Robert Lange
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Robert John "Mutt" Lange (born November 16, 1948) 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 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 his son. There are very few pictures of Lange available today, largely because any picture somebody takes of him he will buy and keep it out of tabloids. Lange is responsible for producing some of the most successful and popular records of all time.
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[edit] 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.
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 with each other; they finally met six 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 song "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You" performed as a sign of his dedication. In August 2001, their son Eja was born. The couple are planning to relocate to their sheep farm (station) to New Zealand, having put their Swiss chateau on the market for US$25 million.[citation needed]
[edit] Discography
[edit] 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
- 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
[edit] Produced album tracks
Albums on which Lange produced at least one track:
- 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
- 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
- Bonnie Tyler – "I Cry Myself To Sleep At Night" from Silhouette In Red, 1993
- Steps – "Stay With Me Tonight" (recorded as "Stay With Me") from 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
[edit] External links
-Discography-
Studio albums
Bryan Adams • You Want It You Got It • Cuts Like a Knife • Reckless • Into the Fire
Waking Up the Neighbours • 18 til I Die • On a Day Like Today • Room Service
Compilation albums
So Far So Good • The Best of Me • Anthology
Live albums
Live! Live! Live! • MTV Unplugged
Top 10 Singles
Straight from the Heart • Run to You • Heaven • Summer of '69 • Heat of the Night
(Everything I Do) I Do It for You • Can't Stop This Thing We Started • Thought I'd Died and Gone to Heaven
Do I Have to Say the Words? • Please Forgive Me • All for Love • Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?
The Only Thing That Looks Good on Me Is You • Let's Make a Night to Remember • I Finally Found Someone
When You're Gone • Cloud Number Nine • Don't Give Up • Here I Am • Open Road
-Related people-
Composers: Jim Vallance • Robert Lange • Michael Kamen • Eliot Kennedy • Gretchen Peters
Guitarists: Keith Scott • Jamie Glaser
Keyboards: : Gary Breit • Tommy Mandel • Bill Payne
Drummers: Mickey Curry • Pat Steward • Steve Smith
Bassists: Norm Fisher • Dave Taylor • Brian Stanley
