Page is a
Swedish synthpop band,
originally started in 1980 by
Eddie Bengtsson and
Marina Schiptjenko. The band was
active for
slightly less than 20 years, as Eddie decided to
cancel Page in April 2000 (
because he felt that Swedish
media had been
unfair and
prejudiced about the band for years; even when
guitars and
drums were brought in media kept calling Page "
outdated synthpop",
possibly without even listening to the
records before
reviewing them).
At this time Eddie was the only original band member left since Marina left the band in 1996 (instead she joined the band Vacuum, which is mostly known for their 1996 hit "I Breathe"). To replace Marina, and to make Page more "modern" (which apparently failed, or at least media thought so) drummer John Liljestrand and guitarist Mikael Thornqvist were brought into the band in '96. Their entrance changed the band's music radically (for the worse, if you ask me), but as I said, nothing could please the media.
But back to the beginning. Page released their first single in 1984, on their own record label "Eskimo Records". The 7" single was called "Dansande Man" ("Dancing Man") and it was the best the band were ever to create. The single was a big success, but it took another three years (until 1987) before Page got their first record contract. The record label was Accelerating Blue Fish, which is today somewhat legendary among Swedish synthpoppers. In all, three singles were released on ABF, the 7"'s "Som skjuten ur en kanon" ("Like A Shot From A Cannon") and "Blå fötter" ("Blue Feet") in '87, and then the 12" "Som en vind" ("Like A Wind") in '89.
In 1990 a newly started label called "Energy Rekords" offered Page a new contract, which was accepted. Page's first full-length album hit the shelves in 1992. It was self-titled and something of a "best of" album, since it contained mostly old classic songs and very little new material.
More old material was released in 1994, in the form of a (today very rare) record called "The Lost Tapes" that contained most of the old stuff that hadn't been released on 1992's "Page" album. Also in 1994 came new material, in the form of the album "Hallå! (Var tog månbasen vägen?)" (that would be "Hello! (Where did the moonbase go?)", and yes, it's a reference to Space: 1999 (which Eddie is a huge fan of)) and a few accompanying CD singles. In 1995 a new album ("Glad") ("Happy") and set of singles were released, the last by Page on Energy Rekords.
Page tired of Energy Rekords (not the first band to do so, and certainly not the last) and left the label for another one called "Carlton Records". About this time Marina left the band, and the above-mentioned John Liljestrand and Mikael Thornqvist joined instead; bringing guitars and drums with them. Page turned more and more from a synthpop band to a pop band (or perhaps indiepop?), but had little more commercial success for that.
The single "Svänger" ("Swings") was released on Carlton Records in 1996, and the album "Hur så?" ("How So?") soon thereafter. Sales were not much better, and in 1998 Page left synthpop altogether turning fully into a pop band with the album "Helt nära". In a final desperate attempt to reach international fame and glory an English language version of "Helt nära" was released (the name was "So Close", and it contained the same tracks as the Swedish one, but they had been translated into English in a rather crude way. A good summary of the record would be "awful") and a tour in Japan was planned. The record label screwed the tour up though, Eddie was furious, and Page left the label. A contract was signed with Subspace Communications, which Eddie had helped start together with his friend Alexander Hofman ("Android" of S.P.O.C.K fame) a few years earlier.
A single ("Som det var") ("Like It Used To Be") was released on SSC in 1999, and the old fans were exalted. Page had turned back to synthpop, not a single guitar could be heard! However, rumours of Page quitting were now constant, and it finally happened on March 31st 2000 after a show in Göteborg. Eddie Bengtsson announced that there would be no more shows, no more records, and no more Page. But the band was resurrected the next day for a final show on SAMA, which was also recorded for a later release by SSC, and a radio broadcast. The final show was released on a limited edition (1000 copies) CD together with a 2CD "singles collection" called "Så pass! En samling med Page 1980-2000" (that would be something like "That Much! A Collection With Page 1980-2000" in English) in 2000. "Så pass!" also contained two new songs, previously unreleased.
And, unfortunately, that seems to be the end of the Page saga. But Eddie Bengtsson's music still lives on (in the works of Sista Mannen På Jorden amongst others) and, by the way, Page's twenty years of music making has left almost a hundred songs to listen to ... I'll be satisfied for a while.
Page discography
Singles
Dansande man (1984)
Som skjuten ur en kanon (1987)
Blå fötter (1987)
Som en vind (1989)
Bilmusik (1994)
Förlåt (1995)
Jag väntar (1995)
Står i din väg (1995)
Svänger (1996)
På ett berg (1996)
Hur mår du? (1996)
Ibland (1997)
Ingenting kvar (1997)
Som det var (1999)
Albums
Page (1992)
Hallå! (Var tog månbasen vägen?) (1994)
The Lost Tapes (1994)
Glad (1995)
Hur så? (1996)
Helt nära (1998)
Så pass! En samling med Page 1980-2000 (2000)
Page live på SAMA 2000 (2000)
For more info (in Swedish), please see the official Page homepage at http://www.subspace.se/page/
That page was also the primary source of information for this writeup.