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STNAOFC 2005 Chat with Robin Eggar!
Click to order new edition of THE Shania Biography!TRANSCRIPT OF ONLINE CHAT WITH ROBIN EGGAR AT STNAOFC
http://www.shaniafans.com/
On November 12, 2005 Mr. Robin Eggar, the British author of THE Shania Biography had a chat with Shania fans! Here below is the short, edited version of the transcript of that one hour discussion! Enjoy! 
To order the new edition of "THE Shania Biography" go HERE! To read a transcript of a previous chat Robin Eggar had with Shania fans in 2001 for the first edition of the biography, click HERE!
[FV] Welcome!
[FV] Hi Robin.. 
[Robin Eggar] hi there
[Robin Eggar] who wants to start
[Sabrina] my question is : When did you write the new new biography of Shania Twain ?
[Robin Eggar] The book was first published in England and Canada in 2001 and I have updated it for the USA
[Eilleen] Hi Robin,Bravo for the book. Please, for the future ..are you planning to translate the book in French?
[Robin Eggar] Well I won't be doing it that's for sure ! A French publisher has to want to do it which would make me very happy.
[Robin Eggar] but sadly they haven't yet
[MrTwain] So Robin can you tell us something about the next Shania album ?
[Robin Eggar] So far the book is only available in English though my Tom Jones book (quick plug) was translated into Finnish and Hungarian. don't ask me why.
[FV] Robin: the Finns like tom Jones? you learn something new every day...
[Robin Eggar] Sorry Mr T. I don't know anything much, though I did hear that Mutt had transported all his recording gear down to their new home in South Island , New Zealand
[Robin Eggar] apparently he wants more control over the next album
[FV] Robin: let's hope Mutt transported everything by plane..because if they did it by boat the new album will take plenty of time to come out.. 
[cbspock] lol
[Robin Eggar] I wouldn't expect anything before 2007
[dyade] Hello Robin Eggar. Will the book be distributed in France?
[MrTwain] Some persons tell that the cd will come next spring
[FV] OK, It's my turn then...Robin: 1) You have noticed too that Shania and Mutt decide to isolate themselves from the rest of the music business, especially when they want to be creative…is this an advantage…still?
[Robin Eggar] dyade it is only in English at the moment so sadly it is only available through Amazon Uk/US
[Robin Eggar] The problem with a hugely successful artist today is that it takes a long time to promote a record. that does distance them still further from their core audience.
[Robin Eggar] Personally I think its a shame that they don't record in Nashville and use musicians who can add their own feel onto the canvas
[FV] Robin: do they know still what their core audience is....especially if they are isolated?
[Robin Eggar] would certainly disagree but I think Shania is in danger of losing touch with her roots
[cbspock] Well, they do use Nashville Musicians
[Robin Eggar] She is naturally quite shy and focused. It's hard to write songs that touch people when you live in a mansion
[Emy] ah! lol. Oki, so why did you choose to write about the life of Shania?
[Robin Eggar] and Shania only wants to write positive songs which again I think is a shame
[Robin Eggar] I'm a sucker for a classic country weepie
[Robin Eggar] Emy I met her for an interview, liked her a lot and thought her story was brilliant. Rags to riches what is better
[Robin Eggar] what is a shame is the way in which her story has been sanitised
[MrTwain] I'm sorry but I have to react about this : "and Shania only wants to write positive songs which again I think is a shame", if she write some negative songs, people sad!
[Robin Eggar] Her upbringing was very rough indeed
[cbspock] Robin, besides Shania, who was the most interesting person to talk with when you wrote the book?
[MrTwain] I prefer a positive artist than a negative one
[Emy] All her songs are not positive!
[MrTwain] Emy is right too
[Robin Eggar] Mr T that is a personal choice which I respect but disagree with. Many people find a singer expressing pain very helpful and therapeutic
[Jud] But maybe it's not working that way for Shania...
[Robin Eggar] CBS there were a lot of interesting folk. Paul Leim, Luke Lewis and in a weird way I liked Gordon Edwards her uncle
[Robin Eggar] and of course all her fans ;-)
[FV] I am touched..I am buying one more copy right now.. ;) 
[cbspock] have you been back to the Shania Twain Centre since the opening?
[Robin Eggar] Mary Bailey was fascinating because while she had been deeply hurt by Shania more than once she also cared so deeply for her that she could forgive her
[MrTwain] what did Shania do ?
[cbspock] could or could not?
[MrTwain] to hurt Mary?
[Robin Eggar] No I'd like to go back to Timmins I've made a good friend in JP Aube
[FV] You absolutely need an interview with Peter Mensch for the next edition of the book..
[FV] MrTwain: Shania fired mary Bailey when she had been her manager for quite some time..
[Robin Eggar] and I'm fond of the place in a weird way. Don Fraser her uncle is another charming honest man
[cbspock] Robin..you should come up during a fan con..talk with many fans and you can see the impact Shania has had on everyone there
[Robin Eggar] Mary has forgiven Shania and I believe they are now in regular contact again
[cbspock] that is good to here. she was almost like a mom to Shania
[Robin Eggar] are you sure I wouldn't be lynched !
[Jud] meanwhile here is my question:
[Robin Eggar] I think without Mary she might never have made a record
[cbspock] We didn't lynch you in 2001..lol, and you have been a good sport when we have disagreed with you
[Jud] What do you think from the changing new technologies, internet, releasing albums on internet could fit or help more Shania's next album's promo?
[Robin Eggar] Good question Jud. Hard to answer. While Mutt has always been an early adopter of technology he and Shania have grown up in an industry where the album format is king ( and very profitable). I can't see that changing and them releasing individual songs when they are completed. Might be a good thing
[Jud] Well, but they may release an album without a need of label. Like Maria Schneider did
[dyade] How long did it take you to write the book Robin?
[Robin Eggar] They will change if the industry moves to an entirely digital cyber format but then what about all the pictures of Shania which I know some of us like
[Jud] you can download them, that's not a problem
[Jud] What did you mean about Mutt wants more control over the next album?
[Robin Eggar] D: it took a year solid to write the first edition. I hardly wrote anything else at all. Since then I have worked in chunks to update it in 2002, the summer of 2004 (the Us publishers failed to bring it out a year ago grr etc ! and a final update earlier this year
[Robin Eggar] Jud I think Shania had more control over Up and it showed
[Jud] Can I disagree?
[FV] ..so Mutt ended up on the couch for UP!...but not for the next album....?
[cbspock] when an album is bad? its Shania's fault that is so lame
[Jud] We read a lot of reviews about UP!, and most of them complained mainly about the production
[Robin Eggar] of course
[Jud] a lot of critics and reviewers fans find it overproduced
[cbspock] Shania is the artist..she has full control over every album anyway
[Robin Eggar] Hold on, My feeling on Up is that it tried too hard to deliver too much
[Emy] Robin: what do you think exactly of Shania? (her personality and her work)
[Jud] Maybe
[Robin Eggar] a result some of the production was more rushed than is Mutt's usual style
[cbspock] I think the production on the country and pop versions..was too much alike
[Jud] yep, but he IS the producer
[Robin Eggar] it might have been a much better record with fewer songs
[Robin Eggar] and more time spent on those songs
[Robin Eggar] more is not always best
[Jud] Also Shania not once mentioned, that she was not much into the album (because of Eja and 9/11) and Mutt was who pushed it forward
[Robin Eggar] Shania does have control so if she says I like it this way she can get her way
[Robin Eggar] I just felt that Up tried too hard to be all things to all people
[Eilleen] Why no news photos in the new edition of the book?
[Robin Eggar] ok I think she is remarkable to have survived her childhood and flourished. she is the most driven focused person I've ever met but I worry that now when she does promotional work she gets no joy from it
[Robin Eggar] When I first met her I was captivated by something I could feel behind the facade. It's there but I don't think she shows it the world
[Robin Eggar] which is a shame
[MrTwain] she's obliged to do that! otherwise she will be forgotten! the artits who are the most seen on tv or listened on the radio are ones who sell the most albums!
[Robin Eggar] Photos - ask my publisher
[FV] Robin: my question now...  About the 2002 Montreux Palace meetings, which Universal Music national markets directors were present? Because Shania clearly focused on North America and Europe, but some have argued that she has always forgotten about Latin America for instance…
[Robin Eggar] Mr T not entirely true. George Strait doesn't do interviews.
[Robin Eggar] I know it is the way of the world but I think she pushes herself too hard
[MrTwain] don't speak about interviews but just promotion
[Robin Eggar] she's working it's full on, when she's not she disappears
[cbspock] promotion has got to be a tough thing, Robin are you planning a book tour?
[Robin Eggar] sadly no plans at present, you guys buy the book maybe they'll ask me !!
[Robin Eggar] I don't know much about Shania in Latin America but it's not exactly a hotbed of pop country stars. Knowing Mutt he'll ask her to do Spanish vocals next time
[Robin Eggar] there's a marketing pecking order in Universal. You go where the sales are and where the market is
[Eilleen] The contract Shania has with Mercury, will it be over when?
[Emy] Some people says Shania is a great star in Brazil?! And she must do some concerts this year in Brazil and other!
[Robin Eggar] and if she promoted the record everywhere she'd never make another one and you guys would not be happy
[Jud] About Mercury. The fans feel, that Mercury doesn't move a finger anymore
[Robin Eggar] I think the Universal deal is for 6 albums but that may have been renegotiated
[MrTwain] Jud you're right!
[Robin Eggar] true I'd forgotten about Brazil. Give her time
[Jud] But the Mercury deal is for 7?
[Robin Eggar] Mercury hmm. 2 things to say
[Robin Eggar] 1) They really tried hard on Up but that was deluded. Even if it had been better than Come On Over it would never have sold as many
[Jud] I think they deserted her singles one after the other
[Robin Eggar] 2) Luke Lewis is trying very hard to reconnect her with her core country audience. Internationally this causes problems
[Jud] Well, she's not a Gretchen Wilson anyway...
[Jud] today only redneck and trailer trash is good enough for the industry
[Robin Eggar] what sells in Tennessee does not always sell in Taiwan. She's now a global artist
[Robin Eggar] don't knock Gretchen !
[cbspock] planning to do a bio of her next?
[Robin Eggar] one reason Gretchen was a success was that her record company boss John Grady used the same techniques to sell her that he'd learned marketing Shania at Mercury
[MrTwain] Just have to go. Wanna say that Robin you're a weird man! You do a great job and your books are really enjoying but your thoughts about Shania are really strange for a biographer! Good afternoon to everybody. Bye bye
[Robin Eggar] No bio on Gretchen good story but no international appeal
[Jud] We all noticed John Grady using the Shania tactics, that's why was so funny to hear, she's the anti-Shania
[Emy] the film on Shania which airs this week (November 2005) does it translate your work well or not?
[Robin Eggar] Emy I have to confess I haven't seen the Tv film. I really liked the very first script that was written but they decided not to use that
[FV] why not?
[Robin Eggar] Any film will not be true to the facts, events will be telescoped to create a snapshot
[Robin Eggar] the original script concentrated on her childhood and ended with her being spotted in Deerhurst so it was more about the struggle and the poverty of her life, and very socially aware
[Robin Eggar] any of you seen it ?
[Jud] but they needed ratings, eh?
[cbspock] not yet
[cbspock] but from what we hear it was not too good
[cbspock] from a movie stand point, let alone what was changed
[Robin Eggar] as we say in England Jud "you might say that but I couldn't possibly comment"
[FV] Some of us have..we read a lot about it..
[Robin Eggar] to support the film makers originally they had some money coming in from Lifetime (I think) which would have helped raise the production values
[Robin Eggar] big problem was not being able to use any of her songs!
[cbspock] I think the problems were more from editing..it was very jumpy from what fans said
[Jud] Back to Luke Lewis, I personally think, she's not much in Shania's corner anymore
[Robin Eggar] even something from the Limelight album
[Jud] Except when he's being interviewed about her
[Jud] On industry meetings, he has a different language
[Robin Eggar] I dunno, Luke's a loyal guy and he knows that without Shania …
[Robin Eggar] tell me more
[Jud] Me?
[Robin Eggar] yep
[Jud] Make it easier for you?
[Eilleen] Has the native community has been cooperative for your book?
[Jud] Well, look for quotes from him during Country Radio Seminar meeting in 2000-2001
[Emy] Thank Robin for all answers even if some answer are not "cool" (I find)! Good day! Bye
[Robin Eggar] you're the one who is suggesting he says something different in industry meetings. I don't know about that
[Jud] Well, he apologized for having a part on making country more pop
[Jud] Guess who is on his roster?
[Robin Eggar] okay let's agree to disagree
[FV] last question: Will we ever see a Shania songwriter only?
[Robin Eggar] She has said that's what she wants to be, indeed that's all she's ever wanted to be.
[Eilleen] Thank you Robin for the chat.
[Robin Eggar] What she needs to write first is a standard, a song that anybody can sing and relate to
[cbspock] thank you!
[FV] Thank you Robin for taking the time to answer the fans' questions....let's hope the book does well..so that book tour will be coming..
[dyade] Ok Robin Cheer for your last frankness. Bye
[Robin Eggar] she is a private person but performing's a drug
[FV] in a good way..
[Robin Eggar] okay thanks for asking questions, sorry if I can be a bit forthright and have a good weekend
[Jud] bye
[Eilleen] Thank you Robin and bye

November 12, 2005.