Robin Beck – Interview

Robin Beck – Interview

20 Maggio 2015 0 Commenti Alessandro Lifonti

interview by Alessandro Lifonti

versione italiana

MR: Hello Robin, thank you so much for answering our questions.You have many fans here in Italy, and they are looking forward to this interview.
RB: That is so nice to here. As you know I am very proud to be a part of the Italian community.

MR: Robin, let’s go back to when you were a little girl. What’s your first musical memory?
RB: My very first musical memory is of my dad singing “Pennies From Heaven”, – an old Bing Crosby song. Then of course there was, Thank Heaven for Little Girls”. Great child hood memory.

MR: You started your incredible career as a backing singer supporting Melissa Manchester and Chaka Khan among the others. Do you remember your early days in the music business?
RB: I do! But my very early days were spent on the road as a lead singer. It wasn’t until I settled down in NYC that I became a studio singer backing up many of the top names from the 80’s. These were the professional rewards from all of my hard work and dedication to singing all the hits of others that I admired.

MR: You were born in Brooklyn. In the 80’s there were a few great rock venues on the east coast. When you think back of those days, what do you miss the most and what don’ t you miss?
RB: I miss the teenage wonderment of it all. Going out was a huge event. Seeing artists at the age of 13 was like, I had died and gone to heaven. I remember my very first concert at the Filmore East where Fleetwood Mac played. My first real concert and I saw Stevie Nicks.I cried my eyes out because that’s when I recognized my own dream was to be an artist.

MR: You released a lot of albums (too many to mention). What is your favourite one and why?
RB: The one I had the most fun doing was the least well known, “Can’t Get Off”. This album was recorded at Peter Gabriels’ studio in Box, England. The studio was once an old paper mill converted into cottages and a main house, I’m told. 100’s of years old. The studio was built like a massive space ship. Everything was old and new at the same time. Peter’s studio was filled with instruments from all over the world and a treat beyond any percussionists imagination. My cottage was especially beautiful with 2 floors and a claw footed bathtub, perfectly appointed for fantasy set in the English county side.
I met Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce. We actually ate all of our meal together at the main house. It was surreal, fantastic Tutto Crema! The album was filled with friends from Steve ferrone, drummer from Average White Band/Eric Clapton to Hamish Stewart singing backings for me to Lani Groves – she’s the female voice on Stevie Wonders “You Are The Sunshine Of My Life”. Andy Richards was the producer and all of friends from NY flew in to be a part of this album.
Too many wonderful memories to capture in a paragraph. I could write a book on that one.

MR: You worked together with awesome producers (Desmond Child among the others), musicians and songwriters along your career. I guess there are way too many “behind the scenes” that should be mentioned, but if you had to pick up just one memory, what would it be?
RB: It would be the day that I spent with Desmond Child and Diane Warren picking the songs for the album – “Trouble or Nothing”. We all stood around Diane’s piano while she banged out one hit after the other.

MR: Robin, a couple of years ago you worked with two awesome Italian musicians, and I’m talking about Pierpaolo Monti and Amos Monti. They released a project album called Shining Line. “Heat of the light”: does this awesome song ring any bells to you? Would you like to tell us a bit more about that experience?
RB: It was a lovely experience to sing for this project. It was a song with a lot of sentimental value. Perfect for me.

MR: You’ve been married to James Christian since 1996. You often post pictures of your beautiful daughter on FB. How do you spend your days when you are off from work?
RB: Pretty much like any other normal family made up of an actress a producer and a singer LOL
Seriously… we love to cook and eat and watch movies. When we’re not doing that, we are at the beach or doing our own thing. Olivia is often times rehearsing for performances and we are in the audience beaming with pride.

MR: If Robin Beck wasn’t a rockstar, what would she be?
RB: I think I would have been in A&R

MR: Who is your favourite female singer of the new generation?
RB: Katie Perry and Demi Lovato

MR: We just saw House of Lords (your husband’s band) here in Italy at the Frontiers rock Festival. Any chances to see you playing in our country in a near future?
RB: YES! As soon as possible.

MR: Robin, thank you once again for chatting with us. Italy loves you. Keep that in mind 🙂
RB: The feeling is mutual. I love Italy and I love the people. Thank you for inviting me to do this interview with you. Blessings to all<3 www.robinbeckrocks.com

© 2015, Alessandro Lifonti. All rights reserved.