Robert John "Mutt" Lange

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Robert John "Mutt" Lange (pronounced /ˈlæŋ/^[1]) (born November 16, 1948) is a record producer and songwriter, usually known by his nickname "Mutt" Lange. He is one of the most successful producers in rock history. He has produced albums for artists such as Def Leppard, AC/DC, Foreigner, The Cars, Bryan Adams, Billy Ocean, Savoy Brown and The Corrs. His past projects include producing for and writing songs with his estranged^[2] 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 ^[3]. Lange's latest project is Nickelback's sixth studio album, Dark Horse. He is currently working on Maroon 5's 3rd studio album ^[4].

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. 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^[5], and is highly regarded as one of the best producers of all time.

[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.

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 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 in the U.S. He also worked with 1980s hard-rock group Foreigner, and with Def Leppard on their hit albums, High 'n' Dry, Pyromania, Hysteria and Adrenalize co-writing most of the songs. Though he did not produce AC/DC's 1983 album 'Flick of the Switch', it was rumored that during the completion of that album he was asked to help his long time engineer Tony Platt finish it up by giving it a listen. There is still a touch of his style there even though his production is absent.

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. ^[6] 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 #1 hit on the Mainstream Rock charts for the band.

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 teetotaller, 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.

He produced the single "Make You" from the album Great Escape by Irish singer Tara Blaise which was released in May 2008.

On May 15, 2008, a spokesperson for Mercury Nashville announced that Twain and Lange were separating.^[2]

Lange's most recent work is on Nickelback's latest album, Dark Horse.

In the 2001 made for TV movie Hysteria: The Def Leppard Story, Anthony Michael Hall portrayed Lange.

[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
• 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
• 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
• Loverboy – Lovin' Every Minute Of It, 1986
• 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
• Michael Bolton – The One Thing, 1993
• 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
• Nickelback - Dark Horse, 2008

[edit] Produced album tracks

Albums on which Lange produced at least one track:

• Stephen – Right On Running Man, 1974/5
• XTC - "This Is Pop" (single version), 1978^[7]
• Huey Lewis and the News - "Do You Believe in Love", Picture This, 1982
• Billy Ocean – Suddenly, 1984
• Billy Ocean – Love Zone, 1986
• Celine Dion – All The Way...A Decade Of Song, 1999
• Backstreet Boys – Backstreet's Back, 1997
• Backstreet Boys – Millennium, 1999
• Celine Dion – A New Day Has Come, 2002
• Bryan Adams – Room Service, 2004
• Bryan Adams - 11, 2008
• Anne Murray - Anne Murray Duets: Friends & Legends, 2007
• Tara Blaise - Great Escape ("Make You"), 2008
• Nickelback - Dark Horse , Nov 18 2008

[edit] Album tracks written or co-written

• Jessica Andrews – "I'll Take Your Heart" from Heart Shaped World, 1999
• Backstreet Boys - "If You Want It To Be Good Girl (Get Yourself A Bad Boy)" from Backstreet's Back, 1997
• Backstreet Boys - "It's Gotta Be You" from Millennium, 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
• Bonnie Tyler – "I Cry Myself To Sleep At Night" from Angel Heart, 1992
• Britney Spears – "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" from Oops!… I Did It Again, 2000
• Def Leppard - "Promises", "All Night" and "It's Only Love" from "Euphoria", 1999
• 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
• Jonas Brothers - "I'm Gonna Getcha Good!" from Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience, 2009
• 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 (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
• 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

[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] References

[edit] External links

• Robert John "Mutt" Lange at the Internet Movie Database
• Biography at an Unofficial Oscar Site