The iconic singer and actor Meat Loaf died this week, January 20, 2022, aged 74. The star had a number of memorable and legendary hits under his belt, including I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That) from his sixth studio album, Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell. The song was a smash hit, reaching number one in 28 countries and gaining platinum status in the USA. But the backstory behind the female voice in the song is extremely unexpected.

The end of the song introduces a female voice to the track’s narrative. The singer was credited as Mrs Loud – but in reality, the parts were sung by British star Lorraine Crosby. Crosby is an English singer and songwriter originating from Newcastle. In the early 1980s Crosby laid down some guide vocals on a demo tape for I’d Do Anything For Love. These were originally intended to be used by Meat Loaf to sing his own version of the lyrics.

But during production, he, and his producer Jim Steinman, felt the song was missing something.

Other massive stars were reportedly considered to duet with Meat Loaf, including Cher, Melissa Etheridge and Bonnie Tyler, but eventually, they kept going back to the original demo. 

Crosby later recalled: “It wasn’t supposed to be kept, it was just a demo tape I did. But the chemistry was so good that when we sang together, I think they found it hard to recreate it once it had been done. [Steinman] called me six months after I sung the vocal and said to me, you know: ‘It ain’t broke, let’s not fix it – do you mind if we put it on the record?’ At which point I fell through the floor because I was a huge Meat Loaf fan, I used to sing his songs into a hairbrush when I was 10 years old! I never dreamed that one day I’d actually sing with him. That was incredible.” (sic)

Although Crosby enjoyed the experience, she did call it “terrifying”. 

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Bonnie Tyler, another British star, once described Crosby as “a great friend of mine from Newcastle”. She added: “Meat Loaf was naughty, really: he gave her no acknowledgement on the album but I think her part really made that song.”

Despite these circumstances, Crosby held no ill will against Meat Loaf. After the singer’s death was announced, Crosby said losing Meat Loaf was a “sad day”.

Crosby said the pair were still “good friends” and added Meat Loaf was “like a father figure” to her. She said of I’d Do Anything For Love: “I do believe fate always works out, and the rest is history, the song went to number one in 28 countries and sold 15 million copies, and it was Meat Loaf’s only number one [in the US], and I’m so thrilled I got to do it with him.”

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