Posted December 14, 200717 yr When Pink was at the Led Zeppelin concert she approached Robert Plant about a possible collaboration, but he was already working with Alison Krauss. Question - Spinner: And for you, Robert, was there anything that surprised you about Alison once you began working together? Answer - Robert Plant : It's kind of like it was the great unknown, but having already had that experience in Cleveland at the Leadbelly Memorial Concert, I knew that Alison is amenable, and when the onus and the territories shift to areas where she's much more comfortable, she really helped me to come to terms with stuff. The way that these people in the studio were operating around Alison was they use a totally different musical-speak to the way that I work in the U.K. with Strange Sensation or, for that mater, with Zeppelin. We don't enunciate, we don't have the same terminologies and we certainly don't know -- I didn't 'cause I've never really sung harmonies -- I didn't know if a fifth was a sixth, or a seventh was a first. And I didn't know what one, five and four meant, either. It was a revelation, and she was very patient and made me feel very comfortable and told me that I was a very quick learner. That was very flattering, even though I wasn't very sure of it. And I knew after a couple of days, because of the kind of kindnesses that it was a much more gratifying experience working around these people than the kind of hubbub working in the U.K. And because the mood of the music and the actual content of the songs and the lyrics were so beautiful, panoramic, the whole thing was like, "Wow." And Alison was there in her hometown with her friends helping me through. It was great. ...That sounds quite emotional, but it was... [Alison does fake crying in the background.] It could've been another way altogether. It could've been some sort of teen queen goddess who just wanted to do something with some old bloke. I met Pink the other day -- she watched me singing in Switzerland when I played with Arcade Fire and Bjork. Pink watched the whole show from the side and kept smiling and I kept thinking, "That's a nice-looking girl. Who's that?" And then she came up at the end and said, "That was amazing. And what is even more amazing is I know Janis Joplin used to look after you, Robert." That's true. And she said, "Then we'll make a record together." I said, "Too late. I've got my girl and I'm giving up nothing for her." It would've been totally different working with . . . and that other girl, "Jessica Doodle" [Jessica Simpson]...." Robert Plant: Robert Anthony Plant (born August 20, 1948, West Bromwich, West Midlands, England), is an English rock singer and songwriter, famous for his membership in the lengendary rock band Led Zeppelin as the lead vocalist, as well as for his successful solo career. He is known for his powerful style, often mystical lyrics, and wide vocal range. As the lead singer of Led Zeppelin he is often defined as the quintessential rock front man, combining rare musical adeptness and knowledge with a large measure of stage bravado. As a solo artist, following Led Zeppelin's break up after the death of John Bonham, he is often credited for his wide range of musical taste and his ability to perform an eclectic range of songs in a refined manner. - Alisson Krauss: Alison Krauss (born July 23, 1971) is an American bluegrass-country singer and fiddle player. During her career she has won 20 Grammy Awards—more than any other female artist and tied for seventh-most among all artists—along with numerous other awards. She entered the music industry at a young age, winning local contests by the age of ten and recording for the first time on her brother's album at fourteen. She signed with Rounder Records in 1985 and released her first solo album at sixteen in 1987. She was invited to join the band with which she still performs, Alison Krauss & Union Station (AKUS), and later released her first album with them as a group in 1989.
