"On a hot summer night, would you offer your throat to the wolf with the red roses?"

A little over the top, right?

But, that's always the way with Meatloaf, and songwriter Jim Steinman...

Help yourself to some Meatloaf...on New Jersey 101.5! (Craig Allen photo).
Help yourself to some Meatloaf...on New Jersey 101.5! (Craig Allen photo).
loading...

"You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth" was the first single off of "Bat Out Of Hell."

"Bat" was Meatloaf's third album...the first two didn't have....wings. Nobody noticed!

"The Loaf" and friends! (Craig Allen photo).
Meet "The Loaf" and friends! (Craig Allen photo).
loading...

Funny thing is...while the listening and music buying public was catching on to the album...initially, it looked like "You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth" would flop!

The single hit the airwaves and store shelves in January 1978...and...crickets. Nothing!

It took the next two singles to...save the first!

"Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad" would cruise to #11 on the pop charts in mid-1978.

"Paradise By The Dashboard Light" --with New Jersey's own Phil Rizzuto as the baseball announcer--went to #39 in the late fall of 1978.

THEN...."You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth" was re-issued...this time, cruising up the Hot 100 chart...just cracking the "Top-40," landing at #39 in January 1979...15 months after the album hit record store shelves!

While the hit charts of the time weren't too kind...the song has been a radio staple...one of "Jersey's Favorite Hits" ever since!

Like "Paradise," our spotlight song is the story of...young lust...with a more satisfying ending for our "story teller!"

Set "on a hot summer night" on the beach, the singer finds himself so...entranced...that he can't even say "I love you," as he is overcome with desire.

As mentioned earlier, the album version of this Jersey Favorite is 5:04...the "radio edit" is 3:48.

The spoken intro is NOT Meatloaf!

That's the voice of the songwriter: Jim Steinman.

The woman is Marcia McClain. She is the actress who played Dee Stewart on the soap opera "As The World Turns."

Steinman wrote the dialog for his stage show "Neverland," which was performed 5 months before the "Bat Out Of Hell" album was released.

That's not the only album/stage show crossover:

Three Steinman songs that were written for the stage show made it onto the Meatloaf album: "Bat Out Of Hell," "Heaven Can Wait" and "All Revved Up With No Place To Go."

Some "Fun Facts" about the artists:

Meatloaf hails from Dallas...Marvin Lee Aday is the name on his birth certificate.

"The Loaf" often makes up stories about how he got his stage name...

My favorite is: a school friend saw him do something...stupid...and said something to the effect that "You're so dumb  that your head must be filled with meatloaf."

Another source states that the moniker likely came from his high school football coach. To that I say: "Good call!"

Meatloaf comes from a rather "large" family. He reportedly weighed 200 pounds in 7th grade. His dad weighed 350 pounds.

Would you believe...Meatloaf is now a vegetarian. He changed his diet in the 1980's for health reasons.

An early band was called Meat Loaf Soul. Sometimes they called themselves Popcorn Blizzard. Regardless of the name they used, they opened for acts including The Who and Ted Nugent.

Meatloaf is the lead vocalist on Nugent's 1976 album "Free For All."

Bat Out Of Hell II, 1993. (Craig Allen photo).
Bat Out Of Hell II, 1993. (Craig Allen photo).
loading...

Meatloaf met the man who would write and arrange the songs on "Bat Out Of Hell" and "Bat Out Of Hell II," when he auditioned for Jim Steinman's play "More Than You Deserve."

As a side note...Jim Steinman (from New York City) would helm his own album, and score his own hit in 1981...as "Rock And Roll Dreams Come Through" made its way to #32 on the pop charts!

Not to be out done:

Radio-Only promo copy from my collection! (Craig Allen photo).
"Maxi Single" from my collection! (Craig Allen photo).
loading...

As you can see above, Meatloaf included his own version of "Rock And Roll Dreams Come Through" on Bat Out Of Hell II. It soared to #13 in 1994!

Want more Meatloaf? Let's serve up another talent: acting!

He was in the original production of "Hair." However, he skipped a scene! Quoting: "You got an extra $12.50 to be in the nude scene, and I didn't need an extra $12.50."

Meatloaf played the part of "Eddie" in the Los Angeles production of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show."

"It's just a jump to the left!" (Craig Allen photo).
"It's just a jump to the left!" (Craig Allen photo).
loading...

He played the same part in the motion picture!  (I'll "toast" to that!).

He was in a few movies through the 1980's and into the '90s...keep your eyes on late night TV!

A few final "Fun Facts:"

A study conducted at Sussex University in England finds that Meatloaf's music is..."an excellent stimulant for plant growth." In other words, your plants (will) love Meatloaf!

The artist says that he has a sentimental side..."I cry at the drop of a hat," he admits.

Meatloaf adds that his most-cherished possession is his collection of rubber ducks...saying: "I have around 100 of them"...including a (Derek) "Jeter one, a Frank-N-Furter one. They sit on top of my road case every show."

That just...took the words right out of my mouth!

More From New Jersey 101.5 FM