In the late 70s, he and his childhood friend Steve George founded the band Pages (most notable for "I Do Believe In You") in Phoenix, Arizona. The outfit Mr. Mister sprang out of that project 1982. The two continued to apply their tight harmonies to background vocals on albums by successful pop artists like Laura Branigan while working on their own material as well. About the time when the first Mr. Mister album, titled 'I Wear the Face', came out in early 1984, Page was offered the chance to replace Bobby Kimball as lead singer of Toto. He even was also later offered Peter Cetera's place in the jazz rock outfit Chicago.
Page refused both offers, confident in Mr. Mister's potential. The single "Hunters of the Night" managed to become a near-hit, reaching the #57 slot on the Billboard Hot 100, and the new wave fueled album had brought them with producer Peter McIan, who had been behind releases by Dear Enemy and Men at Work. Still, the line-up of Page, George, Pat Mastelotto, and Steve Farris failed to reach a mass audience as the album just didn't sell that well.
Mr. Mister's second album, 1985's 'Welcome To The Real World', featured emotive lyrics from Page's cousin John Lang and became the breakthrough that the guys had been hoping for. The group had three top 10 singles, two of which even coming #1 hits on the U.S. pop charts. The band's compelling ballad "Broken Wings" had become a part of the national pop consciousness, particularly serving as a sort of 'signature song' for the outfit. In those days of widespread success, they toured with legendary diva Tina Turner, for whom their song "Stand And Deliver" was written. This song eventually appeared on Mr. Mister's third album, titled 'Go On', which the band said contined "some of the best stuff we ever did".
With expectations sky-high for the band, the guys planned on taking a more mature approach lyrically, standing up against the notorious materialism and celebration of greed during that decade, and the album had a sound that hinted at progressive rock. Nevertheless, 'Go On' failed to achieve commercial success, and the band members found themselves getting lost in the 80s pop/rock shuffle. Guitarist Steve Farris left around 1989, which seemed to spell the beginning of the end for the group. Still, the band began working on a fourth album, called 'Pull', with session guitarists. Dropped by their label before that work could be released, the band decided to break up for good.
That album remained unreleased for something like two decades, although one track ("Waiting In My Dreams") later appeared on a popular greatest hits collection. The release in its entirely finally surfaced in 2010 on the indie label Little Dume Recordings, a company project of Richard Page's that had also published solo efforts by him such as 'Peculiar Life'. After the band's split, Page continued to work as a composer (for example, he co-authored Madonna's 1994 Golden Globe nominated song "I'll Remember") and as a background singer for several artists. Page additionally produced a solo album, called 'Shelter Me', in 1996 that featured guest appearances by all his former band-mates.
Steve Farris has toured with Whitesnake and also recorded songs with artists such as Tori Amos and 4 Non Blondes. Pat Mastelotto has played with groups such as King Crimson and XTC. Steve George served as musical director for American singer-songwriter Kenny Loggins until 1997, also having toured with the star Jewel. Finally, John Lang became a part of the alternative rock group Djinn (not to be confused with the DJ of the same name and other artists), an obscure band that gained some interest when they produced their 1998 album 'All-Time'.
Tangent Tears
Mr. Mister Lyrics
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You left one poignant lie
A nice series of words for goodbye
Who's playing on your team
He has a certain flair
'Cause I don't see you around anywhere
I cry when you're not here
Oh, ooh yeah
Cryin' tangent tears
I'm stuck on interphase
My heart does not forget
Checking out at this point is no sweat
Chill factor number nine
You made my heart go blind
You act so cold but you still look so fine
I cry when you're not here
I keep cryin' tangent tears
Ooh
I cry when you're not here
(Eveything I see reminds me)
I'm cryin' tangent tears
I cry when you're not here, yeah
I keep cryin' tangent tears
(Cry down my face, yeah)
I'm cryin' tangent tears
(Eveything I see reminds me)
I'm cryin' tangent tears
I cry when you're not here
Oh
I keep cryin' tangent tears
Oh
I cry when you're not here
The song "Tangent Tears" by Mr. Mister speaks about the pain and heartbreak of a failed relationship. Through "the ragged truth," the singer has come to realize that the lover they were once with had left them with a "poignant lie" in the form of a series of nicely worded goodbyes. The singer is left wondering who the lover is playing with now, and why they had to leave in the first place, as they search for answers to the heartache they are feeling.
In the chorus, the singer expresses the raw emotion they are experiencing, saying that they cry "tangent tears" when their lover is not around. The tears are uncontrolled and unpredictable, a result of their lingering feelings for the lost love. The singer is unable to forget the impact their lover had on their heart, despite wanting them to be gone, evidenced by the line "checking out at this point is no sweat."
The song showcases the often-untold emotions that come with heartbreak, from the feeling of being stuck in place and unable to move on, to the refusal to forget the one who caused the initial pain. With a rock sound, "Tangent Tears" delivers a raw and powerful message that speaks to the realities of love and loss.
Line by Line Meaning
Through all the ragged truth
Despite facing a lot of harsh reality and facts about the situation, there is still one specific lie that stands out.
You left one poignant lie
Out of all the things that were said, there was one lie in particular that was especially hurtful or impactful.
A nice series of words for goodbye
Even though the goodbye was executed with seemingly kind and eloquent language, it still left a sting and was not truly 'nice'.
Who's playing on your team
There seems to be someone else involved in the situation, and the artist wants to know who it is.
He has a certain flair
The other person involved has a distinctive presence or style that makes them stand out.
'Cause I don't see you around anywhere
Despite trying to look for the other person, they seem to have disappeared and are not present in the singer's life anymore.
I cry when you're not here
The singer feels emotional and upset when they are alone and not in the other person's company.
I keep cryin' tangent tears
The tears that the artist sheds seem to be coming out of nowhere, as if they are a product of a random and indirect cause.
I'm stuck on interphase
The artist feels like they are stuck or trapped in a stage of processing or dealing with the situation.
My heart does not forget
Despite everything, the artist's emotions and attachment to the other person have not gone away.
Checking out at this point is no sweat
The singer has already emotionally accepted or 'checked out' of the situation with relative ease.
Chill factor number nine
The artist is trying to remain calm and detached, but their emotions are still present and at a high level even at a 'cool' level of nine.
You made my heart go blind
The other person had a profound and intense effect on the singer's emotions or judgement, causing them to be 'blinded' to certain things.
You act so cold but you still look so fine
Despite the other person's seemingly distant and unfeeling behavior, they still look appealing or attractive to the singer.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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