Robert John "Mutt" Lange (pronounced /ˈlæŋ/[1]) (born November 16, 1948) is an award-winning record producer and songwriter of popular music and one of the most successful producers in rock history. 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 for and writing songs with his wife, country singer Shania Twain. Her 1997 album Come on Over which he produced is the best selling record by any female artist of all time. A strict vegetarian and a follower of Sant Mat, he has not given an interview of any kind for decades, and prefers to live a secluded life, mainly in Switzerland, with Twain and their son, Eja. There are very few pictures of Lange available today, largely because any picture somebody takes of him he will purchase and keep out of tabloids. Lange is responsible for producing some of the most successful and popular records of all time. He is known for his endurance in the studio and innovations in multitrack recording.[2]
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Biography
Robert John Lange was born in Mufulira, Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia). His mother came from a prosperous family in Germany, and his South African born father was a mining engineer. Nicknamed "Mutt" at an early age, Lange 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 (a.k.a. Stevie Vann) and moved to England where, in 1970, he started the band Hocus in which his wife would sing. His marriage to Stevie broke down in the 1970s, although they still remain close friends, and Stevie is indebted to Mutt for how he helped mature her voice. In 1978, Lange wrote and produced Ipswich Town's FA Cup final single Ipswich Ipswich Get That Goal (his connection with the club being due to their South African born player Colin Viljoen). Beginning production work in 1976, his first major hits came in October 1978 with the UK #1 single "Rat Trap" for The Boomtown Rats, followed in July 1979 with the UK #1 "I Don't Like Mondays", and AC/DC's hard rock album Highway to Hell (#8 UK, #17 US). He produced two more albums with AC/DC, including Back in Black (1980) which is currently the fifth-best selling album of all time. He also worked with 1980s pop-rock group Foreigner, and with Def Leppard on their hit albums, High 'n' Dry, Pyromania, Hysteria and Adrenalize co-writing all of the 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. [3] In 1991, he produced Bryan Adams' Waking Up the Neighbours, including co-writing "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You", a hugely-successful single written for 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 with each other; they finally met six months after the initial contact and were married on December 28, 1993. Lange is strictly a tee-totaller, but as a treat, they had non-alcoholic champagne at their wedding. Lange also had the song "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You" performed as a sign of his dedication. In August 2001, their son Eja (pronounced "Asia") was born.
Discography
Produced albums
Albums on which Lange 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
- The Rumour – Max, 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
- Broken Home – Broken Home, 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
Produced album tracks
Albums on which Lange produced at least one track:
- Stephen – Right On Running Man, 1974/5
- Huey Lewis and the News - "Do You Believe in Love", Picture This, 1982
- Billy Ocean – Suddenly, 1984
- Billy Ocean – Love Zone, 1986
- Eddie Money - "Heaven in the Back Seat", Right Here, 1991
- Celine Dion – All The Way...A Decade Of Song, 1999
- Backstreet Boys – Millenium, 1999
- Britney Spears – Oops!... I Did It Again, 2000
- Celine Dion – A New Day Has Come, 2002
- Bryan Adams – Room Service, 2004
Album tracks written or co-written
- Jessica Andrews – "I'll Take Your Heart" from Heart Shaped World, 1999
- Blackhawk – "I'm Not Strong Enough To Say No" from Strong Enough, 1995
- Billy Ray Cyrus – "Only God (Could Stop Me Loving You)" from Storm in the Heartland, 1994
- Diamond Rio – "I Thought I'd Seen Everything" from Unbelievable, 1998
- Emerson Drive - "Only God (Could Stop Me Loving You)" from Emerson Drive, 2002
- Starship – "I Didn't Mean To Stay All Night" from Love Among The Cannibals, 1989
- Heart – "Wild Child" and "All I Wanna Do Is Make Love To You" from Brigade, 1990
- Heart – "Will You Be There (In The Morning) from Desire Walks On, 1993
- Huey Lewis and the News – "Do You Believe In Love" from Picture This, 1982
- Huey Lewis and the News – "It Hit Me Like a Hammer" from Hard at Play, 1991
- Lonestar - "You Walked In" from Crazy Nights, 1997
- Loverboy - "Lovin' Every Minute of It" from Lovin' Every Minute of It, 1985
- Reba McEntire – "I'll Take Your Heart" from Moments And Memories - The Best Of Reba (Australia) (Australian release only), 1998
- Eddie Money – "Heaven In The Back Seat" from Right Here, 1991
- PJ Powers – "(Let That) River Roll" from Thandeka Talk To Me, 2001
- Chrissy Steele – "I Cry Myself To Sleep At Night" from Magnet To Steele, 1991
- Steps – "Stay With Me Tonight" (recorded as "Stay With Me") from Step One, 1998
- Bonnie Tyler – "I Cry Myself To Sleep At Night" from Angel Heart (album), 1992.
- Lari White - "Only God (Could Stop Me Loving You)" from Stepping Stone, 1999 (duet w/ Toby Keith)
- The Corrs - "Breathless" from In Blue
- The Corrs - "All the Love in the World" from In Blue
- The Corrs - "Irresistible" from In Blue
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
References
- ^ See inogolo:pronunciation of "Mutt" Lange.
- ^ Back In Black Songfacts. Songfacts. Retrieved July 22 2007.
- ^ http://www.robertjohnmuttlange.com/
