Jamie Page

Jamie Page - Guitarist, Composer, Songwriter

Taken from the Black Steel vault: “Jamie’s background includes recording with musicians such as the late, great Cozy Powell from Black Sabbath, Whitesnake, Rainbow and Malmsteen fame, as well as writing credits with Queen guitarist Brian May. Jamie’s credits also include movie soundtracks & gigs with 80's New Wave Of British Heavy Metal era musicians Dennis Wilcox (Iron Maiden original vocalist) & members of 80's cult metal act, Angus McDeth and Perth’s own James Morley. Jamie has also had the pleasure of performing on the bill with such greats as Motorhead and Deep Purple.”

In Perth, Jamie is remembered for his ground breaking guitar work with seminal W.A. power metal act, Trilogy (with Jon Ryder & Pete Thompson), and later for his undeniable sound and force in power metal band, Black Steel. In 2008, Jamie moves into a new stage of metal with the current hotbed of players featuring Damien Petrilli on drums. A Page gig is most certainly an unforgettable performance from a Guitar Master and Founding Father of Perth Metal.

(In his own words - classic!)

Note: This covers mainly anything with original content.

1981

• Move to UK. Played with Gibraltar, featuring ex-Iron Maiden vocalist Dennis Willcox

1982

• Back to Oz. Formed Gypsy with Rob Hartley, Joe Di Masi, Brenton Fosdike, Vince Linardi, Dean Howard (brought out from UK)
• Gypsy records Endangered Species with producer Steve James (later to produce Screaming Jets). Changes name to Black Alice after rejecting Metallica as a name (!). Name based on album artwork.
• Black Alice implodes on the reality of the cost of touring Europe and management concerns.

1983

• Trilogy with Jon Ryder, Pete Thomson, Ashley Cooke. Life On Earth album released.

1985

• Back to UK. Run into Dean Howard in a newsagent in London (!), try to form band with Dean but get call from Steve James re an Irish band called Driveshaft. Record some songs with them, and Jon Sinclair (Ozzy keyboardist) brought in to play/produce.

1986

• Try to start band with ex Satan vocalist Lou Taylor and Ashley Cook.

1986

• Do sideman work with American singer David Sandor, also with Steve James ad drummer Charlie Morgan (Elton John drummer).

1986/87

• Do more of the above with Cut Double, featuring Paul Gold and Ashton Liburd, a half black/half white Living Colour meets Thin Lizzy and Simple Minds fusion. Record with Go West producer.
• Record Sons Of Steel movie soundtrack with Steve James in Sydney. Also features Andy Cichon on bass and Scotty Johnson on drums (ex Rose Tattoo), and Rob Hartley of course.
• Rejoin Driveshaft. Cozy Powell and Neil Murray (Whitesnake brought in). Songs recorded at RAK studios include Unchain My Heart (Unreleased), Lonely Days (Unreleased), Hold On (ditto), Race Is On (snap). Original demo of Ride By Night not recorded as Unchain My Heart seen as radio friendly and Gene Simmons interested. Spent time on that.

1989

• Fail to secure record deal. Cozy and Neil join Black Sabbath, record Headless Cross etc. I return to Oz with a view to returning to record on Cozy solo album.

Back To Oz

Bad Career Moves!

• Offers to join Andy Cichon in Sydney, but not able to move at that time. Andy now plays guitar and is musical director for Shania Twain. Dave Harrison calls re Infa Red but decide not to do it. Dave starts Allegiance soon after.

Anyway:

• Start teaching. Take on Tony Campo (soon to be in Allegiance) and Rob Formentin amongst others!
• Around 1989: Sons Of Steel Movie released. Absolutely love the album we made.

1990

• Start at Kosmic! Book tickets to fly back to play on Cozy Powell album but Cozy has accident. Months later told Brian May would be playing on my song, and that he wanted to re-write it. Brian records it as Resurrection for his Back To The Light album. It is released on Cozy’s Drums Are Back album as Ride To Win, instrumental version.
• Some other Driveshaft songs also on the album, though oddly they saved some of the better ones, which remain unreleased to this day.

1991

• Back To The Light by Brian May released. Resurrection makes top 30 and Top Of The Pops. Brian and band tour, using song as vehicle for drum solo and medley it with Bohemian Rhapsody (heavy bit!).
• ** Special Moment: Hank Marvin comes in to Kosmic after a tour where he had done a special tribute gig of some kind and says that Cozy sends his regards. (Hank was one of my guitar heroes as a youngster).

1991

• The Angus McDeth era. 2 very low budget home recorded albums, Evil Empire and Great Horned Beast. Not everyone got the humour. Still, the cheese grater solo made it’s first appearance as well as the fret file solo and the barbie doll head used ‘percussively’ on the fingerboard solo.

1992

• Brief version of Electric Gypsies with Rob Hartley.

1993

• Croz and The Legendary Allstars.
• Record Freewheeling with James Morley.
• Various bits and pieces but nothing over the top. Concentrated on Kosmic, including Guitar Solo Championships, various fill ins…

1995

• Started Guitar World store with Rob Formentin.

1998

• Black Steel: From fairly small beginnings as a Blues Rock band with Dave Mann on bass. Dave Harrison replaced Dave Mann, and the band slowly turned metal, adding Damien Petrilli on drums and Andy Di Stefano on guitar.

Around 1999

• Released Battle Call EP

2000

• Returned to Kosmic Sound.

2001

• Released Destructor CD, supports for Judas Priest, Deep Purple

2004

• Released Relentless Force EP, played Big Day Out

2005

• Released Hellhammer CD

2008

• Guitar Gods Behaving Badly Comes Forth

Career Highlights:

1981

• Being in London when the NWOBHM metal thing exploded. Priceless. The vibe then was like nothing I have seen since, so many great bands, so much excitement and genuine enthusiasm. The first audition I went to for Dennis Willcox’s band was incredible, with more guitarists than I have ever seen at that sort of thing. Everyone wanted to be a guitarist in a metal band!

1984

• Support Deep Purple at their first ever reunion gig Perth Entertainment Centre. Thrilled to see Ritchie Blackmore standing at side stage watching.

1984 (?)  

• Motorhead supports at White Sands/Overflow with Trilogy. Met Lemmy, who I would run into in the UK every now and again, and drummer Pete Gill, who tried to help me out a bit in UK.

1988

• Being in the studio with Cozy and Neil thinking, “this really sounds just like Rainbow Rising”

1991

• Brain May Resurrection released.

199?

• Steve Morse Deep Purple Guitar World Instore: Great to meet and learn a lot about Steve.
• Black Steel support Deep Purple, lend Morse the Peavey 5150 I was using at the time.

2004

• Kosmic Steve Vai Instore: Great to meet Vai and his band, memorable especially for Steve signing the kettle in the lunch room!

2005

• Kosmic Jim Marshall Instore: Fantastic to meet and talk to the man and have dinner with him listening to many great stories.

2006

• Kosmic Zakk Wylde Instore: Zakk proved to be an awesome bloke that really went out of his way for his fans. Black Steel also did the support gig.

2008

• Kosmic Cannington Yngwie Malmsteen Instore: Honoured to meet the great man, a real character indeed! Highlight: signing a Les Paul with “you should have bought a Strat”… priceless.
• Also, getting to meet Paul Gilbert and John Petrucci at Kosmic clinics.

www.myspace.com/jamiepageguitars

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