Jim Steinman

Steinmans work also extended to musical theater. He wrote the book, music, and lyrics for "Bat Out of Hell: The Musical", provided lyrics for "Whistle Down the Wind", and composed the music for "Tanz der Vampire".

Steinman was born in Hewlett Harbor, New York, to Eleanor Steinman, a Latin teacher, and Louis Steinman, who owned a steel distribution business. He was of Jewish ancestry. He attended George W. Hewlett High School and graduated in 1965. During his time there, he won a Newsday essay competition on American history. He later attended Amherst College, graduating with a bachelors degree in 1969.

While at Amherst, Steinman became active in theater. In 1968 he contributed music to productions of Bertolt Brechts "A Mans a Man" and "Baal", and directed a production of Michael McClures "The Beard". As a senior, he created "The Dream Engine", a musical for which he wrote the book, music, and lyrics. The production introduced themes, characters, lyrics, and musical ideas that later reappeared throughout his career. Elements of songs such as "Total Eclipse of the Heart" and "You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night)" originated in this work.

Following graduation, Steinman continued to work in theater. During the early 1970s he composed music for productions including "Ubu", "Rhinegold", and "More Than You Deserve". The latter production introduced him to Marvin Lee Aday, known professionally as Meat Loaf, who became his most prominent collaborator. Steinmans song "Happy Ending", recorded by Yvonne Elliman in 1973, was the first commercially released recording of one of his compositions.

During the mid-1970s, Steinman worked with Joseph Papp at the New York Shakespeare Festival and contributed music and lyrics to several theatrical projects, including "Kid Champion" and "The Confidence Man". He also developed "Neverland", a musical inspired in part by "Peter Pan" and drawing heavily on material from "The Dream Engine". Several songs originally written for "Neverland", including "Bat Out of Hell", "Heaven Can Wait", and "All Revved Up with No Place to Go", later became part of the album "Bat Out of Hell".

Steinman and Meat Loaf faced difficulties securing a recording contract for "Bat Out of Hell", but the album was eventually released in 1977. It achieved major commercial success, particularly in Australia, the United Kingdom, and later the United States. The album established both artists internationally and included the hit single "Two Out of Three Aint Bad".

In addition to his work with Meat Loaf, Steinman composed music for film and television projects during the late 1970s and early 1980s. He wrote the theme music for the television series "Delta House" and composed the score for the 1980 film "A Small Circle of Friends".

After Meat Loaf became unable to participate in the planned follow-up to "Bat Out of Hell" because of vocal problems, Steinman recorded many of the songs himself on "Bad for Good" (1981). Later that year, Meat Loaf released "Dead Ringer", an album composed entirely by Steinman. The album reached number one on the UK Albums Chart and included the hit duet "Dead Ringer for Love", performed by Meat Loaf and Cher.

Steinman achieved significant commercial success as a producer and songwriter during the 1980s. He wrote and produced Bonnie Tylers "Total Eclipse of the Heart" and Air Supplys "Making Love Out of Nothing at All", which simultaneously occupied the top two positions on the Billboard singles chart in 1983. He also wrote and produced Barry Manilows version of "Read Em and Weep".

His collaboration with Bonnie Tyler continued on the albums "Faster Than the Speed of Night" and "Secret Dreams and Forbidden Fire". He produced "Holding Out for a Hero", written with Dean Pitchford for the film "Footloose", and contributed songs including "Ravishing", "Rebel Without a Clue", and "Loving Yous a Dirty Job but Somebodys Gotta Do It".

Steinman also worked with a wide range of artists during the decade. He produced tracks for Billy Squier, Barbra Streisand, and the Sisters of Mercy, including "This Corrosion" and "Dominion/Mother Russia". In 1989 he released "Original Sin" by Pandoras Box, a project assembled around a group of vocalists. The album featured the original version of "Its All Coming Back to Me Now" and included songs later re-recorded for "Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell".

Following a period of legal and financial disputes, Steinman and Meat Loaf resumed their collaboration in the early 1990s. The result was "Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell" (1993), for which Steinman wrote all the songs and served as producer and arranger. The album became an international success and featured the number-one single "Id Do Anything for Love (But I Wont Do That)", along with "Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through" and "Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer than They Are".

Throughout the 1990s, Steinman continued producing and writing for other artists. He worked with Bonnie Tyler, Take That, and Celine Dion. Dions recording of "Its All Coming Back to Me Now" became one of her signature songs and contributed to the success of the album "Falling into You", which won Grammy Awards for Album of the Year and Best Pop Album. Steinman also produced songs for the films "Anastasia" and "The Mask of Zorro".

In musical theater, Steinman provided lyrics for Andrew Lloyd Webbers "Whistle Down the Wind", which premiered in Washington, D.C., before being revised for a successful West End production in London. Songs from the musical were recorded by artists including Boyzone, whose version of "No Matter What" became an international hit.

Another major theatrical project was "Tanz der Vampire", which premiered in Vienna in 1997. Based on Roman Polanskis film "The Fearless Vampire Killers", the musical achieved success in several countries and incorporated material from various earlier Steinman compositions, including themes derived from "Total Eclipse of the Heart".

During the 2000s, Steinman continued to develop new musical theater projects. He worked on "Garbo - the Musical", based on the life of Greta Garbo, and spent several years developing "Batman: The Musical", which ultimately remained unproduced. He also served as executive producer for the 2003 television adaptation of "Wuthering Heights".

A Broadway adaptation of "Tanz der Vampire", titled "Dance of the Vampires", opened in 2002. The production differed significantly from the original version and received largely negative reviews, closing after a short run.

In 2006, a legal dispute arose between Steinman and Meat Loaf over the use of the "Bat Out of Hell" title for "Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose". The dispute was settled out of court, allowing both parties to continue using the title in different contexts.

Steinman was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2012 and the Long Island Music Hall of Fame in 2016. He also received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Amherst College in 2013.

Meat Loafs album "Braver Than We Are", released in 2016, consisted largely of Steinman compositions. In 2017, "Bat Out of Hell: The Musical" premiered in Manchester before transferring to London, Toronto, Germany, and New York. The production combined songs from the "Bat Out of Hell" albums, "Neverland", and other works from Steinmans catalog. A cast recording was released later that year.

James Steinman died on April 19, 2021. His influence on rock music and musical theater is reflected in a body of work characterized by dramatic narratives, operatic arrangements, and recurring thematic motifs that appeared across multiple recordings, stage productions, and films throughout his career.

Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Steinman

Studio albums

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