Radio OwlsNest Martin Page

Going Down The Rabbit Hole With Martin Page. Two.

Going Down The Rabbit Hole With Martin Page. One. by Martin Page

Well, I never did truly think “I’d ever get my feet this far”! We have arrived at the final 50th episode of my Radio Owlsnest songwriter podcasts. It’s been a fantastic and lovely journey for me, playing my rare demos from my archives and sharing the stories behind the songs. I labeled you listeners as “OwlHeads” quite early on in the proceedings, and that label has stuck over the ensuing years … and so I’d like to take a moment here to wholeheartedly thank all the “noble OwlHeads” who listened, encouraged, consoled, shared, liked, commented - and above all, became my friends during the recording of these hour or so long episodes. I feel I know a few of you quite intimately. Thank you.

In today’s on-line society, when speed is everything, it’s painfully obvious that gaining someone’s attention for sixty minutes or more is a gargantuan and rather fruitless task - particularly when the premise of the show is “retro” and “adult” ... But all in all, I feel “Radio Owlsnest” gained a core underground and finely-tuned audience; so again, thank you for your diligence - against all the odds.

Who said the album was dead? Certainly not me or you …

I’ve tried to give a few of you OwlHeads out there shout-outs during this show; tried to remember most of your names; forgive me if I didn’t mention a few of you lovelies, but as you know, I “wing it’” and improvise as I go on these freewheeling shows. But know this ... I luvs ya.

What has been a revelation for me personally while recording these shows, is gaining an overview of my songwriting career, a kaleidoscopic big view, as such, of my progression, my development, my influences, my strengths and my weaknesses, etc., over the years. It’s not often that a songwriter/artist gets a chance to look back on his or her creative journey. Radio Owlsnest helped me re-evaluate my creative instinct and motivations; It was like looking back at a younger, turned-on, highly enthused version of myself. Certainly a kind of “time travel” took place for me … invaluable and fortunate at this late stage of the game.

But mostly it’s been incredible FUN for me; I had a grand old time of it - searching for rare demos in the “Pagey” song archives and remembering, re-living and imparting the hazy stories behind the songs. I was in the “Museum of Myself!”

So thank you all for giving me your ears and good spirit, for giving me a platform to express myself - and a damn good reason to dust off those old ditties from the vault and give them life once again. You OwlHeads have been a powerful MOTIVATING force!

And massive thanks to our very own Vanessa Leavitt for keeping these shows coming to you.

I hope you enjoy the 50th and final episode of Radio Owlsnest.

Fly high
Martin X

“The Wreckless Eric 1980 Sessions” - A Radio Owlsnest Special.

I’ve been wanting to record this show for a very long time, and after re-mastering some precious vintage cassette demos, I feel the time is right to tell the story of working with iconic punk legend “Wreckless Eric” in 1980. Along with my songwriting partner of that period, Brian Fairweather, the three of us wrote and demoed 6 brand new cracking songs for a potential Wreckless Eric album to be released on the infamous Stiff records. The demos were recorded in my little London bedsit flat on a rudimentary analog 4 track tape machine set-up - as raw and primitive as you could imagine … but I believe these tracks have a very special undeniable power about them that reflect the zeitgeist of that era. And Wreckless (Eric Goulden) was in fine form lyrically and vocally on these (up to this point, never heard or released) extremely rare demos. We wrote and recorded these songs over a frantic period of three weeks in my minuscule bedsit featuring Brian on multiple guitars and effects and backing vocals, me on bass guitar and sparse keyboards and backing vocals, and Eric on rhythm guitar and lead vocals. And we used a first generation Roland CompuRythmn 68 drum machine for our drums. Dave Robinson, the head of Stiff records, was very excited and encouraged by our homemade efforts and set dates in a professional studio to record the songs (with Brian and I in the band) for the prospective new “Wreckless” album. But alas, tragically, it was not to be …

Although full band rehearsals took place, and a producer (Bob Andrews of Graham Parker and the Rumour fame) was selected, and we even found ourselves set up in Battery Studios, London, waiting to record the album master tracks, Eric didn’t turn up for the final sessions!

After all these years, I still hear the potential of these raw songs. And I believe they portray the unique artistry of one of England’s greatest eccentric punk artists and poets, at the very height of his creative ability. It’s a story I’ve wanted to tell for a very long time.
Martin


Wreckless Eric Demos - All songs written by Eric Goulden/Fairweather/Page;
Recorded by Martin Page (1980).
℗ 2023 Martin Page. All rights reserved.

Photo: courtesy of William White.

Greetings oh feathered beauties! I am back with more hidden bounty from my ancient song archives. More rare demos, sonic experiments and even a brand new track will hopefully charm your “OwlHead” ears.

It was wonderful to work back in the day with the fine singer/songwriter/guitarist Hamish Stuart of the iconic band, “The Average White Band”. I’ll start off the show by playing you a track we wrote together that became a single for his band, “Easy Pieces”; A cool psychedelic soul number that I now think was somewhat influenced by the “Prince” aesthetic. Of course, Hamish went on to work with Paul McCartney and is now presently with Ringo Starr … so it was lovely to discover and spin this little gem from our past.

For the songwriters out there, I’ll play two demos I was working on with Robbie Williams - two rough home demos of the same idea, which illustrates quite well how I develop a concept. I think you’ll find it very interesting how my demos were presented and constructed for Robbie … to inspire and encourage him to engage and develop an idea with me.

And here’s a treasure for all Jack Hues (Wang Chung) fans: I’ll play the cassette demo of a song we were writing together for his (so far) unreleased renowned solo album “The Anatomy Lesson”. It’s a very, very COOL track … and, although we are loosely jamming and it’s just rough and ready, the potential of this song is self evident.

Because the re-ignition of the “Pagey Quiz” lit up the internet and caused traffic to stop during last month’s episode, I will be asking you three more incredibly hard brain curdling “Pagey” questions. These are conundrums from which I believe even the most wise OwlHead will cower away - fearing that investigating these questions could cause neural problems. Beware - approach with extreme caution.

I’ll spin a terrific London-recorded demo - a song I wrote and performed with Brian Fairweather that Kim Carnes eventually heard and recorded on her album, “Cafe Racers”. It became “Fairweather/Page’s” first top ten adult/contemporary hit in America … and listening to it today, I’m very proud of the Doobie Brothers/Pointer Sisters swing and irresistible groove we achieved on this particular demo.

I always like to include a new song I’ve just written if I can on these shows, and I’m happy this month to present a song called, “How”. I hope you like it and that it speaks to you.

Bloody hell, this is the penultimate episode 49, we are nearly at the final 50th show; who would have thought, “I’d ever get my feet this far”. 🦉

Enjoy.
Martin X

A Radio Owlsnest Halloween Special - The Making Of “Ghostbusters” With Martin Page and Brian Fairweather.

I had only been in LA for two weeks with my “Q.Feel” songwriting partner, Brian Fairweather, when we unexpectedly found ourselves in a valley studio with Ray Parker, Jr., recording the iconic smash, “Ghostbusters”! We’d gone to Ray’s studio to say hello and present ourselves as songwriters when - out of the blue - we suddenly found ourselves playing on a track he’d just-that-minute written for a movie … Brian on electric guitar and me on a cheap Synthesizer. What was this strange thing we were contributing musical parts to - what the hell did “Ghostbusters” mean? We hadn’t planned for this at all …

Ray went to lunch and said, “you guys just do your thing; I’ll be back later”. So, for two hours, we laid down overdubs on this strange creature of a song. Ray came back from lunch, loved what we had played, and a few weeks later the song was number one in the American charts and the movie Ghostbusters was becoming an instant classic. Both Brian and I didn’t know what had hit us … or quite what had just happened; it was a whirlwind of the strangest, but most wondrous kind.

So, to honor Halloween, Brian and I got together to record this Radio Owlsnest podcast special, “The Making of Ghostbusters”. We attempted to remember the details of that odd day when we went innocently along to introduce ourselves to the great Ray Parker, Jr. as young songwriters, and ended up somehow being musicians and improvising on one of the most renowned and loved hits of our time. It’s a crazy, bizarre story, but that’s perfect for Halloween, isn’t it?

Enjoy!
Martin and Brian.