Gardner was born on the 23rd December 1910. His father sold artist's materials, while his mother was a dressmaker. Self-taught, he took up the saxophone at the age of fiteen, to help to alleviate asthma. After minimal coaching he formed the semi-professional New Colorado Band in 1928, and a year later, while working as an office clerk, entered the band in a contest at Chelsea Town Hall, and won. He was spotted by the founding editor of Melody Maker magazine, who was distributing the prizes, and a year later secured his first regular professional position. In 1933, now married, Gardner was taken under the wing of Ray Noble and recorded with the New Mayfair Orchestra.
He was a virtuoso not only on clarinet and alto saxophone, but also on the whole saxophone family. He played in the top London clubs when working with Sidney Lipton's Orchestra; later with Bert Firman's band, and with Canadian-born Billy Bissett, who spent three years in England from 1936, playing at the Mayfair Hotel, London. Gardner became a prolific record session player, doubling on all the reeds, although his main instrument was alto sax. When Duke Ellington came to London for the first time, Gardner played to Ellington's accompaniment at a club in Wardour Street, to the admiration of the Duke's regular saxophonist, Otto Hardiwcke.
Gardner led small groups in 1936/37, on the Interstate label, distributed by Interstate Music in East Sussex, England. Toward the end of 1937, he began to be billed as "Freddy Gardner and his Swing Orchestra' with which he made many recordings. The band included such musicians as George Chisholm and Ted Heath. These were regularly featured on radio broadcasts, and the band accompanied 'Buck and Bubbles' on their visit to Britain in the late 1930s. Many of the orchestra's arrangements were scored by Gardner himself. He also played with George Scott Wood and his Six Swingers, whose vocalist was Sam Costa, as well as with the Benny Carter Orchestra during Carter's sojourn in Europe.
During World War II, Gardner - always known as 'FG' - joined the Royal Naval Patrol Service (as a diesel engineer) under Eastern Command. An official dance band for the RNPS, called the Blue Mariners, was set up and led by George Crow. Their home was the Sparrow's Nest at Lowestoft, an entertainment centre-cum-theatre appropriated by the Royal Navy, which also attracted theatre and radio stars such as Eric Barker. Other musicians in the band were drawn from the orchestras of Henry Hall and Ambrose. Gardner was regularly given special leave to continue his recording and broadcasting, such was his high reputation. Other recordings at this time were made under the band name 'Freddie Gardner and his Mess Mates'.
After WWII service, he continued with extensive freelance work, notably as a star soloist with the Peter Yorke Concert Orchestra which usually comprised between 30 to 40 musicians.This band was formed for the BBC and featured in weekly radio programmes such as The Starlight Hour, and Sweet Serenade. Gardner's 78rpm recordings of classics such as "Stardust", "Smoke gets in your eyes", and especially "I only have eyes for you" continue to be much admired. The last of these was recorded at EMI's Abbey Road studios on 29 April 1948, just two years before his sudden death.
He was taken ill while mending one of his sons' bicycles in the garden of his flat near Marble Arch, and though rushed to hospital, he died of a stroke on the 26th July 1950 at only thirty-nine years old. Many in the profession attended his memorial service, and he is buried in Willesden Cemetery.
I Only Have Eyes for You
Freddy Gardner Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can't see anyone but you
Sha bop sha bop
Are the stars out tonight
I don't know if it's cloudy or bright
I only have eyes for you dear
But I can't see a thing in the sky
I only have eyes for you
I don't know if we're in a garden
Or on a crowded avenue
You are here and so am I
Maybe millions of people go by
But they all disappear from view
And I only have eyes for you
The song "I Only Have Eyes for You" was released in 1934 and has been covered by many artists throughout the years. The lyrics convey the theme of deep love by describing the singer's inability to see anyone besides the person they are in love with. The first line, "My love must be a kind of blind love," implies that this love is all-encompassing, rendering the person blind to anyone else. The second line, "I can't see anyone but you," reinforces this idea, and the repetition of "sha bop sha bop" adds to the romantic mood of the song.
The next two lines use celestial imagery to further illustrate the singer's single-minded focus on their love interest. The line "Are the stars out tonight" indicates a romantic setting, but the response "I don't know if it's cloudy or bright" suggests that the person is so engrossed in their love that they are oblivious to everything else around them. The chorus continues with "I only have eyes for you dear" and "But I can't see a thing in the sky," emphasizing the depth of the singer's feelings.
The final verse brings the focus back to the couple, with the singer acknowledging that they do not know where they are ("I don't know if we're in a garden or on a crowded avenue"), but it does not matter as long as they are together. The line "Maybe millions of people go by, but they all disappear from view" emphasizes the idea that the singer is so fixated on their love interest that everyone else simply fades away.
Overall, "I Only Have Eyes for You" is a classic love song that effectively conveys the message of deep, single-focused love.
Line by Line Meaning
My love must be a kind of blind love
My affection for you is so intense that it blinds me from seeing anyone else.
I can't see anyone but you
My focus is solely on you and I am unable to notice anyone else.
Sha bop sha bop
Nonsensical interjection or vocalization to add musical flair.
Are the stars out tonight
I am curious about the current state of the sky and whether there are stars visible.
I don't know if it's cloudy or bright
I am so consumed by my infatuation for you that I don't even pay attention to the weather.
I only have eyes for you dear
My attention and affection are entirely focused on you my beloved.
The moon may be high
The positioning of the moon in the sky is not a concern to me.
But I can't see a thing in the sky
I am oblivious to any objects or events happening in the sky because I am so captivated by you.
I only have eyes for you
All of my senses are consumed by my love for you, and I cannot focus on anything else.
I don't know if we're in a garden
I am not sure of our surroundings, whether it is an open garden or a busy street.
Or on a crowded avenue
We could be in the middle of a bustling, crowded street but I am unaware due to my fixation on you.
You are here and so am I
I am aware of our physical proximity to each other and the presence of our mutual affection.
Maybe millions of people go by
There could be countless individuals around us, but I am fixated solely on you.
But they all disappear from view
In this moment, the presence of anyone except for you is irrelevant and fades away from my view.
And I only have eyes for you
You are the only one that matters; you are the only one I see.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Al Dubin, Harry Warren
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Diane Vicari
Wayne remember?????