It’s always great to catch up with Robin McAuley who surely must be one of the nicest guys in the business, but that warm demeanour hides a secret… I mean with a voice like that he surely must be the beneficiary of some Crossroads style deal!
Listening to the new Black Swan record you’d be hard pushed to not label it one of his best ever vocal performances; and for a man who has adorned some wonderful albums in the past that’s a a big call. We caught up the find all about the second Black Swan adventure, dig deep into the songs to find gems like: “Fast communicator with an open carburettor” and as we always so with Robin, to relive some more anniversaries.
Robin: Hey Mark!
Mark: Hi Robin how are you?
Robin: I’m doing good, how you doing?
Mark: That’s two of us. It seem like only yesterday we spoke!
Robin: (laughing) Wasn’t it just yesterday? (laughs)
Mark: Actually you’re right it was literally just yesterday we were talking about the solo album! (laughs)
Robin: (laughing) Oh my God!
Mark: I’m still enjoying that one, but now I’ve got another Black Swan to enjoy too!
Robin: (laughs)
Mark: You had a pretty busy calendar last time we spoke but you’re even busier now!
Robin: And this morning before I spoke to you I was working on the last two songs I need to submit for my follow up solo!
Mark: Wow!
Robin: (laughs) You’ve got to stay off the street you know!
Mark: Well you’re certainly doing that Robin, all of that and you’re out again with Michael (Schenker) as well!
Robin: Yes, that was unexpected because it was already advertised with Ronnie and of course Ronnie is on his new ‘Universal’ 50th Anniversary album and he needs to be singing not me, I don’t need to be singing his songs, but I was originally asked to fill in the last five which I think is three in Spain and two in Italy, so I went “Yeah sure” and then I saw the setlist like 25 songs! And I went ‘Agggh!’ (Laughs). And then a few days later I got another e-mail saying… Ummm, can you do the whole European Tour? (laughs)
Mark: (laughs)
Robin: So I’m doing it! It will be a blast I’ll get to see the guys, you know. There’s a huge amount of shows advertised already for a North American Tour later on in the year so (laughs) we’ll see! We’ll see what happens!
Mark: It’s a crazy number of shows, making up for lost time.
Robin: Ronnie says he’s doing that one (laughs).
Mark: Is he now? Didn’t he say that about the last one?
Robin: He did (laughs) But speaking of having a lot going on he has a huge amount going on. I guess we all just keep rolling with the punches you know. After the pandemic I think we’re just going “Yes” to everything! (laughs)
Mark: Well that sounds like great news for me but hard work for you! (laughs) The quality is there though and that’s the most important thing. I loved that first Black Swan album but I think I actually prefer this one.
Robin: Well thank you. (laughs) Well that’s a good sign coming from you Mark. You now Reb at one point called me and said “Dude, you know, you kind of sit down and start number two and you’re thinking, wow I really like number one and I was really questioning myself – do you think we can up the ante? Can we do a little bit better?” And then I guess some time later when we had done all the rough mixes he called me again and said “Hey dude I’m on my way to a Winger show and I’m letting the guys listen to all this stuff, and they’re all telling me ‘fuck dude, this is better than the first one!'” (laughs) So there was a lot of excitement coming from the Winger camp which is great. And I’m teasing him saying “What you let them hear this? You’re not supposed to let them hear this!”
Mark: You’re all busy again Kip has his Symphony going on at the minute too.
Robin: I know he just did something in Memphis which is great.
Mark: OK it’s time now Robin, let’s talk about Black Swan. You started writing I think pretty soon after the solo album came out.
Robin: Yeah, after the solo album the label wanted me to keep the momentum going! (laughs) I know I told you before I really didn’t want to do the solo, I mean who wants to listen to a Robin McAuley solo? And now I’m doing a second solo! Dear God!
Mark: You slipped that one in quickly! We’ll get to that later it sounds like an exclusive.
Robin: (laughs) But we got into the Black Swan, the pandemic was easing off, Winger were back out as soon as they could, Foreigner were back out and Jeff called and said “Better start thinking about this second one” and I said “Well I’m here, I’m not going anywhere” because the Vegas show is still down (Raiding the Rock Vault) and then they just flooded me with songs. So Reb came out to L.A. and got together with Jeff and all of a sudden there were 7 or 8 songs on my doorstep saying “OK let’s go!” I was going “Agggh! I don’t work as fast as you guys do!” So I got my stuff together and went to Jeff and we’d sit and like we did on the first one I’d run down what I had – melodies, lyrics, that sort of stuff and we’d chop it up a little bit, and then he goes “Let’s do it!” So the band stepped right up to the microphone and we laid it down.
Mark: So all the band got together?
Robin: No I didn’t actually see Reb till the videos on this one, he was in and out, it was crazy, but we would talk. As you know Jeff lives not far from me and they’d start shredding and they’d be talking and dropping things in my inbox to see what I thought. Then we’d move on to the next and then before I knew it I had 7 or 8 songs. Reb took off to finish more Winger stuff and says “I’ll be back in a couple of weeks to finish the last batch” and in the meantime Jeff would take off and then you’d have a void which was good for me because it gave me a chance to get to work.
Mark: So did you end up with just the twelve songs or a couple more?
Robin: I think we had about 12. There’s always a bonus track for the Japanese market which is usually an acoustic version of one of the songs – in this case it’s ‘How Do You Feel’ – I don’t know if you’ve heard it, it’s awesome!
Mark: They never send me the bonus track Robin sadly. But I must say I think that ‘How Do You Feel’ and ‘Long Way Down’ that sits next to it are y two favourite tracks at the moment.
Robin: Ohhh, really? Well ‘Long Way Down’ was supposed to be the lead off track when we first started to put it together. Then as we went on it turned out to be a trucker song with a hooker in it! (laughs)
Mark: (laughs)
Robin: We never write songs like that! (laughs) we never do that sort of a lyric! But just came in with this “Fast communicator with an open carburettor” and everyone is going “Oh shit!” (laughs) But it was just kinda funny and tongue in cheek so we thought, you know what? And when Matt heard it he went “Dude, are you serious!? That’s one of the best lyrics I ever heard!” (laughs) But I just threw it out there to see if it would stick and it turned out to be the opening track on the record ‘She Hides Behind’. ‘Long Way Down’ was supposed to be, but there you go.
Mark: Both great songs on an album full of them, I go some echoes too here and there and the sound seems to be just a little heavier.
Robin: Yeah, it’s a little more open this time, very live sounding.
Mark: A bit of Dio in there a bit of Scorpions, all kind of great stuff sonically. Some wonderful rockers on there and the title track too really stands out.
Robin: Thank you.
Mark: It’s out there worldwide April 8th, so everyone won’t have to wait too long.
Robin: And ‘Eagles Fly’ is also up on YouTube as well as the title track ‘Generation Mind’.
Mark: And as I was listening I thought you might close the album with a bit of a wildcard but you play with a straight bat on ‘I Will Follow’ – another solid rocker.
Robin: It’s really cool, I had a lot of fun writing on that one in my cocoon, and then you come to Jeff and he’s on ’12’ and it’s funny because you walk into the studio and he’s like “OK what have you got?” (laughs) and that can go either way! But you know we have a great rapport on the writing. we’re very open minded with it, it’s just one of those things that sounds good and it feels right.
Mark: Yes the chemistry is still there, but you’ve taken it up 1 more. This one goes up to 11 just like Spinal Tap!
Robin: (laughs)
Mark: Now Robin it’s that time. Whenever we talk I can help myself talking about Anniversaries. We’ve got two this time. The first one – It’s been forty years since you put out a certain album – name that album?
Robin: Oh Jeez, forty years… you got me.
Mark: ‘There For None to See’
Robin: Is it forty! I was looking at that the other day! Oh my God! I’ll give you a little exclusive, a little sneaky bit of information – (whispers) there may be a new Grand Prix record.
Mark: Oooh!
Robin: It’s been spoke about. We just have to figure out how, when, where we do it. But we all thought, ahhh, let’s see what happens. (laughs) So there’s a couple of tunes in the works and so I have to find my little space to knuckle down and get into it. I might be talking out of turn here, but anyway what the hell!
Mark: Always great to hear news like that hot off the press! I actually played it the other day, still like it, it took me right back to the Iron Maiden Tour!
Robin: Yes! That is right, you know someone was talking to me about that the other day because when we were rehearsing for that album Bruce was net door when he was still with Samson. And Grand Prix were on the Reading Festival and Samson were on that too, with Maiden headlining with Paul Di’Anno singing. A day or two later back in the rehearsal room Bruce walks in and says “Agggh! ‘Arry just asked me to join Maiden and I don’t know what to do?” (laughs) And we’re all going “What do you mean you don’t know what to do!” (laughs) And the rest of course is history. And as you know we ended u getting the opening slot for the ‘Peace of Mind’ Tour which was phenomenal. And of course Maiden went on to do bigger and better things than we did! (laughs)
Mark: They did Robin, but over the years you’ve gone on to produce so much wonderful music.
Robin: Thanks Mark.
Mark: And on ‘Generation Mind’ you sound better than ever. It’s not fair. Is there a secret?
Robin: (Laughs) It’s not fair! You know what, thank you. I do my best. I actually said to my wife when I saw 25 songs on the Schenker list “Honey I just have to tell you ahead of time, I may come home in a box!” (laughs) I don’t think there’s a secret though, you know it’s my instrument, it’s all I have. It’s my job, my responsibility and I’m fiercely proud because I read, as I’m sure you do, I read so much bad stuff written about other singers. People are going “Dude, it’s not good.” I’ve always thought it was important to retain some sort of dignity. I hate to read that kind of stuff, it’s just not nice. I mean everyone gets older, I’m older, and a change happens whether you want it to or not. How much do you work with that change? Or don’t you care? Well I care. I care, and that’s all there is to it. But it will come and it will go ‘boof!’ that sounded like shit, goodbye.” (laughs)
Mark: (laughs) Well based on how good you sound on here it’s many many moons away!
Robin: My wife just sighs and says “I’ve been hearing this for 30 years!”
Mark: (laughs)
Robin: So I tell her, yeah, but it’s not the same as it was 30 years ago, and she just says “Well I’m not the same as I was 30 years ago – just get on with it!” (laughs) You know I love it Mark, I love what I do still. I might complain a lot, but you know when the green light is on I get energised. I still love the hoopla, all of the walking on stage, I love cables and stuff in the way, and cabs and guitars and, techs and tunings and drums! (laughs) I just love being around that stuff! It’s weird! It’s the same as I like airports (Laughs)
Mark: Even airports! (laughs)
Robin: I just love that mayhem, if we’re shooting a video I just love that whole behind the scenes thing, the putting it together, watching everything being plugged in, I just get really excited by all of that sort of stuff. And if I’m in a TV Studio I’m like a kid in a toy shop because that just fascinates me to this day still. I just love to see those cameras rolling around and gigantic cables and all of that stuff! The deadlines, the ‘we’re on’ and ‘we’re not on’ the watching the green light and the red light and all the time I’m going “Oh God this is great” (laughs)
Mark: Everyone else hates that bit!
Robin: No that’s the part I love!
Robin: Here’s another snippet of information for you – with ‘Eagles Fly’ the follow up single what they decided to do was record some of the behind the scenes footage for the next video which will be out when they drop the album, that next one I’ll tell you will be ‘Miracles’ which is like what we did with ‘Make It There’ from ‘Shake the World’. I much prefer that sort of thing than a lyric video which is a little limp, this is a lot more personable and shows that we do actually exist behind the scenes.
Mark: It’s a lot of fun. There is one more anniversary to talk about though – 35 years ago you made another album.
Robin: 35?
Mark: 1987 was the year.
Robin: Oh, ‘Perfect Timing’
Mark: I’ve always loved that album. I don’t know why, but it’s always stuck with me.
Robin: well I suppose it was my first outing with Michael. You know there was, a bit like a Charles Dickens book, great expectations. You know we were put together for the sole purpose initially of picking up on the American market. Picking up on MTV and VH1. We needed to get a track to get on there and then when you got the track you needed to get the tour, then you did this and you did that and I don’t want to say it was writing by numbers but there was a certain expectancy about what you were doing and the sound of it. And of course you had your Warrants and your Ratts and your Wingers and your Whitesnakes, and your Bon Jovis, the list was endless. But with all the competition for singles we though ‘how is that ever going to happen’ but then ‘Anytime’ came out of the pile and we thought “There it is! There’s your MTV, there’s your Tour, there’s your this, your that.” And then you wee asked for more of the same, and I donlt know if Michael was particularly in love with all of that stuff or that direction, but that was the direction we were sort of pushed into.
Mark: It was an interesting time wasn’t it Robin, melodic Hard Rock at the peak of its popularity.
Robin: Yes the peak of it’s ‘Glamularity!’
Mark: (laughs) I like it!
Robin: But it was a fun time, a really fun time.
Mark: It was and I think Michael’s first Top 100 US single with ‘Give Me Your Love.’ And your hair on the cover of that album I think is one of the hair styles of the entire late eighties I reckon!
Robin: I know dude, I should have got a prize, but I didn’t! (laughs) I couldn’t even get through a door! (laughs) Especially getting on the bus, that was a difficulty one! I had to stand sideways – it was like wearing a ten-gallon! (laughs) And the hairspray was very important to hold it all in place but it was a lethal weapon if you head-butted someone with that hairstyle dude your could do some damage! (laughs)
Mark: Just don’t stand near any naked flames!
Robin: (laughs) Oh God! I’m going to tell you a very short story OK! I went to visit one of my sisters in London and it was over Easter and we went to Church being good Irish Catholics with one of my nieces who I have such a great time with. So we’re in Church and it was on the Easter Saturday where they light the Pastoral Fire and the church is all in black and everybody comes in with a lighted candle. So I have missalettes in one hand and I have candle in the other and the church is in complete darkness and then I get an itch on my nose. And I sort of reach up, forgetting that I have a lighted candle and hair that’s about two feet wide and ‘woof’ the entire right side of my hair goes up! (laughs)
Mark: (laughs) A Michael Jackson moment!
Robin: And I donlt know if ever you’ve been in church with a lot of people and all you can smell is burnt singed hair! A mixture of hairspray and I don’t know what! I know that my sister was going “Oh My God” and my niece – she starts laughing, I started laughing and my sister was shushing us! Everyone is staring at us and I’m just thinking ‘God will never forgive us for this one.’ (laughs) We were the paschal fire on that Easter Saturday! Anyway that’s my little bit of useless information about big hair! Be careful out there!
Mark: (laughs) Always a pleasure Robin! Hope to catch you soon.
Robin: You’re the best! We had a storm yesterday and it’s about 85 degrees today so get on over to sunny Los Angeles!
Mark: Take care my friend, and all the best for the launch.
Robin: Thank you Mark, God bless. Bye bye.
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