Michael Aday (Metloaf) has passed away.

Was surprised to read in his Washington Post obituary that "Bat Out Of Hell" was one of the top 10 selling albums of all time, more than 40 million copies.

RIP

Knew it was best selling. I never bought into it.

A rock star, actor and sex symbol.  Well, two out of three ain't bad.

Sad, a real talent, an original one too.  I think.

I was just listening to Bat Out of Hell a couple of times the last 2 days. I also listened to Bat Out of Hell II for the first-time last night. Bat Out of Hell is one of the all-time great for me.

Paradise by the Dashboard Lights is a great song with great lyrics. After being together for 47 yrs, when my wife starts to get on my last nerve, I sometimes sing, "And Now I'm Waiting For the End Of Time" She understands cause its a favorite song of hers too. 

Meatloaf was a Great performer.

RIP 

Meat Loaf and Jim Steinman put out some pretty amazing sounding records.... I'm not the biggest fan, but I can appreciate it. Saw him at a club in San Francisco shortly after 'Bat Out of Hell' came out...

Didn't care for his music or acting but he was one helluva Roto Player.

If the fake news tells me the sky is blue, I go outside and look. Besides, people who have taken the vaccine die also, many from the vaccine. So maybe we can dispute  covid & the vaccine now. No need to allow a man to RIP when we can throw some cheap shot at him

artemus +1

My Meatloaf story: about 20 years ago I was in the Stamford Connecticut Town Center mall when I spotted Meatloaf with wife and two young daughters. I was very tempted to go up and ask for an autograph but decided not too! I didn't want to bug him seeing he was with his family! Meatloaf was the kind of guy that stood out in public! At that time he was probably living in the Stamford/Greenwich area - same as me.

I never cared much for Bat Out of Hell. Too bombastic theater rock! I preferred the Clash, Sex Pistols, Ramones ... this was back in '77-'78! Punk was shaking up the moribund rock scene with new energy!

Let us also say goodbye today to the passing on Thursday of comedian Louie Anderson at age 68 of cancer! I liked his comedy style! Both Louie and Meatloaf were big heavy guys. 

RIP.

RIP. Thanks.

Ellen Foley still with us and making fine new music.

RIP

I always liked the cover art on Bat Out of Hell by Richard Corben.  I used to read a lot of the Heavy Metal magazine in those days, he was a regular.

I saw him live at the Roxy in West Hollywood. He was one of the featured players in the original L.A. production of the Rocky Horror Show...yes, the live version that preceded the movie release. Loud, hammy and full of fun. He owned that stage. And oh yeah, he showed up at one of my sister's parties. He grabbed a microphone, ordered the band to play one of his numbers and kept us in laughter for a good five-to-ten minutes. Rest in Peace!

Here is a bit of trivia that I didn't know about Meatloaf:

He was born Marvin Aday, but legally changed his first name to Michael because of a local radio ad when he was a kid that caused him to be teased because of his weight.

"Before becoming famous, the singer changed his name to Michael because of a hurtful commercial. Meat Loaf explained to CNN that he was “so big” that he “couldn’t fit into blue jeans” when he was young.

When a Levi’s commercial came on the air that said, “Poor fat Marvin can’t wear Levi’s,” Meat Loaf was mortified. He was only about seven years old. So, after that, no one called him Marvin."

...remembering the line from Rocky Horror....

"No matter how you slice it, it always comes up Meatloaf!"

..and won't forget heaven by the dashboard lights, either....*S*

RIP

One of my favorite foods, not so much his music.

RIP

He was a great performer! 

I still know every word in the lyrics of "Paradise by The Dashboard Light".

RIP wildman!

Then like a sinner before the gates of heaven…..

Todd Rundgren agreed to produce Bat Out Of Hell because he thought it’d be a funny Bruce Springsteen parody, and eventually got stuck with the recording tab after a deal with RCA fell through, then Todd’s label Bearsville turned it down, as did others.

Well, considering how hard it was to even get the record made, you obviously had no idea it would go on to be such a huge success, but after it came out and started gaining traction, was there a point where you thought “okay, yeah, we’ve actually got something here”?

Yeah, it was when I got my first royalty check. I remember Albert [Grossman, of Bearsville Records] was there because he had — you know, I had ostensibly a deal with Bearsville if they were to distribute the album, but once it went to another label, I was not part of the negotiation, so my production had to be negotiated between Meat Loaf and Steinman’s lawyer and the label. Mostly actually between Meat Loaf and Steinman’s lawyer, because I was taking a cut of artist royalties. There was not a separate production royalty cut out of their deal.

So I don’t know how many months the record had been out, but it was long after I had finished the record, and we’re sitting in the office and Albert’s there, and they’re going to cut me a check for the outstanding royalties that I hadn’t collected in the whole time between when I had finished the record and when we had settled on what my production cut would be. And the check was between $700,000 and $800,000. One check! (laughs) The biggest check I had ever seen in my life. And at that moment I realized, “Wait a minute, this wasn’t such a goofy idea after all.”
 

• A guy with an album titled, “Bat out of hell”.
• Wuhan bat virus,

The irony.

I remember that album being out when I was in college, not my cup of tea, but everybody had that cassette tape of that album in their car.  Paradise by dashboard lights is a memorable song.

In a way, it's amazing that he survived as long as he did given his size.

@holmz great observation.

I will never understand some of the posters here.  Like many today, they seem selfish and very christian-like in their abject hate and permanent apoplectic dislike for anyone and everyone.  Just like their jesus preached as I remember.

RIP, and thanks for the great music and hard work you did in the entertainment world.

I got to see him several times in concert over the years, always a quality showman, RIP Meat. 

Anti vax and anti mask … guess he really wouldn’t do “that” … shocking.

I went to his house once in Brentwood to pick up his daughter, he answered the door and I said, “Pleased to Meatloaf you.” He didn’t laugh but I definitely gave myself a mental high-five.

Jim Steinman (who also died, last year) and Meatloaf in conversation circa 1993.  Banter.  Sparring. Whatever.

Too much very good stuff.

richopp, well said

Paradise By the Dashboard Lights is just one of those songs that when you were young and you got off of work on a Friday evening and you heard it on the way home, it got you pumped up and ready for the whole weekend, especially if you had some parties to attend (hardly anybody throws parties anymore, do they?). This Beat Goes On/Switchin' to Glide by The Kings was another. High energy stuff that can change your mood completely.

Any thoughts why he is not in the rock and roll hall of fame?  

Any thoughts why he is not in the rock and roll hall of fame?

Didn’t grease the right palms I guess. Grand Funk Railroad isn’t either even though the were top concert drawers and record sales late 60’s early 70’s

I'll guess he isn't in the rock and roll hall of fame because he simply wasn't a big enough, or influential enough, star.

@carlsbad 

There is a group of people today who consider politics much more important that respect and human decency.  

Sorry I wasn’t being trying to be political. (But I do have a dark sense of humour and an eye for irony.)

I'll guess he isn't in the rock and roll hall of fame because he simply wasn't a big enough, or influential enough, star.

^Facetious emoticon needed^ 

I was surprised that his album was the highest selling album of all time in Australia.
I would have thought it would have been AC/DC, ABBA or some other group.

Silly post richopp.

@roxy54 Silly Asinine post richopp.

Fixed

A great one! R.I.P.

R.I.P. Sir!

WGTB ( Georgetown U) mid 1977, phoned in to station while Meatloaf was the night‘s special guest hour being interviewed - very nice and down to earth personality.

A great artist - You will be missed!

Thoughts and prayers.............?

His correct name is Marvin Lee Aday.

@artemus_5 - So you're saying Grand Funk sold more records than, say,  Creedence, in the late 60's/early 70's? 🤔  I do not think so, no. 

larsman

It's closer than you probably think it is. Grand Funk Railroad sold 25 million albums while Creedence sold 26 million. GFR had 7 top ten albums, two #1 singles, but never a #1 album. Creedence had 5 top ten albums, zero #1 singles, and two #1 albums. I'd call it a draw on album sales and popularity. But for some reason Creedence made the Hall in 1993 and GFR continues to be snubbed. GFR deserves to be in the Hall a lot more than some who are already in, especially the non-rock (e.g. Hip Hop) acts.

@winnardt - Good points, but keep in mind that Creedence was around for a much shorter time and released a lot fewer albums than Grand Funk. I could be wrong, but I'd hazard a guess that a lot more people are enjoying all those great Creedence hits and albums today than Grand Funk - that whole 'test of time' thing. That might be the 'some reason' that Creedence is in the HoF. Personally I don't care about Halls of Fame or Grammies; I wish they didn't exist. Music should not be a contest! 

@larsman 

GFR did not get the radio exposure which CCR did either. IIRC, it was only after they left their manager,  Terry Knight({?),  with the Phoenix album that they got much radio play.Many  GFR fans called them a sellout because they got air play. BTW, their mgr basically stole the copyrights of their early albums up to the Phoenix album which was the cream of the crop.  GFR sold out Shay stadium faster than the Beatles did. Zeppelin would not even go on stage after their opening act. Yes, they lasted longer than CCR but their best efforts were in their earlier albums