Music has always found a way to bring together unlikely partners and create something truly magical. One such instance nearly happened when Prince and Shania Twain, two artists from vastly different genres, almost came together to create an album that would be as big as Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Rumours.’ In a recent interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, Twain detailed Prince’s offer and how he wanted to make an album like ‘Rumours.’
Back in 2008, Prince invited Shania Twain to join him in creating a pop/rock album that would rival the success of Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Rumours.’ The offer came at a time when Twain was navigating the choppy waters of a divorce and fighting Lyme disease. Despite the allure of working with one of her musical heroes, Shania was plagued by insecurities about her voice and overwhelmed by personal turmoil.
Besides those, another reason why she had rejected this collab was Prince’s strict no-swearing rule. Yes, you heard right. It added another layer of difficulty for the country singer. Sadly, the collaboration was never meant to be. Shania stated that she simply wasn’t ready for the magnitude of such a project during that difficult time in her life. Though we will never have the opportunity to hear what could have been, the memory of Prince’s proposal remains a big ‘what if.’
During a recent conversation, Shania Twain shared the details of the offer. According to the country star, Prince showed how ambitious he was about this album in their first phone conversations and was really determined to make the next ‘Rumours.’ However, this collab did not materialize because the country musician was in a trying period of her life at that time.
Twain recalled Prince’s offer and why she denied it:
“We’re on the phone, and he said, ‘Shania, why don’t you come to Paisley Park? I want to make the next ‘Rumours’ album with you.’ And that was the weirdest thing he could’ve ever said because Mutt’s standard on where he thought I could live as a standard was that album, the ‘Rumours’ album. He said that to me.
When Prince said that to me, I’m like, ‘Oh man, I’m not even divorced yet.’ I’m just like, ‘I’ve been dumped,’ but I’m not, obviously, divorced yet. I’m like, this is way too ironic what you’re saying. Right? And I’m such a major Prince fan. I was still working on it. I was so far from finding it, still, I was writing, but I was too insecure to get with Prince in the studio. I was too insecure in every way.
He says to me, ‘Well, if you do decide to come to Paisley Park, there’s no swearing allowed here. So that was another strike. I’m like, ‘Oh, no, I love you so much, but I don’t think I could get through writing and recording an album without swearing somewhere along the way! What are you going to do to me if I swear? I’m going to have to stand in the corner or something!’ I don’t think I was ready for what all that was going to mean for me.”
The album Prince wanted to emulate, ‘Rumours,’ was a real deal when it was released in 1977. The record quickly became one of the biggest-selling albums of all time. It was a critical and commercial powerhouse, winning a Grammy for Album of the Year. The album’s success was mainly due to its timeless, personal lyrics and its eclectic mix of rock, pop, and country music styles.
Each of the band members was going through their own relationship troubles during the recording process, which added a level of emotional depth to the songs. The result was an album that spoke to listeners on a universal level and struck a chord with worldwide audiences. To this day, it is considered one of the greatest albums in rock history. So, Prince’s ambition was understandable.
