Pages (band)
Encyclopedia
Pages was an American
pop rock
band
of the late 1970s and early 1980s. The band consisted of Richard Page
and Steve George
on vocals and keyboards, supported by various studio musicians, some of whom from time to time were considered part of the band proper. Although Pages was highly regarded for its well-crafted pop and jazz-fusion sound, the group did not achieve commercial success, and disbanded after recording three albums. Pages is perhaps best known as the launching pad for the recording careers of Page and George, who later formed Mr. Mister
and topped the charts during the mid-1980s with pop classics such as "Broken Wings" and "Kyrie."
. After high school, the two occasionally played together in bands in Los Angeles
and Las Vegas
. For a time, Page relocated to San Diego to attend music school.
In 1977, emerging teen idol Andy Gibb
, recently relocated in Los Angeles, recruited Page and George to perform vocals and keyboards as part of his backing band. Gibb, whose first single, "I Just Want To Be Your Everything
," was racing to the top of the charts, completed his backing band by adding Peter Leinheisen on lead guitar, Jerry Manfredi on bass and Russ Battelene on drums.
Gibb toured with this group of musicians throughout 1977. Toward the end of the year, the group recorded a demo tape of original jazz-fusion material. This tape came to the attention of former Blood, Sweat & Tears
drummer Bobby Colomby
, who liked what he heard and signed the group, now called "Pages," to Epic Records
. In addition to the regular musicians, Page's cousin John Lang was informally the group's lyricist (Lang could not play a musical instrument and claimed he was tone deaf).
first album, released in 1978, featured tracks ranging from light funk ("Clearly Kim"), calypso ("Love Dance") and driving rock ("Room At The Top") to smooth, harmonious ballads ("This Is For The Girls," "I Get It From You") and luscious instrumentals ("Interlude").
The album featured an impressive array of session musicians. The roster of talent included Colomby, Philip Bailey (Earth, Wind & Fire), Steve Forman, Dave Grusin, Claudio Slon, Victor Feldman and Michael Brecker. Although Page provided most of the lead vocals, George took the lead on "Let It Go" and "Listen For The Love."
Colomby was quoted as saying that "Pages represents the mainstream of contemporary music. They utilize various elements and combine them into an original and tasty mixture that will appeal to all formats of radio." Despite Colomby's prediction, radio found it hard to place the group's sound. Neither Pages nor its single "If I Saw You Again" made the Billboard charts. Leinheisen and Battelene went their own way after the album was recorded.
joined on acoustic and electric guitar, and George Lawrence was brought in on drums.
According to Page, "Jerry [Manfredi], Steve [George] and myself were writing all the music but it just didn't sound right. Everybody knew it, but it was left unspoken for a long time because of that lingering bond. With Charles and George everything went perfect for the first time. The potential was just staring us in the face".
Once again produced by Colomby, the album blended the finely crafted overtones of the first album with a somewhat hard-edged pop-rock sound with progressive overtones. Additional musicians and artists on Future Street included Kenny Loggins (backing vocals and songwriting on "Who's Right Who's Wrong"), George Hawkins, Joey Trujillo, Jay Winding and Steve Lukather George took lead vocals on "Two People." Another detail is that the cover sleeve was designed by John Lang.
The opening track, the energetic "I Do Believe In You," peaked at number 84 on the Billboard Hot 100 in December 1979.
, and brought in acclaimed producer Jay Graydon
. The resulting album - eponymous like their first album - was released in 1981. Two singles were released from the album, "You Need a Hero" and "Come on Home." Interestingly, these were the only tracks produced by Colomby on the album.
At that moment Pages consisted of Richard (lead and background vocals), Steve (backing vocals, Fender Rhodes, synthesizer: Yamaha CS-80 - Oberheim - ARP 2600, Mini-Moog, clavinet, electric power oboe and grand piano) and John Lang (co-writer). Despite of the fact that some of L.A.'s best musicians like Charles Johnson (guitar), Neil Stubenhaus (bass), Ralph Humphrey (drums), Steve Khan (electric guitar), Jeff Porcaro (drums), Paulinho DaCosta (percussion), Vince Colaiuta (drums), Tom Scott (sax), Jay Graydon (guitars, synthesizer programming, producer), Mike Baird (drums) and Al Jarreau (vocal flute) contributed to this album, it did not sell well.
and Tom Kelly (Bob Carlisle was invited to take Richard's place after he formed Mr. Mister). Unless their lack of success with Pages, they earned a lot of musical respect and they became recommended songwriters and backing vocalists. Many well-known producers like David Foster and Quincy Jones appealed to them. They performed on albums of Al Jarreau, Donna Summer, Chaka Khan, REO Speedwagon, Kenny Loggins, Pointer Sisters, Molly Hatchet and Twisted Sister. Richard and Steve also did the vocals for Village People, together with Chicago's Bill Champlin and Tom Kelly (songwriter of Madonna's world hit "Like a Virgin
").
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
pop rock
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
of the late 1970s and early 1980s. The band consisted of Richard Page
Richard Page (musician)
Richard Page , is an American musician who is the lead singer and bassist of 1980's US band Mr. Mister and is now a songwriter and solo artist.-Early life:...
and Steve George
Steve George (keyboardist)
Steve George is an American keyboard player, who is perhaps best known as the keyboardist for the 1980s band, Mr. Mister. He co-wrote many of the Mr. Mister songs, together with his childhood friend, Mr...
on vocals and keyboards, supported by various studio musicians, some of whom from time to time were considered part of the band proper. Although Pages was highly regarded for its well-crafted pop and jazz-fusion sound, the group did not achieve commercial success, and disbanded after recording three albums. Pages is perhaps best known as the launching pad for the recording careers of Page and George, who later formed Mr. Mister
Mr. Mister
Mr. Mister is an American pop rock band most popular in the 1980s. The band's name came from an inside joke about a Weather Report album called Mr. Gone where they referred to each other as "Mister This" or "Mister That", and eventually selected "Mr. Mister." Mr. Mister may be considered as...
and topped the charts during the mid-1980s with pop classics such as "Broken Wings" and "Kyrie."
Origins
Pages grew out of a long friendship between Richard Page and Steve George dating back to their high school days in Phoenix, ArizonaPhoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
. After high school, the two occasionally played together in bands in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
. For a time, Page relocated to San Diego to attend music school.
In 1977, emerging teen idol Andy Gibb
Andy Gibb
Andy Gibb was an English singer and teen idol, and the youngest brother of the family whose other male siblings formed the Bee Gees: Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb.-The early years:...
, recently relocated in Los Angeles, recruited Page and George to perform vocals and keyboards as part of his backing band. Gibb, whose first single, "I Just Want To Be Your Everything
I Just Want to Be Your Everything
"I Just Want to Be Your Everything" was a hit song by pop singer Andy Gibb. The first single released from his debut album, Flowing Rivers, it became the first of three consecutive number one Billboard Hot 100 singles for Gibb...
," was racing to the top of the charts, completed his backing band by adding Peter Leinheisen on lead guitar, Jerry Manfredi on bass and Russ Battelene on drums.
Gibb toured with this group of musicians throughout 1977. Toward the end of the year, the group recorded a demo tape of original jazz-fusion material. This tape came to the attention of former Blood, Sweat & Tears
Blood, Sweat & Tears
Blood, Sweat & Tears is an American music group, originally formed in 1967 in New York City. Since its beginnings in 1967, the band has gone through numerous iterations with varying personnel and has encompassed a multitude of musical styles...
drummer Bobby Colomby
Bobby Colomby
Bobby Colomby is an innovative jazz-rock fusion drummer, and an original member of the group Blood, Sweat & Tears...
, who liked what he heard and signed the group, now called "Pages," to Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
. In addition to the regular musicians, Page's cousin John Lang was informally the group's lyricist (Lang could not play a musical instrument and claimed he was tone deaf).
Pages (1978)
Pages' eponymousEponym
An eponym is the name of a person or thing, whether real or fictitious, after which a particular place, tribe, era, discovery, or other item is named or thought to be named...
first album, released in 1978, featured tracks ranging from light funk ("Clearly Kim"), calypso ("Love Dance") and driving rock ("Room At The Top") to smooth, harmonious ballads ("This Is For The Girls," "I Get It From You") and luscious instrumentals ("Interlude").
The album featured an impressive array of session musicians. The roster of talent included Colomby, Philip Bailey (Earth, Wind & Fire), Steve Forman, Dave Grusin, Claudio Slon, Victor Feldman and Michael Brecker. Although Page provided most of the lead vocals, George took the lead on "Let It Go" and "Listen For The Love."
Colomby was quoted as saying that "Pages represents the mainstream of contemporary music. They utilize various elements and combine them into an original and tasty mixture that will appeal to all formats of radio." Despite Colomby's prediction, radio found it hard to place the group's sound. Neither Pages nor its single "If I Saw You Again" made the Billboard charts. Leinheisen and Battelene went their own way after the album was recorded.
Future Street (1979)
After the commercial failure of their debut album, Pages went back to the studio to record their 1979 follow-up, entitled Future Street. Charles "Icarus" JohnsonCharles Foster Johnson
Charles Foster Johnson is an American blogger, software developer, and former jazz guitarist.He has played on 29 albums.-Biography:...
joined on acoustic and electric guitar, and George Lawrence was brought in on drums.
According to Page, "Jerry [Manfredi], Steve [George] and myself were writing all the music but it just didn't sound right. Everybody knew it, but it was left unspoken for a long time because of that lingering bond. With Charles and George everything went perfect for the first time. The potential was just staring us in the face".
Once again produced by Colomby, the album blended the finely crafted overtones of the first album with a somewhat hard-edged pop-rock sound with progressive overtones. Additional musicians and artists on Future Street included Kenny Loggins (backing vocals and songwriting on "Who's Right Who's Wrong"), George Hawkins, Joey Trujillo, Jay Winding and Steve Lukather George took lead vocals on "Two People." Another detail is that the cover sleeve was designed by John Lang.
The opening track, the energetic "I Do Believe In You," peaked at number 84 on the Billboard Hot 100 in December 1979.
Pages (1981)
Although Future Street displayed future commercial potential, the album failed to chart. The band switched to Capitol RecordsCapitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
, and brought in acclaimed producer Jay Graydon
Jay Graydon
Jay Graydon is a Los Angeles songwriter, recording artist, guitarist, singer, producer, arranger, and recording engineer. He is the winner of two Grammy Awards with twelve Grammy nominations, among them the title "Producer of the Year" and "Best Engineered Recording". Jay Graydon has mastered many...
. The resulting album - eponymous like their first album - was released in 1981. Two singles were released from the album, "You Need a Hero" and "Come on Home." Interestingly, these were the only tracks produced by Colomby on the album.
At that moment Pages consisted of Richard (lead and background vocals), Steve (backing vocals, Fender Rhodes, synthesizer: Yamaha CS-80 - Oberheim - ARP 2600, Mini-Moog, clavinet, electric power oboe and grand piano) and John Lang (co-writer). Despite of the fact that some of L.A.'s best musicians like Charles Johnson (guitar), Neil Stubenhaus (bass), Ralph Humphrey (drums), Steve Khan (electric guitar), Jeff Porcaro (drums), Paulinho DaCosta (percussion), Vince Colaiuta (drums), Tom Scott (sax), Jay Graydon (guitars, synthesizer programming, producer), Mike Baird (drums) and Al Jarreau (vocal flute) contributed to this album, it did not sell well.
After Pages
So by the end of 1981 they decided to end this project. Richard and Steve returned to the session circuit. Page was part of the well-known back-up vocal trio of Richard Page, Tommy FunderburkTommy Funderburk
Tommy Funderburk is an American rock and roll singer. He has recorded with artists such as Jon Anderson, Laura Branigan, Coverdale-Page, Melissa Manchester, Magnum, Mötley Crüe, Steve Lukather, Richard Marx, Rick Springfield, Starship, REO Speedwagon, Whitesnake, Yes and many others.Funderburk was...
and Tom Kelly (Bob Carlisle was invited to take Richard's place after he formed Mr. Mister). Unless their lack of success with Pages, they earned a lot of musical respect and they became recommended songwriters and backing vocalists. Many well-known producers like David Foster and Quincy Jones appealed to them. They performed on albums of Al Jarreau, Donna Summer, Chaka Khan, REO Speedwagon, Kenny Loggins, Pointer Sisters, Molly Hatchet and Twisted Sister. Richard and Steve also did the vocals for Village People, together with Chicago's Bill Champlin and Tom Kelly (songwriter of Madonna's world hit "Like a Virgin
Like a Virgin
Like a Virgin is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on November 12, 1984 by Sire Records. It was re-released worldwide in 1985, with the inclusion of the bonus track "Into the Groove". In 2001, Warner Bros. Records released a remastered version with two bonus...
").
Studio albums
| Year | Album | Peak Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... Chart Position |
Label | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Pages | - | Epic Records Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A... |
||||||||||||||||
| 1979 | Future Street | - | Epic Records Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A... |
||||||||||||||||
| 1981 | Pages | - | Capitol Records Capitol Records Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine... |
||||||||||||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||||||||||||||||
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... Chart Position |
Album | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | "If I Saw You Again" | - | Pages (1978) | ||||||||||||||||
| 1979 | "I Do Believe In You" | 84 | Future Street | ||||||||||||||||
| 1981 | "Come On Home" | - | Pages (1981) | ||||||||||||||||
| 1981 | "You Need A Hero" | - | Pages (1981) | ||||||||||||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||||||||||||||||