News & Notes

A new CD called "The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Plays The Music Of Meat Loaf" (MCCD403) has been released in the United Kingdom. The CD features orchestral versions of 12 songs of which 8 are penned by Jim - those songs are: Bat Out Of Hell / Dead Ringer / You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth / Rock And Roll Dreams Come Through / I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That) / Read 'Em And Weep / Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad / Paradise By The Dashboard Light

The CD can be ordered on-line for HMV Direct, the telephone # (U.S. callers) is 011 44 990 334578

Whistle Down The Wind has extended it's booking period at the Aldwych Theater in London. You can now purchase tickets through September 2000.

"Boyzone will be performing No Matter What on General Hospital on August 4th."

Boyzone will be in Los Angeles July 1 & 2 taping an appearance on General Hospital. They'll be performing No Matter What. Exact air date is yet to be determined but it should be shortly after the taping.

To hear a bit of Luciano Pavarotti and Boyzone's duet of No Matter What click here.

Jim is featured in Entertainment Weekly's issue - The 100 Most Talented People.

It Broadway Rocker JIM STEINMAN

AGE 49 WHY HIM? The writer-producer behind Meat Loaf's Bat Out of Hell is the Great White Way's new lullabier. Steinman's Whistle Down the Wind, a collaboration with Andrew Lloyd Webber, comes to the U.S. next year; his Dance of the Vampires, directed by Roman Polanski, will debut on B'way by Halloween 2000; then he'll turn the Caped Crusader into a crooner for Batman: The Musical, in 2001. WORK HABITS "I'm nocturnal. My favorite thing is to go to sleep around noon, wake at 6 p.m., and work through the night." Creative crutch "I listen to Wagner and the Beach Boys. And I watch Hitchcock. I once got kicked out of an apartment for playing the score from Psycho too loud." WORST JOB "Playing in the opening act for Bette Midler at a bathhouse in New York. I was all dressed up and everyone else was in towels." NEXT Studying bat habits for Batman: "I'm starting to sleep upside down in a tree."

Also, ITV will soon be featuring Bat Out Of Hell as part of their "Classic Albums" series.

Jim loved the Beta Band! Despite persistent press reports that say otherwise, Jim never objected to their use of parts of Total Eclipse Of The Heart on The Hard One. After all, it's a ten minute long song - and Jim's so fond of those!

No Matter What! It's Boyzone's first US single but it's also something of anthem among Boyzone fans as a way to express their support and affection for Stephen Gately who has just publicly announced that he's gay. The song in the United States (which at this time, sadly, is not supported by a single, video or tour) is making steady progress at radio stations across the country. The Notting Hill soundtrack was Billboards "greatest gainer" for the last two weeks in a row.

Boyzone's No Matter What hits the US airwaves Monday, May 10th! Call your local stations to request it!

Jim has been nominated for a Tony in association with the musical Footloose. Among the show's other nominations, it received one for Best Original Score. Others in the category are:

Original Score: Tom Snow, Eric Carmen, Sammy Hagar, Kenny Loggins and Jim Steinman “Footloose”, Jason Robert Brown “Parade,” Frank Wildhorn and Jack Murphy “The Civil War,” Jeanine Tesori “Twelfth Night.”

Whistle Down The Wind's Original London Cast Recording has been released on Really Useful/Polydor records [5472612].

Major cast changes in the show include Laura Michelle Kelly replacing Lottie Mayor as Swallow and Glenn Carter replacing Marcus Lovett as The Man. New cast starts May 3rd.

Dance Of The Vampires is tentatively planning it's Broadway debut for Fall 2000. The current production running in Vienna will most likely close in January 2000. Another production is slated to open in Stuttgart soon after that.

No Matter What as performed by Boyzone has been honored with two Ivor Novello Award nominations for International Hit Of The Year and Best Selling British single.

No Matter What will be making its U.S. debut as the first single off the Notting Hill Motion Picture Soundtrack available May 18th in America. This love story, starring Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts, is from the same writing team as Four Weddings And A Funeral. The film will be released worldwide May 28th.

Boyzone's first U.S. TV appearance will be on The Rosie O'Donnell Show. Tentatively scheduled to air May 26th - they'll be performing No Matter What!

To read an article written by Keith Duffy of Boyzone click here.

Although many of Jim's current projects are still in the embryonic state one that seems to be quickly taking shape is Warner Brother's Batman Musical - a project for which Jim will be writing both music and lyrics. To read a NY Daily News article about the project click here.