| Martin Page | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Martin George Page |
| Born | (1959-09-23) 23 September 1959 (age 65) Southampton, England |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Instruments |
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| Years active | 1981–present |
| Labels |
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| Website | martinpage |
Martin George Page (born 23 September 1959) is an English singer-songwriter and bassist. Page has collaborated with artists such as Paul Young, Starship, Robbie Robertson, Earth, Wind & Fire, Heart, Robbie Williams and Go West.
Early life
Page was born in Southampton, Hampshire, England, to Alan Richard Page (an aviation engineer) and Ruth Pamela Page. During a good portion of his childhood, Martin moved with his family from military base to military base as a result of his father's career. During those times, he stated that he spent much of his time listening to Peter Gabriel, the Beatles and Motown.
Career
Page formed the pop group Q-Feel with his friend Brian Fairweather. Q-Feel experienced success with hit single "Dancing in Heaven (Orbital Be-Bop)". Soon after, Page and Fairweather moved to Los Angeles, where they met music executive Diane Poncher. She saw potential in Page and Fairweather and eventually became their manager.
At first Page and Fairweather collaborated with artists such as Kim Carnes, on her 1983 album Cafe Racers, Earth, Wind & Fire on their 1983 LP Electric Universe, and Barbra Streisand on her 1984 album Emotion. Page also played keyboards for Ray Parker Jr., on the 1984 Ghostbusters theme song. Page went on to work with Elton John's frequent lyricist Bernie Taupin. The duo performed on Maurice White's 1985 self titled album and wrote "We Built This City" for Starship's 1985 LP Knee Deep in the Hoopla together with "These Dreams" on Heart's 1985 album Heart, both of which reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Page later composed for Neil Diamond's 1986 LP Headed for the Future, Lee Ritenour's 1986 album Earth Run, and Chaka Khan's 1986 LP Destiny.
He again collaborated with Taupin on his 1987 album Tribe and composed for Atlantic Starr's 1987 LP All in the Name of Love. Page also composed for Starship's 1987 LP No Protection and collaborated with Robbie Robertson on his 1987 self-titled album. That album has been certified Gold in the UK by the BPI.
Page went on to compose for Earth, Wind & Fire's 1988 LP The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 2. Page was also a co-producer on Tom Jones's 1988 LP Move Closer and Paul Young's 1990 album Other Voices. Other Voices has been certified Gold in the UK by the BPI. He then co-produced Robbie Robertson's Grammy Award-nominated 1991 LP Storyville. He later co-wrote Go West's hit singles "King of Wishful Thinking" and "Faithful". He co-wrote the title song, "Sing" for the soundtrack of the same name.
Page has also collaborated with Robbie Williams and Josh Groban.
Solo work
During 1994, Page issued his debut solo album In the House of Stone and Light. The title track, which he wrote reflecting on a visit to the Grand Canyon, was issued the same year. As a single, "In the House of Stone and Light" reached No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Soon afterwards, his parents and some close friends died. He returned to the studio in 2008 to record his second album, In the Temple of the Muse for IroningBoard Records, an independent label started by Page and Poncher. Among the songs on In the Temple of the Muse are Page's recording of "Mi Morena" and "Blessed," (a song that Page described as a "commitment song").
Page's third album, A Temper of Peace, was released in 2012 followed in 2015 by Hotel of the Two Worlds. In 2017, he issued his fifth album, The Slender Sadness (The Love Songs). In 2018 he released The Amber of Memory, his first album of instrumental music.
In late 2019 Page started a music podcast called Radio OwlsNest. By the end of 2023 he concluded it with its fiftieth episode. His seventh studio album, The Poetry of Collisions, was released digitally on 10 November 2020. Page released his eighth studio album, Fugitive Pieces, on 19 April 2021. Later in the same year, Page announced his ninth album, called The Occupation of Hope, his second instrumental album. It was released on 15 November 2021. Page released his second volume of The Poetry of Collisions, his tenth overall, on 11 July 2022.
Sometime in 2024 Page is planning on releasing his eleventh album, tentatively titled The First and Last Freedom, and will be his first album with a large collaboration with other artists since his debut.
Personal life
Page lives in Southern California.
Discography
Albums
| Year | Album | Chart | Position | Record Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | In the House of Stone and Light | Billboard 200 | 161 | Mercury |
Independent releases
| Year | Album | Record label |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | In the Temple of the Muse | IroningBoard Records |
| 2012 | A Temper of Peace | |
| 2015 | Hotel of the Two Worlds | |
| 2017 | The Slender Sadness (The Love Songs) | |
| 2018 | The Amber of Memory | |
| 2020 | The Poetry of Collisions Vol. 1 | |
| 2021 | Fugitive Pieces | |
| 2021 | The Occupation of Hope | |
| 2022 | The Poetry of Collisions Vol. 2 | |
| TBA | The First and Last Freedom |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart | Position | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | "In the House of Stone and Light" | US Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary | 1 | In the House of Stone and Light |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 14 | |||
| 1995 | US Billboard Top 40 Mainstream | 9 | ||
| "Keeper of the Flame" | US Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary | 19 | ||
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 83 | |||
| "Put on Your Red Dress" | — | - |
Music videos
| Title | Year | Director(s) |
|---|---|---|
| "In the House of Stone and Light" | 1994 | Matt Mahurin |
| "Keeper of the Flame" | 1995 | Nigel Dick |
| "Blessed" | 2008 | Mike Rodriguez |
| "Mi Morena" | 2008 | Mike Rodriguez |
References
- ^ "Martin Page (Interview)". podbay.fm.
- ^ "Martin Page Discusses His Career As A Hit Pop Songwriter". songwriter universe.com. 21 July 2017.
- ^ "Martin Page: Page Finds Writing With Top Artists A Must". americansongwriter.com.
- ^ "Martin Page". allmusic.com. Allmusic.
- "Robbie Robertson: Robbie Robertson". bpi.co.uk. BPI.
- "Paul Young: Other Voices". bpi.co.uk. BPI.
- "Robbie Robertson". grammy.com. The Recording Academy.
- Page, Martin Blog entry at his MySpace page; accessed 1 May 2011
- Martin Page Interview – In the Temple of the Muse, accessed 19 June 2011
- Digital store selling The Amber of Memory by Martin Page, accessed 26 November 2021
- Digital store selling The Poetry of Collisions by Martin Page, accessed 26 November 2021
- Digital store selling Fugitive Pieces by Martin Page, accessed 26 November 2021
- Martin Page's podcast showcasing Page's album The Occupation of Hope, accessed 26 November 2021
- Digital store entry of The Poetry of Collisions Volume 2 by Martin Page, accessed 28 October 2022
- "The Billboard 200". Billboard. Vol. 107. 10 June 1995. p. 86. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 29 October 2015.
- "In the House of Stone and Light | Martin Page | Music Video". YouTube. 11 April 1994. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
- "Keeper of the Flame | Martin Page | Music Video". YouTube. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
- ^ "Everything You Do - Rough Cut | Martin Page | Music Video". YouTube. 17 March 2016. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
External links
- Martin Page's Official Website
- The Martin Page Page (fansite) at the Wayback Machine (archived 26 October 2009)