Shania Twain and Mutt Lange Part Ways
- You’ve probably heard it 25 times by now, but coming completely out of left field is the news that Shania Twain and her husband of 14 years Robert John “Mutt” Lange are getting a divorce.
Lange produced Twain’s multi-platinum albums, and they co-wrote all of her charting singles for Mercury Nashville between 1995 and 2005, with the exception of “You Win My Love,” in which Lange is listed as the sole writer. The couple has one son, Eja, born Aug. 12, 2001. They have maintained homes in Switzerland and New Zealand. “This is a private matter and there will be no further comment at this time,” said Jason Owen, Twain’s spokesman.
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“Aw, I can’t claim to be any sort of influence on them because they are so much their own artists,” he says. “I got into it from a love for the soul of the music (and) I figure my enthusiasm is always going to be for people who were in it for the same reasons I was. They influenced me as much as I influenced them.”
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Emily West // Guy Clark // Jamey Johnson // Jeff Daniels // Jessica Simpson // Joe Ely // John Hiatt // Keith Anderson // Keith Urban // Kris Kristofferson // Lyle Lovett // Peter Cooper // Sarah Buxton // Shania Twain // Tony Romo
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May 16, 2008 at 9:48 am Permalink
The Mutt Lange-Shania Twain union was one of the few things that provided hope that guys like me could still get the girl. It’s an odd union because she’s a 10 and he’s a 2, and she didn’t need to marry him for the money. I suspect that their partnership was more musical than romantic, and when she stopped making music, their relationship fell apart.
May 16, 2008 at 10:24 am Permalink
My take on the Shania thing is that Mutt’s reclusiveness (bordering on paranoia) and extreme dislike about paparazzi may have been too much for Shania. I’m sure it was primarily Mutt’s idea to go ex-patriate and live in Switzerland, with the large New Zealand ranch being a recent addition. Shania seems like a really outgoing and sociable person who would want to be near her other family members and friends. I expect Shania to return to either Nashville or her hometown in Canada while Mutt will remain abroad…..
I was really happy to see Chet Flippo’s final paragragh in his recent “Nashville Skyline” praising both Jamey Johnson and Emily West (as linked to above). Chet only endorses artists when he feels they have something valuable to offer to the realm of country music….
Sarah Buxton said in a recent interview that her manager originally gave Keith Urban Sarah’s advance CD and asked that he consider using Sarah as an opening act on one of his tours. The song the manager played for Keith as part of the pitch was “Stupid Boy”. Keith loved the song and it was Nicole Kidman that convinced Keith to record it and change the lyrics a bit to make the song self-incriminating from the male’s point of view. Thank goodness big name country artists like Keith and Dierks Bentley are supporting Sarah’s career these days, not that Lyric Street seems to care or is going to take advantage of this exposure / publicity……
May 16, 2008 at 10:25 am Permalink
Matt,
Don’t forget that, at the time they met/married, Shania was a struggling artist with a struggling album, so she could’ve married for money. Though I suspect it was a musical partnership that turned romantic. I wonder if she grew tired of him being her co-writer/producer too? Anyway, good luck to both of ‘em.
May 16, 2008 at 10:27 am Permalink
Rick,
I think that Sarah could end up at Capitol before long if Lyric Street doesn’t do something. Especially since she’s getting lots of exposure this weekend.
May 16, 2008 at 10:58 am Permalink
EW’s list of 25 essential country records for “people that hate country” isnt bad actually. I figured it would have all of Garth’s releases with some old school thrown in to fill it out. While I love having parsons, the chicks, dierks, welch, emmylou and loretta recognized, it’s cheating a bit to offer some “greatest hits” packages onto the list, I think. I guess the folks that “hate” country would want to hear the complete best of merle or buck, but i think the person making the list got a little lazy….
May 16, 2008 at 11:21 am Permalink
I’m not sure that whoever complied the list really knows much about country music as there are some really debatable choices (listing both Gram Parsons and the Flying Burrito Brothers is excessive) and others, such as Robbie Fulks and Robert Plant are poor vocalists). How about something by Desert Rose or one of the various Herb Pederson and /or Chris Hillman solo efforts.
Let me retract … since EW is aimed at the 15-30 age bracket, the list is okay. If you’re trying to get more mature listoners I’d stand with my above comments
May 16, 2008 at 11:31 am Permalink
The more I think about that list, the more I have a problem with the answers they are attempting to provide for the person that “hates country”. As great and authentic as Merle, Buck, Parsons, Welch, Harris, etc.. are, isnt that what many people of that mind-set consider “too-country”? There was a post about this on 9513 a long time ago. I would suggest the Drive by Truckers, Neko Case, or Reckless Kelly to lure a rock/indie fan into the realm of Country, not Brad Paisley….
May 16, 2008 at 11:57 am Permalink
I’m glad you guys have the Shania-Mutt thing all figured out. I guess then it has nothing to do with the fact that a man’s do-hickey shrinks as he ages.
But really, the 10 vs 2 thing, the money thing, the “whatever thing” is silly. If you’ve had the good fortune to know a few super hot women with a lot going on, you’ll know that confidence and capability counts for a lot. A good woman can fall in love with a good man’s heart and passion easier than a killer cut jaw and abs.
In ‘Still Life with Woodpecker,’ Tom Robbins asks and tries to answer the question of ‘How do you make love stay?’ In the end, there is no answer. It does or it does not. Commitment can stay but that’s not romantic love.
May 16, 2008 at 12:06 pm Permalink
The EW list is aimed more at making their readers hip than really introducing them to country. Think about that list. It’s got touchpoints on there from old country. These are people with music you have to know if you want to talk about country music. And then there are people who are famous. And then there are those breaking the mold.
It’s not about good music, it’s about being able to talk at parties.
May 16, 2008 at 12:16 pm Permalink
o.k. Funk, but if someone “hates” country music (which is the focus of the list), they arent going to be talking about it at parties except to say, “it sucks”, or “they’re a bunch of hillbillies”. If you hate something, you’re likely not going to care to be “hip” to it. If we are talking about a true intro as to help transition someones feelings about the genre, then uyou have to display non-traditional acts that offer soemthing outside of what is considered only as “country”. It may make for a nice little broad intro, but that will only reinforce what many people “hate” about country, if they in fact, already hate it.
May 16, 2008 at 12:27 pm Permalink
Was surprised and happy to see Georgia Hard on that list… although, that’s about as country as you can get and still be “alt-country.” I agree that a better list would have contained some more borderline type acts, like Reckless Kelly, or Scott Miller and the Commonwealth.
I also agree that the greatest hits packages are cheating and found that the omission of Garth Brooks was strange. I have had several people tell me “I don’t like country music, but I like Garth Brooks”
I think Brad Paisley does belong on such a list though, if only for the guitar work. For that same reason, there needed to be some Chet Atkins on there.
By removing the 70’s rock bands and focusing a bit more on today’s country-rock bands, this list would have a lot more credence.
May 16, 2008 at 2:48 pm Permalink
Often, the more popular a thing becomes, the more likely that people who consider themselves engaged participants within a certain related culture will move away from it.
I think this is true with Garth, whose legend is so large that many people now find it hard to take his music seriously. I wonder if this is especially true with the critical element, which revels in that which is new and “edgy”. Garth isn’t edgy anymore…he’s one of the biggest artists in history.
There’s little glory in defending that which is already massively popular.
It’s is a shame, too, because the man made some fantastic and diverse records. He made some great records. I’ve said this before, but I still think Fresh Horses is damn near perfect.
To see Gretchen Wilson on the list but not Garth is simply farcical. “Here For The Party” is a dreadful record.
May 16, 2008 at 2:53 pm Permalink
Good points, Jim. I even sometimes forget that he has several songs that arent in the top echelon his hits that I still to this day listen to and think stand the test of time with fortitude. “Much Too Young”, “Shameless”, “That Summer” and “Beaches of Cheyenne” are cuts that will live in my ipod, regardless of how Brooks’ legacy is seen viewed, now or in the future.
May 16, 2008 at 2:58 pm Permalink
Jim,
I was a bit puzzled by Here for the Party as well. It was a good debut album, but never should have been included in this list. Big and Rich’s album is also a bit puzzling, though there are several songs on their album that need to be remembered for sheer originality. Still, it seems like John Rich was whispering in the writer’s ear here.
As for Garth, I’d say either Fresh Horses or Ropin’ The Wind- both of which I could, and have listened to over and over since they were released.
May 16, 2008 at 3:13 pm Permalink
To see Gretchen Wilson on the list but not Garth is simply farcical.
Jim, I think your comments also support the idea that this list is about party talk. I think it isn’t extreme to say that everyone, and I mean everyone who listens to any music today knows Garth Brooks, so why waste a spot on the list. It is hipper to say “he sucks,” anyway.
And Gretchen’s inclusion allows people to say she’s “the bad girl of country music” knowingly, even though she is more accurately remembered as being uncreative, vulgar and lacking talent.
May 16, 2008 at 5:58 pm Permalink
But my do-hickey gets bigger with time.
May 16, 2008 at 9:17 pm Permalink
funk,
it a stretch to say she’s “uncreative, vulgar and lacking talent”
at first her songs seemed very creative, although now they all just sound the same, but the were fresh air at the beginning. and i wouldn’t describe her as vulgar, maybe for country music, but for people who don’t listen to country they probably wouldn’t describe her as vulgar. and no, she’s not extraordinarily talented, but she has some talent
May 16, 2008 at 9:29 pm Permalink
So alex, what you are saying is what I said, but with more words. Ok.
I saw her for five bucks a couple weeks ago at the worst venue in a rural area. Then she bought me shots and beer after the show. Then she bet me she could hit the spitoon more times out of ten and she lost, so yep, she did it right there by the bar and I’m sorry to say, there was an odor.
May 16, 2008 at 10:05 pm Permalink
no, i’m saying that you exaggerated greatly and you cannot say that she is talentless and she is creative even though it wore out. i guess you can make a decent argument that she is vulgar, so i won’t argue with that
May 17, 2008 at 8:39 am Permalink
hey funk
gretchen wilson may or may not be the epitomy of a lady but smashing a woman who supposedly bought you drinks and even went into a somewhat doggy competion with you, only implies that your style and manners are not much to write home about either. are you sure you spelt your name correctly and do you have any prove of that encounter?
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