Rating: *** (3 stars)
Title: Stoney and Meatloaf
Company: Rare Earth
Catalog: R528L
Year: 1970
Grade (cover/record): VG/VG
Comments: still in shrink wrap; cut corner
Available: 1
GEMM catalog ID:
Price: $20.00
Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, the mid-'60s found Marvin Lee Aday living in Los Angeles. Together with buddy Pete Woodman he formed the band Meatloaf Soul, quickly metamorphosing into Popcorn Blizzard (great name). Unable to make much headway in Southern California, Aday and Woodman relocated to Detroit where they won a job as house band at Detroit's Grand Ballroom. Surviving an ongoing slew of personnel changes, the band became The Floating Circus, before calling it quits in 1970. Returning to Los Angeles Aday won a role in a touring production of the musical "Hair". Naturally, the company's performance schedule included Detroit, where he ran into friend/singer Cheryl Murphy, recommending her for a role in the show.
Rave reviews brought Aday and Murphy considerable recognition, including the attention of several record labels. Among the interested companies was Berry Gordy Jr.'s Motown, which having recently established it's Rare Earth subsidiary as an outlet for rock oriented acts, was looking for new talent. Signed by Rare Earth, "Stoney and Meatloaf" teamed the duo with the production team of Ralph Terrana and Mike Valvano. Musically the set was pretty odd. While there was not doubt Stoney had a nice voice, capable of handling a broad array of material, partner Meatloaf was a different story. Sounding overwhelmed (and frequently out of breath), he simply couldn't hold up his part of the arrangements. Moreover, the collection had a hasty, thrown-together feel; offering up a strange amalgamation of musical styles, including stabs at conventional rock ("What You See Is What You Get"), blues ("Jimmy Bell") blue-eyed gospel ("Jessica White") and Motown-styled soul ("It Takes All Kind of People"). Released as a single "What You See Is What You Get" b/w "Lady Be Mine" (Rare Earth catalog number R5027) hit #71 on the pop charts and #11 on the R&B charts. In spite of extensive touring, opening for acts such as Alice Cooper, B.B. King and Bob Seger, the LP failed to sell. Within a matter of months their business relationship with Motown was over (Meatloaf reportedly getting into a nasty confrontation with Gordy when learning his vocals were wiped from the planned follow-on single "Who Is The Leader Of The People" - Edwin Starr rerecorded the track, releasing it as a single). Stoney joined Bob Seger as a backing vocalist, while Meatloaf reappeared as a solo artist (see separate entry).
"Stoney and Meatloaf" track listing:
1.) (I'd Love To Be As) Heavy As Jesus (Pattie Jerome - Ralph Terrana - Mike Valvano) - 2:54
2.) She Waits By the Window (Mike Campbell - Ray Monette) - 4:07
3.) It Takes All Kind of People (Pattie Jerome - Mike Valvano) - 2:23
4.) Game of Love (Eki Renrut) - 3:50
5.) Kiss Me Again (Mike Campbell - Ray Monette) - 5:08
6.) What You See Is What You Get (Pattie Jerome - Mike Valvano) - 2:15
7.) Sunshine (Where's Heaven) (Ralph Terrana - Mike Valvano) - 3:02
8.) Jimmy Bell (public domain) - 3:46
9.) Lady Be Mine (Mike Campbell - Ray Monette) - 4:44
10.) Jessica White (Mike Campbell - Ray Monette) - 2:43
