Neverland Express album?

[Elijah's way]

It would be nice if they did a song or 5. Just for the fans!!

[Monstro]

Originally Posted by Elijah's way

It would be nice if they did a song or 5. Just for the fans!!

You know I'm kinda with this one lol

[suzieq]

Originally Posted by Elijah's way

It would be nice if they did a song or 5. Just for the fans!!

For the fans of Meat or the fans of the NLE?

[Pudding]

Originally Posted by AndrewG

If The Neverland Express were such an individualistic band they would have done something by now.

Who owns the rights to The Neverland Express name? Maybe they're contractually obligated not to perform using that name outside of touring with Meat Loaf

Originally Posted by suzieq

For the fans of Meat or the fans of the NLE?

If you're a fan of Meat Loaf aren't you also a fan of NLE?

[Elijah's way]

Originally Posted by suzieq

For the fans of Meat or the fans of the NLE?

Both!!

[A Slice Of English]

Originally Posted by Pudding

If you're a fan of Meat Loaf aren't you also a fan of NLE?

I would say not necessarily. If you've not seen Meat live, you may not have even heard of The Neverland Express because in most of his albums he uses a combination of musicians, many of whom aren't in the NLE. The tours are not billed as "Meat Loaf & The Neverland Express", they're billed simply as "Meat Loaf". I happen to appreciate both the NLE and Meat but only the NLE as they're a great supporting tour band. I wouldn't buy their stuff without Meat in the band, mainly because I've never heard any examples of it.

[Elijah's way]

I think it would be cool if Meat was to do an album sorta like Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, but call it Meat Loaf and the Neverland Express.

[Pudding]

Originally Posted by A Slice Of English

I wouldn't buy their stuff without Meat in the band, mainly because I've never heard any examples of it.

When you buy a pizza do you stay with the same toppings time and time again or try something different now and again knowing that you hadn't tried it before?

[A Slice Of English]

Originally Posted by Pudding

When you buy a pizza do you stay with the same toppings time and time again or try something different now and again knowing that you hadn't tried it before?

This question is irrelevant as I don't like pizza at all in any form. :-p

That said, I hear what you're saying but the NLE without Meat would be like Iron Maiden without Bruce. I wouldn't buy their stuff (Hence I don't own any of the material from the Blaze era. I heard a track or two and it blew chunks.)

[Evil One]

Originally Posted by A Slice Of English

This question is irrelevant as I don't like pizza at all in any form. :-p

[AndrewG]

Try the BBQ chicken from Domino's. It converted me. Lol.

[Steve6]

Originally Posted by Pudding

Who owns the rights to The Neverland Express name? Maybe they're contractually obligated not to perform using that name outside of touring with Meat Loaf

I'm fairly certain Jim does, but I could be wrong. Given his obsession with all things Neverland it makes sense. "The Neverland Express" has changed it's members over the years, but the front man has always been Meat Loaf. He has the final say in what the band does!!!! If Jim wanted or needed the band for a project of his or wanted to join it again would he have the authority to do so if he owned the name, and created the band?

I'm a fan of the Neverland Express, it always had very talented musicians in it. But I never thought of them going into the studio and releasing an album without Meat Loaf at the helm.

[PanicLord]

I would have thought Neverland Express was property of Meat and or the band. Seems unlikely anyone else would own the name, because then there would have to be some sort of contract, probably involving money, to use it.

Would be very interesting to hear their own CD though, maybe as a 2nd (or 3rd!) CD of HCTB??

[Steve6]

Originally Posted by PanicLord

I would have thought Neverland Express was property of Meat and or the band. Seems unlikely anyone else would own the name, because then there would have to be some sort of contract, probably involving money, to use it.

I persume the band name was trademarked when it was created. I'd be fairly certain it's under Jim's name. It sounds like a band name he would create, but it will never be known until someone can confirm it for us.

[AndrewG]

Originally Posted by Steve6

I persume the band name was trademarked when it was created. I'd be fairly certain it's under Jim's name. It sounds like a band name he would create, but it will never be known until someone can confirm it for us.

And this is why you need to stop your constant speculating.

[CarylB]

From your keyboard to God's ears!

[Evil One]

Originally Posted by Steve6

I'm fairly certain Jim does, but I could be wrong.

They could be owned by Jim, Meat, Sonnenberg, Todd Rundgren, Bonnie Tyler, Pixie Lott or Caryl Burton for all you know.

[suzieq]

Originally Posted by Pudding

If you're a fan of Meat Loaf aren't you also a fan of NLE?

Originally Posted by A Slice Of English

I would say not necessarily. If you've not seen Meat live, you may not have even heard of The Neverland Express because in most of his albums he uses a combination of musicians, many of whom aren't in the NLE. The tours are not billed as "Meat Loaf & The Neverland Express", they're billed simply as "Meat Loaf". I happen to appreciate both the NLE and Meat but only the NLE as they're a great supporting tour band. I wouldn't buy their stuff without Meat in the band, mainly because I've never heard any examples of it.

I agree with Slice. Only adding that I have purchased individual solo efforts from the members. As a group? I would be inclined to buy or at the least have a listen just because they are members of Meat's band, but not a guaranteed sale from me.

[The Flying Mouse]

Originally Posted by AndrewG

To think of The Neverland Express without Meat Loaf is like thinking of a hamburger without Meat or a bun. I think we are forgetting here that Meat is the one who brings this band together. After hearing what the arrangements are like with Kasim gone even his MD role seemed rather less important to me than what I once thought it was. I'm not saying Kasim is useless at all. Kasim is a great guy and was a huge asset to the band but Meat definitely is much more of a director here than what some seem to be giving him credit for I reckon. With half of these guys spread across the States doing different things (and by the sounds of it different styles of music too!) without Meat it makes no sense to me for them to get together without Meat Loaf and do similar music at all. A fantasy proposition in my opinion. It was great hearing Patti do Bible and beer but she could have her own less expensive band and do gigs and still be on the money.

With Meat comes a grandeur and a band perfection I've rarely come across (except for the E Street Band) but I reckon Meat is the puppet master, the driving force who actually makes the band work. Would anyone care if the E street band did a "solo" album, yeah maybe a few thousand hardcore Springsteen fans. Would anyone care if the Neverland Express did an album? No-one outside this board I reckon.

I really can't argue with any of that.

Originally Posted by Elijah's way

I think it would be cool if Meat was to do an album sorta like Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, but call it Meat Loaf and the Neverland Express.

I think that would be a great name for an album of covers

Originally Posted by Steve6

I persume the band name was trademarked when it was created. I'd be fairly certain it's under Jim's name. It sounds like a band name he would create, but it will never be known until someone can confirm it for us.

[logical conclusion]
In the early 80's Meat was sued by anyone and everyone who had dealings with him, including for the name Meat Loaf.
If he was being sued for his own name, there is no way he would have been left alone with a band name that he had no right too.
[/logical conclusion]

Originally Posted by CarylB

From your keyboard to God's ears!

I'd love to see Andrew's e mail address book


I'd like to see a collaboration from the NLE because I think they are a great buch of very talented people

But a few random thoughts............


It seems the music business is interested in only two things these days.
Kiddie pop, and women with voices that are nothing extra special but who look like they've been repeatedly hit in the face by a sack full of army boots so have a moving human interest angle.
A group of ageing (and these days, everybody over the age of 14 is considered as "ageing" in the music business) musicians and backing singers are not going to set a record companies eyes alight, no matter how fecking great they are.
They are Meat's band, and most people will think "big deal".
Seriously, Paradise By The Dashboard Light is a classic song that most people know, but you ask 10 people (strictly not big Meat fans) the name of the woman who sang it with Meat and they won't have a clue.
THe closest most of them will come is saying "you mean the girl in the video with the dark curly hair?".
How many people know Lorraine Crosby or Patti by name?

To get attention they need either some sort of hook or their own fanbase.

If they did an album, the easiest way to get any interest would to be performing with some big well known names.
But the more big names you put on the record the less spotlight is on the band.

They could build a fan base by touring themselves, but they are not going to fill arenas on their own merit because not enough people will care.
And for the record, i'm not saying it's right i'm just saying it's so.
So that will take a lot of gigging in smaller venues over and over again, spending more and more time far away from home to try and make their own reputation.

Then after all that they have a chance (nothing guarenteed) of making an album.

Put it this way, would you rather play Wembley with someone else's name above the door, or the local church hall with your name above the door?


And is it what any of them really want?
They already work with Meat and so spend plenty of time together, and perhaps they enjoy their time apart so they can do their own thing for a little while.
Although John and Paul certainly seem to like working together as they've both been involved in the same projects, and if that works for them, more power to them, but if you want to do something in a different style the time away from the band provides that artistic outlet.
The thing is that nobody is tied to anyone else during that time, and it's a valuable time to stretch their wings and to meet other musicians who can show them their ideas on how to do things.
Several valued members of the NLE have joined the band because they've worked with another member in a former band or project.

And to look at an example, look at Kasim.
He worked fine with the band, but working with the band can be stiffling for your own creative direction, and now he has left to concentrate on his own music.
If the band were tied together so much I dare say many of them would want to get back to doing their own thing rather than Meat's thing every time they pick up an instrument.


So yes, i'd love to see it.

No, I don't think there would be a big splash in the music industry without a lot of promo.

And I don't think being tied together for all that time would be good for the creativity of the band.

Best of both worlds would be a CD to sell at the merch stand and to order from a NLE website.

[Pudding]

Originally Posted by A Slice Of English

That said, I hear what you're saying but the NLE without Meat would be like Iron Maiden without Bruce. I wouldn't buy their stuff (Hence I don't own any of the material from the Blaze era. I heard a track or two and it blew chunks.)

Iron Maiden is a group and Meat Loaf isn't, so the comparison there doesn't make much sense. Also Bruce Dickinson was instrumental in writing the songs wasn't he? Meat Loaf isn't, other songwriters write his songs.

Originally Posted by suzieq

I agree with Slice. Only adding that I have purchased individual solo efforts from the members. As a group? I would be inclined to buy or at the least have a listen just because they are members of Meat's band, but not a guaranteed sale from me.

I'd definitely try before I bought a CD, I always do, but I can't ever see a CD being made without them first touring as a group.

I agree that individual efforts haven't been that great, Randy Flowers' Pinch songs just sucked, but as a group I would imagine they'd stick to Steinman and Queen type songs with maybe a few new ones. Anything other than that I just can't see working.

[Steve6]

Originally Posted by AndrewG

And this is why you need to stop your constant speculating.

Well if you don't speculate you'll never get answers.

[Pudding]

Originally Posted by The Flying Mouse

And I don't think being tied together for all that time would be good for the creativity of the band.

What creativity? They're professional musicians. Unless I've missed something none of them have created something together and given Meat a song to sing.

[Wario]

Originally Posted by Steve6

Well if you don't speculate you'll never get answers.

uhhhhh

lol. steve. quit while you can. there is a billion things wrong with that post....

Originally Posted by Pudding

What creativity? They're professional musicians. Unless I've missed something none of them have created something together and given Meat a song to sing.

weren't Oh Well, Whore, and Distance original pieces?

[Pudding]

Originally Posted by WarioLoaf

weren't Oh Well, Whore, and Distance original pieces?

Who wrote them?

[Sarge]

Originally Posted by WarioLoaf

weren't Oh Well, Whore, and Distance original pieces?

If I remember it correctly, you once stated that you collect "everything released under the Meat Loaf label", so I assume you own the IACBTMN single. Have a closer look at it and you'll be able to answer one third of your question yourself.