Meat Loaf - Warner Lost Out On Meatloaf Over 'Enthusiastic Demo'

Warner Brothers Records refused to sign up heavyweight rocker MEAT LOAF in the 1970s, because of his over-enthusiastic performance of a demo song. The BAT OUT OF HELL hitmaker failed to impress bosses with his passionate rendition of PARADISE BY THE DASHBOARD LIGHT, according to GARY MARMORSTEIN's new book THE LABEL. Marmonstein writes of former Warner music president MO AUSTIN, "He was repulsed by the band's in-office performance, which included Meat Loaf ostentatiously making out with singer ELLEN FOLEY during the long Paradise number. It was a catastrophic decision." Austin is said to have green-lighted the Bat Out Of Hell album, but plans for its release were later scrapped. The album was then released by Cleveland International Records in 1977, and went on to sell 40 million copies worldwide. It continues to sell 200,000 copies a year, and was ranked No. 343 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest rock albums of all time.