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Showing posts with label Village People. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Village People. Show all posts
December 17, 2023
September 27, 2018
1,001 LaserDiscs 7: Meat Loaf ~ Hits Out of Hell
photos by
Today is the birthday of Marvin Lee Aday (aka Meat Loaf)
who was born on
September 27, 1947. He is an American musician, singer, songwriter,
record producer and actor who is also noted for his powerful,
wide-ranging operatic voice and
theatrical live shows.
This blog entry on the 1991 reissue of his 1984 compilation album on LaserDisc is my tribute to the day of his birth and the song, Paradise by the Dashboard Light.
This blog entry on the 1991 reissue of his 1984 compilation album on LaserDisc is my tribute to the day of his birth and the song, Paradise by the Dashboard Light.
Meat Loaf ~ Hits Out of Hell
compilation video on LaserDisc
cover design by Jim Steinman
illustrated by Richard Corben
photo of album cover by Styrous®
compilation video on LaserDisc
cover design by Jim Steinman
illustrated by Richard Corben
photo of album cover by Styrous®
My first apreciation of Meat Loaf was his 1975 portrayal of Eddie, the Frankenstein-style monster Dr. Frank N. Furter created in the Classic-of-all-Time, Rocky Horror Picture Show (link below). I will never forget his dramatic emergence from the deep-freeze locker on his motorcycle as he blasts forth with, Hot Patootie – Bless My Soul (link below).
Whoa!
Meat Loaf ~ Hits Out of Hell
compilation video on LaserDisc
cover design by Jim Steinman
illustrated by Richard Corben
detail photo of album cover by Styrous®
compilation video on LaserDisc
cover design by Jim Steinman
illustrated by Richard Corben
detail photo of album cover by Styrous®
I like all the songs from the album but I especially love, Paradise by the Dashboard Light. This song is about a teenage boy trying to convince a girl to have sex
with him in a car. Sex would be the "Paradise" for him, but she holds
out until he says he loves her and will stay with her forever. Overcome
by sexual passion, he promises, and honors his word to spend the rest of his life
with her even though, years later, he can't stand her anymore. "So now I'm praying for the end of time."
The song is actually a pretty funny duet running 8:28. Many listeners heard the beauty in the song, but industry people were skeptical, as it veered so far from convention. It made the US Top 40, but did so on the Billboard charts tagged as a "Novelty" record, the same label given to Cheech & Chong and The Chipmunks.
Even musicians working on the album had their doubts. Kasim Sulton, who played bass on the sessions (he was in the Todd Rundgren band, Utopia), said, "Through the whole process I remember distinctly saying to myself, 'This is just the biggest joke that I've ever been involved in. I cannot believe that these people got a record deal! This is just crazy. I'll never hear this record. It's just a joke. It's a comedy record.'"
The song is actually a pretty funny duet running 8:28. Many listeners heard the beauty in the song, but industry people were skeptical, as it veered so far from convention. It made the US Top 40, but did so on the Billboard charts tagged as a "Novelty" record, the same label given to Cheech & Chong and The Chipmunks.
Even musicians working on the album had their doubts. Kasim Sulton, who played bass on the sessions (he was in the Todd Rundgren band, Utopia), said, "Through the whole process I remember distinctly saying to myself, 'This is just the biggest joke that I've ever been involved in. I cannot believe that these people got a record deal! This is just crazy. I'll never hear this record. It's just a joke. It's a comedy record.'"
In the original video for Paradise, as released
to television and in 35mm prints, the male/female Hot Summer Night
prologue from You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth was spoken live
by Jim Steinman and Karla DeVito before the song performance. On this
compilation, the prologue was removed and spliced in front of the video
for You Took the Words, ostensibly to properly
replicate the album Bat Out of Hell, and the video for Paradise goes right into the performance.
The song was originally produced by Todd Rundgren. Steinman wrote a lot of the songs performed by Meat Loaf. They made a great team.
Meat Loaf ~ Hits Out of Hell
compilation video on LaserDisc
back cover detail
detail photo by Styrous®
compilation video on LaserDisc
back cover detail
detail photo by Styrous®
Paradise by the Dashboard Light is divided into three parts:
- Part I. Paradise
- Part II. Let Me Sleep on It
- Part III. Praying for the End of Time
Ah! True Love!
Meat Loaf ~ Hits Out of Hell
compilation video on LaserDisc
back cover detail
detail photo by Styrous®
compilation video on LaserDisc
back cover detail
detail photo by Styrous®
In early live performances of the song, this part (and thus the conclusion of the song itself) was followed by a spoken-word epilogue by Meat Loaf and Karla DeVito, where they, still in character as the two protagonists, argued about what to keep after the couple's divorce (having been presumably married for a number of years). The argument was cut short by DeVito shouting "...And I'll keep the baby!", which left Meat Loaf's character speechless as he apparently ignored the existence of a baby; immediately after, he ended the argument by screaming incoherently at her.
35mm prints of a live-on-soundstage performance of Paradise were
struck and initially sent to many theaters holding midnight screenings
of The Rocky Horror Picture Show,
as a short subject to play before the feature. Very few of these prints
are still extant and/or in playable condition. The video also received
healthy airplay in the first years of MTV, despite its relative age to
the new artists the channel was showcasing.
The single had modest success in the United States, peaking at number 39 on the Billboard Hot 100.
However, the song is very well known and is a classic rock staple. In
the United Kingdom, it did not chart at all. However, in the Netherlands,
the single became Meat Loaf's biggest all-time hit, reaching number one
at the end of 1978. Paradise became a hit there again in 1988. In
various all time charts, such as the Radio 2 Top 2000 or Radio Veronica's
All Time Top 1000, it consistently charts inside the top 30. In
Belgium, the single stalled at number 2 where it stayed for 5 weeks, the whole time being held back from the Number 1 by Y.M.C.A. by the Village People.
Meat Loaf has expressed that he has social anxiety,
being quoted saying "I never meet anybody much in a social situation
because when I go into a social situation, I have no idea what to do."
He revealed that he does not "even go anywhere", and also feels he leads
a "boring life", saying that he "completely freaked" when having to
attend a party, and that he was "so nervous, so scared". I can
completely relate to this. In 1984, he legally changed his first name
from Marvin to Michael
Tracklist:
Side 1:
1 - Bat Out Of Hell - 9:49
2 - Read 'Em And Weep - 5:25
3 - Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad - 5:23
4 - Razor's Edge - 4:07
5 - More Than You Deserve -
6 - I’m Gonna Love Her For Both Of Us - 7:09
7 - If You Really Want To
8 - You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth (Hot Summer's Night) – 5:04
9 - Paradise By The Dashboard Light – 8:28
9i - Paradise
9ii - Let Me Sleep On It
9iii - Praying For The End Of Time
Side 2: BLANK
Companies, etc.
Manufactured By – Epic Music Video
Copyright (c) – Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
Notes:
Running time: 58 minutes.
Digitally remastered,
Barcode and Other Identifiers
Barcode (Text): 0 7464-49079-6 4
Matrix / Runout: LDVS-001885-A-A4
Meat Loaf – Hits Out Of Hell
Label: Epic Music Video – MLV 49079
Format: Laserdisc, 12", Single Sided, Stereo, NTSC, CLV
Country: US
Released: 1991
Genre: Rock
Style: Hard Rock
Personnel:
- Meat Loaf - male lead vocals, backing vocals (as Marvin Lee)
- Ellen Foley - female lead vocals, backing vocals
- Todd Rundgren - guitar, backing vocals
- Kasim Sulton - bass guitar
- Roy Bittan - piano, keyboards
- Jim Steinman - keyboards, "lascivious effects"
- Roger Powell - synthesizer
- Edgar Winter - saxophone
- Max Weinberg - drums
- Phil Rizzuto - baseball play-by-play
- Rory Dodd - additional backing vocals
Viewfinder links:
Todd Rundgren
Village People
Net links:
ESPN ~ Phil and Meat Loaf will always have "Paradise"
NY Times ~ Meat Loaf In Search of Paradise
Songfacts ~ Paradise by the Dashboard Light
stonybrook.edu ~ Sex song Reflection - Paradise by the Dashboard Light
Section 309 ~ Paradise by the Dashboard Light: A Baseball Analysis
The Austin Chronicle ~ Meat Loaf loads into the Texas Film Hall of Fame
YouTube links:
Hot Patootie – Bless My Soul
Paradise By The Dashboard Light (8 min, 29 sec.)
The Meat Loaf ~
Hits Out of Hell LaserDisc is for sale on eBay
Styrous® ~ Thursday, September 27, 2018
Village People
Net links:
ESPN ~ Phil and Meat Loaf will always have "Paradise"
NY Times ~ Meat Loaf In Search of Paradise
Songfacts ~ Paradise by the Dashboard Light
stonybrook.edu ~ Sex song Reflection - Paradise by the Dashboard Light
Section 309 ~ Paradise by the Dashboard Light: A Baseball Analysis
The Austin Chronicle ~ Meat Loaf loads into the Texas Film Hall of Fame
YouTube links:
Hot Patootie – Bless My Soul
Paradise By The Dashboard Light (8 min, 29 sec.)
The Meat Loaf ~
Hits Out of Hell LaserDisc is for sale on eBay
Happy birthday, Michael!
Styrous® ~ Thursday, September 27, 2018
February 14, 2018
Casablanca Records ~ Disco Daze 3
Casablanca record sleeve
photo by Styrous®
Casablanca Records was an American recording label owned by Universal Music Group and operated under Republic Records. It was
founded in 1973 by former Buddah Records executive Neil Bogart, who named the label in homage to the classic film, Casablanca, and was based in Los Angeles in Southern California, The label became most successful as a disco label in the 1970s and
currently operates as an electronic dance music label under the
direction of Tommy Mottola.
The Casablanca Label launched the careers of KISS, Donna Summer*†, Meco*†, Parliament, The Funkadelics*†, Angel and the Village People. It also recorded Cher, The Sylvers, Buddy Miles, Giorgio Moroder*†, Santa Esmeralda*† and many others.
Kiss was the first group to be signed by Casablanca. It released three albums by the group: Kiss (1974), Hotter Than Hell (1974), and Dressed to Kill (1975), but all failed to make an impact on the charts, however, the glam rock band did amass a following. However, it was NOT a disco album.
Although the band's studio albums had not been strong sellers, the band had a reputation for performing exciting live shows. Casablanca decided to try to capitalize on that reputation by releasing the double-live Alive! (1975) album. It became both Casablanca's and Kiss's first top ten album, being certified gold.
vinyl LP cover
cover photo by Joel Brodsky
photo of album cover by Styrous®
Although the band's studio albums had not been strong sellers, the band had a reputation for performing exciting live shows. Casablanca decided to try to capitalize on that reputation by releasing the double-live Alive! (1975) album. It became both Casablanca's and Kiss's first top ten album, being certified gold.
The Kiss follow-up studio albums to Alive! were better sellers than its previous studio albums. Destroyer (1976), Rock and Roll Over (1976), and Love Gun
(1977) were all certified platinum in the United States. The band would
release several more albums, with its last studio album on Casablanca
being Creatures of the Night (1982).
In 1975, Casablanca signed a new artist named Donna Summer and released her album entitled Love to Love You Baby which was certified gold. I will never forget this song; it was my introduction to the world of DISCO!
The title song, written by Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte, is over 17 minutes long, and Casablanca released the song in
its entirety as a single (a shorter version was also promoted for
radio). In releasing the 17 minute version as a single, Casablanca would
help make popular a format that would become known as the 12 inch.
The song, featured Summer seductively moaning and groaning, it was banned by some American radio stations (as it was in Europe)
but made its way to #2 on the US Hot 100. Summer had several gold and platinum albums on Casablanca from 1975–1979, and
became the label's most successful act on the singles chart. At one
point, she scored eight US top 5 singles within a 19-month period.
Summer had 10 gold singles (1 million), 2 went platinum (2 million) and a
gold maxi-single while with Casablanca.
In 1979 Lipps Inc., with Steven Greenberg as writer, producer, and musician, and Cynthia Johnson on lead vocals, signed with Casablanca. Soon the single Rock It was released, followed by the album Mouth to Mouth. The album included the #1 smash hit Funkytown. A totally bubble-gum tune, it's one of my all-time favorite hits.
Lipps Inc. - Mouth To Mouth
photo of album cover by Styrous®
Parliament with group leader George Clinton was signed to the Casablanca label in late 1973.
Their first official release for the label was in 1974 with the album Up for the Down Stroke.
The title song from the album gave Parliament its first top ten R&B hit. Their next album, Chocolate City sold approximately 150,000 albums in the Washington, D.C. area alone. But it would be their next release, Mothership Connection,
that would give the group its first gold and, eventually, platinum
album. Parliament would achieve either gold or platinum status with each
album release up until 1980, as well as scoring hit singles with Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker), Flash Light (Casablanca's first R&B #1 hit) and Aqua Boogie (A Psychoalphadiscobetabioaquadoloop). The success of Parliament allowed George Clinton to develop another P-Funk spin off act known as Parlet.
vinyl LP cover
cover photo by Leandro Correa
photo of album cover by Styrous®
Casablanca also financed the various extravagant P-Funk stage shows, including the "Mothership Connection/P-Funk Earth Tour" of 1976-77; as well as the Motor Booty Affair underwater tour of 1979. Parliament were later inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Parliament also gave Casablanca Records a much needed presence in the R&B/Soul market.
The Casablanca film division produced the films, The Deep, Midnight Express*†, Foxes and The Hollywood Knights. Casablanca Records was purchased by PolyGram after which the label went into decline. Visit the Casablanca website to see more Casablanca Records videos. Be warned, however, it takes forever to get the pages to open.
KISS
Record Labels
Santa Esmeralda
Donna Summer
Village People
Net links:
Styrous® ~ Wednesday, February 14, 2018
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