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Cleo Page
Birth nameCleo Mallard
Born(1928-05-25)May 25, 1928
near Shamrock, Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, United States
DiedFebruary 19, 1979(1979-02-19) (aged 50)
Inglewood, California, United States
GenresBlues[1]
Occupation(s)Guitarist, singer, songwriter
InstrumentGuitar
Years active1955–1979
LabelsVarious including Federal, P-Vine and JSP

Cleo Page (May 25, 1928 – February 19, 1979)[1][2] was an American blues guitarist, singer and songwriter, whose recorded work was released on several singles and an album in his lifetime, with a compilation album issued in 2022.[1][3] Details of his life are sketchy, and he has been a subject of conjecture among blues historians.

Biography

[edit]

He was born Cleo Mallard near Shamrock, Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, United States.[1][4][5] Little is known of his early life, but it is thought he relocated to Los Angeles by the early 1950s.[6]

His musical career appears to have commenced in 1955 when, in the June of that year, Federal Records released a single credited to the C. Page Orchestra with Ernest Johns. It had "Aline" written by Page as the A-side.[5] In September the same year, Aladdin Records issued a single with the accreditation given to Rolling Crew with Orchestra, with Page writing and singing on the A-side "Home On Alcatraz".[5] "If You Ever Get Lonesome" was co-written by Johnny Otis and Page and recorded by Preston Love and His Orchestra (with vocals by Roy "Happy" Easter) and released in December 1955.[2]

In 1956, Page and Otis co-penned the track "Bad Bad Bulldog", which appeared on the B-side of a single credited to 'Little Arthur Matthews Featured with Johnny Otis Orchestra'.[5][7] Around the same time another Page penned track, "I've Been Blind, Blind, Blind", was recorded by the singer Robert McKirby, although it remained unreleased for many years. It finally appeared on the 1992 compilation album, Dapper Cats, Groovy Tunes & Hot Guitars (Ace Records).[5]

In 1958, a single credited to Curley Page and Band, was released on Dalton Records. The A-side was the instrumental track, "East Imperial". In 1963, another single similarly credited and published by the same label, included the tracks "I Believed in a Woman" and "Boot Hill".[5] It is the latter release that has been the subject of continuing debate and speculation (see 'Conjecture' section below).

In 1970, Page reappeared playing guitar on a one-off single, "Boo Bam" / "Pages of Time", credited to Pages of Time.[7] It was released by CB Records.[5] A year later, the two-part composition "Black Man (Too Tough To Die)" appeared on Wonder Records. It was credited to Page, and Page's humorous comments were balanced throughout with lyrics sprinkled with curses and threats.[7] The single's label explained that it was recorded by 'Black Man Power in the heart of the ghetto "Watts" California'. By this time, Page had become the owner and operator of the small Goodie Train and Las Vegas labels.[3][8] His next single was issued in 1972. "Goodie Train - Part One", again credited to Cleo Page alone, was released on Goodie Train Records. This was followed the same year by "Leaving Mississippi" on Las Vegas Records.[5]

In parallel with his own activities, he wrote and produced a single with the songs "Big Man" / "Old Man Me" on Goodie Train Records in 1972, for the obscure soul singer Frank Hutton.[9] For added confusion, the vinyl was first released with the lead singer's name incorrectly listed as Frank Hutson.[10]

The activity then seemingly lapsed until 1978 when the risqué worded and double entendre loaded, "Hamburger (All Americans Eat It)" by Cleo Page was issued on Goodie Train Records,[11] and differently billed as "I Love to Eat It - Hamburger" on JSP Records (January 1979). The song was written by Page, who provided both vocals and electric guitar playing and produced the single. In 1979, JSP Records released his album, Leaving Mississippi.[5][12] Jim DeKoster in Living Blues described the collection as "one of the most striking blues albums of the past year". For an unknown reason, "Hamburger" was not included on the album's track listing.[1] The album, consisting mainly of Page original compositions, was reissued on CD in 2007 by P-Vine Records.[5][7]

Page died at Daniel Freeman Hospital, Inglewood, California, on February 19, 1979, at the age of 50.[5]

In 2022, the compilation album, Black Man - Too Tough to Die, was released by ADS Records.[6]

Conjecture

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The tracks, "I Believed in a Woman" and "Boot Hill", although credited to Curley Page and Band, reportedly had the vocals supplied by 'Syl Williams'. In the same year that those tracks were released by Dalton Records, a compilation LP Jimmy Witherspoon: Stormy Monday and Other Blues (Sutton Records) was issued containing identical versions of the two tracks. Confusingly, although the LP cover read 'Jimmy Witherspoon: Stormy Monday and Other Blues also Mel Williams, Baby Moses, Sly Williams' neither the front nor back cover of the album, nor the record's label, specified who recorded which track. Presumably, "Boot Hill" and "I Believed in a Woman" were by Sly Williams. Blues historians have argued various viewpoints, primarily that 'Sly Williams' may be Cleo Page, whilst others stated that the artist was aurally similar to Clarence Samuels, and others postulated that 'Sly Williams' was probably Jesse Allen.[5][7]

"Boot Hill"'s significance grew in importance in the following decades to become akin to a blues standard.[7] In 1966, a version of the track was included on Siegel–Schwall Band's eponymous debut album, although the songwriting credit was erroneously listed to Jimmy Witherspoon.[5][7] In 1984, the song appeared on Johnny Winter's LP Guitar Slinger (Alligator Records), where no songwriting credit was listed; and in 1991 it opened the posthumously released compilation album. The Sky Is Crying (EPC Records) by Stevie Ray Vaughan.[7] In the latter's case, the songwriter is listed as 'Unknown'.[5]

Discography

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Albums

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Year Title Record label
1979 Leaving Mississippi JSP Records / P-Vine Records
2022 Black Man - Too Tough to Die ADS Records

[1][3]

Singles

[edit]
Year Title Credit Record label
1955 "Aline" C. Page Orchestra with Ernest Johns Federal Records
1958 "East Imperial" Curley Page and Band Dalton Records
1963 "I Believed in a Woman" / "Boot Hill" Curley Page and Band Dalton Records
1971 "Black Man - Part One (Too Tough to Die)" Cleo Page Wonder Records
1972 "Goodie Train - Part One" Cleo Page Goodie Train Records
1972 "Leaving Mississippi" Cleo Page Las Vegas Records
1978 "Hamburger (All Americans Eat It)" Cleo Page Goodie Train Records
1979 "I Love to Eat It - Hamburger" Cleo Page JSP Records

[3][5]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f "Cleo Page Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Songs written by Cleo Page". Secondhandsongs.com. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d "Cleo Page". Discogs.com. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
  4. ^ Eagle, Bob; LeBlanc, Eric S. (2013). Blues : A Regional Experience. Santa Barbara, California: Praeger. p. 307. ISBN 978-0313344237.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Illustrated Cleo Page discography". Wirz.de. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
  6. ^ a b "France Blues » Les News". Franceblues.com. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h "Cleo Page, tajemná postava westcoastové bluesové scény". Cernejpudink.cz. January 21, 2018. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
  8. ^ "Chris Jones – Destination Unknown – Goodie Train". Mdrecords.co.uk. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  9. ^ "Frank Hutton - Big Man". 45cat.com. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
  10. ^ "Frank Hutson - Big Man / Old Man Me". Discogs.com. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
  11. ^ "Cleo Page, Jason and The Magic's - Hamburger (All Americans Eat It)". Discogs.com. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  12. ^ D'Souza, Ajay. "Big Road Blues Show 5/6/12: Mix Show | Big Road Blues". Sundayblues.org. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
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