Janet Robin article

[Livia]

http://www.pollstar.com/blogs/news/a...x?source=email

The whole article is interesting, there's a pic of her with LB and Nancy Wilson, here's the LB part:

She teamed with Leslie Knauer, Precious Metal’s lead singer, to form a duo called Sugar Shack. She also worked in a recording studio and looked for session gigs. But a musician’s life is filled with unexpected breaks and this time opportunity came a knockin’ in the form of Lindsey Buckingham.

“He was putting together his first-ever solo band for a record,” Robin said. “A very special ten-piece band that was going to incorporate five guitar players, two percussionists, a drummer, bass player and keyboards.”

The audition took half the day in a studio where the two guitarists spent most of the time talking, as Buckingham instructed her to play specific guitar parts. Five hours later, the audition concluded, Robin went home to wait. And wait.

“I didn’t hear for two weeks until the agent called and said, ‘You got the gig. You’re going on Leno in a week.’”

As it turned out, Robin wasn’t the only woman in the band and she joined a lineup that also included Liza Carbe. First came rehearsals, then “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno,” followed by a six-week tour. Robin remembers her time with Buckingham as her “most professional gig.”

“It was semi-pro with Precious Metal. We had some tour buses and we played some good venues,” Robin said, comparing the two experiences. “But it stepped up a notch with Lindsey. That was the 1992 ‘Out Of The Cradle’ tour.”

Robin’s gig with Buckingham lasted until 1994 with the band touring as a headliner as well as supporting Tina Turner. Six years later, Robin recalls the experience as one of the most important times in her career, saying Buckingham demanded nothing less than perfection.

To accomplish this, Buckingham would record rehearsals on individual tracks and then meet with each musician and critiquing his or her work. The message was clear: get it right or get out.

“So you got your **** together,” Robin said. “He motivated me to rise to the occasion, whatever it meant. Like going to vocal lessons or deal with the metronome. I did all that and worked with the other guys in the band and we kind of came together.

“I learned what it takes to be close to perfect, what you do in rehearsals, what you expect from a band, how you put a band together and how to put a show together. I cannot thank him enough. He mentored me and he was very respectful to me. We still stay in touch.”

After Buckingham, Robin continued to work on her solo career, releasing albums and hooking up with Australian singer /songwriter Anne McCue for a series of acoustic gigs.

[michelej1]

Oh, I very much like this behind the scenes view of Lindsey. And the image you get is of a perfectionist, but not a tyrant. Constructive guidance and criticism. Fairness.

I'm very proud.

Michele

[Nico]

Thank you for this. It's awesome to read about Lindsey's work ethic and professionalism from someone who worked with him personally. I've read accounts of some artists being so difficult, egomaniacs, jerks, etc. and it's great whenever I read such positive things about Lindsey. He really takes his music seriously and respects his fans enough to put his all into it. And it definitely shows.

[LukeA]

I don't know of any tyrannical wake-n-bakers. I do, however, know of wake-n-bakers who obsess over the minutae of perfection... whether it be the world's most precise guitar lines or conceptualizing/contemplating the world's most delicious cookie.

[shackin'up]

Originally Posted by michelej1

Oh, I very much like this behind the scenes view of Lindsey. And the image you get is of a perfectionist, but not a tyrant. Constructive guidance and criticism. Fairness.
I'm very proud.

Michele

Somehow, I always knew this was the case. That's his quality. I bet you knew too.There's something else going on when you're emotionally involved with someone. Then it gets tricky.

[michelej1]

Originally Posted by shackin'up

Somehow, I always knew this was the case. That's his quality. I bet you knew too.

I did feel this, generally. Outside of Fleetwood Mac, where there's definitely a family friction, drama thing going on, the other musicians who work with Lindsey just don't describe him in "diva" terms at all. Michele

[LukeA]

We don't want to acknowledge that Lindsey was a wake-n-baker in the OOTC era- even though he's basically admitted as much- do we?

Okay, gotcha.

[Lori40]

So what if he was?

[michelej1]

Originally Posted by Lori40

So what if he was?

Precisely.

Luke, I don't even know what the point of your comment was. Much less why you repeated it. We all know Lindsey used marijuana and may still use it. There's nothing to "acknowledge" as it has never been denied by anyone.

Since he's described himself as focused from the age of 7, I doubt that drugs are the only cause of that intense concentration. But Janet was not talking about obsession. She was talking about a work ethic. Rehearsal, analysis, discussion and improvement and also communication and interaction between musicians that I find laudable.

Michele

[David]

Originally Posted by Livia

To accomplish this, Buckingham would record rehearsals on individual tracks and then meet with each musician and critiquing his or her work.

Every musician I've ever known would have found that intimidating in the extreme---maybe even nightmarish---& a good many would have walked, despite the opportunity of working with a Macster.

[louielouie2000]

Originally Posted by David

Every musician I've ever known would have found that intimidating in the extreme---maybe even nightmarish---& a good many would have walked, despite the opportunity of working with a Macster.

The thing is, Lindsey wasn't recruiting musicians for the OOTC tour. A musician is someone who strives for individuality, who brings their own stamp and flavor to the table. Lindsey didn't really want a band, he was in fact escaping just that. Lindsey recruited a guitar army for OOTC. He wanted nothing to do with individuality or unpredictability. He wanted strength, dependability, and a unified front. Essentially multiple carbon copies of himself whom he was the commander of. I'm sure he made all of that quite clear, and anyone who was dissuaded by that wouldn't have made it beyond the initial auditions. I imagine it took a very disciplined, egoless person to agree to such terms.