Robert John "Mutt" Lange | |
---|---|
Birth name | Robert John Lange |
Also known as | "Mutt" Lange |
Born | Mufulira, Northern Rhodesia |
11 November 1948
Origin | London, England |
Genres | Rock, pop, country, dance |
Occupation(s) | record producer, songwriter |
Instruments | Bass, Guitar, Background vocals |
Years active | 1974–present |
Associated acts | AC/DC, Shania Twain, Def Leppard, The Boomtown Rats, City Boy, Outlaws, Foreigner, Huey Lewis and the News, Bryan Adams, The Corrs, Michael Bolton, Nickelback, Maroon 5, Romeo's Daughter, Billy Ocean, Zander Bleck, Lady Gaga, Muse and The Cars Koda Kumi |
Robert John "Mutt" Lange (/ˈlæŋ/;[1] born 11 November 1948) is a Zambian-born British record producer and songwriter. He has produced albums for artists such as AC/DC, City Boy, Def Leppard, The Boomtown Rats, Graham Parker and the Rumour, Outlaws, Foreigner, The Cars, Bryan Adams, Billy Ocean, Savoy Brown, The Corrs, Maroon 5, Nickelback and Muse. He also wrote and produced songs with his then-wife, Canadian country singer Shania Twain. Her 1997 album Come on Over, which he produced, is the all-time best selling album by a female artist.[2] Lange also worked on "You and I" from Lady Gaga's second studio album Born This Way.
A strict vegetarian and a follower of Sant Mat, Lange has not given an interview for decades and prefers to live a secluded life, primarily in Switzerland. He is known for his work in the studio and innovations in multitrack recording.
Contents
Biography
Robert John Lange was born in Mufulira, Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) and raised in Durban, Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa. His mother came from a prosperous family in Germany, and his South African 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. After his national service (1966-1967) he formed the band Sound Reason in 1969. In 1971 he started the group Hocus, recording one album and releasing 5 seven singles. He eventually married Stevie van Kerken (a.k.a. Stevie Vann) and moved to England. The marriage broke down in the 1970s. Whilst still married, Lange began seeing Belfast-born employee Oonagh O'Reilly, a relationship that lasted five years.
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 Africa-born player Colin Viljoen. The song is derived from a previous recording Give That Thang To Me by Paul Jones (1977), with some parts rearranged and new lyrics.
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 AC/DC's hard rock album Highway to Hell (#8 UK, #17 US). He produced a total of five albums for UK band City Boy from 1976 to 1979.
He produced two more albums with AC/DC, including Back in Black (1980) which is currently the fourth best-selling album of all time. He also worked with rock group Foreigner with 4, and with Def Leppard on their hit albums, High 'n' Dry, Pyromania, Hysteria and Adrenalize co-writing most of the songs.
After Hysteria, Lange bowed out of working with Def Leppard while they were at their peak.[3] He would return to work with them years later in a more limited role in 1999, co-writing three tracks for their album Euphoria. One of these songs, "Promises", was a Number 1 hit on the mainstream rock charts for the band.
In 1991, he produced Bryan Adams's Waking Up the Neighbours, including co-writing "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You", a single written for the Kevin Costner film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves that currently holds the record for the longest consecutive Number 1 UK chart single with 16 consecutive weeks at the top of the charts (7 July-26 October 1991).
After hearing Shania Twain's material, he got in touch with her and they spent many hours on the phone. They finally met six months after the initial contact and were married on 28 December 1993. Because Lange is a teetotaller, 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. On 15 May 2008 a spokesman for Mercury Nashville announced that Twain and Lange were separating after Lange had an affair. Lange began seeing Twain's best friend, Marie-Anne Thiebaud.[4] The couple divorced in June 2010, and Twain is now married to Thiebaud's ex-husband Frederic.
Lange produced the single "Make You" from the album Great Escape by Irish singer Tara Blaise which was released in May 2008.
In the 2001 made-for-TV movie Hysteria – The Def Leppard Story, actor Anthony Michael Hall portrayed Lange.
Discography
Produced albums
Albums on which Lange produced at least three tracks
- Hocus-"The Swan"/"He", 1972
- Richard Jon Smith - Superstar Smith, 1974
- City Boy – City Boy, 1976
- City Boy – Dinner at the Ritz, 1976
- Kevin Coyne - In Living Black and White, 1976
- Mallard - In a Different Climate, 1976
- Graham Parker – Heat Treatment, 1976
- Supercharge – Local Lads Make Good, 1976
- The Motors – The Motors, 1977
- 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
- Savoy Brown – Savage Return, 1978
- Michael Stanley Band – Cabin Fever, 1978
- City Boy – Book Early, 1978
- 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
- Foreigner – 4, 1981
- Def Leppard – High 'N' Dry, 1981
- AC/DC – For Those About to Rock We Salute You, 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, 1988
- Bryan Adams – Waking Up the Neighbours, 1991
- Def Leppard – Adrenalize (executive producer), 1992
- Michael Bolton – The One Thing, 1993
- Stevie Vann – Stevie Vann, 1995
- Shania Twain – The Woman in Me, 1995
- Bryan Adams – 18 til I Die, 1996
- Shania Twain – Come on Over, 1997
- The Corrs – In Blue, 2000
- Shania Twain – Up!, 2002
- Shania Twain – Greatest Hits, 2004
- Nickelback – Dark Horse, 2008
- Maroon 5 – Hands All Over, 2010
- Muse – Drones, 2015
- Ashley Clark – Ashley Clark, 2015
Produced album tracks
Albums on which Lange produced at least one track:
- Jessica Jones - "Sunday, Monday, Tuesday" , 1972
- Stephen – "Right On Running Man", 1974/5
- Graham Parker and the Rumour - The Parkerilla, 1978
- XTC – "This Is Pop" (single version), 1978[5]
- Roman Holliday – Fire Me Up (executive producer), 1984
- Billy Ocean – Suddenly (executive producer), 1984
- Billy Ocean – Love Zone (executive producer), 1986
- Billy Ocean – Greatest Hits, 1989
- Bryan Adams – So Far So Good, 1993
- Tina Turner – What's Love Got to Do with It, 1993
- Michael Bolton – Greatest Hits (1985–1995), 1995
- Celine Dion – All the Way... A Decade of Song, 1999
- Backstreet Boys – Backstreet's Back, 1997
- Backstreet Boys – Millennium, 1999
- Bryan Adams – The Best of Me, 1999
- Britney Spears – Oops!... I Did It Again, 2000
- Celine Dion – A New Day Has Come, 2002
- Bryan Adams – Room Service, 2004
- Various artists – Music from and Inspired by Desperate Housewives, 2005
- Anne Murray – Anne Murray Duets: Friends & Legends, 2007
- Bryan Adams – 11, 2008
- Tara Blaise – Great Escape, 2008
- Lady Gaga – Born This Way, 2011
- Zander Bleck – Bring It On, 2012[6]
Album tracks written or co-written
- Bryan Adams – "I Will Always Return", "You Can't Take Me" and "This Is Where I Belong" from Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, 2002
- Bryan Adams - "So Far So Good" from Anthology, 2005
- Bryan Adams and Sarah McLachlan – "Don't Let Go" from Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, 2002
- Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart, and Sting – "All for Love" from The Three Musketeers: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, 1993
- Jessica Andrews – "I'll Take Your Heart" from Heart Shaped World, 1999
- Backstreet Boys – "It's Gotta Be You" from Millennium, 1999
- Blackhawk – "I'm Not Strong Enough to Say No" from Strong Enough, 1995
- Michael Bolton – "Only a Woman Like You" from Only a Woman Like You, 2002
- Clout – "Don't Stop" from Substitute, 1978
- Billy Ray Cyrus – "Only God (Could Stop Me Loving You)" from Storm in the Heartland, 1994
- Def Leppard – "Ring of Fire" and "I Wanna Be Your Hero" from Retro Active, 1993
- Def Leppard – "Promises", "All Night" and "It's Only Love" from Euphoria, 1999
- Heart – "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, 1998
- Miss Willie Brown – "You're All That Matters to Me", 2012
- PJ Powers – "(Let That) River Roll" from Thandeka Talk to Me, 2001
- Starship – "I Didn't Mean to Stay All Night" from Love Among the Cannibals, 1989
- Carrie Underwood – "Who Are You" from Blown Away, 2012
- Muse - "Drones", 2015
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.
- ^ [1] RIAA Retrieved 3 September 2008.
- ^ Mutt Lange
- ^ Shania Twain, Mutt Lange Separating After 14 Years
- ^ [2] Archived 5 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Interscope Recording Artist Zander Bleck Readies New Album as Two Songs Are Released Today. MarketWatch. Retrieved on 2012-04-16.
History of Contemporary Music of South Africa - Garth Chilvers and Tom Jasiukowicz TOGA Publishing 1994
External links
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