Stoney & Meatloaf
Everything Under the Sun: The Motown Recordings
Real Gone
Jun 27, 2022 Web Exclusive
Well before the massive 1977 album Bat Out of Hell firmly established Meat Loaf’s career (with over 40 million copies sold worldwide), he and singer Shaun “Stoney” Murphy were spotted in a 1970 Detroit production of Hair and signed as a duo to Motown imprint Rare Earth Records. After some singles and 1971’s Stoney & Meatloaf album failed to make much chart impact (presented as “Meatloaf” by the label), Motown cut Meat Loaf loose, with Stoney remaining a while longer before moving on.
While this material is considerably different from his later rock direction, Meat Loaf fans will likely still find much to enjoy here with hearing the early-20s singer in powerful voice. Anyone who managed to pick up the original album, or its 1978 reissue (an obvious cash-in on the success of Bat Out of Hell) that featured a hideous cover with actual meat loaf and veggies, will find an absolute bounty in the 2-CD, 28-track Everything Under the Sun. Murphy, a singer with a formidable voice, was every bit Meat Loaf’s match, and these tracks present the two singing separately and as a duo. The opening “(I’d Love to Be) As Heavy as Jesus” offers a killer showcase on its own, but the two make the most of the material throughout, including the inspirational “It Takes All Kinds of People,” high-energy R&B in “What You See Is What You Get,” and dramatic pop with “Sunshine (Where’s Heaven)” and “She Waits By the Window.”
Murphy later sang on and off with Bob Seger for over 40 years, served as Little Feat’s first female singer, and still leads her own Shaun Murphy Band. And though Everything Under the Sun may not be the Meat Loaf you know, tune in for the Meat Loaf you missed. (www.realgonemusic.com)
Author rating: 7/10
Average reader rating: 2/10
Most Recent
- WFR Central, Derby, UK, March 23, 2024 (Review) — Altern 8, Maria Uzor, Warrington-Runcorn New Town Development Plan, Cholly
- Premiere: Sofia Bolt Shares New Single “Bus Song” Featuring Stella Donnelly (News) — Sofia Bolt
- St. Vincent Shares New Song “Flea” (Feat. Dave Grohl) and Announces New Tour Dates (News) — St. Vincent, Dave Grohl
- Elbow – Guy Garvey on Their 10th Album “AUDIO VERTIGO” (Interview) — Elbow, Guy Garvey
- Vampire Weekend Share New Song “Mary Boone” (News) — Vampire Weekend
Comments
Submit your comment
There are no comments for this entry yet.