Rubbing Two Sticks Together: The Magic of Collaboration
While we’re all enjoying Christmas music at this time, one song I just love so much is Hurry Home for Christmas by Steve Lawrence and Eydie Forme (below). I can’t even explain it, it just gives me warm, happy holiday feelings to where I can’t help but play it on repeat.
As I contemplate what stands out about this track there is something that really strikes me about Steve and Eydie’s music in general — they only tap into that magic when they sing together. I’ve heard solo recordings from both of them, and while pleasant, on their own they don’t really stand out as exceptional over many similar artists at the time. Don’t get me wrong, their voices are certainly smooth, pleasant, and skilled, but it lacks the X factor…that special something that sets them apart. It only seemed to be present when they sang together.
When it comes to talents and abilities, we often think only in terms of ourselves as individuals and what we bring to the table. It’s easy to get caught up in comparisons or reflect on where we need to grow on our own, but how often we forget the importance of chemistry when working with others and how that can magnify what we have without one single additional effort.
When speaking about such things, it’s hard not to consider Christine McVie’s passing and the undeniable chemistry among the members of the legendary band, Fleetwood Mac. While each member possessed their own unique talent, before Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks joined the crew, they kinda chugged along in obscurity. Including the two new dynamic band members didn’t undermine their established talent, but rather expanded upon it. Christine, who was there from the band’s early inception, grew exponentially as an artist and went on to write and perform many hits for the band as she worked alongside them.
Of course, there are also an equal number of success stories of people finding their stride when they struck out on their own, but even then it is usually because of some combined venture with a producer, co-writer, or some other added variable. The point of what I’m expressing is that there is a mystery to music and art that is inexplicable. Not that success is always the best measure of whether something works or not (there are so many variables) but just how fascinating the creative process is and that it’s fun to appreciate the unique magic that can arise from rubbing two sticks together…you just might start a blazing fire.
