Robert Lange
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Robert John "Mutt" Lange (born November 16, 1948, Mufulira, Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia)), is an award-winning record producer and songwriter of popular music. He has produced albums for artists such as Def Leppard, AC/DC, The Cars, Bryan Adams, Romeo's Daughter, and The Corrs. His current projects are producing and writing songs for his wife Shania Twain. A strict vegetarian and a former follower of Sant Mat, now a born-again Christian, he has not given an interview of any kind for decades, and prefers to live a secluded life, mainly in Switzerland, with his wife (singer Shania Twain) and son.
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[edit] Biography
Robert John Lange's South African born father was a mining engineer, his mother came from a prosperous family in Germany. Nicknamed "Mutt" at an early age, he grew up a fan of country music, in particular the singer, Slim Whitman. Sent to study at Belfast High School in South Africa, he started a music band in which he played rhythm guitar and sang harmonies. He eventually married Stevie van Kerken (aka Stevie Vann) and moved to England where, in 1970, he started the band, "Hocus" in which his wife would sing.
His marriage to Stevie Vann Lange broke down in the 70's, although they still remain close friends, and Stevie is indebted to Mutt for how he helped mature her voice.
Beginning production work in 1976, his first major hit was hard rock group AC/DC's album Highway to Hell. He produced several more albums with the band, including Back in Black (1980) which is currently the second-best selling album of all time. He also worked with 1980s pop-rock group Foreigner. He worked with Def Leppard on their hit albums, High 'n' Dry, Pyromania, and Hysteria cowriting many songs.
After "Hysteria", Lange felt he had contributed all that he could to Def Leppard's career, and he decided to bow out of working with them while they were at their peak. In 1991, he produced Bryan Adams' Waking Up the Neighbours, including "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You", a hugely-successful single (aided by its appearance of the soundtrack of the Kevin Costner film Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves).
After hearing Shania Twain's material, he got in touch with her and they spent many hours on the phone to each other; they finally met 6 months after the initial contact and were married on December 28, 1993. Lange is strictly tee-total, but as a treat, they had non-alcoholic champagne at their wedding. Lange also had the Bryan Adams record hit "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You" performed as a sign of his dedication, despite his being 17 years older. In August 2001, their son Eja was born. The couple are planning to relocate to their sheep farm (station) in New Zealand, having put their Swiss Chateau on the market for $25m US.[citation needed]
[edit] Discography
[edit] Produced Albums
Albums produced by Mutt Lange on which he produced at least 3 tracks.
- City Boy - City Boy, 1976
- City Boy - Dinner at the Ritz, 1976
- Graham Parker - Heat Treatment, 1976
- Supercharge - Local Lads Make Good, 1976
- City Boy - Young Men Gone West, 1977
- Clover - Love On The Wire, 1977
- Clover - Unavailable, 1977
- Supercharge - Horizontal Refreshment, 1977
- The Boomtown Rats - The Boomtown Rats, 1977
- City Boy - Book Early, 1978
- The Outlaws - Playin' to Win, 1978
- The Boomtown Rats - A Tonic for the Troops, 1978
- Deaf School - English Boys, Working Girls, 1978
- City Boy - The Day the Earth Caught Fire, 1979
- The Records - Shades In Bed, 1979
- Supercharge - Body Rhythm, 1979
- The Boomtown Rats - The Fine Art of Surfacing, 1979
- AC/DC - Highway to Hell, 1979
- AC/DC - Back in Black, 1980
- AC/DC - For Those About to Rock We Salute You, 1981
- Def Leppard - High 'N' Dry, 1981
- Foreigner - 4, 1981
- Def Leppard - Pyromania, 1983
- The Cars - Heartbeat City, 1984
- Def Leppard - Hysteria, 1987
- Romeo's Daughter - Romeo's Daughter, 1988
- Billy Ocean - Tear Down These Walls, 1989
- Bryan Adams - Waking up the Neighbours, 1991
- Def Leppard - Adrenalize (executive producer), 1992
- Stevie Vann - Stevie Vann, 1995
- Bryan Adams - 18 'Til I Die, 1996
- Shania Twain - The Woman in Me, 1995
- Shania Twain - Come on Over, 1997
- The Corrs - In Blue, 2000
- Shania Twain - Up!, 2002
- Shania Twain - Greatest Hits, 2004
[edit] Produced Album Tracks
Albums produced by Mutt Lange on which he produced 2 tracks or less.
- Stephen - Right On Running Man, 1974/5
- Billy Ocean, Suddenly, 1984
- Billy Ocean, Love Zone, 1986
- Celine Dion, All The Way... A Decade Of Song, 1999
- Backstreet Boys, Millennium, 1999
- Britney Spears, Oops... I Did It Again, 2000
- Celine Dion, A New Day Has Come, 2002
- Bryan Adams, Room Service, 2004
[edit] Album tracks written or co-written by Mutt Lange
- Jessica Andrews, "I'll Take Your Heart", album Heart Shaped World, 1999
- Blackhawk, "I'm Not Strong Enough To Say No", album Strong Enough, 1995
- Billy Ray Cyrus, "Only God Could Stop Me Loving You", album Storm in the Heartland, 1994
- Diamond Rio, "I Thought I'd Seen Everything", album Unbelievable, 1998
- Heart, "Wild Child" and "All I Wanna Do Is Make Love To You", album Brigade, 1990
- Heart, "Will You Be There (In The Morning), album Desire Walks On, 1993
- Huey Lewis and the News, "Do You Believe In Love", album Picture This, 1982
- Huey Lewis and the News, "It Hit Me Like a Hammer", album Hard at Play, 1991
- Reba McEntire, "I'll Take Your Heart", album Moments And Memories - The Best Of Reba (Australia), (Australian release only), 1998
- Eddie Money, "Heaven In The Back Seat", album Right Here, 1991
- PJ Powers, "(Let That) River Roll", album Thandeka Talk To Me, 2001
- Chrissy Steele, "I Cry Myself To Sleep At Night", album Magnet To Steele, 1991
- Bonnie Tyler, "I Cry Myself To Sleep At Night", album Silhouette In Red, 1993
- Steps, "Stay With Me Tonight" (recorded as "Stay With Me"), album Step One, 1998
[edit] Grammy awards
- 1991 - "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You" - Best Song Written Specifically For A Motion Picture Or For Television
- 1995 - "The Woman In Me" - Best Country Album
- 1998 - "You're Still the One" - Best Country Song
- 1999 - "Come on Over" - Best Country Song
