Bad Attitude is the fourth studio album by American singer Meat Loaf, released in November 1984. Recorded in Britain, it features two songs by Jim Steinman, both previously recorded, and a duet with Roger Daltrey. According to Meat Loaf's autobiography, he approached Steinman about writing the entire album, but waiting for new songs wound up taking so long that Meat Loaf recorded two previously released Steinman songs and moved on with other writers.[8] The album concentrates more on the hard rock side of Meat Loaf, was a minor success around the globe and contained a few hit singles, the most successful being "Modern Girl".
| Bad Attitude | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | November 2, 1984 (UK)[1] April 1985 (US) | |||
| Recorded | April–August 1984 | |||
| Genre | Hard rock | |||
| Length | 39:18 | |||
| Label | Arista (Europe) RCA (US) | |||
| Producer | Alan Shacklock (original recordings), Paul Jacobs, Meat Loaf, Mack | |||
| Meat Loaf chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Bad Attitude | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [6] |
| Smash Hits | 6/10[7] |
The US release in April 1985 from RCA Records features a slightly different track order as well as alternate mixes for some songs. The 1993 CD reissue for the USA and Canada keeps the different track order but has the same mixes as the UK/Europe version.
The 30th anniversary reissue by Cherry Red Records, released in 2014, contains only the original UK track order and mixes.[9]
Track listing
editUK/Europe version
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Bad Attitude" | Sarah Durkee, Paul Jacobs | 4:44 |
| 2. | "Modern Girl" | Durkee, Jacobs | 4:24 |
| 3. | "Nowhere Fast" | Jim Steinman | 5:12 |
| 4. | "Surf's Up" | Jim Steinman | 4:23 |
| 5. | "Piece of the Action" | Durkee, Jacobs | 4:15 |
| 6. | "Jumpin' the Gun" | Durkee, Jacobs | 3:12 |
| 7. | "Cheatin' in Your Dreams" | John Parr | 4:08 |
| 8. | "Don't Leave Your Mark on Me" | Julia Downes, Parr | 4:07 |
| 9. | "Sailor to a Siren" | Durkee, Jacobs | 4:40 |
1985 US version
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Bad Attitude" (Duet with Roger Daltrey) | Durkee, Jacobs | 4:55 |
| 2. | "Modern Girl" (Duet with Clare Torry) | Durkee, Jacobs | 4:28 |
| 3. | "Nowhere Fast" | Steinman | 5:13 |
| 4. | "Surf's Up" | Steinman | 4:46 |
| 5. | "Piece of the Action" | Durkee, Jacobs | 4:02 |
| 6. | "Jumpin' the Gun" (Duet with Zee Carling) | Durkee, Jacobs | 3:13 |
| 7. | "Sailor to a Siren" | Durkee, Jacobs | 5:05 |
| 8. | "Don't Leave Your Mark on Me" | Downes, Parr | 4:08 |
| 9. | "Cheatin' in Your Dreams" | Parr | 4:16 |
Personnel
editProduction (US release only)
edit- Meat Loaf, Paul Jacobs, Bob Kulick — remixing (1, 2, 4, 5, 7)
- Harvey Goldberg — remixing (1, 2, 7)
- Josh Abbey — remixing (4)
- Tony Taverner — remixing (5)
- Mack — remixing (6)
- Simon Sullivan — extra recordings
Arrangements
edit- Paul Buckmaster, Paul Jacobs — string arrangements
Band
edit- All track numbers based on UK ordering. Adjust according to US release as necessary when referring to list above.
- Meat Loaf — lead vocals
- Bob Kulick — guitars
- Paul Vincent — guitars (4, 6)
- John Siegler — bass
- Mo Foster — bass (5)
- Paul Jacobs — piano, keyboards, backing vocals
- Steve Rance — Fairlight programming
- Ronnie Asprey — saxophone (7)
- Wells Kelly — drums, percussion, backing vocals
- Curt Cress — drums (4)
- Frank Ricotti — percussion (3, 6)
- Roger Daltrey — additional lead vocals (1)
- Clare Torry — additional lead vocals (2), backing vocals
- Zee Carling — additional lead vocals (6)
- Stephanie de Sykes — backing vocals
Singles
editin Europe, "Modern Girl" (UK #17), "Nowhere Fast" (UK #67), and "Piece of the Action" (UK #47) were released as singles with extended mixes and exclusive songs: "Take a Number", "Stand by Me" (a Ben E. King cover) and "Clap Your Hands". The latter two songs were recorded during the sessions for the Rocky Horror Picture Show soundtrack. "Surf's Up" was released as a US single and "Sailor to a Siren" was released as a double A-side with "Modern Girl".
Charts
edit| Chart (1984–1985) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[10] | 42 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[11] | 24 |
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[12] | 36 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[13] | 8 |
| US Billboard 200[14] | 74 |
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[15] | Gold | 100,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
edit- ^ "BPI certifications for Meat Loaf".
- ^ "Meat Loaf singles".
- ^ "Meat Loaf singles".
- ^ "Music Week" (PDF).
- ^ "FMQB" (PDF). p. 28.
- ^ Allmusic review
- ^ Cranna, Ian (8–21 November 1984). "Albums: Meat Loaf – Bad Attitude (Arista)". Smash Hits. Vol. 6, no. 22. Peterborough: EMAP National Publications, Ltd. p. 23. ISSN 0260-3004. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
- ^ A version of "Nowhere Fast" with alternate lyrics appears in the movie Streets of Fire, performed by the band Fire Inc.
- ^ "Give Me the Future: Hear No Evil Label Reissues Meat Loaf's "Bad Attitude" for 30th Anniversary - the Second Disc". 28 May 2014.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, New South Wales: Australian Chart Book. p. 196. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Meat Loaf – Bad Attitude" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Meat Loaf – Bad Attitude". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
- ^ "Meat Loaf Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
- ^ "British album certifications – Meat Loaf – Bad Attitude". British Phonographic Industry.