If Music Stars did a Bat tribute album...
What would your tracklist and artist wish list be if the worlds of popular music and musical theatre got together to do a Best of Bat tribute album like they did with Whistle Down the Wind?
Here's mine: Bat Out Of Hell - Alfie Bow You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night) - Coldplay Heaven Can Wait - Bette Midler All Revved Up with No Place to Go / Wasted Youth - The Killers Two Out of Three Ain't Bad - Idina Menzel & Josh Groben Paradise by the Dashboard Light - Jools Holland orchestra vocals by Ruby Turner and Mick Hucknull For Crying Out Loud - Ramin Karimloo Dead Ringer for Love - Shaun Mendez & Arianna Grande Who Needs the Young - Robert Plant Not Allowed To Love - Sam Smith What Part of My Body Hurts the Most - Meat Loaf Making Love Out of Nothing at All - Harry Styles Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer than they Are - Lin-Manuel Miranda, Billy Porter and Aaron Tveit It's All Coming Back to Me Now - Paloma Faith I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That) Rag n Bone Man & Adele Bonus: We're Still the Children - Meat Loaf, Karla DeVito, Ellen Foley, Rory Dodd, Andrew Polec, Christina Bennington, Rob Folwer & Sharon Sexton |
Well, the first thing I'll say is that, for me, your instinct is right on the money to do a separate Bat I disc first, so that no one is wasting time sorting through the tracklist to (likely, these days) create their own. Give people what they want up-front (i.e., interesting new takes on the classic album), and then sprinkle it with the other goodies you want them to have. My own list will remain out of the thread till I have time for more of a think.
|
If there is one album I think was "perfect" it is "Bat Out of Hell". Others can cover it but some things are just meant to be. I find Meat Loaf's interpretations spot on.
The cast album is OK because they are doing it in a different medium (theatrical show vs. rock album with theatrical influences). I do not think any of the cast surpass Meat's versions although some are pretty good. Everyone has their own opinions on that and if they think it does surpass the originals I am happy for them. As for vocalists I would even attempt to put on such a product I suppose they could try with Adele, Michael Ball, and Jennifer Nettles she can sing anything. |
I've had time to think more... not enough to add my list of artists yet, but enough to throw in my tuppence as a working producer who knows how to market some stuff.
I would use a mix of contemporary and classic rock artists for the most part, with only a few tracks utilizing musical theater stars. In the case of the Whistle example, the ratio of popular stars of yesterday and today to musical theater stars was 9:3 (with some room for argument on Donny Osmond, who today might be better remembered in some quarters for starring in the American cast of Joseph and the Amazingly Long Title than his pop career). Some musical theater stars can sell, but not enough to justify filling an album with them, so that's something to keep in mind. (Among the things I've already decided definitively, again using the Whistle example where Meat's track also appeared on another album, "Who Needs the Young" would be Meat's contribution. It's a good 'you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours' trade, it could promote sales of Braver in addition to pumping up the musical, and Meat does need to be on there somewhere, but probably won't be up to doing anything genuinely new for a while, so this is a way to at least include him.) Another is to maybe not do a formal album except for the physical release. Album sales are way down, digitally and in hard copy format. Seeing as there are 21 songs (well, 20 songs and 1 speech) on the cast recording, and 7 x 3 = 21, they split up nicely into three little EPs, maintaining the integrity of Bat I and suggesting a structure for the rest, so I thought I'd stick to the songs (and spoken word) in the show rather than add any non-show bonus tracks, and -- keeping the ratio in mind -- I'd do four songs for celebs and three for theater stars per disc, or, more accurately, "set." It's got a symmetry and balance to it. Plus, more product potentially equals more payday, totting digital and physical sales up. The last thing to keep in mind is that, as loaferman61 aptly put it, very few albums are "perfect," but Bat I is certainly a candidate. You can't do better than the best. But we're not trying -- no one would try, because they can't succeed -- to replace it. We're trying to think of what would promote the musical. So, knowing we can't replace perfection, and knowing it's only to sell, let's just have fun! Let's throw names at the wall. You always thought The Darkness could do a track? Put it down! You think maybe Dolly Parton would do something interesting? Why not! It's an exercise in imagination. More to follow! |
Hey - I also work in show business
Alfie Bow had the best selling UK album (with Micheal Ball) in 2016 Idina Menzel sang on the biggest selling Disney Movie of all time - Frozen Lin-Manuel Miranda - wrote Hamilton which has been sold out in the US for 3+ years and sold out in 2 weeks when put on sale in the UK a year ahead of opening. There might be call for a Take That or the like in my list. Ramin is my only indulgence, but only because he's one of the top 5 best male vocalists in the world right now. Musical Theatre stars have a place in this album's story. Bat out of Hell is the most successful Musical Theatre soundtrack album of all time. It's 6 songs from a Musical and 1 filler (Two out of 3). Lucky for us Steinman doesn't write fillers because he's a genius. I tried to mix contemporary and legacy artists in disc 2. Trying by best to keep Beiber and Sheeran out of it. ps - my idea for this album is a reaction to the Musical which was in Manchester and London and has just opened in Toronto. |
Quote:
|
Quote:
|
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
|
The appearance of (part of) my list at last!
First things first, as I said in my initial "idea throw-down," if I ruled the Bat universe, I would make it a two-pronged release: in digital markets, the 20 songs and 1 speech would be split between three themed EP's; in terms of physical release, they would be placed on one CD in show order, with digital download links included to allow the buyer to hear them in the EP sequence. It just makes the most sense to me, and creates the potential for more cash in hand. EP #1, following proctorloaf's precedent, would reflect the original Bat I sequence, albeit with "All Revved Up" reflecting the version that's in the show more so than the version on the original album. And here's who I'd pick to sing what:
I know I'm going to have to defend some of these choices, so here's my logic for each:
The rest of the tracks will follow after more careful thought! |
I would <3 to hear Heaven Can Wait by Audra McDonald - inspired!!!
|
Quote:
|
Next up, the second EP reflects the original Bat II sequence, albeit reflecting what's in the show more so than what's on the original album, with one exception. More about that below.
Logic for these choices:
|
Reading this, all that goes through my mind is "wow, you are all Harvey Weinsteining the Bat songs..." :shock:
|
Putting women at the forefront is "Harvey Weinsteining it"? Like, I could understand my idea of a lesbian "Paradise" being considered a little exploitative, granted, but just using more women in general isn't a Harvey Weinstein move. Now, if I was forcing them to perform favors in exchange for getting the slot on the album, that'd be a Weinstein move.
|
Quote:
|
Oh, now I get it. Well, you're not predisposed to like anything that isn't Meat doing these songs, so that doesn't particularly shock me.
|
Quote:
|
Last but certainly not least, Adje notwithstanding, here comes the third EP. My final disc would reflect anything from the show not on Bat I or Bat II, in show order, for no particular reason other than that I can't figure out how a re-sorted tracklist would make much difference.
My choices for Disc 3 are:
My comments, in brief, on each choice:
And that's all of 'em! |
Quote:
Edit: Actually I love it all, please hire him |
I'd rather Meat do an album of his own take on other artist's songs like Cash did towards the end of his career, mixed with some songs either he wrote or he asked writers to write with his ideas on life in mind.
|
It's a good idea. It's also off-topic.
|
Quote:
So I guess to keep this on topic, my vote for a music star to sing a Bat tribute album is Old Meat Loaf. |
Quote:
|
All times are GMT +2. The time now is 09:27. |
Powered by vBulletin®
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright ©1999 - mlukfc.com
Made by R.