, he played with Dramatis in 1982 and, shortly before his death, worked with Marc Anthony Thompson
Chocolate Genius, Inc.
Chocolate Genius, Inc. is a loose collective of musicians centered around Marc Anthony Thompson, a singer-songwriter from New York City....
on the latter's debut album.
Paul Gardiner struggled with heroin addiction in his last years and died of a fatal heroin overdose
Drug overdose
The term drug overdose describes the ingestion or application of a drug or other substance in quantities greater than are recommended or generally practiced...
on February 4, 1984 in Limetrees Park in Northolt
Northolt
Northolt is a town in the London Borough of Ealing, England. The town has London Underground and Network Rail stations and is on the A40 road...
, Middlesex. He was survived by a son, Chris.
Gary Numan wrote the song "A Child with the Ghost" (from the 1984 album Berserker) in memory of his friend and former bass-player. He also paid tribute to Gardiner on the 10th and 20th anniversaries of his death by playing, respectively, "Stormtrooper in Drag" on his 1994 tour (released on the 1995 live album Dark Light) and "Night Talk" at a 2004 charity gig.
During the 2009 Pleasure Principle tour Numan paid tribute to Gardiner on his 25th anniversary by playing "Complex" (the demo version) with a picture of Gardiner displayed on the large screen background.
Tubeway Army
- "That's Too BadThat's Too Bad"That's Too Bad" is the debut single by Tubeway Army, the band which provided the initial musical vehicle for Gary Numan. It was released in February 1978 by independent London record label Beggars Banquet...
" (1978) - "Bombers" (1978)
- "Down in the ParkDown in the Park"Down in the Park" is a 1979 single written and recorded by Gary Numan with his band Tubeway Army. The first cut from the album Replicas, it was not a hit when released but has long been a critical and fan favourite and for many years was described by Numan as his best composition.-Style:Like the...
" (1979) - "Are 'Friends' Electric?Are 'Friends' Electric?"Are 'Friends' Electric?" is a 1979 song written by Gary Numan, released under the name of his then-band Tubeway Army as a single and on the album Replicas...
" (1979)
Gary Numan
- "CarsCars (song)Fear Factory, an American industrial metal band, recorded a version of "Cars" and released it as the second single from their third studio album, Obsolete. The song was only included as a bonus track on the limited edition digipak re-release of Obsolete and would be instrumental in breaking Fear...
" (1979) - "Complex" (1979)
- "We Are GlassWe Are Glass"We Are Glass" is a Gary Numan single released in 1980. Its up-tempo beat, scratchy guitars and pitch-bending synthesizer effects made it a prime example of the synthpop of the time....
" (1980) - "I Die: You DieI Die: You Die"I Die: You Die" is a Gary Numan single from 1980. Released shortly before his fourth album, Telekon, it continued the anthemic style Numan had begun earlier in the year with "We Are Glass". The composer himself described the two singles as "Much the same thing...
" (1980) - "This WreckageThis Wreckage"This Wreckage" is a song written and performed by Gary Numan. It was featured as the opening track on his 1980 LP Telekon and was the third and final single to be released from that album .Described by Numan as a "self-portrait" song, "This Wreckage" foreshadowed his temporary retirement from...
" (1980)
Paul Gardiner
- "Stormtrooper in DragStormtrooper in Drag"Stormtrooper in Drag" is the debut single by Paul Gardiner previously the bass-player for Tubeway Army) and Gary Numan.-Production background:...
" (1981) - although released under Gardiner's name, the lead vocals were by Gary Numan. John Webb played drums. - "Venus in FursVenus in Furs (song)"Venus in Furs" is a song by The Velvet Underground, written by Lou Reed and originally released on the 1967 album The Velvet Underground & Nico. Inspired by the book of the same name by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, the song includes sexual themes of sadomasochism, bondage and...
" (1984)
Tubeway Army
- The PlanThe Plan (Tubeway Army album)The Plan is a retrospective album of early demo recordings by Tubeway Army released in 1984.The demos were originally recorded in 1978...
(demos recorded in 1977, first released in 1984) - Tubeway ArmyTubeway Army (album)Tubeway Army is the debut album by Gary Numan and his band Tubeway Army, released in 1978. Its initial limited-edition run of 5000 sold out but did not chart...
(1978) - ReplicasReplicas (album)Replicas is an album by Tubeway Army, released in 1979. It was the second and final Tubeway Army LP, following a self-titled debut the previous year...
(1979)
Gary Numan
- The Pleasure PrincipleThe Pleasure Principle (Gary Numan album)The Pleasure Principle is the third studio album, and debut album under his own name, by electronic music pioneer Gary Numan, released in 1979...
(1979) - TelekonTelekonReleased in 1980, Telekon is the fourth studio album, and second album under his own name, by the British musician Gary Numan. It debuted at the top of the UK charts in September 1980, making it his third and consecutive no.1 album....
(1980) - Living Ornaments '79Living Ornaments '79Living Ornaments '79 is a live album by Gary Numan recorded at the Hammersmith Odeon on 28 September 1979. It was also released as a limited edition box set with Living Ornaments '80 . An expanded version was reissued on a double CD in 1998 before a remastered version was again reissued in 2005...
(live recording first released in 1981, expanded/re-released as Living Ornaments '79 in 1998) - Living Ornaments '80Living Ornaments '80Living Ornaments '80 is a live album by Gary Numan, first released in 1981. It was also issued as a limited edition box set with Living Ornaments '79 the same year. The original release was recorded at the Hammersmith Odeon on 16 September 1980, as a record of Numan's "Teletour" .An expanded and...
(live recording first released in 1981, expanded/re-released as Living Ornaments '80 in 2005) - Living Ornaments '81Living Ornaments '81Living Ornaments '81 is a live album recorded at a 1981 concert by Gary Numan. It was released as a double CD in 1998. The show on 28 April 1981 was the third and last of Numan's 'Farewell Concerts' staged at Wembley Arena...
(live recording, first released 1998) - DanceDance (Gary Numan album)Dance is the fifth studio album, the third under his own name, by the British musician Gary Numan, released in 1981. It is his first release after announcing his retirement from touring in April 1981...
(1981)