San Francisco, CA -- Whipping a rock band into shape isn't easy -- especially when you're forced to use a real whip.

That's the dilemma which faced author Amy Tan when she first started working with the Rock Bottom Remainders, a musical project of various all-star writers including Matt Groening, Stephen King and Dave Barry.

Although Tan was trained on classical piano, she says the band's first musical director, Al Kooper, decided that "wasn't rock and roll" and made her crack a whip instead.

The instrument change wasn't easy, especially since her first whip was "rather feeble."

Still, by the time Tan worked up to using a cat o' nine tails, her whipping was instrumental to the group's repertoire -- especially on songs like "These Boots Were Made For Walking."

The Rock Bottom Remainders will be touring the west coast starting April 23. In addition, Tan's latest book, "The Opposite Of Fate," hits stores in October.

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