EntreMusician's Note: These Tips Apply ONLY to Producing Bands Other than You Own (which are fraught with their own set of zany fortuities!) Equally, This Advice May Not Work on Singers who happen to Be Solo Artists. Countless Articles have been written on Producing Up & Coming Divas; None of Which are in Agreement...These have been written to Prepare Yourself Adequately Before the Project Begins!

1. Pray or Drink Heavily Beforehand (According to Your System of Faith)
2. Only Talk to The Leader(s) of The Band to Decipher & Determine Goals 
3. Do a Thorough Inventory of The Band's Gear
4. Know Your Own Gear Inside and Out
5. Prepare a Flowchart of Microphones You'll Need for the Sessions
6. Own / Upgrade to The Most Quality Pre Amp You Can Afford
7. Get a Non-Refundable Deposit
8. Spend Several Days Listening to The Band's Demos (If They Exist)
9. See Them Perform Live
10. Look For The Real Leader of The Band as You Witness Power Struggles
11. Spend a Pre-Production Day Getting Great, Natural Drum Sounds
12. Go Do Likewise with the Bassist
13. Prepare Comprehensive Track Sheets for the Entire Session
14. Determine the Emotional / Mental Stability of the Lead Singer and Massage It
15. Review Your Written Production Agreement. Keep It Handy
16. Never, Ever Use Cheap Chords
17. Discover The Weakest Players (They'll Be Easy To Spot Even Before Picking Up Their Axe) And Loudly Encourage Them in Front of the Others
18. Rehearse The Band for Three Days to Get Sketch Recordings. Keep Them, You May Need to Use Them Later for Almost Anything...
19. Help The Guitarist Decide Which Four (4) of the 27 Guitars Brought to the Session will Actually Be Necessary
20. Create EQ & Compression Presets for Each Instrument & Vocalist
21. Talk With The Real Band Leader and the Person You Originally Talked To and Make Sure The $$$ is Secure
22. Learn Several Techniques that Keep Bass Players Calm and Apply Them Accordingly
23. Vacuum Your Studio Before & After Each Session
24. Do More Praying (or Drinking), but Not In Front of The Band
25. Keep Your Harmonizer / Auto Tuner Ready and Active At All Times
26. Discuss Music Theory Often with The Keyboardist in Front of the Drummer (It Makes Them Hyper Sensitive and they Play Better) 
27. Make Sure Your Fire Extinguisher(s) Work
28. Keep Your Hard Drives De-fragged and Uncluttered
29. Hone Your Mediation Skills between the Real Leader and the Person You Originally Talked To When They Begin to Argue Over Absolutely Everything, Including Who Will Pay You
30. Make Plenty of Back Ups

I was listening to "Underneath The Colours" by INXS on Vinyl while posting this