Shania Twain Co Uk - The UK Shania Site

GMA: It is wonderful to have you back in Australia. One of the great country artists, who in actual fact, appeals right across the board. Shania Twain.

Shania: Thankyou.

GMA: What time last year were you here in Aussie?

Shania: I think, i believe it was October?

GMA: Yeah it was late-ish in the year.

Shania: Yeah.

GMA: And you promised you'd come back and you kept your promise. Which is just terrific. This is the album were talking about (holds up The Woman In Me CD) by the way, The Woman In Me and the first single as been released, You Win My Love. Some beautiful material here, as i mentioned to you off camera. All but one co written of course, with your husband John Robert Mutt Lange. And obviously apart from your a lovely performer, you write beautifully too.

Shania: Thankyou.

GMA: How do you see yourself when you wake up in the morning, are you a writer or a singer?

Shania: (laughs) When i see myself in the morning i go, “I need make up!” that's what i see!

(laughter) Shania: No (laughs) I feel very much, my writing is so much a part of what i do, not that singing is secondary or anything like that, but it's all part and parcel. I dont think i could do one without the other. I'm much happier singing and peforming my own music. It's a very important part of what i do.

GMA: How did you and mutt meet?

Shania: We met through music...

GMA: And where did he get the name mutt?

Shania: Yeah, well it's a nickname, it's a childhood nickname, he likes it, so it stuck throughout the years. It's a little peculiar though isnt it...but..mm..we met through music..er..i do, i have an album, i had another album before this, one that he got his hands on. And was intrigued by my voice and noticed that i didnt have any of my own material on the album and wanted to know if i was a writer. And i just didnt get the opportunity to get my own songs on the first album, but of course that was my dream to beable to do that. So,obviously, y'know..getting to know him and he's obviously the producer aswell on this album. I was able to do my own music.

GMA: Where did you meet?

Shania: We met in Nashville. I'm from Canada. He's from England. And we met in the US.(laughs)

GMA: It always intrigues me when you've got an album out..er..particulary with the strength that you've got as a recording artist. Do you have much say in whats going to be the first single?

Shania: Yes, definitly. er..as the songwriter you just end up having alot more control over everything that happens to your music. So...

GMA: Well, you've chosen the right one of course, in You Win My Love. Your going to sing that for us live this morning. Lets just have a listen and a look at the video for a couple of seconds.

(You Win My Love is played)

GMA: Your raunchy!

Shania: (laughs)

GMA: At this time in the morning its just great to see you with so much action going on.

Shania: I'll be a little more subdued this morning okay. I wont do any gymnastics on the stage...(laughs)

GMA: The important thing is, are we going to see any of the er..the midriff?

Shania: oh..no..not on this show today(looks at her midriff!)

GMA: Because we have seen it before havent we?

Shania: Unless i lift my arm or something.

GMA: Did this cause quite some controversy because of the fact that we could see a little bit of you that y'know, that mutt see's regulary, but we dont see it all that often.

Shania: Well, y'know..i mean, its been fashionable i guess for many, many years and its nothing really new. I think maybe for country music in America it was a little new. But its certainly not new in the general sense of fashion.

GMA: Y'know it's interesting what offends some people. I went to see The English Patient and the bloke ahead of us walked out and i didnt realise why, and he didnt come back. And my wife Patty said afterwards she believes it was because there was some nudity on stage and that was too much or he didnt apprieciate that, and he just walked out on a great movie.

Shania: Right...well, the movie was fantastic. And movies like that probably dont need nudity. They'd be apprieciated just as much. But i loved that movie. I loved the book too, it's great.

GMA: How do you feel about nudity in showbusiness?

Shania: I think it's unneccasary. I see so many great movies that dont have any nudity at all. ‘A Time To Kill'. There was no sex scene, no nudity there, i thoguht that was great. I...i just dont think it's neccasary. It's an element that i guess appeals to certain amounts of people, but i dont think it's neccesary and if i was ever in a movie i wouldnt be nude. I wouldnt go nude.(laughs)

GMA:That crosses off the next question here...Lets get our gear off!

Shania: (Laughs out loud...along with the small audience!)

GMA:I've got to ask you. You mentioned that you were born in Canada. Things were pretty rough for you. As a kid you were poverty stricken werent you?

Shania: Yeah. Yeah we...we had a really tough time as kids, we often y'know..we didnt, we skipped several meals..y'know..many days in a row at times. So..yeah we had a very difficult time.

GMA: Big family?

Shania: A big family....well there's 5 kids. So there were 7 of us, big enough i suppose, not really huge. We had a hard time getting by sometimes but always managed to still get the opportunity to pursue my career,so...

GMA:Was the dream in Canada always to go down south and do big things in America?

Shania: No. My dreams always been to be..to become an international artist. Not just America. Because Canada's very multi-cultural. It's very, very..mm..we are more aware of what goes on around the world.

GMA: Cosmopoliton?

Shania: Very much so. And even though we live in a very remote area..we for instance, were very aware of all the artists all around the world. For instance, there are Australian artists that are successful in Canada that may not be successful in America, so were much more aware of..mm..we have more of an eclectic radio format. I think.

GMA: In actual fact i have been told by other artists that it's mm..record play in Canada is much easier or they'll look at all sorts of music in Canada... (Shania nods) ...where as in America, from my own experience and unfortunatly it's getting a little like this in Australia too, that they're...it's such tunnel vision with them.

Shania: It gets very difficult..mm..it makes it very difficult. But i mean, yes. America's very self contained. It's such a vast country, such a great population, that you can see, you can imagine there's so much talent already there. Canada's definitly much more open to music around the world and I'm glad you guys are too, ‘cos that's what brings me here.

GMA: Are your folks still alive? Have they seen your success?

Shania: No. They are not still alive. They died in a car accident several years ago, but y'know..they were definitly around long enough to see me off into my career.

GMA:Well, thats the important thing. Okay, well..as i say, it's just terrific to have you back in Australia. Congratulations on the album and particulary on the single because it's a great song. And you do it so well. We look forward to you doing it live. Will you come back and see us again?

Shania: If I'm welcome i always will yes.(laughs)

GMA: Your always welcome. Thanks Shania.

Shania sings ‘You Win My Love' Live in the studio.