Meatloaf and Steinman Dispute Over "Bat Out of Hell" Trademark
Published June 07, 2006
Meatloaf and his long time collaborator, Jim Steinman are embroiled in a dispute over the “Bat out of Hell" trademark. With the third album in the “Bat out Of Hell” series slated to hit stores October 31, 2006, communications between Meatloaf and Steinman are at an impasse. According to Bat Out Of Hell 3: The Monster is Loose producer Desmond Child, “I've always thought of Jim Steinman as a genius and I still do. Maybe he's getting some bad advice. I think it's tragic that Meat Loaf is being forced to sue a man he has loved and admired for over 30 years.”
The Bat Out of Hell albums have been a very successful venture for Meat Loaf and Jim Steinman. 1977’s Bat Out of Hell has sold an estimated 34 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best selling albums of all time. Bat Out of Hell continues to sell around 200,000 copies per year. The albums biggest hits were, "You Took the Words Right out of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night)," the epic, "Paradise by the Dashboard Light," and "Two out of Three Ain't Bad." Jim Steinman wrote all of the music and lyrics, while Todd Rundgren produced the album.
In 1993, Meatloaf released Bat out of Hell II: Back into Hell. Once again, Jim Steinman wrote every track and acted as one of the producers. The album was at the top of the Billboard charts for one week in the United States. The track “I'd Do Anything for Love (but I Won't Do That)” became a worldwide number-one hit. The song stayed at the top of the charts in the United Kingdom for seven weeks, making it the most successful single of 1993 in the United Kingdom.
The song “The Monster is Loose” off Meatloaf’s upcoming Bat Out of Hell 3: The Monster is Loose release was co-written by Nikki Sixx of Motley Crue with Desmond Child and Marilyn Manson’s John 5. The song has a heavier rock feel than Meatloaf’s previous releases. However, with people like Nikki Sixx and John 5 contributing to the album, perhaps that is to be expected. The guitar riffs are impressive and Meatloaf’s voice is that interesting mix of power and falsetto we’ve become so familiar with over the years.
Despite the disagreement between Meatloaf and Steinman, Desmond Child said, “We licensed six of his songs from Universal Music Publishing for Bat out Of Hell III when direct communication broke down in order to include him and honor his role in the Bat Out Of Hell tradition."
The new album will feature 14 tracks and has contributions from such musical luminaries as Queen’s Brian May, Todd Rundgren, Marion Raven, John Shanks, Eric Bazilian, and Steve Vai.
- Meatloaf and Steinman Dispute Over "Bat Out of Hell" Trademark
- Published: June 07, 2006
- Type: News
- Section: Music
- Filed Under: Culture: Celebrity, Music: News
- Writer: Rebecca Wright
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The whole thing is very sad. Along with many others, I've followed this dispute from the beginning (USTPO site has all the papers), and it's just so terribly sad. I am a Loafer more than a Steinmanite, so am perhaps biased, but the two men make their best magic together. Calling the album Bat III without Jim is wrong. Jim suggesting the project, then abondoning it is wrong. And the whole ludicrous scenario is now just sad. Sad for Meat and Jim, and tragic for the rest of us, who have waited so long for the third Bat.
thanks for getting on this so quickly and doing such a good job Rebecca! The Crue-meets-Manson riffs with Meatloaf's Southern gospel operatic pipes is disorienting on the new song!!
I'd have to agree, it's a bit odd, but it does make me curious to see what the rest of the new album will sound like!
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hmm. i didn't know there was a Bat... III set for the flinging. cool as all bejeesus artwork, in a daft mid-eighties Manowar typea manner. As to the song, it's all sortsa nonsensical and pompous and overblown, and therefore perfect. i won't buy it, but gazillions will, and looks like they may well be all sortsa pleased. Last i saw ol' Loaf was the American Idol final when i really did, honestly, think he was suffering from Parkinsons or some such. it was never mentioned afterwards, so i'm guessing he isn't. But good lord that was a terrible performance.
Marion Raven? The m2m girl? nice duet. Unfortunetly Meat Loaf sucks
I have to say, I've been looking forward to this album for many years. I'm not too disappointed that Steinman isn't producing because 'The Monster Is Loose' sounds awesome and makes me realise that Child was a great choice after all. I've heard three songs from the album now and all of them are great. I'm aspecially looking forward to 'It's All Coming Back Too Me Now' because the duet on American Idol was fantastic. Meats voice started off a little odd but then carried it off into true operactic godliness after the first verse. You must also remeber that Meat is almost 60 years old, so to carry off a voice like that is sensational.... Yikes, even Pavarotti has resorted to miming and he isn't much older that Meat Loaf.
Beleive me, this album will Rock!
Downloaded Moose and my god that is the worst meat song ever. I own every album and I mean em all. There might be a song on Midnight at the lost and found that is worse but g-d Meat how dare yah do a bat albumn that is not all steinman. You owe me 99 cents for that joke monster is loose song.
That song was actualy painfull to listen to. I tried it three times. Sorry I need a new favorite artist. Are you actualy putting songs Steinman wrote in the 80's on this album. What a fkng joke. Way to sue Steinman --
I LOVE MEAT LOAF I I HAVE THE MEAT LOAF BAT OUT OF HELL 3 AND IT THE BEST IN THE WORLD I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THE LST 13YRS I AM A HUGE FAN OF MEAT BUT I WAS NOT AROUND WHEN BAT OUT OF HELL 1ST CAMED OUT SOOOO I WAS NOT EVEN BORN BUT I WAS BORN TO SEE BAT 2 SOOOO YEAH IF MEAT DON'T WANT JIM TO BE A PART OF THE MAKING OF BAT 3 IT HIS BUSINESS NOT OUR'S I LOVE WHAT MEAT DID WAS HE LEFT A MESSAGE IN THE BK OF THE BOOKLET PEACE MEAT I LOVE YOU YOU ARE THE BEST ON THE PLANET
im 13 years old and love meat and jim and listend to every song they r best together they new album aint as gd it sorta sux ahhhh god they shud make one last album together
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I love Meat Loaf. I've collected everything Meat Loaf for 25 years -- concert CDs, unplugged CDs, videos, TV movie, bio. I even have the old STONY AND MEAT album from the early 1970s.
That said, Meat Loaf and Jim Steinman work best together. They're supposedly said (if the TV movie is to be believed) that "Nobody sings my songs as good as you," and "Nobody writes better songs for me than you."
OTOH, they've often sued each other, and their respective recording companies and managers. It seems to be the nature of the business. It must be very frustrating.
Of course, I'll buy this CD (maybe two copies) and every additional concert CD that comes afterward.