ROBIN BECK – First Time Is Forever

1. Hello Robin, and welcome back in the music game. What were the reasons that made you come back in time where the music biz model is changing and the musicians are struggling to pay the bills and gather royalties from sales and merchandise?

 I can’t stay away from what makes me tick.  I did take 5 years off to raise my daughter when she  was born in 1997…  but since 2002 I have been working my way back and I finally feel that I am safe here.   It’s not only about money and bills it’s also about passion and enjoyment.  I now have my own label and it’s been enlightening to me how difficult it really is to move a record.  It is hard to recover your royalties from sales, but I’ve learned how to do that pretty well now so it’s all good.

2. What do you want to contribute in the music scene with your new album, actually what do you want to say with this album?

I’m making good music and that’s what I hope to convey!  I pass along with the music my devotion to the art and my commitment to my life’s work.  I hope that people embrace and get something out of it.  There’s not deep deep message that I’m trying to deliver… just doing what I love and if the fans dig it too then i’m a happy girl.

3.  There are many guest musicians in this album and a duet with J.L. Turner, could you give us all the details about this album?

I did invite JLT to sing with me on this record.  We’ve been friends for ages and worked on tons of stuff back in the day.   I’ve always just loved his deep warm tones and power.  He’s so passionate and a true rock n’ roll star.  I wrote the song “That All Depends” with JLT in mind… It was so cool when he said yes to my request.  I knew we’d sound amazing together. 
Tommy Denander is my writing partner and co producer and more than that, a true inspiration to me.  I can’t see myself ever doing another album without him, and James Christian, well lucky for me he’s my husband and producer….  we share the duet “Till The End Of Time”  The Elements are a great writing team from the UK that I met through the band that I’m managing, “Kane’d”,  and the song that they contributed to this album “Baby I’m Not A Bitch is a gem.

4. While I was listening to your new album, realized that the “magic” is still there…How do you manage to release only albums full of quality instead of puting “fillers” inside just to have 10 tracks or so?

Thanks Billy, that’s a great compliment that I will never get tired of hearing nor will I take it for granted.  I’m still growing and my team is getting stronger with every record.   I want my music to sound better and better with each release and I know that James and Tommy feel the same.  We keep striving!   We don’t want to do filler and sometimes you may not even know what you have until you get this reaction. 

5. Regardless of the pure quality in your albums, music media has characterized you as one hit wonder because of the success of “First Time” back in 80s. Why do you think that music media treated you in this way?

Cause I only had one #1 song and that’s how it goes- lol.   It doesn’t mean to me that they don’t wish me well… The media has a job to report who’s on top… it doesn’t mean that I don’t count… I’m just not front page news to them all the time.. and you know what??  It’s cool.  I make the music for the fans that love what I do and the media reports that.
  It’s a different world now with radio vs. internet radio.  Media comes in all different forms now.  Facebook and Myspace… webzines and websites… links and targeting your audience.The fans can also tell me directly how they feel and I don’t have to rely upon the media to tell me who likes me and who doesn’t by reporting it.  Don’t get me wrong… media is essential to an artists career, but it can never come between us.

6. Would you like to repeat us the whole story about “First Time” single and Coca Cola advertisement?

I wouldn’t throw it out of bed!  If it wasn’t for that little ditty who knows?

7. When you released “Hide Your Heart”, it seemed like Kiss had a parallel realease of the same song. What really happened?

I think the writers and the labels had a hay day with that song at that time.. there were 3-4 of us… I was the only one who didn’t know it till it was too late.  I think Bonnie Tyler did it first, I had no clue!  Desmond Child gave it to me as an original that was supposed to have been uncovered.     I was kinda pissed off when I found out about it cause this was a very expensive record and I didn’t know that I was doing covers… or sharing releases on the same song with anyone…but who can argue with Paul Stanley or anyone in Kiss.  They Rock and Paul wrote it anyway. Now.. Molly Hatchet and Ace Frely… that’s another story.  I have no idea why they recorded that song.  It didn’t suit either of them.

8. What happened after your second album when almost everyone lost your signals?

Good question!  Human Instinct then ‘Can’t Get Off”.  We went too far soft, in a nutshell.  Great songs but none of them truly rocked.  I think that ever since “Trouble Or Nothing”, I had to sit on a fence between Rock and Pop.  It’s only my last few albums that I’m finally home.  This is what I do best and what I love to do most and that’s why you get it, cause it’s really me.
I can sing pretty much anything you put in front of me and make you believe it cause that’s how much I love to sing and play… but that can present a problem for a label that wants to have a repeat performance of a #1 song like “First Time”.  It was a great song and it held it’s own… but trying to recreate that moment was what caused the loss of signal… Very clever way you put that question Billy.

 
9. Do you think that your new album can bring back the success for you?

Well… If I were Columbia Records YES!  But I’m only HMMMR and I have distribution through Sony as a small indie label.  You gotta have big bucks to push an album all the way to the top, but who knows?   Maybe some rogue radio guy will campion me and get it out there to the masses.  That can happen and does. It has the earmarks of being a Classic Rock Album, and in the right hands at the right time it could be a huge success world wide.
 

10. How did James Christian, your husband, help you with your new album?

How didn’t he help me is the question!    James is the best producer I’ve ever worked with.  I’m not just saying that cause he’s my husband…. The music just keeps getting stronger.   We write together and sing together… it’s hard not to learn something from him if you spend so much time together.   His skills are amazing.  His vocal producing is top notch.   It’s because of him that I sound as good as I do… he never let’s me get away with anything… he pushes me till I give up everything. I couldn’t do it without him and wouldn’t want to.

11. You own your own label and distribute your new album via Sony music. Do you think that indie effort has better potentiality to manage better sales of your new album?

 Lately I have to say that having my own label has proven to be a positive move regarding sales and all.  But like I mentioned earlier… it takes a big machine to make bigger things.

12. Do you have any plans for a promo video or radio single from your new album?

Just call me the little Indie that could.  I am in the process of putting together potentially a live performance video and trying to pick the single to do it with.  I’ll keep you posted about a radio single.

13. How easy or hard  are the family tasks along with your music activities?

Well, I’m a strong woman but it does get hard from time to time…. I want to tour but it’s hard when you have a child.   She’s my everything and comes first.  Thank god she lets me do my thing and supports me… now she’s even singing with me on my records on the backgrounds.
That makes it a lot easier.

Please come visit me at my website www.robinbeckrocks.com and get in on the Mega Music Lottery.  Check it out and while your there please listen to the songs from “The Great Escape” .  I’m also a member of facebook can’t wait to see  you all there.