Gardner Cole Explained

Gardner Cole (born Gardner Kain Christopher Cole) is an American songwriter, keyboard player and music producer.^[1] He is best known as songwriter of 1980s and early 1990s songs for Cher, Michael McDonald, Tina Turner, Jody Watley, and Madonna.^[2]

Notes and References

1. Randolph Michaels Flashbacks to Happiness: Eighties Music Revisited 2005 p.45 "From the Desk of Gardner Cole Charted Hits: "Open Your Heart" (writer)—1986 #1 Performed by Madonna; "Most Of All" (writer)—1988 Performed by Jody Watley; "Strange But True" (writer)—1988 Performed by Times Two "Live It Up"—1988 "Everything"— 1 ...
2. "The Hot 100 Chart - Billboard". .
3. Web site: desertskyrecords.com . 2013-12-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170924232328/http://desertskyrecords.com/ . 2017-09-24 . dead .
4. Lucy O'Brien Madonna: like an icon 2007 p.110" The first song she and Leonard laid down was the declarative 'Open Your Heart', written by Gardner Cole, songwriter for a host of '80s chart acts including Cher, Michael MacDonald and Tina Turner. 'I composed it with Peter Rafelson [son of ..."</ref> He also recorded two solo albums on [[Warner Bros. Records]]. His 1988 single "Live It Up" reached #91 in the US in October.^[2]

   Discography

   • Δ's (Triangles) (1988)
   • It's Your Life (1991)

   Songs

   • "Open Your Heart", originally "Follow Your Heart", written for singer Cyndi Lauper by Cole and Peter Rafelson, although it was never played to her.
   • "Everything" 1989 Gardner Cole, James Newton Howard
   • "Say Once More" Amy Grant, Gardner Cole

   As producer

   • "Another Lover" song by Giant Steps

   As keyboard player

   • Larger than Life 1989 album by Jody Watley.

   Record label

   Cole founded Desert Sky Records as an independent label.^[3]

   External links

   • Official website
     • Gardner Cole at Discogs