Meat Loaf "Bat Out of Hell" (song)
Printed From: Top 40 Music on CD
Category: Top 40 Music On Compact Disc
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URL: https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=10253
Printed Date: 03 November 2025 at 10:37am
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Topic: Meat Loaf "Bat Out of Hell" (song)
Posted By: EdisonLite
Subject: Meat Loaf "Bat Out of Hell" (song)
Date Posted: 04 June 2025 at 12:26pm
I just discovered that Meat Loaf's "Bat Out of Hell" (the song) was a single - and edited (not surprisingly) - in many countries, like Canada, UK, Australia, Germany, & Italy. I discovered a 4:53 edit (which can be heard on Spotify on the albums "70s 100 Hits" & "Drivin' Rock". Also, there's a 6:40 edit. The full length version is 9:50. It was even released in the US as a 12" promo (the full length version).
This made me look into any other potential singles from the album (besides the 3 top 40 hits) and found:
Heaven Can Wait (7" promo, US)
All Revved Up and No Place to Go (UK, Netherlands, New Zealand)
That means 6 of the album's 7 songs have been singles (everything except the album's closing song, "For Crying Out Loud".
For one of my favorite albums, and one of the best selling albums of all time, I found this really interesting and never knew any of it until today.
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Replies:
Posted By: torcan
Date Posted: 04 June 2025 at 1:34pm
The singles strategy for that album was interesting, wasn't it?
I found the US promo for "Heaven Can Wait" at Kop's Kollectibles in Toronto in the mid-90s. I was surprised it existed. They were just asking regular price for it so I bought it.
I wasn't aware of the "Bat Out of Hell" Canadian 45 until I saw it on 45cat a few years ago. I think it must be rare as I've never seen it and the song never even charted on CHUM, which was big into the album at the time.
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Posted By: EdisonLite
Date Posted: 04 June 2025 at 7:32pm
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And as rare as the 4:53 edit of Bat Out of Hell is, I'm surprised it's on 2 compilations (the ones I mentioned above). I can't find CDs of either, so they may very well be digital compilations only. Drivin' Rock is a UK comp, but Spotify doesn't indicate where "70s 100 Hits" is from. (Likely, the UK though, based on all the "100"-titled compilations they've released.)
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Posted By: eriejwg
Date Posted: 05 June 2025 at 6:23pm
Gordon, I found that short version of Bat Out Of Hell from the same album you did. I never knew a short version existed up to that point. On Discogs, that short edit is on an Epic Canadian 45 and some UK 45's.
There are also some listed between 6:40 amd 7:20.
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John Gallagher
Erie, PA
Celebrating 28 years as a full-time wedding & special event DJ!
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Posted By: ptgraphics
Date Posted: 05 June 2025 at 7:39pm
It was released as an UK CD single in 1993. I have it and Bat runs 7:22 on the cd single Epic – 660006 5.
This is probably already well known but mentioning it anyway.
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Check out my website for singles cover art at www.artofthesingle.com.
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Posted By: EdisonLite
Date Posted: 06 June 2025 at 1:59am
John, that's interesting that the short 4:53 version was released in Canada, too.
ptgraphics, that's surprising that this 1977 song was released in 1993 (with a different edit that's also shorter than the album version). Maybe this was released after the success of "I'd Do Anything For Love". Does anyone know why?
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Posted By: Santi Paradoa
Date Posted: 06 June 2025 at 7:16am
"Bat Out Of Hell" was a top 15 UK hit in early 1979. That UK 45 edit appears on the 2022 Now '79 Yearbook 4CD release.
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Santi Paradoa
Miami, Florida
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Posted By: eriejwg
Date Posted: 06 June 2025 at 11:26am
I thought maybe there was a shorter version of Heaven Can Wait but the listed times on all the 45s on Discogs that have it as the B site to Bat Out Of Hell is the same length as the album version.
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John Gallagher
Erie, PA
Celebrating 28 years as a full-time wedding & special event DJ!
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Posted By: EdisonLite
Date Posted: 06 June 2025 at 1:27pm
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Out of the 6 singles released from the album, that one clocks in at the shortest - 4:38 - so it probably didn't need an edit. At least by Jim Steinman metrics. :)
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