Robin Beck

Robin Beck is a pop and rock singer from Brooklyn, United States, born in 1954. She first comes to wider attention through the Coca-Cola theme song The First Time, which becomes an international hit and brings her work to a broad audience.

Career

Before that breakthrough, Beck has already been recording for some time. Her debut album, Sweet Talk, appears in 1979 and leans heavily towards disco. It includes a cover of Todd Rundgren’s Hello It’s Me and backing vocals from Luther Vandross.

In 1989 she releases Trouble Or Nothin’, produced by Desmond Child. The album includes guest contributions from Toto guitarist Steve Lukather, Guy Mann Dude, and backing vocals from Kiss singer Paul Stanley. It also features a version of the Kiss song Hide Your Heart and songs written by Desmond Child, Diane Warren and Alice Cooper. First Time comes from Phil Soussean, formerly of Ozzy Osbourne’s band, and Beck also contributes to the writing of Sleeping With The Enemy.

That same year, Beck also appears as a session vocalist on Norwegian artist Ole Evenrude’s album One Size Fits All.

Later albums and collaborators

Her second album, Human Instinct, is released in 1992 on the D.S.B. label. It features a large group of session musicians, including Jeff Porcaro of Toto, keyboard player Kim Bullard, guitarists Tim Pierce, Michael Landau, Lee Ritenour and Michael Thompson, and Myriam Valle of Desmond Child and Rouge on backing vocals. The Lennon brothers of Venice also provide backing vocals on several tracks.

On Human Instinct, Beck takes a greater role in songwriting, although the album still relies heavily on outside writers. Songs include In My Heart To Stay by Climie Fisher, Treat Me Like You Used To by Sue Shifrin, David Cassidy and Mark Spiro, If It Don’t Hurt by Jonathan Cain and Mark Spiro, Next Time I See Heaven by Beck and Glen Burtnick, and Will To Live by Tom Kelly and Billy Steinberg with Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart.

Return in the 2000s

Beck returns in 2005 with Do You Miss Me, issued in Europe on Frontiers and in Japan on King Records, with Locomotive/Ryko handling the United States. The album includes songs written by Desmond Child, Amy Sky, Chris Pelcer, Michael Bolton and Marc Jordan, with backing vocals from her husband James Christian and Lisa Dalbello.

She also appears on Tommy Denander’s solo album Taken, guesting on Easy’s Getting Harder in a duet with James Christian.

Style and legacy

Beck’s work is associated with pop, pop rock and rock, with strong links to 1980s AOR and polished studio production. Her best-known recording remains The First Time, while her albums show repeated collaboration with prominent songwriters, session players and guest vocalists across the rock and pop field.