Where's Charley? is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by George Abbott . The story was based on the 1892 play Charley's Aunt by Brandon Thomas . The musical debuted on Broadway in 1948 and was revived on Broadway and in the West End . Ray Bolger starred, and sang the popular song "Once In Love With Amy".
140-529: Michael Lee Aday (born Marvin Lee Aday ; September 27, 1947 – January 20, 2022), better known by his stage name Meat Loaf , was an American singer and actor. He was known for his powerful, wide-ranging voice and theatrical live shows. His Bat Out of Hell album trilogy— Bat Out of Hell (1977), Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell (1993), and Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose (2006)—has sold more than 100 million records worldwide, making him one of
280-479: A Super Audio CD version, a 25th anniversary edition (2001 – Epic/Legacy #62171) with two bonus tracks ("Great Boléros of Fire (live intro)" [3:54] and "Bat Out of Hell (live)" [11:10], and a "Bat Out of Hell: Re-Vamped" release (1991) containing the bonus song " Dead Ringer for Love ". A new hybrid SACD version was released in late 2016 by Analog Spark, an audiophile imprint of the Razor & Tie label, mastered from
420-561: A defensive tackle . After attending college at Lubbock Christian College , he transferred to North Texas State University (now the University of North Texas ). In 1967, when Meat Loaf was 19 years old: his mother died of cancer, and his father lunged at him with a knife after falsely accusing the teen of having girls in his bedroom. Meat Loaf used the money his mother left him to rent an apartment in Dallas, where he isolated for three and
560-408: A mausoleum that towers above the rest of the tombstones. In 2001, Q magazine listed the cover as number 71 in its list of "The Hundred Best Record Covers of All Time". Steinman had wanted equal billing with Meat Loaf on the album's title; he wanted it to be called "Jim Steinman presents..." or "Jim and Meat", or vice versa. For marketing reasons, the record company wished to make 'Meat Loaf'
700-597: A wheelchair . Bat Out of Hell has sold an estimated 43 million copies globally, including 15 million in the United States, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time. In the United Kingdom alone, its 2.1 million sales put it in 38th place. Despite peaking at No. 9 and spending only two weeks in the top ten in 1981, it has now spent 485 weeks on the UK Albums Chart (May 2015),
840-563: A 'must-have' for everyone who heard it, whether they 'got' Steinman's unique perspective or not." Meanwhile, in North America, according to Billboard magazine, Popovich and his partners began promoting the album aggressively, first getting radio play in Omaha, Neb., Cleveland and New York. By year's end, the album had sold a respectable 140,000 copies by Popovich's account, but the promotion people at Epic were still unmoved. Popovich, in
980-500: A 1989 interview with Redbeard for the In the Studio with Redbeard episode on the making of the album, Meat Loaf revealed that Jimmy Iovine and Andy Johns were potential candidates for producing Bat Out of Hell before being rejected by the singer and Steinman in favor of Todd Rundgren , whom Meat Loaf initially found cocky but grew to like. Rundgren found the album hilarious, thinking it
1120-743: A Marketing Campaign developed from scratch." Publicity Manager Liz Braun added that after Meat Loaf had played at the El Mocambo where he caused a riot, all the press in town wanted to talk to him and did. Suddenly he had a hardcore following in Toronto and he was asked to perform at the CBS Convention in New Orleans. Meat Loaf 'Live' at The El Mocambo was immediately pressed to disc and distributed to stations throughout North America. The album has been released in various formats, including
1260-591: A chance, releasing Bat Out of Hell in October 1977. Meat Loaf and Steinman formed the band Neverland Express to tour in support of Bat Out of Hell . Their first gig was opening for Cheap Trick in Chicago. Meat Loaf gained national exposure as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live on March 25, 1978. In 1978, Meat Loaf jumped off a stage in Ottawa , Ontario, breaking his leg. He finished his tour performing in
1400-416: A combination of touring, drugs and exhaustion had caused Meat Loaf to lose his voice. Without a singer, and pressured by the record company, Steinman decided that he should sing on Bad for Good himself. While Steinman worked on Bad for Good, Meat Loaf played the role of Travis Redfish in the movie Roadie until his singing voice returned. Steinman then wrote a new album for Meat Loaf, Dead Ringer , which
1540-692: A decade, until 1984, when they appeared as B-sides to the " Nowhere Fast " single. In 1976, Meat Loaf recorded lead vocals for Ted Nugent 's album Free-for-All when regular Nugent lead vocalist Derek St. Holmes temporarily quit the band. Meat Loaf sang lead on five of the album's nine tracks. That same year, Meat Loaf appeared in his final theatrical show in New York City, the short-lived Broadway production of Gower Champion 's rock musical Rockabye Hamlet . It closed two weeks into its initial run. Meat Loaf and Steinman started working on Bat Out of Hell in 1972, but did not get serious about it until
SECTION 10
#17327797341221680-578: A duet with the Who 's lead singer Roger Daltrey . It was a minor success with a few commercially successful singles, the most successful being " Modern Girl ". In 1985, Meat Loaf took part in some comedy sketches in the UK with Hugh Laurie . Meat Loaf also tried stand-up comedy, appearing several times in Connecticut . Meat Loaf worked with songwriter John Parr on his next album, Blind Before I Stop , which
1820-579: A figure bettered only by Rumours by Fleetwood Mac with 487 weeks. In Australia, it knocked the Bee Gees off the No. 1 spot and became the biggest-selling album of all time in that country. Bat Out of Hell has, as of December 2020, spent a total of 522 weeks in the Top 200 in the UK chart. In 1979, Steinman started to work on Bad for Good , the intended follow-up to 1977's Bat Out of Hell . During that time,
1960-445: A future together, Amy only wants to speak of the future – a time of progress with wireless telegraphy, horseless carriages, and stereopticons that move. ("Make A Miracle") Mr. Spettigue enters to find Amy with Charley and tells her to collect her things. They are leaving for good! He has been waiting for far too long for Donna Lucia, and is now ready to take Amy home. In a desperate moment, Charley tells Mr. Spettigue that his aunt really
2100-563: A half months, at which time a friend found him. Soon after, he went to the airport and caught the next flight to Los Angeles. Meat Loaf intentionally gained 60 pounds (27 kg) to fail his physical examination for the Vietnam War draft . Despite this strategy, he still received his notice to appear before his local draft board, but chose to ignore it. In Los Angeles, Meat Loaf formed his first band, Meat Loaf Soul. The band received several recording contracts. Meat Loaf Soul's first gig
2240-416: A history of performing over-the-top musical comedy sketches together. The baseball commentary make-out section performed by New York Yankees announcer Phil Rizzuto was written with the announcer in mind, using phrases he would actually say during commentary. "For Crying Out Loud" was originally written for the 1975 New York Shakespeare Festival musical Kid Champion, and a recording by an unknown artist
2380-463: A husband who is determined to die in order to donate his liver to his wife. On October 26, 2010, Meat Loaf (credited as Meat Loaf Aday) appeared on the Fox television series Glee in " The Rocky Horror Glee Show ", the series' tribute episode to The Rocky Horror Picture Show . In 2011, he was a contestant in season 11 of Celebrity Apprentice , during which he was eliminated after task number 12. In
2520-522: A later date. Jack is upset most of all because this will be his last chance to propose to Kitty – tomorrow she leaves for Scotland. The young ladies unexpectedly appear again assuming that a chaperone is there, and in a fit of desperation, Jack suggests that Charley pose as his aunt – anyway he's wearing the costume right now. Charley does pose as his aunt and fools the girls. They cover for Charley saying that he's not feeling well and has retired to his room. The girls' guardian, Mr. Spettigue, comes looking for
2660-518: A letter to his former boss Alexenburg, complained, "Some of your guys have given up." But not in Canada: Graham Powers, CBS Canada's Director of Marketing introduced himself to CHUM-FM's new Program Director Warren Cosford. Cosford's background was as the production manager of radio documentaries on The Beatles, Elvis Presley and the 64-hour Evolution of Rock which were in syndication throughout North America. Powers had heard that Warren
2800-687: A madcap tea party, Donna Lucia presses Charley for information about his/her life in Brazil. Charley tells her about the place where Donna Lucia lived – Pernambuco. A song and ballet sequence (seen through Charley's eyes) revealing just how Donna Lucia and her rich husband met and lived together ends the first act. ("Pernambuco") The act opens with the Oxford senior graduates posing for their class picture – complete with caps and gowns. They are all there except for Charley. He promised that he'd be there. ("Where's Charley?") Fortunately, he does make it there – just as
2940-598: A man who joins a men's self-help group. He also reportedly assisted director David Fincher with the editing of the film. In 2000, he played a character in the sixth-season episode " Gettysburg " of The Outer Limits . Meat Loaf appears (uncredited) as Jack Black 's father in the 2006 film Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny , providing vocals on the film's opening song " Kickapoo ." In 2009, Meat Loaf acted in House (TV Series) S5 E20 "Simple Explanation", playing Eddie -
SECTION 20
#17327797341223080-657: A new album containing 'four or five new tracks', including Steinman's "What Part of My Body Hurts the Most" (a song long requested by fans, but previously under contract restrictions for the Bat Out of Hell musical), along with the original 1975 demo recordings made for the Bat Out of Hell album. Meat Loaf's longtime collaborator Jim Steinman died on April 19, 2021, of kidney failure. In a Facebook post in November 2021, he further elaborated that he and his band would be returning to
3220-560: A performance at London's Wembley Arena , on his Couldn't Have Said It Better tour, he collapsed of what was later diagnosed as Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome , a condition marked by an extra electrical pathway in the heart which causes symptoms like a rapid heartbeat. The following week, he underwent a surgical procedure intended to correct the problem. As a result, Meat Loaf's insurance agency did not allow him to perform for any longer than one hour and 45 minutes. From February 20 to 22, 2004, during an Australian tour, Meat Loaf performed with
3360-492: A record deal; however, their approaches were rejected by each record company, because their songs did not fit any specific recognized music industry style. Todd Rundgren , under the impression that they already had a record deal, agreed to produce the album as well as play lead guitar along with other members of Rundgren's band Utopia and Max Weinberg . They then shopped the record around, but they still had no takers until Steve Popovich 's Cleveland International Records took
3500-438: A reluctant Charley – once again dressed as Donna Lucia – to the dressing room. The real Donna Lucia enters and has a good bit of fun making Charley feel uncomfortable while all the ladies ready themselves for the evening's fun. The ladies eventually all leave and Charley is left alone to talk with Mr. Spettigue who comes to play with his new love. Charley fights off Mr. Spettigue's forced advances and finally demands that he be given
3640-536: A rich woman into marriage. Just then, Mr. Spettigue re-enters and sees the girls there just as he suspected. He is quite angry until he learns that this "woman/chaperone" who dismissed him only a few moments earlier is actually the wealthy Donna Lucia D'Alvadorez from Brazil – "where the nuts come from." He, too, is smitten by this rich available widow and is ready to make his move. Together, Sir Francis, Charley, and Mr. Spettigue go off to lunch. It's Charley's job to keep them occupied. Jack, Kitty, and Amy all go off to watch
3780-467: A seven-song set they wanted to record as an album. The three songs were "Bat Out of Hell", "Heaven Can Wait" and "The Formation of the Pack", which was later retitled "All Revved Up with No Place to Go". Bat Out of Hell is often compared to the music of Bruce Springsteen , particularly the album Born to Run . Steinman says he finds that "puzzling, musically", although they share influences; "Springsteen
3920-543: A song.... Have you ever listened to pop music? Have you ever heard any rock-and-roll music.... You should go downstairs when you leave here...and buy some rock-and-roll records. Meat Loaf asserts "Jim, at the time, knew every record ever made. [He] is a walking rock encyclopedia." Although Steinman laughed off the insults, the singer screamed "Fuck you, Clive!" from the street up to his building. In one 1989 interview with Classic Rock magazine, Steinman labeled Todd Rundgren "the only genuine genius I've ever worked with." In
4060-734: A steady career within the United States. However, his career still saw success due to his popularity in Europe, especially in the United Kingdom and Ireland. He received the 1994 Brit Award in the United Kingdom for best-selling album and single, and was ranked 23rd for the number of weeks spent on the UK charts in 2006. He ranks 96th on VH1 's "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock". Meat Loaf also acted in over 50 films and television shows, sometimes as himself or as characters resembling his stage persona. His notable film roles include Eddie in The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975),
4200-399: A time, a habit he started when he was medically discharged from the U.S. Army during World War II after being wounded by fragments from a mortar shell . Meat Loaf often accompanied his mother in driving to the bars in Dallas to look for his father, and often stayed with his grandmother. He attended church and Bible study every Sunday. He was 16 years-old on November 22, 1963, the day of
4340-426: Is Oxford University in the year 1892 where a group of college seniors are bidding farewell to the years gone by ("The Years Before Us"). In his dorm room, graduating Jack Chesney is excitedly talking with his butler, Brassett, making sure that luncheon will be ready for later that afternoon. He is so excited because his roommate, Charley Wykeham, has gone to the train station to meet his aunt, Donna Lucia D'Alvadorez, who
Meat Loaf - Misplaced Pages Continue
4480-452: Is a duet with Patti Russo, whereas the album version is a solo song by Meat Loaf. In 2003, Meat Loaf released his album Couldn't Have Said It Better . For only the third time in his career, Meat Loaf released an album without any songs written by Steinman (not counting live bonus tracks on special edition releases). Although Meat Loaf claimed that Couldn't Have Said It Better was "the most perfect album [he] did since Bat Out of Hell ", it
4620-469: Is actually Charley's rich Aunt Donna Lucia; in fact, he points out to her that Charley's aunt is right there with them – running around being chased by Mr. Spettigue. She is quite intrigued by it all, and poses as Mrs. Beverly Smythe to better survey the situation. The two then look at each other once more and recall that time long ago when they first met. ("Lovelier Than Ever"). Jack and Charley are going over things, and Kitty and Amy enter to inform Jack that
4760-421: Is angry and doesn't care that they are in love. Charley tells him that they have the letter of consent, which is all they need. Mr. Spettigue fights them by telling them that he will dispute this. The real Donna Lucia finally steps forward and says that indeed the letter of consent was addressed to her and is a legal document – and she puts her blessing on the wedding. There is nothing Spettigue or anyone can do. All
4900-498: Is based on the story of a fictional soldier, whose "story" furnishes the theme. The album is based on a short story by the Los Angeles-based screenwriter and director Kilian Kerwin, a long-time friend of the singer. Hugh Laurie and Jack Black both perform on the album, Laurie plays piano on the song "If I Can't Have You", while Black sings a duet with Meat Loaf on "Like A Rose". Patti Russo and Kara DioGuardi also duet on
5040-449: Is coming in from Brazil for a visit. Having Charley's aunt there as chaperone will make it quite easy for their two girl friends, Kitty Verdun and Amy Spettigue, to come for a visit. Charley does return – but without his aunt. Apparently, she never was on the train. After reading her letter more carefully, Charley realizes that he made a mistake – she will be coming on a later one. Not having Charley's aunt there will make it impossible for
5180-607: Is forgiven and everyone (except for Mr. Spettigue) is happy. (Reprise: "My Darling, My Darling") The musical opened on Broadway at the St. James Theatre on October 11, 1948 and ran for 792 performances. It was directed by George Abbott , choreographed by George Balanchine , with sets and costumes by David Ffolkes. The cast featured Ray Bolger as Charley Wykeham, Allyn McLerie as Amy Spettigue, Byron Palmer as Jack Chesney, Doretta Morrow as Kitty Verdun, Paul England as Sir Francis Chesney, and Horace Cooper as Mr Spettigue. Bolger won
5320-422: Is going on; however, she trusts him and is excited about marrying him. She leaves Charley alone, and there on that street he thinks about Amy – the most wonderful girl in the whole world ("Once In Love With Amy") Later that day, the girls are in the dressing room preparing themselves for the evening's big dance. While dressing and primping, they also go over all of the most recent events. ("The Gossips") Kitty drags
5460-408: Is going to take his son's advice and marry Donna Lucia. Jack tells him that this is impossible; however, Sir Francis is now more determined than ever. Charley then appears as himself and finally gets to talk with Amy. He apologizes for his absence, and rushes to talk to Amy about their future together before her uncle returns and whisks her away. While Charley only wishes to propose marriage and speak of
5600-482: Is happening. Just where has Charley been? She's crazy about him, but can't help thinking that he's off with another girl – possibly the girl she saw in a picture sitting on his piano. ("The Woman In His Room") Brassett enters and sets tea. Charley returns still dressed as his aunt and tells Amy that Charley has sent a message to her – he loves her very much. Sir Francis and the real Donna Lucia (still posing as Beverly Smythe) enter and unexpectedly join them for tea. During
5740-478: Is in love with him. In fact, she's up in Charley's room right now resting from the emotional shock of meeting him. He knows that she'll be back soon. It's just that she has some business to attend to – like writing letters to her banks. The greedy Mr. Spettigue agrees to wait and ponders his possible future and fortune with Lucia ("Serenade with Asides") Charley returns as Donna Lucia, and chases Mr. Spettigue around
Meat Loaf - Misplaced Pages Continue
5880-587: Is in the New York Public Library archives. Jim Steinman considers the line "And can't you see my faded Levi's bursting apart" his most daring lyric on the entire album. Comparing the album to Steinman's late-1960s musical The Dream Engine , Classic Rock magazine says that Steinman's imagery is "revved up and testosterone-fueled. Songs like 'Paradise by the Dashboard Light,' 'Two Out of Three Ain't Bad' and 'For Crying Out Loud' echoed
6020-505: Is still frantic and begs Charley to continue for a short while longer so he can talk with Kitty. Charley doesn't care – he has had just about all he can take and goes off to change and find Amy. Kitty comes looking for Donna Lucia, but instead finds herself alone with Jack. It is there that the two are finally able to express their undying love and devotion for each other ("My Darling, My Darling"). Jack's father finds Kitty and Jack together and asks that he speak with his son. It appears that he
6160-486: The 2011 AFL Grand Final , the pre-match entertainment was headlined by a 12-minute medley performed by Meat Loaf. The performance was panned as the worst in the 34-year history of AFL Grand Final pre-game entertainment in a multitude of online reviews by football fans and Australian sport commentators. Meat Loaf responded by calling online critics "butt-smellers", and the AFL "jerks", vowing to convince other artists not to play at
6300-659: The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time . A musical based on Bat Out of Hell , staged by Jay Scheib , opened at the Manchester Opera House on February 17, 2017, before transferring to the London Coliseum and Toronto's Ed Mirvish Theatre in late 2017. Between April 2, 2018 and January 5, 2019, the show was performed at the Dominion Theatre in London, before a short run the same year in
6440-659: The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra , in a set of concerts recorded for the album Bat Out of Hell: Live with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra . The performances included the Australian Boys' Choir singing back-up on a Couldn't Have Said It Better track, "Testify." Meat Loaf and Steinman had begun to work on the third installment of Bat Out of Hell when Steinman suffered a heart attack. According to Meat Loaf, Steinman
6580-519: The Tony Award , Best Actor (Musical). His second-act song, "Once in Love with Amy", was a show-stopper, with audiences not only demanding that he sing it again, but even singing along. The musical returned to Broadway at The Broadway Theatre for 48 performances, from January 29, 1951 to March 10, 1951, with Bolger, McLerie, and Cooper reprising their roles and Abbott directing. After a trial run at
6720-609: The assassination of John F. Kennedy . That morning, Meat Loaf had seen the President when he arrived at Dallas Love Field . Later, after hearing of Kennedy's death, he and a friend and drove to Parkland Hospital where he witnessed Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis , covered in her husband's blood, getting out of the car that brought her to the hospital. In 1965, Meat Loaf graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School , having appeared in school stage productions such as Where's Charley? and The Music Man . He played high school football as
6860-486: The best-selling music artists of all time . The first album stayed on the charts for over nine years and is one of the best-selling albums in history , still selling an estimated 200,000 copies annually as of 2016. Despite the commercial success of Bat Out of Hell and Bat Out of Hell II: Back Into Hell , and earning a Grammy Award for Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance for the song " I'd Do Anything for Love ", Meat Loaf nevertheless experienced some difficulty establishing
7000-421: The saxophone on "All Revved Up". Rundgren himself played guitar, including the "motorcycle solo" on "Bat Out of Hell". Both Steinman and Rundgren were influenced by Phil Spector and his " Wall of Sound ". According to Meat Loaf, Rundgren put all the arrangements together because although "Jim could hear all the instruments" in his head, Steinman hummed rather than orchestrated. When Rundgren discovered that
7140-563: The "principals have some growing to do." Stephen Erlewine in AllMusic writes that "this is Grand Guignol pop—epic, gothic, operatic, and silly, and it's appealing because of all of this." He thinks that Steinman is "a composer without peer, simply because nobody else wanted to make mini-epics like this." Rundgren's production is applauded, as is the wit in the music and lyrics. "It may elevate adolescent passion to operatic dimensions, and that's certainly silly, but it's hard not to marvel at
SECTION 50
#17327797341227280-535: The 1984 album Emotion by Barbra Streisand . His other singles, "I'd Lie for You (And That's the Truth)" and "Not a Dry Eye in the House", were written by Diane Warren . In 1998, Meat Loaf released The Very Best of Meat Loaf . The album featured three new songs co-written by Steinman – two with Andrew Lloyd Webber and one with Don Black , " Is Nothing Sacred ", released as a single. The single version of this song
7420-469: The Dashboard Light ", " You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth ", and " Two Out of Three Ain't Bad " and convinced Lou Adler , the producer of Rocky Horror , to run the "Paradise" video as a trailer to the movie. During his recording of the soundtrack for Rocky Horror , Meat Loaf recorded two more songs: " Stand by Me " (a Ben E. King cover), and "Clap Your Hands." They remained unreleased for
7560-721: The Meat Loaf album, where it is performed by Jim Steinman and actress Marcia McClain. The next incarnation of Steinman's magnum opus, during the 1970s, was a musical called Neverland , which contained many of the same scenes and themes as The Dream Engine but was now largely depoliticized and contained many Peter Pan references. Some scenes in Neverland , such as the parents feeding their imprisoned daughter "dream suppressant" drugs, are still present in Bat Out Of Hell: The Musical , but overall Neverland
7700-489: The Neverland Express were the musical guests for Saturday Night Live where he and former fellow Rocky Horror Picture Show actor Tim Curry performed a skit depicting a One-Stop Rocky Horror Shop. Also on the show, Curry performed "The Zucchini Song" and Meat Loaf & the Neverland Express performed "Bat Out of Hell" and "Promised Land." Following a dispute with his former songwriter Jim Steinman, Meat Loaf
7840-657: The Opera House in Manchester, the musical opened in the West End at the Palace Theatre on February 20, 1958 and ran for 404 performances. It was directed by William Chappell . The cast featured Norman Wisdom as Charley Wykeham, Pip Hinton as Amy Spettigue, Terence Cooper as Jack Chesney, Pamela Gale as Kitty Verdun, Jerry Desmonde as Sir Francis Chesney, and Felix Felton as Mr Spettigue. Circle in
7980-475: The Sisters of Mercy ) for the album. Additionally, the song "Prize Fight Lover", originally issued as a download-only bonus track for Hang Cool Teddy Bear , was re-recorded for the album. In January 2020, during an interview for The Mirror , Meat Loaf announced, "I'm not old. I've got songs for another record and I'm reading a script." In a February 2020 Facebook post, Meat Loaf announced his intention to record
8120-769: The Soul Searchers , opening for Richie Havens , the Who , the Stooges , Bob Seger , Alice Cooper , and Rare Earth . Meat Loaf left Motown soon after the label replaced his and Stoney's vocals from the one song he liked, "Who Is the Leader of the People?" with new vocals by Edwin Starr . He moved to Freeland, Michigan for a year and was the opening act at the Grande Ballroom 80 times. In December 1972, Meat Loaf
8260-655: The Speed of Night became a commercial success, with its lead single " Total Eclipse of the Heart " placing at the top of the charts in the United States and the United Kingdom. Aside from Tyler, he composed and produced songs for musicians such as Air Supply , Barry Manilow , Barbra Streisand , the Sisters of Mercy , and Celine Dion . All tracks are written by Jim Steinman Shipments figures based on certification alone. Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. Where%27s Charley%3F The setting
8400-463: The Square produced a revival starring Raul Julia as part of its 1974-75 Broadway season. Julia received a Tony Award nomination for his performance. A semi-staged production of Where's Charley? was presented as part of New York City Center 's Encores! series from March 17–20, 2011, featuring Rebecca Luker and Howard McGillin , and Rob McClure as Charley. The 1952 Warner Brothers film
8540-538: The UK chart for seven consecutive weeks. The single featured a female vocalist who was credited only as "Mrs. Loud." Mrs. Loud was later identified as Lorraine Crosby , a performer from England. Meat Loaf promoted the song with American vocalist Patti Russo , who performed lead female vocals on tour with him. Also in 1994, he sang the U.S. national anthem " The Star-Spangled Banner " at the Major League Baseball All-Star Game . He released
SECTION 60
#17327797341228680-560: The UK), and " Not a Dry Eye in the House " (which reached No. 7 in the UK chart). I'd Lie for You (And That's the Truth) was a duet with Patti Russo , who had been touring with Meat Loaf and singing on his albums since 1993. Of the twelve songs on the album, two are written by Steinman. Both are cover versions, the "Original Sin" from Pandora's Box 's Original Sin album and "Left in the Dark" first appeared on Steinman's own Bad for Good as well as
8820-612: The United States and over 1.7 million albums in Australia, where it is the country's highest-selling album as of 2016, being certified 26× platinum. The album has stayed on the UK Albums Chart for 522 weeks, making it the UK's fourth longest charting studio album behind Fleetwood Mac 's Rumours , Pink Floyd 's The Dark Side of the Moon and Oasis ' (What's the Story) Morning Glory? . In 2022, Bat Out of Hell
8960-541: The United States and yielded no hit singles, although it was certified gold. The album also featured duets with Patti Russo and Jennifer Hudson . In the weeks following the release of Bat III , Meat Loaf and the Neverland Express did a brief tour of the U.S. and Europe, known as the Bases are Loaded Tour. In October 2006, Meat Loaf's private jet had to make an emergency landing at London Stansted Airport after
9100-492: The United States. The album was developed from a musical, Neverland ; the play is a futuristic rock version of Peter Pan which Steinman wrote for a workshop in 1974, and performed at the Kennedy Center Music Theatre Lab in 1977. Steinman and Meat Loaf, who were touring with The National Lampoon Show , felt that three songs were "exceptional" and Steinman began to develop them as part of
9240-568: The Vo-di-o-do Girls gospel music quartet, and Orvis Wesley Aday, a former police officer who went into business selling a homemade cough remedy with his wife and a friend under the name of the Griffin Grocery Company. He stated in an interview that when he was born, he was "bright red and stayed that way for days" and that his father said he looked like "nine pounds of ground chuck,” and convinced hospital staff to put
9380-753: The Who , the Fugs , the Stooges , MC5 , the Grateful Dead , and the Grease Band . Their regional success led them to release a single, "Once Upon a Time", backed with "Hello". Meat Loaf then joined the Los Angeles production of the musical Hair . With the publicity generated from Hair , Meat Loaf accepted an invitation by Motown , in Detroit. In addition to appearing as "Mother" and "Ulysses S. Grant" at Detroit's Vest Pocket Theatre, he recorded
9520-489: The Young", which contains the lyric "Is there anyone left who can fuck? Screw 'em!". Another E Street Band member, Steven Van Zandt , and Sonenberg arranged to contact Cleveland International Records , a subsidiary of Epic Records . After listening to the spoken word intro to " You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night)" , founder Steve Popovich accepted the album for Cleveland. Rundgren initially mixed
9660-420: The album was "timeless in that it didn't fit into any trend. It's never been a part of what's going on. You could release that record at any time and it would be out of place." Response to the album was slow. Todd Rundgren asserts that it was "underpromoted", having a reputation of being "damaged goods because it had been walked around to so many places." Due to the enthusiastic response to the music videos from
9800-532: The album was released in September 1993. The immediate success of Bat Out of Hell II led to the sale of over 15 million copies, and the single " I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That) " reached number one in 28 countries. In March 1994, at the 36th Annual Grammy Awards , Meat Loaf won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Solo for "I'd Do Anything for Love." This song stayed at No. 1 in
9940-467: The album's release. An agreement was reached in July 2006. Denying reports in the press over the years of a rift between Meat Loaf and Steinman, in an interview with Dan Rather , Meat Loaf stated that he and Steinman never stopped talking, and that the lawsuits reported in the press were between lawyers and managers, and not between Meat Loaf and Steinman. The album Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose
10080-473: The album. Brian May of Queen features on guitar along with Steve Vai . It received positive reviews from critics and fans alike. The first single from the album, "Los Angeloser", was released for download on April 5 with the album charting at number 4 in the UK Albums Chart on April 25, 2010. The Hang Cool Tour followed in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada. Patti Russo accompanied him on
10220-631: The best-selling albums of all time . It is certified 14× platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It is the best-selling album in Australia, having been certified 26× platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). As of June 2019, it has spent 522 weeks in the UK Albums Chart , the fourth longest chart run by a studio album. In 2012, Rolling Stone ranked it at number 343 on its list of
10360-508: The boys are a bit depressed; nevertheless, they know that the girls will return when Charley's Aunt is there. In the meantime, Charley tries on his costume for the upcoming student production in which he is appearing. While Charley is doing this, Jack's father, Sir Francis Chesney, makes a surprise visit and informs his son that they are actually penniless. Jack suggests that possibly a wealthy marriage could alleviate their problems and suggests that Charley's rich widow Aunt Donna Lucia might just be
10500-566: The bus driver in Spice World (1997), and Robert Paulson in Fight Club (1999). His early stage work included dual roles in the original Broadway cast of The Rocky Horror Show ; he also appeared in the musical Hair , both on and Off-Broadway . Marvin Lee Aday was born in Dallas , Texas , on September 27, 1947, the son of Wilma Artie ( née Hukel), a schoolteacher and member of
10640-411: The cast of Neverland included Ellen Foley as Wendy – who performs the lead female vocal on " Paradise by the Dashboard Light " on the album. The music for Neverland was performed by Orchestra Luna , and one of their members at the time was Karla DeVito . Foley was not available when it came time to go on tour for the album, so Karla DeVito took her place. In the various promotional music videos for
10780-492: The charts together, holding No. 1 and No. 2 for a period during 1983. Meat Loaf is credited with having been involved in the writing of some of the tracks on the album, including the title track, "Midnight at the Lost and Found." Poor money management as well as 45 lawsuits totaling US$ 80 million, including ones from Steinman, resulted in Meat Loaf filing for personal bankruptcy in 1983. The bankruptcy resulted in Meat Loaf losing
10920-419: The course of the contest he had a notable dramatic showdown with fellow contestant Gary Busey which was then televised. Bat Out of Hell Bat Out of Hell is the debut studio album by American rock singer Meat Loaf and composer Jim Steinman . The album was developed from the musical Neverland. Neverland is a futuristic rock version of Peter Pan which Steinman wrote for a workshop in 1974. It
11060-416: The deal with RCA did not actually exist, Albert Grossman , who had been Bob Dylan 's manager, offered to put it on his Bearsville label but needed more money. Rundgren had essentially paid for the album himself. Mo Ostin at Warner Bros. was impressed, but other senior people rejected them after they performed live. Steinman had offended them a few years earlier by auditioning with a song named "Who Needs
11200-539: The end of 1974. Meat Loaf then decided to leave theater and concentrate exclusively on music. Meat Loaf was cast as an understudy for John Belushi in The National Lampoon Show . It was at the Lampoon show that Meat Loaf met Ellen Foley , the co-star who sang "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" and "Bat Out of Hell" with him on the album Bat Out of Hell . Meat Loaf and Steinman spent time seeking
11340-490: The event. In 2011, Meat Loaf planned to release a Christmas album called Hot Holidays featuring Garth Brooks and Reba McEntire , but the album was never released. In September 2016, Braver Than We Are , a 10-track album created with Jim Steinman, was released. Meat Loaf recorded reworked versions of Steinman's songs "Braver Than We Are", "Speaking in Tongues", "Who Needs the Young", and " More " (previously recorded by
11480-488: The form of Bat Out Of Hell: The Musical . The first incarnation of his work was a musical called The Dream Engine when he was in college at Amherst. The qualities of teenage rebellion and a girl joining a "tribe" led by a charismatic leader are present in all versions of Steinman's work. It is in The Dream Engine that the spoken word piece "Hot Summer Night" originates, and is the earliest work that appears on
11620-547: The future. An audio recording of the 1958 London production has been released, but no complete recording of the Broadway score ever appeared, due to the 1948 recording ban. Bolger and the cast recorded two songs for a 45-rpm single, "Once in Love With Amy" b/w "Make a Miracle" (Decca 1-191) and a 78-rpm record (Decca 40065). (This version of "Once in Love with Amy" appears on several Broadway CD anthologies.) A 1952 film
11760-505: The garden. In the midst of all this, Jack informs Charley that his father is going to propose to him. In fact, Sir Francis enters and asks Charley to marry him. Charley turns him down, but runs off again as he hears a playful Mr. Spettigue approaching. In the midst of all this, a woman (Charley's real aunt) enters and approaches Sir Francis about finding Charley. As the two look at each other, they realize that they know each other from more than twenty years ago. Sir Francis doesn't know that she
11900-403: The girls to stay – no decent girl would remain with two young men unchaperoned. The girls arrive early, and just as expected decide they must leave – not seeing Charley's Aunt Donna Lucia. ("Better Get Out Of Here"). Actually, they are more worried about being caught by their guardian, Mr. Spettigue, (Amy's uncle) who keeps a tight rein on the girls. The girls do leave. After the girls' departure,
12040-412: The girls, and everyone rushes out to hide from him – everyone except Charley who stays to tell Mr. Spettigue that she is "the only young lady present." She finally hits him with her fan and says "Be gone my good man and don't bother me any longer." Utterly baffled and confused, Mr. Spettigue leaves, and the girls and Jack return. Sir Francis then enters the scene and escorts Charley to lunch all ready to woo
12180-406: The letter of consent that has been promised all along. If Mr. Spettigue goes and gets the letter right now, Charley promises that they can announce their own engagement at the ball. Mr. Spettigue excitedly, dashes off to get the letter and meet his love at the ball. Strolling down a garden path Donna Lucia asks Sir Francis if it isn't strange that they have never seen Charley and his aunt together at
12320-450: The letter of consent. Charley sneaks off and reappears as himself once more. Mr. Spettigue wants to see Charley's aunt one more time, so Charley goes to get her. Mr. Spettigue asks to see Charley, the nephew, once again, and a rather "tired" Charley dashes off to get him. While rushing, Jack accidentally steps on the hem of Charley's skirt and all is "revealed." Charley admits to Amy and everyone that he did it all because of love. Mr. Spettigue
12460-472: The name "Meat" on his crib. He was later called "M.L." in reference to his initials, but when his weight increased, his seventh-grade classmates referred to him as "Meat Loaf", referring to his 5-foot-2-inch (157 cm), 240-pound (110 kg) stature. He also attributed the nickname to an incident where, after he stepped on a football coach's foot, the coach yelled "Get off my foot, you hunk of meatloaf!" Meat Loaf's father would binge-drink alcohol for days at
12600-423: The narrative of "Paradise", Rundgren jokes that he can't imagine Steinman being at a lakeside with the most beautiful girl in school, but he can imagine Steinman "imagining" it. Steinman is credited with the album cover concept, which was illustrated by Richard Corben . The cover depicts a motorcycle, ridden by a long-haired man, bursting out of the ground in a graveyard. In the background, a large bat perches atop
12740-456: The only way they'll get to marry the girls is to get Mr. Spettigue's consent in writing. The girls also confide in Charley that they are actually really in love with Charley and Jack, but if they don't get consent to the marriages in writing from Mr. Spettigue, they will be financially cut off for good. Charley agrees to get the written consent from Mr. Spettigue and goes off to do so. Kitty and Jack leave Amy alone to think about Charley and all that
12880-467: The original tapes by Ryan Smith at Sterling Sound . The album was not an immediate hit in the United States. Reviews were initially mixed, but have since become much more positive. On release, Dave Marsh's review in Rolling Stone called the songs "swell, but... entirely mannered and derivative" and noted that the arrangements "aren't bad", and commended the musicians. He concluded by noting that
13020-411: The parade and look for Charley. The scene shifts to a street where the students' band is marching. Everyone is excited by what they hear and see. ("The New Ashmolean Marching Society and Students' Conservatory Band") In a garden, Charley is returning from having just entertained both men. Charley is ready to change back into his regular clothes and go and find Amy who must be wondering where he is. Jack
13160-457: The part of Rabbit, a maniac that blows up his fellow soldiers so they can "go home." Ron Silver and Fred Gwynne were also in the show. In the summer between the show's workshop production (April 1973) and full production (November 1973 – January 1974), Meat Loaf appeared in a Shakespeare in the Park production of As You Like It with Raul Julia and Mary Beth Hurt . In late 1973, Meat Loaf
13300-405: The picture is being taken. Walking along a street, Charley tries to explain all of his disappearances to Amy, who tries her best to believe him. She also tells him that her uncle is ready to sign a wedding consent form, but Donna Lucia must meet him to get the document. Charley assures her that "she'll" be there, but also tells her that he can't be there at the same time. She doesn't quite know what
13440-658: The plane's forward landing gear failed. In 2007, Meat Loaf began The Seize the Night Tour , with Marion Raven , serving as a supporting act. Portions of the tour in February 2007 were featured in the documentary Meat Loaf: In Search of Paradise , directed by Bruce David Klein . The film was an official selection of the Montreal World Film Festival in 2007. It opened in theaters in March 2008 and
13580-464: The principal cast members taking a curtain call. When the film played at Radio City Music Hall in 1962, Robert Shackleton, the other male lead, whose second and final film this was, performed in the accompanying stage show. As of 2018, the film remains unavailable for television or home video viewing. Warner Bros. and the Loesser estate have each expressed an interest in making the film available in
13720-419: The project. According to Meat Loaf's autobiography, Davis commented that "actors don't make records" and challenged Steinman's writing abilities and knowledge of rock music: Do you know how to write a song? Do you know anything about writing? If you're going to write for records, it goes like this: A, B, C, B, C, C. I don't know what you're doing. You're doing A, D, F, G, B, D, C. You don't know how to write
13860-405: The recognizable name. As a compromise, the words "Songs by Jim Steinman" appear relatively prominently on the cover. The singer believes that this was probably the beginning of their "ambivalent relationship". Steinman registered "Bat Out of Hell" as a trademark in 1995, and sought to prevent Meat Loaf from using the title. In 2006, however, the singer sought to cancel Steinman's trademark and use
14000-443: The record and being rejected. Manager David Sonenberg jokes that new record companies were being created just so the album could be rejected. They performed the album live in 1976, with Steinman on piano, Meat Loaf singing, and sometimes Ellen Foley joining them for "Paradise". Steinman says that it was a "medley of the most brutal rejections you could imagine." Meat Loaf "almost cracked" when CBS executive Clive Davis rejected
14140-460: The record down and were merely distributing it, CBS Canada were surprised, but jumped on board. Later, as Graham Powers said, "Tackling the Meat Loaf campaign was different from handling most other CBS international acts in that there was no prior stateside success to refer to. The album was doing virtually nothing in the U.S. and subsequently had to be approached as a totally new project in Canada with
14280-490: The record in one night. However, some of the mixes were unsuitable, to the extent that Meat Loaf did not want "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" on the album. Jimmy Iovine , who had mixed Springsteen's Born to Run, remixed "Two Out of Three Ain't Bad". After several attempts by several people, John Jansen mixed the version of "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" that is on the album, along with "All Revved Up with No Place to Go". According to Meat Loaf, he, Jansen and Steinman mixed
14420-467: The record, Australian and British audiences were the first to develop interest. The BBC television program The Old Grey Whistle Test aired a clip of the live band performing the nine-minute title track. According to Classic Rock , the response was so overwhelming that they screened it again the following week. They later invited the band to perform "Paradise" live. "As a result, in the UK, 'Bat' became an unfashionable, uncool, non-radio record that became
14560-540: The rights to his songs, although he received royalties for Bat Out of Hell in 1997. In 1984, Meat Loaf went to England, where he felt increasingly at home, to record the album Bad Attitude ; it was released that year. It features two songs by Steinman, both previously recorded, " Nowhere Fast " and "Surf's Up." The American release on RCA Records was in April 1985 and features a slightly different track list, as well as alternate mixes for some songs. The title track features
14700-470: The same time. Sir Francis has no interest in any of that. All he cares about is dancing the night away with his long lost love. The same is true of Jack and Kitty. In fact, everyone is dancing the night away in love ("Red Rose Cotillion") Charley even makes an appearance as himself to keep poor little Amy happy and content. Mr. Spettigue finally appears and announces the engagement of Kitty and Amy to Jack and Charley. He gives Charley (again dressed as his aunt)
14840-630: The show. The tour continued through July and August with twenty dates throughout England, Ireland, Germany, Portugal, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark. Six U.S. shows were also added for October and December 2008. In May 2009, Meat Loaf began work on the album Hang Cool Teddy Bear in the studio with Green Day 's American Idiot album producer Rob Cavallo , working with such writers as Justin Hawkins , Rick Brantley, Ollie Wride, Tommy Henriksen , and Jon Bon Jovi . The album
14980-469: The single " Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through ", which reached No. 13 in the United States. In 1995, Meat Loaf released his seventh studio album, Welcome to the Neighborhood . The album went platinum in the United States and the United Kingdom. It included three singles that hit the top 40, including " I'd Lie for You (And That's the Truth) " (which reached No. 13 in the United States and No. 2 in
15120-542: The skill behind this grandly silly, irresistible album." In 1989, Kerrang! magazine listed the album at number 38 among the "100 Greatest Heavy Metal Albums of All Time". The album was ranked number 343 on Rolling Stone ' s 2003 list of the 500 greatest albums of all time , but was removed from the 2020 revision. In 2005, Bat Out of Hell was ranked number 301 in Rock Hard magazine's book of "The 500 Greatest Rock & Metal Albums of All Time". In 2006, it
15260-456: The songs on the album Bat Out of Hell Karla DeVito's lips are synced to Ellen Foley's album vocals. The opening track "Bat Out of Hell" is the result of Steinman's desire to write the "most extreme crash song of all time". "You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth" is musically inspired by the rock chords of The Who 's " Baba O'Riley " with a Phil Spector-style melody on top. In Jim Steinman's Neverland and Bat Out of Hell: The Musical ,
15400-483: The spoken word "Hot Summer Night" and this song are used as an exchange of wedding vows, and to celebrate a wedding. The song " Two Out of Three Ain't Bad " was written in direct response to actress Mimi Kennedy asking Jim Steinman whether he could write a simple song like Elvis Presley 's " I Want You, I Need You, I Love You ". Todd Rundgren identifies how the song was influenced by the Eagles , who were successful at
15540-465: The studio in January 2022 to record seven new songs for a forthcoming album, which would also include live tracks from the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s. However, on January 20, 2022, he died at age 74. At the time of his death, the recording process had not yet begun. In addition to his role in 1975 for Rocky Horror Picture Show , Meat Loaf also had a career as an actor in television and film. 1992 he
15680-524: The textbook teenage view of sex and life: irrepressible physical urges and unrealistic romantic longing." Steinman's songs for Bat Out of Hell are personal but not autobiographical: I never thought of them as personal songs in terms of my own life but they were personality songs. They were all about my obsessions and images. None of them takes place in a normal world. They all take place in an extreme world. Very operatic...they were all heightened. They don't take place in normal reality. For example, citing
15820-514: The time. The producer also highlights the "underlying humor in the lyrics", citing the line "There ain't no Coupe de Ville hiding at the bottom of a Cracker Jack box." He says you could "get away" with that lyric only "in a Meat Loaf song." Ellen Foley, who appears on "Paradise by the Dashboard Light", first met Meat Loaf and Jim Steinman while they were all working together on the National Lampoon Road Tour, so they had
15960-427: The title for Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose . Bat Out of Hell was released by Cleveland International Records in October 1977. However, at Cleveland International Records' parent label, Epic Records , almost everyone hated it. Steve Popovich, the head of Cleveland International Records, was relentless in his efforts to get Epic and all of CBS Records and radio on board. In 1993, Steinman reflected that
16100-421: The title track. Phil Rizzuto 's baseball play-by-play call for "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" was recorded in 1976 at The Hit Factory in New York City by Rundgren, Meat Loaf and Steinman. As an Italian Catholic, Rizzuto publicly maintained he was unaware that his contribution would be equated with sex in the finished song. However, Meat Loaf asserts that Rizzuto claimed ignorance only to stifle criticism and
16240-629: The tour, at the NEC and Manchester Evening News Arena were canceled because of "acute laryngitis " and were rescheduled for late November. The concert scheduled for November 6, 2007, at London's Wembley Arena was also canceled. Meat Loaf canceled his entire European tour for 2007 after being diagnosed with a cyst on his vocal cords. On June 27, 2008, Meat Loaf began The Casa de Carne Tour in Plymouth , England alongside his longtime duet partner Patti Russo, who debuted one of her own original songs during
16380-425: The tour, continuing through mid-2011. Hell in a Handbasket , released in October 2011 for Australia and New Zealand, and February 2012 for the rest of the world, was recorded and produced by Paul Crook ; Doug McKean did the mix with input from Rob Cavallo . The album features songs called "All of Me", "Blue Sky", "The Giving Tree", "Mad, Mad World", and a duet with Patti Russo called "Our Love and Our Souls." At
16520-626: The track "Keeper Keep Us", from the Intergalactic Touring Band 's self-titled album, produced by Galfas. The song " Dead Ringer for Love " was the pinnacle of the album, and launched Meat Loaf to even greater success. While it failed to chart in the US, it reached No. 5 in the United Kingdom and stayed in the UK Singles Chart for 19 weeks. Cher provided the lead female vocals in the song. On December 5, 1981, Meat Loaf and
16660-656: The vocals with fellow Hair performer Shaun "Stoney" Murphy on an album of songs written and selected by the Motown production team. The album, titled Stoney & Meatloaf (with Meatloaf spelled as one word), was released in September 1971 and included the single "What You See Is What You Get"; it reached number 36 on the Best Selling Soul Singles chart and number 71 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Meat Loaf and Stoney toured with Jake Wade and
16800-460: The woman for his father to wed. All Sir Francis needs to do is charm her when she comes for lunch later that day. The plan seems to be perfect. After Jack's father leaves, Charley re-enters in costume rehearsing his lines for the school play. It appears that he will be playing a rather mature older woman – much like his Aunt Donna Lucia. Just then, he is informed by telegram that his aunt will not be arriving for lunch. Instead, she will surprise him at
16940-531: Was a fan of 'Wall of Sound' production and suggested that he listen to Bat Out of Hell over the Christmas and New Years holiday. Cosford loved it. The first day after New Years he called a music meeting. Everyone agreed they should not only 'add' Bat Out of Hell ....but put it in 'Heavy Rotation' for a week to gauge audience response. The telephones lit up. As their parent company in New York had earlier turned
17080-598: Was a main character in Leap Of Faith where he played as the band director/bus driver/piano player, He also played a small role as a doorman/bouncer in Wayne's World . He appeared as the Spice Girls ' bus driver in the 1997 movie Spice World and as Red in the 1998 thriller/drama film Black Dog alongside Patrick Swayze and Randy Travis . In David Fincher 's 1999 film Fight Club he played Robert Paulsen,
17220-584: Was a parody of Springsteen. The singer quotes him as saying: "I've 'got' to do this album. It's just so 'out' there." They told the producer that they had previously been signed to RCA . Recording started in late 1975 in Bearsville Studios , Woodstock, New York . Roy Bittan and Max Weinberg, the pianist and the drummer from Springsteen's E Street Band played on the album, in addition to members of Rundgren's group Utopia : Kasim Sulton , Roger Powell and John "Willie" Wilcox . Edgar Winter played
17360-493: Was cast in the original L.A. Roxy cast of The Rocky Horror Show , playing the parts of Eddie and Dr. Everett Scott. The success of the musical led to the filming of The Rocky Horror Picture Show in which Meat Loaf played only Eddie, a decision he said made the movie not as good as the musical. About the same time, Meat Loaf and Steinman started work on Bat Out of Hell . Meat Loaf convinced Epic Records to shoot music videos for four songs, " Bat Out of Hell ", " Paradise by
17500-592: Was contractually obliged to release a new album, resulting in Midnight at the Lost and Found , released in May 1983. According to Meat Loaf, Steinman had given the songs " Total Eclipse of the Heart " and " Making Love Out of Nothing at All " to Meat Loaf for this album. However, Meat Loaf's record company did not want Meat Loaf to sing Steinman's songs, saying that nobody wanted to hear them. Bonnie Tyler 's version of "Eclipse" and Air Supply 's version of "Making Love" topped
17640-513: Was directed by David Butler . Some scenes in the movie were filmed in Oxford , England (where the story takes place), yet the movie makes almost no attempt to take advantage of these authentic locations. The film's cast starred Ray Bolger, Allyn Ann McLerie and Horace Cooper repeating their stage roles, and Robert Shackleton as Jack Chesney, Mary Germaine as Kitty Verdun, and Howard Marion-Crawford as Sir Francis Chesney. The movie ends with each of
17780-437: Was fully aware of the context of what he was recording. Todd Rundgren states that Steinman was highly influenced by the "rural suburban teenage angst" of Springsteen. According to manager David Sonenberg, "Jim would always come up with these great titles and then he would write a song that would try to justify the greatness of the title." Since 1968, Steinman had been working on a magnum opus, which finally opened in 2017 in
17920-609: Was in Huntington Beach, California in 1968 at the Cave, opening for Van Morrison 's band Them and Question Mark and the Mysterians . Meat Loaf later described his early days in the music industry as being treated like a "circus clown." The band underwent several changes of lead guitarists, changing the name of the band each time, to names including Popcorn Blizzard and Floating Circus. As Floating Circus, they opened for
18060-578: Was in the original off-Broadway production of Rainbow at the Orpheum Theatre in New York. After the tour, Meat Loaf rejoined the cast of Hair , this time at a Broadway theater . After he hired an agent, he auditioned for the Public Theater 's production of More Than You Deserve . During the audition, Meat Loaf met Jim Steinman . He sang a Stoney and Meat Loaf favorite of his, "(I'd Love to Be) As Heavy as Jesus", and subsequently got
18200-421: Was more an inspiration than an influence." A BBC article added "that Max Weinberg and Roy Bittan from Springsteen's E Street Band played on the album only helped reinforce the comparison." Steinman and Meat Loaf had difficulty finding a record company willing to sign them. According to Meat Loaf's autobiography, the band spent most of 1975 writing and recording material, and two and a half years auditioning
18340-410: Was named as the biggest-selling debut album in UK chart history. The album launched the career of Steinman, who would later begin producing his records as well; he was specifically sought by Bonnie Tyler on the basis of his work and production styles on the album to revitalize her career and produce an album specifically modeled on the productions of Phil Spector . The resulting album, Faster Than
18480-667: Was not as commercially successful. The album was a minor commercial success worldwide and reached No. 4 on the UK Albums Chart , accompanied by a sellout world tour to promote the album and some of Meat Loaf's best selling singles. One such performance on his world tour was at the 2003 NRL Grand Final in Sydney . There were many writers for the album including Diane Warren and James Michael , who were both asked to contribute to his 2006 album, Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose . The album featured duets with Patti Russo and Meat Loaf's daughter Pearl Aday . On November 17, 2003, during
18620-465: Was of a much darker tone. This musical contained the songs "Heaven Can Wait", " Bat Out of Hell ", and "All Revved Up with No Place to Go". On the 25th anniversary version of Bat Out of Hell , one of the bonus live tracks, "Great Boleros of Fire", is an instrumental version of another song from Neverland titled "Gods". (Meat Loaf finally recorded and released this song under the title "Godz" on his 2016 album Braver Than We Are . ) When staged in 1977,
18760-515: Was recorded during 1975–1976 at various studios, including Bearsville Studios in Woodstock, New York . The album was produced by Todd Rundgren , and released in October 1977 by Cleveland International/Epic Records. Bat Out of Hell spawned two Meat Loaf sequel albums: Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell (1993) and Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose (2006). Bat Out of Hell has sold over 43 million copies worldwide, making it one of
18900-497: Was released in 1986 by Arista Records . It features production, mixing, and general influence by Frank Farian . Meat Loaf was involved in the composition of three of the songs on the album. Meat Loaf performed "Thrashin" for the soundtrack of the 1986 skateboarding film Thrashin' (directed by David Winters and starring Josh Brolin ). Following the success of Meat Loaf's touring in the 1980s, he and Steinman began work during December 1990 on Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell ;
19040-401: Was released in September 1981. Steinman had written five new songs which, in addition to the track "More Than You Deserve" (sung by Meat Loaf in the stage musical of the same name) and a reworked monolog, formed the album Dead Ringer , which was produced by Meat Loaf and Stephan Galfas , with backing tracks produced by Todd Rundgren , Jimmy Iovine , and Steinman. In 1976, Meat Loaf appeared on
19180-585: Was released on DVD in May 2008. During a performance at the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle upon Tyne , England, on October 31, 2007, at the opening of "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" Meat Loaf walked off the stage early in the song and said that it was his last performance. His tour promoter, Andrew Miller, said that it was a result of " exhaustion and stress " and said that Meat Loaf would continue touring after suitable rest. The next two gigs in
19320-496: Was released on October 31, 2006, and was produced by Desmond Child . The first single from the album " It's All Coming Back to Me Now " (featuring Marion Raven ) was released on October 16, 2006. It entered the UK Singles Chart at No. 6, giving Meat Loaf his highest UK chart position in nearly 11 years. The album debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200, and sold 81,000 copies in its opening week, but after that did not sell as well in
19460-408: Was too ill to work on such an intense project while Steinman's manager said health was not an issue. Steinman had registered the phrase "Bat Out of Hell" as a trademark in 1995. In May 2006, Meat Loaf sued Steinman and his manager in federal District Court in Los Angeles, seeking $ 50 million and an injunction against Steinman's use of the phrase. Steinman and his representatives attempted to block
19600-696: Was voted number nine in a poll conducted by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation to discover Australia's most popular album. In November 2007, Meat Loaf was awarded the Classic Album award in Classic Rock' s Classic Rock Roll of Honour . The album was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die . The album continues to sell about 200,000 copies per year and has sold an estimated 34-40 million copies worldwide, including 14 million in
#121878