It was a great pleasure to interview my manager of over 40 years, Diane Poncher, for episode 23 of Radio Owlsnest.  Join us as we discuss every aspect of my career and our long standing partnership.  We’ll touch upon what it was like to be a female manager in a male dominated music business.  You’ll hear the stories behind many of my songs and collaborations… the business dealings behind them - the tough decisions and the battles; the relationships we made from the 1980s onwards - the good ones and the, shall we say, more challenging ones; the joys and the sorrows.  We’ll touch upon Diane’s unique connection to my songs and my composing - a manager’s belief and devoted support of an artist.  And we’ll spin some rare recordings that personally mean a great deal to both of us.  For any of you interested in what a manager of a songwriter really does ; what the job entails… this is definitely for you.  Sit back and enjoy.
Martin

Radio Owlsnest Special - Episode 23 - Interview with Martin’s manager Diane Poncher

Are you scared? Well I'm scared too.

Photo: Dar Higden

Vantablack

'Never From My Heart' Martin Page's Demo/work in progress for the album THE SLENDER SADNESS (The Love Songs)'

Demos

Never From My Heart - Rough

Happy New Year my fellow OwlHeads! May it be a good one for us all. So what better way to start than a brand new episode of Radio Owlsnest....here it is -
episode 3 in all its crazy uncontrolled, disorganized glory. This show includes more odds and sods and misfits from my deep cobwebbed song vault.

A rare 80s demo recorded for the Commodores, a futuristic demo with Jack Hues (of Wang Chung fame), alternate mixes from my albums and new sonic experiments. Of course the annoying but somewhat beloved quiz makes its routine visit, and I, as usual - spew forth nonsense and totally erratic thoughts.

If you’re nursing a prolonged hangover from the festivities - turn away now and don’t look back! But if you’re in the mood for a cozy late night radio show... grab the comfy chair - fold your busy wings and hibernate into 2020 with Pagey. Click the SoundCloud link below, my fellow OwlHeads - so glad to have you along x Martin

Radio OwlsNest - Episode 3 - On Air With Martin Page

Welcome my fellow OwlHeads! I’m thrilled that you’re pluming your feathers with me today.🦉Episode five has a thoroughly R n’ B flavor about it. I’m spinning a rare Maurice White (Earth,Wind and Fire) demo, along with personal stories about the great man himself.

You’ll also hear the first original demo of ‘WE BUILT THIS CITY’, with tales about that song, that - hitherto - have never before been revealed. And you’ll hear a song demo written for Michael Jackson ... a song close to my heart, co-written with a Quincy Jones stalwart. This is a RETRO-SHOW, so I’ll be spinning a never heard demo written for Sir Tom Jones during the days of ‘Kiss’.

Between the pathetic attempts at humor, you’re super tuned owl ears will decipher rare demos from my archives - and fresh brand new material that I’m working on now. All in all - if you’re prone to sitting in trees late at night and hooting.... this show’s definitely for you!

Martin.

Radio OwlsNest - Episode 5 - On Air With Martin Page

‘ During these stressful, frightening and trying times - A new song from Martin - ENDURE ‘

My friends; I’d like to dedicate this new song of mine to you all out there, as we navigate these uncertain times. Please stay strong, keep the faith - and believe in love. We will Endure. X Martin

The Poetry Of Collisions Side 1

' Endure ' By Martin Page

David J. Knight: Composition, Voice, Programming and Sequencing, Production.
Words by John Steinbeck ("In Dubious Battle" 1936)
Recorded in Toronto and Ottawa (Oxford Street Studios), 2000
Finished in Guelph, Ontario, Canada, April 3, 2020

In Dubious Battle

‘ RADIO OWLSNEST Episode 8 '

Welcome my OwlHead connoisseurs to Radio Owlsnest Episode 8! We’ve been chugging along nicely together now for a few weeks... what stamina and lack of good taste you obviously have. Thank you for your motivation, encouragement and overall OwlHead style; I’ll have you know, you’re part of a rather hip underground fraternity. I truly hope that you’re all hanging in there safely (that sounds good for OwlHeads!), during our ongoing battle with this awful pandemic. I hope today’s show eases a little of the stress - eases a little of the pressure - and allows you to escape into my songwriting world for a short while. Music is our tonic - our medicine.
Today I’ll be spinning a song that iconic producer Trevor Horn begged me to edit down to a normal reasonable pop-song time limit. It’s a song that Bernie Taupin was requested to rewrite lyrically - just the first verse - the damn cheek of it!
You’ll hear a demo made by a bunch of ‘Bad Englishmen’ in my garage - a little ditty on which John Waite does his totally unique thing. It’s one of my many, many songs that has ‘ghost’ in the title. I suppose I must really believe in them 🤔.... 👻
Episode 8 is a show in which Bernie Taupin makes many frequent guest appearances. In particular when I stumble upon a demo so utterly rare, I literally become quite gobsmacked! One of those moments to my mind, when my archives truly offer up a shiny hidden gold nugget. I hope you agree.
You’ll also hear me singing and demoing a song for Bernie Taupin’s solo album ‘Tribe’. It was lovely to find this rarity as it illustrates how Bernie and I worked together way back when.
Deep into the proceedings I’ll play an analog 8 track 80s ‘Q.Feel’ demo that I’m very proud of. It’s a track that features my trusted mechanical best fiend - my 80s Jupiter 8 synthesizer. I think this humble demo admirably illustrates how the 8Os ethic/spirit profoundly influenced and changed the future of music production.

I’ll reminisce about a very special friend of mine who we lost - and how his loss instigated an immediate musical outpouring from my heart; it’s a tribute to our long personal friendship and professional working time together .... it was written in the raw cocoon of grief.

Among these Pagey revelations you’ll also hear some spanking new experiments thrown in for good measure.
Naturally you’ll be bombarded by the usual caustic nonsense - but that’s par for the course; I’m sure by now you’re all quite used to it and terribly numb.

So sit back my loyal chosen ‘OwlHeads’, and put on your headphones if you have any. I thoroughly recommend you don a pair for the full throttle true stereo hi-fi hibernating aural experience! NOW THAT’S A MOUTHFUL.

Pour that soothing cup of tea with honey, or pour yourself that second Gin and Tonic... which ever gets you in the mood to join me on another magical mystery RETRO tour; where as my guest, you’ll sample some of the oddities, peculiarities and eccentric rarities of a veteran songwriter’s dust-laden archives.
Martin

Radio OwlsNest - Episode 8- On Air With Martin Page

“ Radio Owlsnest End Of Year Show - Episode 14 “

﻿ Well, it’s the end of the year show, episode 14. And what a bloody year it’s been!  I hope in some small way the Radio OwlsNest podcasts have eased some of the trauma, stress and uncertainty of the times.  I thought at first I’d be doing one single solitary show... so to reach episode 14, well indeed - it’s a bit of a shock to the system.  I must say here, your support of this rather strange and crazy endeavor has made it all worth it for me ... thank you for your feedback my fellow ‘OwlHeads’; you made the exercise a lot of FUN!

This Christmas show will feature some dusty gems from my archives - truly rare demos that, I have to say, were a bit of a revelation to dig up. Well, you’ve got to try a little harder for the end-of-year show, haven’t you?

Highlights of the show include the 3rd song I ever wrote with Bernie Taupin (after composing “We Built This City” and “These Dreams” with him), a track that exhibits all the trappings of the new wave tech of the 80s - I love the groove!  Then there’s a track I wrote with the supreme lyricist Hal David (of Burt Bacharach fame).   I have some pretty interesting and unusual anecdotes relating to that writing experience, particularly when my home studio toilet seemed to became a mystical holy shrine of lyrical creativity 😳😳🤪; And I’ll be spinning a duet I wrote, featuring the vocalists Peter Cox (Go West) and Siedah Garrett (Michael Jackson, etc.) - a personal favorite demo of mine.... a song that even Art Garfunkel couldn’t resist.  And - I’ve got a little special Christmas gift for you all - to show my humble appreciation of your amazing support over the last year.

So, dearest OwlHeads, it’s been a long, very tough, tough year.  I hope you made it through -  with your health and sanity.  Spend some time with me, in a songwriter’s end-of-year demo ‘winter wonderland’.  I, for one, would be absolutely thrilled to have your company.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS SEASON,
Martin

In Dubious Battle

A Single Voice

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