not logged in
Posted by:  |
|
| Well, what I meant was, if you approach someone in the street and ask them what the first name that comes to mind is when you mention the album "Bat out of Hell", they'll more often than not say Meat Loaf. The same goes with all of the Meat Loaf projects. The same goes with Bonnie Tyler who usually gets the recognition for "Total eclipse of the heart" even though Jim wrote/produced it. I can't tell you how many Celine Dion fans I've spoken to who were surprised to learn that the writer of "Two out of three ain't bad" also wrote "It's all coming back to me now" and that there is a more superior rock-sounding version on the Pandora's Box album. Look at the musicals. The 1996 production of "Whistle down the Wind" was, I recall, billed as "Andrew Lloyd Webber's Whistle down the Wind" directed by Harold Prince. The 1998 production changed that, thank God, and it was then billed as "Andrew Lloyd Webber and Jim Steinman's Whistle down the Wind" (Andrew had the same problem during the pre-production on "Starlight Express" when he wrote to the advertising company telling them to change the billing to "Andrew Lloyd Webber and Richard Stilgoe's Starlight Express".) I don't know much about what goes on with the advertising for "Tanz" but I have seen promotional material focusing a lot on Roman Polanski's contributions. I guess that makes sense though when the original film was such a hit there and of course they're going to use that. Still, the musical probably wouldn't sound anywhere what it does without Jim's music. And it's the same with all of Jim's projects, IMO. Imagine "Back into Hell" produced by Desmond Child. I wouldn't wish that on anyone's eardrums. So I believe all of these projects are what they are because of Jim's involvement. And obviously most people in general aren't as aware of his involvement as they should be. And this is a shame. Wilhelmine Schröder-Devrient was the first person to play Senta in Wagner's opera "The Flying Dutchman" but Wagner's name is the one we now remember more. Look at Broadway. Ethel Merman was the grand dame of Broadway and yet most people know Cole Porter wrote the songs for "Anything Goes" and Jule Styne, Stephen Sondheim and Arthur Laurents collaborated on "Gypsy". "Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera" will always be remembered as such instead of Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman getting more recognition for their portrayals. Jim composed "Bat out of Hell" for Meat Loaf to sing with "Neverland" in mind as he was writing it. It was more than just an album. But the advertising got it wrong and Steinman was forced to keep to rock tradition, e.g. Lieber and Stoller wrote for Elvis, Elvis got the attention and I think that's how it was planned. I think it's different with Jim again. He really is working on a vision the way Wagner was. So with that in mind, you can see why there are people who think Jim needs to get out of other people's shadows. And I am telling you now, besides the name I just mentioned from "Flying Dutchman", I can't remember any other names from the original Wagner productions. It's Wagner who lived on. That's the way it should be because he created it and you don't listen to "Ride of the Valkyries" and become a huge fan of the orchestra having no idea Wagner composed it. I think of Jim as the songwriting Svengali and Meat Loaf the interpreter. The same with Bonnie and all of the others, the same with Julie Andrews in "The Sound of Music" where everybody knows Rodgers & Hammerstein were behind it. I hope Jim lives to see the day where he gets that recognition and no doubt it will eventually come. I just hope it will be sooner rather than later. One more thing, I too was upset to see Meat Loaf selling "Bat out of Hell" t-shirts without Jim's name at his website. That, I think, could even be put down to plagiarism... Just my opinions... That's all this is... Don't get excited...
> I disagree with the people who say Jim should get out of > "Meat Loaf's Shadow" in the casting thread below. Jim > is not really IN Meat Loaf's shadow to begin with. Is > there really anyone who knows who Jim Steinman is that > thinks he's in anyone's shadow? I don't. The only > people who think about this theoretical shadow are > Steinfans who wish he got more credit than he did (a group > in which I'm included). > > Do you mean Meat Loaf would get too much credit if he was > in the production and it was successful? If that's the > concern, I can see the reservation, but would it be so > horrible if this was a smashing success, regardless of the > lead player? | |
