All songs written by Jim Steinman
Vocals by Meat Loaf
Produced, Engineered and Mixed by Todd Rundgren
Arranged by Jim Steinman with Todd Rundgren
Mastered at The Cutting Room by Joe Brescio
* Remixed by Jimmy Iovine
** Remixed by John Jansen
Recorded at
Bearsville Sound, Bearsville, N.Y.
Utopia Sound, Lake Hill, N.Y.
The Hit Factory, New York City, N.Y.
House of Music, West Orange, N.Y.
Recorded by
Mark Thomas
Ed Sprague
Jimmy Iovine
John Jansen
Assistant Engineer: Cliff Hopson
Special Consultant: Charlie Conrad
Dedicated to
Wesley and Wilma Aday
And Louis Steinman
Special thanks to John Jansen and Jimmy Iovine for their invaluable contributions, and to Roy Bittan for his creative assistance. Also many thanks to Steve Popovich, Sam Lederman, Stan Snyder, Joe Auslander, Barry Bergman, Bob Currie, Marlene Kawalek, Charlie and Irene Conrad, Lew Benson, Saul Victor, Jill LaFore, Paul Fishkin and the Shumans.
Meat Loaf Enterprises and Neverland Productions Personnel —
Management: David Sonenberg
President, Neverland Music Company: Earl Shuman
Production Manager: Sam Ellis
Production Assistant: Richard Maiori
Executive Secretary: Betty D’Amico
Edgar Winters appears courtesy of Blue Sky Records,
Todd Rundgren, Kasim Sulton, Roger Powell and John Wilcox appear courtesy of Bearsville Records
Produced for Reissue by Bruce Dickinson
Mastered by Vic Anesini at Sony Music Studios, New York
Legacy A&R: Steve Berkowitz
“Boléro” and “Bat Out of Hell” recorded live on September 1st 1978 at Nassau Coliseum, Hempstead, Long Island, New York
Produced by Jim Steinman and Meat Loaf
Mixed July 10, 2000 at Quad Studios, New York by Micheal Brauer
Musicians:
Meat Loaf — Lead Vocal. Bruce Kulick — Guitar. Bob Kulick — Guitar. Joe Stefko — Drums. Paul Glanz — Keyboards. Steve Buslowe — Bass. Karla DeVito — Background Vocals. Rory Dodd — Background Vocals. Jim Steinman — Piano.
“Dead Ringer for Love” previously available on Dead Ringer, originally released 1981
Produced by Jimmy Iovine and Jim Steinman
Mixed by Bob Clearmountain and Stephan Galfas
Mastered by Tony Bridge at Sony Music Studios, London, December 2000
Project Director: John Jackson
A& Coordination: Patti Matheny & Darren Salmieri
What are you going to listen to next? For a complete listing of titles from Legacy Recordings, please visit us at: legacyrecordings.com, sonymusic.com
SACD Reissue Credits
SACD Stereo Mastered by Vic Anesini at Sony Music Studios, New York
5.1 Surround Mix by Frank Filipetti at Right Track Recording
Mastered by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound
Authored for SACD by Robert Wolff, Sony Music Studios, New York, NY
The 5.1 surround mix was created using the original multitrack master tapes, with two exceptions: the completed multitrack masters for “Paradise By The Dashboard Light” and “Heaven Can Wait” were destroyed in a fire. For “Paradise By The Dashboard Light,” the only existing multitracks were missing some final overdubs, which have been recreated in the studio by some of the original artists. Unfortunately, no multitrack master for “Heaven Can Wait” could be located. Ted Jensen has created a 5.1 surround mix from the original existing two-track mix tape.
MasterSound Gold Disc Credits
Reissue Producer: Amy Hero
Mastered by Scott Hull at Masterdisck, New York
Consulting Engineer: Kevin Boutote, Sony Sony Music Studios, New York
You are holding the definitive version of this album classic. All titles in the MasterSound series are produced to the highest possible standard. The latest sonic technologies and state-of-the-art equipment, plus intensive archival research to find the the original masters assures a listening experience that puts you in the studio with the artist himself.
20-bit digital transfers using Sony’s “SBM” process
Complete, original artwork in a CD-sized booklet
Special 24-karat gold disc
4 color picture label
Label
Cat.No.
F.
Y.
C.
Notes
1
Epic / Cleveland Int.
EPC 82419
LP
1977
NL
2
Epic / Cleveland Int.
99 34974
LP
1977
USA
"Special Limited Picture Edition"
3
Epic
40-82419
MC
1977
UK
4
Epic / Cleveland Int.
EPCH 82419
LP
1981
USA
CBS Mastersound Half-Speed Mastered Audiophile Pressing
The sirens are screaming and the fires are howling
Way down in the valley tonight
There’s a man in the shadows with a gun in his eye
And a blade shining oh so bright
There is evil in the air and there’s thunder in the sky
And a killer’s on the bloodshot streets
Oh and down in the tunnel where the deadly are rising
Oh I swear I saw a young boy
Down in the gutter
He was starting to foam in the heath
Oh baby you’re the only thing in this whole world
That’s pure and good and right
And wherever you are and wherever you go
There’s always gonna be some light
But I gotta get out, I got break it out now
Before the final crack of dawn
So we gotta make the most of our one night together
When it’s over you know we’d both be so alone
Like a bat out of hell I’ll be gone when the morning comes
Oh when the night is over
Like a bat out of hell I’ll be gone, gone, gone
Like a bat out of hell I’ll be gone when the morning comes
But when the day is done and the sun goes down
And the moonlight’s shining through
Then like a sinner before the gates of heaven
I’ll come crawling home back to you
I’m gonna hit the highway like a battering ram
On a silver black Phantom bike
When the metal is hot and the engine is hungry
And we’re all about to see the light
Nothing ever grows in this rotten old hole
And everything is stunted and lost
And nothing really rocks and nothing really rolls
And nothing’s ever worth the cost
But I know that I’m damned if I never get out
And maybe I’m damned if I do
But with every other beat I got left in my heart
You know I’d never be damned with you
Well if I gotta be damned, you know I wanna be damned
Dancing through the night with you
Well if I gotta be damned, you know I wanna be damned
Gotta be damned you know I wanna be damned
Gotta be damned you know I wanna be damned
Dancing through the night
Dancing through the night
Dancing through the night with you....
Oh baby you’re the only thing in this whole world
That’s pure and good and right
And wherever you are and wherever you go
There’s always gonna be some light
But I gotta get out, I got break it out now
Before the final crack of dawn
So we gotta make the most of our one night together
‘Cause when it’s over you know we’d both be so alone
Like a bat out of hell I’ll be gone when the morning comes
When the night is over
Like a bat out of hell I’ll be gone, gone, gone
Like a bat out of hell I’ll be gone when the morning comes
But when the day is done and the sun goes down
And the moonlight’s shining through
Then like a sinner before the gates of heaven
I’ll come crawling home back to you
Then like a sinner before the gates of heaven
I’ll come crawling home back to you....
Oh I can see myself tearing up the road
Faster then any other boy has ever gone
Oh my skin is raw but my soul is ripe
And no-one is gonna stop me now—I gotta make my escape
But I can’t stop thinking of you
And I never see the sudden curve ‘til it’t way too late
I never see a sudden curve
‘Til it’s way too late
Then I’m dying at the bottom of a pit in the blazing sun
Torn and twisted at the foot of a burning bike
And I think somebody somewhere must be tolling a bell
And the last thing I see is my heart… still beating
I’m breaking out of my body
And flying away
Like a bat out of hell
Then I’m dying at the bottom of a pit in the blazing sun
Ooh torn and twisted at the foot of a burning bike
And I think somebody somewhere must be tolling a bell
And the last thing I see is my heart… still beating… still beating
I’m breaking out of my body
And flying away
Like a bat out of hell
Oh, like a bat out of hell
Oh, like a bat out of hell
Oh, like a bat out of hell (I’d be gone when the morning comes)
Like a bat out of hell (I’d be gone when the morning comes)
Oh, like a bat out of hell....
You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night)
Boy:On a hot summer night, would you offer your throat to the wolf with the red roses? Girl:Would he offer me his mouth? Boy:Yes! Girl:Would he offer me his teeth? Boy:Yes! Girl:Would he offer me his jaws? Boy:Yes! Girl:Would he offer me his hunger? Boy:Yes! Girl:Again, would he offer me his hunger? Boy:Yes Girl:And would he starve without me? Boy:Yes Girl:And does he love me? Boy:Yes Girl:Yes Boy:On a hot summer night, would you offer your throat to the wolf with the red roses? Girl:Yes Boy:I bet you say that to all the boys....
It was a hot summer night and the beach was burning
There was fog crawling over the sand
When I listen to heart I hear the whole world turning
I see the shooting stars falling through your trembling hands
You were licking your lips and your lipstick shining
I was dying just to ask for a taste
We were lying together in a silver lining
By the light of the moon you know there’s not another moment
Not another moment
Not another moment to waste
You hold me so close that my knees grow weak
But my soul is flying high above the ground
I’m trying to speak but no matter what I do
I just can’t seem to make any sound
And then you took the words right out of my mouth
Oh—it must have been when you were kissing me
You took the words right out of my mouth
And I swear it’s true I was just about to say I love you
And then you took the words right out of my mouth
Oh—it must have been when you were kissing me
You took the words right out of my mouth
And I swear it’s true I was just about to say I love you
Now my body is shaking like a wave on the water
And I guess that I’m beginning to grin
Oh we’re finally alone and we can do what we want to
The night is young and ain’t no one’s gonna know where
No one’s gonna know where
No one’s gonna know where you’ve been
You were licking your lips and your lipstick shining
I was dying just to ask for a taste
We were lying together in a silver lining
By the light of the moon you know there’s not another moment
Not another moment
Not another moment to waste
And then you took the words right out of my mouth
Oh—it must have been when you were kissing me
You took the words right out of my mouth
And I swear it’s true I was just about to say I love you
And then you took the words right out of my mouth
Oh—it must have been when you were kissing me
You took the words right out of my mouth
And I swear it’s true I was just about to say I love you
And then you took the words right out of my mouth
(it must have been when you were kissing me)
You took the words right out of my mouth
(it must have been when you were kissing me)
You took the words right out of my mouth
(it must have been when you were kissing me)
You took the words right out of my mouth
(it must have been when you were kissing me)
You took the words right out of my mouth
(it must have been when you were kissing me)
You took the words right out of my mouth
You took the words right out of my mouth
You took the words right out of my mouth
You took the words right out of my mouth
It must have been when you were kissing me
You took the words right out of my mouth
It must have been when you were kissing me
You took the words right out of my mouth
It must have been when you were kissing me
You took the words right out of my mouth
It must have been when you were kissing me....
Heaven Can Wait
Heaven can wait
And a band of angels wrapped up in my heart
Will take me through the lonely night
Through the cold of the day
And I know, I know:
Heaven can wait
And all the gods come down here
Just to sing for me
And the melody’s gonna make me fly
Without pain
Without fear
Give me all of your dreams
And let me go along on your way
Give me all of your prayers to sing
And I’ll turn the night into the skylight of day
I got a taste of paradise
I’m never gonna let it slip away
I got a taste of paradise
That’s all I really need
To make me stay—just like a child again
Heaven can wait
And all I got it’s time until the end of time
I won’t look back
I won’t look back
Let the altars shine....
And I know that I been released
But I don’t know to where
Nobody’s gonna tell me now
And I don’t really care
No, no, no—I got a taste of paradise
That’s all I really need to make me stay
I got a taste of paradise
If I had it any sooner you know—
You know I never would have run away—from my home
Heaven can wait
And all I got it’s time until the end of time
I won’t look back
I won’t look back
Let the altars shine
Heaven can wait
Oh, heaven can wait
I won’t look back
I won’t look back
Let the altars shine
Let the altars shine....
All Revved Up With No Place To Go
I was nothing but a lonely boy looking for something new
And you were nothing but a lonely girl
But you were something—something like a dream come true
I was a varsity tackle and a hell of a block
And when I played my guitar I made the canyons rock
But every Saturday night I felt the fever grow
Do ya know what it’s like?
All revved up with no place to go
Do ya know what it’s like?
All revved up with no place to go
But in the middle of a steamy night I’m tossin’ in my sleep
But in the middle of a red-eyed dream
I see you coming—coming on to give it to me
Well I was out on the prowl about the edge of the track
Like a son of a Jackal I’m the leader of the pack—but
Every Saturday night I felt the fever grow
Do ya know what it’s like?
All revved up with no place to go
Do ya know what it’s like?
All revved up with no place to go
Oh baby, I’m a hunter in the dark of the forest
I’ve been stalking you and tracking you down
Cruising up and down the main drag—all night long
We could be standing at the top of the world
Instead of sinking further down in the mud
You and me ‘round about midnight
You and me ‘round about midnight
Someone got to draw first—draw first
Someone got to draw first blood
Someone got to draw first blood
Oooh I got to draw first blood
Oooh I got to draw first blood...
Well I was out on the prowl about the edge of the track
And like a son of a Jackal I’m the leader of the pack—but
Every Saturday night I felt the fever grow
Do ya know what it’s like?
All revved up with no place to go
Do ya know what it’s like?
All revved up with no place to go....
Well I was nothing but a lonely all-American boy
Looking out for something to do
And you were nothing but a lonely all-American girl
But you were something like a dream come true
I was a varsity tackle and a hell of a block
And when I played my guitar I made the canyons rock
But every Saturday night I felt the fever grow
All revved up with no place to go
All revved up with no place to go
All revved up with no place to go
All revved up with no place to go....
Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad
Baby, we can talk all night
But that ain’t getting us nowhere
I told you everything I possibly can
There’s nothing left inside of me
And maybe you can cry all night
But that’ll never change the way that I feel
The snow is really piling up outside
I wish you wouldn’t make leave here
I poured it on and I poured it out
I tried to show you just how much I care
I’m tired of words and I’m too hoarse to shout
But you’ve been cold to me so long
I’m crying icicles instead of tears
And all I can do is keep on telling you:
I want you, I need you
But there ain’t no way I’m ever gonna love you
Now don’t be sad—‘cause two out of three ain’t bad
Now don’t be sad—‘cause two out of three ain’t bad
You’ll never find your gold on a sandy beach
You’ll never drill for oil on a city street
I know you are looking for a ruby in a mountain of rocks
But there ain’t no Coupe-de-Ville
Hiding at the bottom of a Cracker Jack box
I can’t lie
I can’t tell you that I’m something I’m not
Now matter how I try
I’ll never be able—to give you something
Something that I just haven’t got
Well there’s only one girl that I will ever love
And that was so many years ago
And though I know I’ll never get her out of my heart
She never loved me back—ooh I know
Well, I remember how she left me on a stormy night
Oh, she kissed me and got out of our bed
And though I pleaded and I begged her not to walk out that door
She packed her bags and turned right away
And she kept on telling me
She kept on telling me
She kept on telling me
I want you, I need you
But there ain’t no way I’m ever gonna love you
Now don’t be sad—‘cause two out of three ain’t bad
Now don’t be sad—‘cause two out of three ain’t bad
I want you, I need you
But there ain’t no way I’m ever gonna love you
Now don’t be sad—‘cause two out of three ain’t bad
Now don’t be sad—‘cause two out of three ain’t bad
Baby we can talk all night
But that ain’t getting us nowhere....
Paradise by the Dashboard Light
Paradise
Let Me Sleep On It
Praying for the End of Time
i. Paradise
Boy:
Well I remember ev’ry little thing as if it happened only yesterday
Parking by the lake and there was not another car in sight
And I’ve never had a girl looking any better than you did
And all the kids at school they were wishing they were me that night
And now our bodies are oh so close and tight
It never felt so good, it never felt so right
And we’re glowing like the metal on the edge of a knife
Glowing like the metal on the edge of a knife
C’mon! Hold on tight!
C’mon! Hold on tight!
Girl:
Though it’s cold and lonely
In the deep dark night Boy:
I can see paradise by the dashboard light
Girl:
Ain’t no doubt about it, we were doubly blessed
‘Cause we were barely seventeen and we were barely dressed Boy:
Well, ain’t no doubt about it
Baby got to go on and shout it
Ain’t no doubt about it—we were doubly blessed
‘Cause we were barely seventeen
And we were barely dressed
Baby doncha hear my heart, you got it drowning out the radio?
I’ve been waiting so long for you to come along and have some fun
Well, I got to let ya know, no you’re never gonna regret it
So open up your eyes: I got a big surprise, it’ll feel all right—
Well I wanna make your motor run
And now our bodies are oh so close and tight
It never felt so good, it never felt so right
And we’re glowing like the metal on the edge of a knife
Glowing like the metal on the edge of a knife
C’mon! Hold on tight!
Oh c’mon! Hold on tight!
Girl:
Though it’s cold and lonely
In the deep dark night Boy:
I can see paradise by the dashboard light
Though it’s cold and lonely
In the deep dark night:
Paradise by the dashboard light
You got to do what you can
And let Mother Nature do the rest
Well ain’t no doubt about it, we were doubly blessed
‘Cause we were barely seventeen and we were barely—
We’re gonna go all the way in tonight
We’re gonna go all the way in tonight, tonight
We’re gonna go all the way in tonight
We’re gonna go all the way in tonight, tonight
We’re gonna go all the way in tonight
We’re gonna go all the way in tonight, tonight
We’re gonna go all the way in tonight
We’re gonna go all the way and tonight’s the night …
Radio Broadcast:Ok, here we go, we got a real pressure cooker going here, two down, nobody on, no score, bottom of the ninth. There’s the wind-up and there it is, a line shot at the middle, look at him go. This boy can really fly!
He’s rounding first and really turning it on now, he’s not letting up at all, he’s gonna try for the second; the ball is bobbled out in center and here comes the throw, and what a throw! He’s gonna slide in head first, he’s out! No, wait, safe—safe at second base, this kid really make things happen out there!
Batter steps up to the plate, here’s the pitch—and he’s going, and what a jump he’s got, he is trying for third, there’s the throw, it’s in the dirt—safe at third! Holy cow, stolen base!
He’s taking a pretty big lead out there, almost daring him to try and pick him off. The pitcher glances over, winds up, and it’s bunted, bunted down third base line, the suicide squeeze is on! Here he comes squeeze play, it’s gonna be close, here’s the throw, here’s the play at the plate, holy cow, I think he’s gonna make it!
ii. Let Me Sleep On It
Girl:
Stop right there!
I’ve got to know right now!
Before we go any further—!
Do you love me?
Will you love me forever?
Do you need me? Will you never leave me?
Will you make me so happy for the rest of my life?
Will you take me away and will you make me your wife?
Do you love me!?
Will you love me forever!?
Do you need me!?
Will you never leave me!?
Will you make me so happy for the rest of my life?
Will you take me away and will you make me your wife?
I’ve got to know right now!
Before we go any further
Do you love me!!!?
Will you love me for ever!!!?
Boy:
Let me sleep on it, baby baby, let me sleep on it
Let me sleep on it, I’ll give you an answer in the morning
Let me sleep on it, baby baby, let me sleep on it
Let me sleep on it, and I’ll give you an answer in the morning
Let me sleep on it, baby baby, let me sleep on it
Let me sleep on it, and I’ll give you an answer in the morning
Girl:
I gotta know right now!
Do you love me?
Will you love me forever?
Do you need me?
Will you never leave me?
Will you make me so happy for the rest of my life?
Will you take me away and will you make me your wife?
I’ve got to know right now!
Before we go any further!
Do you love me!?
Will you love me for ever!?
What is it gonna be boy?
Come on, I can’t wait all night!
What is it gonna be boy? Yes or no?
What is it gonna be boy? YES or NO?!?
Boy:
Na, na, naaa...
Let me sleep on it, baby baby, let me sleep on it!
Let me sleep on it, I’ll give you an answer in the morning
Girl:
I gotta know right now!
Do you love me?
Will you love me forever?
Do you need me?
Will you never leave me?
Will you make me so happy for the rest of my life?
Will you take me away and will you make me your wife?
Boy:
Let me sleep on it, baby baby, let me sleep on it
Let me sleep on it, I’ll give you a answer in the morning
The morning, I’ll tell you in the morning!!!! …
Girl:
I’ve got to know right now!
Before we go any further!
Do you love me!?
Will you love me for ever!?
Boy: Let me sleep on it! Girl: Will you love me forever? Boy: Let me sleep on it!! Girl: Will you love me forever!?
iii. Praying for the End of Time
Boy:
I couldn’t take it any longer, Lord I was crazed
And when the feeling came upon me like a tidal wave
Started swearing to my God and on my mother’s grave
That I would love you to the end of time
I swore I would love you to the end of time!
So now I’m praying for the end of time
To hurry up and arrive
‘Cause if I got to spend another minute with you
I don’t think I can really survive
I’ll never break my promise or forget vow
But God only knows what I can do right now
I’m praying for the end of time
It’s all that I can do
Praying for the end of time
So I can end my time with you!!!
Boy:
Well it was long ago and it was far away
And it was so much better than it is today …
Girl:
It never felt so good
It never felt so right
And we’re glowing like the metal on the edge of a knife …
For Crying Out Loud
I was lost till you were found
And I never knew how far down
I was falling
Before I’d reached the bottom
I was cold and you were fire
And I never knew how the pyre
Could be burning
On the edge of the ice field
And now the chilly Californian wind
Is blowing down our bodies again
And we’re sinking deeper and deeper in the chilly Californian sand
Oh I know you belong inside my aching heart
And can’t you see my faded Levis bursting apart?
And don’t you hear me crying: Oh babe, don’t go?
And don’t you hear me screaming: How was I to know?
I’m in the middle of nowhere
Near the end of the line
But there is a border to somewhere waiting
And there is a tankful of time
Oh gimme just another moment to see the light of the day
And take me to another land where I don’t have to stay
And I’m gonna need somebody to make me feel like you do
And I’m gonna receive somebody with open arms, open eyes
Open up the sky and let the planet that I love shine through
For crying out loud
You know I love you
For crying out loud
You know I love you
For crying out loud
You know I love you
I was dammed and you were saved
And I never knew how enslaved
I was kneeling
In the chains of my master
I could laugh but you could cry
And I never knew just how high
I was flying
Ah, with you right above me
And now the chilly Californian wind
Is blowing down our bodies again
And we’re sinking deeper and deeper in the chilly Californian sand
Oh I know you belong inside my aching heart
And can’t you see my faded Levis bursting apart?
And don’t you hear me crying: Oh babe, don’t go?
And don’t you hear me screaming: How was I to know?
I’m in the middle of nowhere
Near the end of the line
But there is a border to somewhere waiting
And there is a tankful of time
Oh gimme just another moment to see the light of the day
And take me to another land where I don’t have to stay
And I’m gonna need somebody to make me feel like you do
And I’m gonna receive somebody with open arms, open eyes
Open up the sky and let the planet that I love shine through
For crying out loud
You know I love you
For crying out loud
You know I love you
For crying out loud
You know I love you....
For taking in the rain when I’m feeling so dry
For giving me the answers when I’m asking you why
And my oh my
For that I thank you
For taking in the sun when I’m feeling so cold
For giving me a child when my body is old
And don’t you know?
For that I need you
For coming to my room when you know I’m alone
For finding me a highway, for driving me home
And you got to know
For that I serve you
For pulling me away when I’m stopping to fall
For revving me up when I’m starting to stall
And all in all
For that I want you
For taking and for giving and for playing the game
For praying for my future in the days that remain
Oh Lord
For that I hold you
Oh but most of all
For crying out loud
For that I love you
Oh but most of all
For crying out loud
For that I love you
Oh but most of all
For crying out loud
For that I love you
When you’re crying out loud
You know I love you....
From beneath the grounds of a shrouded graveyard, a man on his motorcycle soars upward, shattering the face of his grave and breaking the barrier of his death. This illustration appears on the record cover of Meat Loaf’s debut Cleveland International/Epic album Bat Out Of Hell. Its power underscores the fruition of a joint musical venture that began two years ago.
Meat Loaf, besides possessing one of the world’s great voices, is nobody to mess with. Born in Dallas, Texas into a family of Southern gospel singers, Meat built a dynamic reputation ‘gig drilling’ with a west coast band. He was a lead singer with hard rock super-guitarist Ted Nugent on his album Free For All, a gold and platinum record still on the charts. Meat Loaf recently portrayed the singing, crazy Eddie, a slick 50’s leather-jacketed, grocery delivery boy in the Rocky Horror Picture Show. He’s got deep roots in gospel and R&B and his ballads soar into the stratosphere, but the dark, burning heart at the center of this singing giant is always pumping out powerful rock and roll — thick, rich, explosive and hard: an outpouring so feverish and exciting, it would take a coronary bypass to stop it.
Steinman, composer, arranger and pianist, grew up in the glazed and disoriented world of rock and roll and overheated imagery in Claremont, California before being abruptly removed to Long Island, thereby absorbing the best of two coasts of rock and roll. An avid practitioner of transcendental amnesia, he remembers nothing before the first golden moment he heard a Fender Telecaster overloading a Marshall amp.
Meat Loaf and Steinman joined forces in the National Lampoon Show. Their partnership flourished rapidly and within a year they were billed to perform at Carnegie Hall. Shortly after, together with producer Todd Rundgren, they recorded their sensational Bat Out Of Hell album.
Full musical accord is evidently shared by the two partners in both thematic and stylistic interpretation. Both men are intensely romantic and their message is clear. Steinman’s lyrics explore the many regions of man’s desire. Meat Loaf responds at gut level, echoing the changing shades of the love dream.
A Bat Out Of Hell looks like it’ll soar high!
2001 Remastered Edition Liner Notes
Nearly 25 years after it was unleashed in late 1977, Meat Loaf’s Bat Out Of Hell screams with all the fury and intensity that accompanied its 19-month stand on the Billboard LP chart, and resulted in more than 13 million copies sold in the U.S. alone (twice that worldwide). A song cycle build on Wagnerian power chords and Townshendian teenage angst, this magnum opus almost went unrecorded (as a post-modern off-Broadway rock opera entitled Neverland, based on Peter Pan). But its composer Jim Steinman, his National Lampoon Road Show pal Meat Loaf, and their producer Todd Rundgren stood their ground, and Epic’s Cleveland International Records saved the night. Three collosal hit singles are still staples of AM and FM radio, "Two Out Of Three Ain’t Bad," "Paradise By The Dashboard Light" (with hot date Ellen Foley and Yankee baseball great Phil "Scooter" Rizzuto’s play-by-play), and "You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth." In England, where they know a thing or two about rock opera, Bat Out Of Hell spent 471 weeks on the national chart. Need we say more?
25th Anniversary Edition Liner Notes
A meeting in 1973 between singer-performer Meat Loaf and songwriter Jim Steinman would change both their lives.
Steinman had heard Meat Loaf singing in off-Broadway theatre, in The Rocky Horror Picture Show and on a Ted Nugent album and was convinced he was the perfect for a rock opera he’d written called Never Land, a Peter Pan update which would evolve into an orchestral teen drama, Bat Out of Hell. During twelve months of rehearsal, Meat Loaf and Steinman were rejected by every major record label in the US before producer/performer/musician Todd Rundgren came on board securing them a deal with an Epic subsidiary and agreeing to produce the album.
Assembling a bunch of stellar musicians that included himself, members of his band Utopia, singer Ellen Foley, saxophonist Edgar Winter, plus Roy Bittan and Max Weinberg from the E Street Band, Rundgren recorded the band tracks live in the studio with minimal overdubs before spending three weeks on the vocals. After six months of meticulous post production, the album’s first single "You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth" was released to radio. Never before had rock music been recorded like this.
The single went to number one followed quickly by the album. Subsequent singles "Bat Out of Hell" and "Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad" went top five and at last count, the Bat Out of Hell album had sold close to thirty million copies. Digitally mastered with three bonus tracks, this timeless album is available as part of the Meat Loaf Bat Out of Hell 25th Anniversary Edition.
Billy Pinnell, July 2002
MasterSound Edition Producer’s Note
The MasterSound project has been restored and remastered from the best available analog sources. We took into consideration the original mastering notes(Thanks to the cooperation of Joe Brescio), as well as previous Lp and CD issues of this album. Certain artifacts typical of this era of recording will, of course, remain. Our goal was not to revise, but rather to faithfully preserve this material using the best technological means available.
Each MasterSound disc is guaranteed to have been manufactured from the first generation mastertapes, actual session worktapes, or other original recording sources available. Where possible, original producers, mastering engineers, or the artists themselves have assisted in the production to insure the finest possible sound.
For a technical paper on Sony’s revolutionary “Super Bit Mapping” process, and more information about other great Legacy releases, write to “SBM, Legacy—MasterSound, Radio City Station, P.O. Box 1526, New York, NY 10101-1526.”
