Shania Twain (album)
Template:Use mdy dates {{safesubst:#invoke:Unsubst-infobox||$params=italic_title,name,type,longtype,artist,cover,border,alt,caption,released,recorded,venue,studio,genre,length,language,label,director,producer,compiler,chronology,prev_title,prev_year,year,next_title,next_year,misc|$extra=italic_title,longtype,border,caption,language,director,compiler,chronology,year,misc|$aliases=italic title>italic_title,Italic title>italic_title,Name>name,Type>type,image>cover,Cover>cover,Border>border,Alt>alt,Caption>caption,Longtype>longtype,Artist>artist,Released>released,Recorded>recorded,Venue>venue,Studio>studio,Genre>genre,Length>length,Language>language,Label>label,Director>director,Producer>producer,Compiler>compiler,Chronology>chronology,Misc>misc|$flags=override|$B={{#ifeq:{{#invoke:Is infobox in lead|main|[Ii]nfobox [Aa]lbum}}|true|{{#if:Template:Has short description | |{{#if: April 20, 1993 | Template:Short description}}}}}}{{#invoke:Infobox|infobox}}Template:Template otherTemplate:Category handlerTemplate:Main other{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:Infobox album with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y|italic_title |type |name |image |cover |border |alt |caption |longtype |artist |released |recorded |venue |studio |genre |length |language |label |director |producer |compiler |prev_title|prev_year|next_title|next_year|chronology|year|misc}}{{#if:{{#invoke:String|match|error_category=Music infoboxes with Module:String errors|A|1=The Woman in Me1995studioShania TwainShania Twain album.pngOriginal album cover; 2000 reissue uses an alternate coverShania TwainApril 20, 19931992–1993Music Mill (Nashville, Tennessee)Country30:41Template:HlistTemplate:Hlistx|2=</?t[drh][ >]|nomatch=}}|Template:Main other}}Template:Main other}} Shania Twain is the debut studio album by Canadian singer Shania Twain, released on April 20, 1993, by Polygram and Mercury Records. After assembling a demo tape to send to labels, Mercury Nashville took an interest and signed her a contract. Unlike her later releases in which she had a major role in writing, Twain has writing credits on only one song the album.
The album was not commercially successful upon its original release, only reaching number 67 on the US Country Albums chart. Three singles were released from the album, none of which cracked the top 40 at country radio. The album was later re-released in 2000 following the massive success of Twain's later albums. It was later certified Platinum by the RIAA in 1999.
Twain performed the song "What Made You Say That" during her Come on Over Tour in 1999, but has not performed any of the album's songs since. No selections from Shania Twain were included on her 2004 Greatest Hits album. "What Made You Say That" is included on her Netflix documentary companion compilation album Not Just a Girl (The Highlights) released on July 26, 2022.
Content
Five songs were originally recorded by other artists. "There Goes the Neighborhood" was recorded by Joe Diffie in 1990, "When He Leaves You" was a single for Donna Meade in 1989, "You Lay a Whole Lot of Love on Me" was recorded by Con Hunley in 1980 and Tom Jones in 1983, "Still Under the Weather" was recorded by Andy Williams in 1990, and "What Made You Say That" was recorded by Wayne Massey in 1989. In her 2011 autobiography, From This Moment On, Twain expressed displeasure with her debut studio album, revealing that she had very little creative control and was frustrated with being unable to showcase her songwriting abilities.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> However, she did co-write one song on the album titled "God Ain't Gonna Getcha for That".
Critical reception
Template:Album ratings Shania Twain received favorable reviews from critics. Rolling Stone gave the album a positive review, noting that although she had a long way to go, "attention must be paid". On the other end, Thom Owens of AllMusic gave the album a mixed but mostly negative review, calling it a bland album that even Twain's vocals are "too showy to make any of these mediocre songs stick."
Singles
"What Made You Say That" was released on March 6, 1993 as the lead single from the album and Twain's debut single. The song received mostly positive reviews. The song peaked at number 55 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks and number 78 on the RPM Canadian Country Tracks, one of the few times a single of hers performed better in the US than in Canada. The song received attention due to its at-the-time controversial music video, which prominently showed her midriff. The music video was later banned by CMT.
"Dance with the One That Brought You" was chosen as the second single from the album on July 13, 1993, with it also receiving positive reviews. Just like "What Made You Say That", the song had little success. It reached the same peak position of number 55 on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and performed better in Canada, reaching number 70 on the RPM Canadian Country Tracks chart. Like "What Made You Say That", the video also received attention, this time for its high-profile director and guest actor. Actor Sean Penn filmed the music video while Charles Durning made an appearance in the music video.
"You Lay a Whole Lot of Love on Me" was sent to country radio on September 7, 1993 as the third and final single from the Shania Twain album. While it did get a few plays, the song completely failed to enter the country charts in either the US or Canada. Despite the failure, a music video was released for the song, which proved to have little success. The song was later released in 1994 in Europe as the only single from the Shania Twain album.
Track listing
Music videos
Personnel
- Shania Twain - lead vocals
- Paul Leim, Larrie Londin - drums
- Terry McMillan - percussion
- Mike Brignardello, Glenn Worf - bass
- Mark Casstevens, Allen Frank Estes, Chris Leuzinger, Billy Joe Walker Jr., John Willis - acoustic guitar
- Steve Gibson, Billy Joe Walker Jr., Reggie Young - electric guitar
- Sonny Garrish - steel guitar
- Costo Davis - synthesizer
- David Briggs, Costo Davis, Gary Prim - keyboards
- Terry McMillan, Kirk "Jelly Roll" Johnson - harmonica
- Anthony Martin, John Wesley Ryles, Ronny Scaife, Shania Twain, Cindy Richardson Walker, Dennis Wilson, Curtis Young - backing vocals
- Technical
- Produced by Norro Wilson and Harold Shedd
- Engineered and mixed by Jim Cotton, Todd Culross, Graeme Smith and Joe Scaife
- Mastered by Hank Williams
Charts
Weekly charts
| Chart (1993–2000) | Peak position | |
|---|---|---|
| Canadian Country Albums (RPM)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
28 |
| UK Albums (OCC)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
113 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2001) | Position | |
|---|---|---|
| Canadian Country Albums (Nielsen SoundScan)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
53 |
| Chart (2002) | Position | |
|---|---|---|
| Canadian Country Albums (Nielsen SoundScan)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
60 |
Certifications
Template:Certification Table Top Template:Certification Table Entry Template:Certification Table Entry Template:Certification Table Entry Template:Certification Table Bottom
Release history
| Region | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| US, Canada | April 20, 1993 | CD, cassette | Mercury Nashville |
| UK, Europe | May 2000 | CD | Mercury Nashville |
| US | October 14, 2016 | LP vinyl<ref>Shania Twain Releasing Album Catalog on Vinyl</ref> | Mercury Nashville |