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Meat Loaf (with David Dalton)
1999, ReaganBooks/HarperCollins
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Chapter - "I Was John Belushi's Double"
The National Lampoon Show was opening on Broadway, and they needed an understudy for John Belushi. When John was asked, "Who can understudy you?" he said, "Meat Loaf."
I'd met Chevy Chase and John Belushi back in 1972 when they were doing Lemmings down at the Village Gate. Belushi and I had since become friends. He was a wonderful maniac.
I was at a movie one night and John saw me sitting several rows in front of him. He could easily have gotten up and walked down the aisle to say hello. But nooooo! He crawled. The movie theater was full, but he crawled on his stomach down the aisle and grabbed a hold of the bottom of my leg. Scared me half to death.
They offered me five hundred dollars a week to understudy Belushi. I said, "Okay, if I don't have to come down to the theater."
"You don't have to," they said, "because John'll never miss a show" and he didn't.
The National Lampoon Show was opening on Broadway, and they needed an understudy for John Belushi. When John was asked, "Who can understudy you?" he said, "Meat Loaf."
I'd met Chevy Chase and John Belushi back in 1972 when they were doing Lemmings down at the Village Gate. Belushi and I had since become friends. He was a wonderful maniac.
I was at a movie one night and John saw me sitting several rows in front of him. He could easily have gotten up and walked down the aisle to say hello. But nooooo! He crawled. The movie theater was full, but he crawled on his stomach down the aisle and grabbed a hold of the bottom of my leg. Scared me half to death.
They offered me five hundred dollars a week to understudy Belushi. I said, "Okay, if I don't have to come down to the theater."
"You don't have to," they said, "because John'll never miss a show" and he didn't.
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Chapter - "Meeting The Arch Fiend"
Jim [Steinman] and I finally got an appointment with Clive Davis, who was the head of Arista records at the time. About nine-thirty...the phone rings.
"Hello, Meat Loaf?" the voice said. "This is Clive," he says. "Listen, soooo sorry, but I've been called out of town, I know we had a meeting this afternoon, but I'm going to have to cancel our appointment today."
I called our manager, David Sonenberg. He says to me, "What do you mean he canceled? I just spoke to him two minutes ago. You guys are on for four o'clock. Be there!" I was confused. Did Clive Davis have amnesia? Had I imagined the whole thing?
...Finally, we head for Clive's inner office. We sing maybe two songs; that's as far as we get and he's already shaking his head. "What are you two doing?...You don't know how to write a song. ...Have you ever listened to pop music? Have you ever heard any rock-and-roll music?"
And Jim, at that time, knew every record ever made. Jimmy is a walking rock encyclopedia. He knew everything, even obscure stuff...And Clive Davis had the nerve to sit there and tell him...Jimmy just kind of laughed it off...he finds insults funny. I don't.
We get down to the street...in the six o'clock rush in New York, I'm screaming towards the top of his building, "F*CK YOU CLIVE! F*CK YOU!"
...Later on I run into Belushi down at the Blues Bar. I'm in the middle of venting about Clive Davis when he stops me. "That's funny," he says, "I though I'd canceled that appointment."
Jim [Steinman] and I finally got an appointment with Clive Davis, who was the head of Arista records at the time. About nine-thirty...the phone rings.
"Hello, Meat Loaf?" the voice said. "This is Clive," he says. "Listen, soooo sorry, but I've been called out of town, I know we had a meeting this afternoon, but I'm going to have to cancel our appointment today."
I called our manager, David Sonenberg. He says to me, "What do you mean he canceled? I just spoke to him two minutes ago. You guys are on for four o'clock. Be there!" I was confused. Did Clive Davis have amnesia? Had I imagined the whole thing?
...Finally, we head for Clive's inner office. We sing maybe two songs; that's as far as we get and he's already shaking his head. "What are you two doing?...You don't know how to write a song. ...Have you ever listened to pop music? Have you ever heard any rock-and-roll music?"
And Jim, at that time, knew every record ever made. Jimmy is a walking rock encyclopedia. He knew everything, even obscure stuff...And Clive Davis had the nerve to sit there and tell him...Jimmy just kind of laughed it off...he finds insults funny. I don't.
We get down to the street...in the six o'clock rush in New York, I'm screaming towards the top of his building, "F*CK YOU CLIVE! F*CK YOU!"
...Later on I run into Belushi down at the Blues Bar. I'm in the middle of venting about Clive Davis when he stops me. "That's funny," he says, "I though I'd canceled that appointment."
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Chapter - "They're Playing Our Song"
The two things that really helped us get rolling were Saturday Night Live and the radio stations.
I was good friends with John Belushi and Gilda Radner, and due to their pushing us and John's loud mouth, they finally got us on...in '78.
...But when the time came, I was absolutely petrified. I thought I was going to pass out. John and Gilda had to do everything in their power to calm me down.
We did "All Revved Up" and at the end of the song I ran at the camera and made this Meat Loaf face like, "You come on!" John loved it, he thought it was "soooo great!"
The two things that really helped us get rolling were Saturday Night Live and the radio stations.
I was good friends with John Belushi and Gilda Radner, and due to their pushing us and John's loud mouth, they finally got us on...in '78.
...But when the time came, I was absolutely petrified. I thought I was going to pass out. John and Gilda had to do everything in their power to calm me down.
We did "All Revved Up" and at the end of the song I ran at the camera and made this Meat Loaf face like, "You come on!" John loved it, he thought it was "soooo great!"
