Pages (band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1977 |
| Founder | Richard Page, Steve George |
| Defunct | 1981 |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles , United States |
| Products | Studio albums, singles |
Pages was a U.S.-based band active during the late 1970s and early 1980s. The principal figures, Richard Page and Steve George, provided vocals and keyboard performances, accompanied by an array of session musicians. Although their refined blend of pop and jazz fusion received favorable critical recognition, Pages did not attain commercial success and dissolved after releasing three studio albums. The group is significant as the launching platform for Page and George, who subsequently established Mr. Mister, a band that secured major hits in the mid-1980s with tracks like "Broken Wings" and "Kyrie".
Origins
The foundation of Pages was rooted in the enduring partnership between Richard Page and Steve George, which began during their high school days in Phoenix, Arizona. Following this, they performed with various ensembles around Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Additionally, Page pursued formal music education in San Diego.
In 1977, as teen sensation Andy Gibb was rising to fame with his hit "I Just Want to Be Your Everything", he recruited Page and George to join his backing band. This group also included Peter Leinheiser on lead guitar, Jerry Manfredi on bass, and Russ Battelene on drums.
After completing a tour with Gibb that year, the musicians recorded a jazz-fusion demo which caught the attention of former Blood, Sweat & Tears drummer Bobby Colomby. Colomby signed them to Epic Records under the name 'Pages'. The ensemble also featured John Lang, Page's cousin, who contributed as the primary lyricist despite not playing an instrument.
Pages (1978)
The band's inaugural album released in 1978 presented an eclectic mix including light funk ("Clearly Kim"), calypso rhythms ("Love Dance"), rock elements ("Room at the Top"), ballads ("This Is for the Girls", "I Get It from You"), and instrumental pieces ("Interlude"). Session players on this record comprised Colomby, Philip Bailey (Earth, Wind & Fire), Steve Forman, Dave Grusin, Claudio Slon, Victor Feldman, and Michael Brecker. Vocals were mainly handled by Page, while George sang lead on "Let It Go" and "Listen for the Love".
Colomby characterized Pages as integrating diverse musical styles into a distinctive sound that could appeal across various radio formats. Nonetheless, neither the album nor its single "If I Saw You Again" managed to enter the charts. After completing recording sessions, Leinheiser and Battelene exited the group.
Future Street (1979)
In response to their debut's lack of commercial traction, Pages recorded Future Street in 1979 with new additions Charles "Icarus" Johnson on guitar and George Lawrence on drums. According to Page, incorporating Johnson and Lawrence helped alleviate prior creative conflicts.
Produced once more by Colomby, this album fused their earlier approach with a stronger pop-rock influence. Contributors included backing vocals and songwriting input from Kenny Loggins on "Who's Right Who's Wrong", alongside George Hawkins, Joey Trujillo, and Jai Winding. Steve George took lead vocals on "Two People". The album cover was created by John Lang.
The single "I Do Believe in You" peaked at number 84 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in December 1979.
Pages (1981)
Although Future Street showed some promise commercially, it failed to chart. Reduced to just Richard Page and Steve George as core members (with Lang continuing as lyricist), the band signed with Capitol Records and collaborated with producer Jay Graydon for their self-titled 1981 release. Two singles were issued: "You Need a Hero" and "Come on Home," with only these tracks produced by Bobby Colomby.
This album featured a lineup of acclaimed musicians including Page (vocals, grand piano), George (keyboards and synthesizers), Lang (co-writing), guitarist Charles Foster Johnson, bassist Neil Stubenhaus, drummers Ralph Humphrey, Jeff Porcaro, and Vince Colaiuta, guitarists Steve Khan and Steve Lukather, percussionist Paulinho DaCosta, saxophonist Tom Scott, producer Jay Graydon contributing guitars and programming, drummer Mike Baird, and vocal flute by Al Jarreau. Despite this impressive roster, the album did not achieve chart success.
After Pages
Following the commercial disappointment of their third album, Page and George dissolved the band and resumed working as highly sought-after session musicians and songwriters. They teamed up with renowned producers like David Foster and Quincy Jones, lending their talents to projects by artists such as Al Jarreau, Donna Summer, Chaka Khan, REO Speedwagon, Kenny Loggins, Pointer Sisters, Molly Hatchet, and Twisted Sister. Additionally, they contributed vocals for the Village People alongside Chicago's Bill Champlin and Tom Kelly, who is recognized for penning Madonna's hit "Like a Virgin." Page was also part of a distinguished backing vocal trio with Kelly and Tommy Funderburk.
By 1982, Page and George established a new band with a stronger pop focus, featuring a stable lineup. As two members of the four-piece ensemble Mr. Mister, they attained commercial acclaim with chart-topping hits "Broken Wings" and "Kyrie" during the mid-1980s.
Covers of Pages songs
Numerous performers have interpreted songs originally by Pages:
Kenny Loggins recorded a version of "Who's Right, Who's Wrong" on his 1979 album Keep the Fire, which included backing vocals by Michael Jackson and Richard Page. The track was also covered by The Four Tops on their 1981 album Tonight!
America featured "I Do Believe in You" on their 1980 release Alibi. This song was further covered by Frank Stallone on his 1984 debut album, and by Jorn Lande in 2020 on his cover collection Heavy Rock Radio II: Executing the Classics.
Herb Alpert recorded "I Get It from You" for his 1981 album Magic Man. In 1979, vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson created an instrumental rendition of "The Sailor's Song" on his album Un Poco Loco.
In 2011, multi-instrumentalist Zo! produced a slow jam interpretation of "Let It Go" on his EP ...Just Visiting Three, featuring vocals from Nicholas Ryan Grant.
That same year, electronic musician Vektroid sampled "If I Saw You Again" from Pages' debut album and "You Need a Hero" from their sophomore release on her album Floral Shoppe, released under the alias Macintosh Plus.
Bassist Melvin Lee Davis delivered a cover of "O.C.O.E" (Official Cat of the Eighties) with vocals by Lakin on his 2011 record Genre: Music.
Studio albums
| Year | Album | Peak position (Billboard 200) | Label | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Pages | — | Epic | ||||||||||||||||
| 1979 | Future Street | — | Epic | ||||||||||||||||
| 1981 | Pages | — | Capitol | ||||||||||||||||
| "—" indicates albums that did not enter the charts | |||||||||||||||||||
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak position (Hot 100) | Album | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | "If I Saw You Again" | — | Pages (1978) | ||||||||||||||||
| 1979 | "I Do Believe in You" | 84 | Future Street | ||||||||||||||||
| 1979 | "Who's Right, Who's Wrong" | — | Future Street | ||||||||||||||||
| 1981 | "Come On Home" | — | Pages (1981) | ||||||||||||||||
| 1981 | "You Need a Hero" | — | Pages (1981) | ||||||||||||||||
| 1983 | "Caravan" (with Kitarō) | — | |||||||||||||||||
| "—" indicates singles that did not chart | |||||||||||||||||||