Chat out of Hell

Episode 5.3 - Cry Over Me | Amnesty is Granted

• Emma Crossland & Sam Wilkinson • Season 5 • Episode 3

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We call back in to see what Diane Warren's been up to this episode, as we listen to the third of her Meat songs in Cry Over Me, before Sammy Hagar barges in with the hard-rockin' Amnesty is Granted. But during all that, we get to answer the big questions:

- How good a video can you make in four hours?

- What was the deal with Bat out of Hell III?

- Is A Very Merry Muppet Christmas any good?

PLUS some exposition about Mr. Blobby, a bit of nonsense about Bill and Ted and how much British people know about A Christmas Story (not really anything).


Keep your comments, reviews and arguments flying in to chatoutofhell@gmail.com, find us on Facebook or Instagram by searching Chat out of Hell and don't forget to use the hashtag #DearA1saucewedontneedyoursaucenowwevegotourown


Chat out of Hell is a is a review podcast: all music extracts are used for review/illustrative purposes. To hear the songs in full please buy them from your local record shop or streaming platform. Don't do a piracy.Music extracts on this episode:
Cry over Me by Meat Loaf from Bat out of Hell III: The Monster is Loose (2006)

Amnesty is Granted by Meat Loaf from Welcome to the Neighbourhood (1995)

Amnesty is Granted by Sammy Hagar from Marching to Mars (1997)

Send us a text

Emma:

What is this?

Sam:

This, is Chat Out of Hell. It's like when your teacher made you read a book and then tell the class all about it. Except the only books we read are about Meat Loaf and nobody's making us except our own weird neurochemistry.

Emma:

Who is Meat Loaf?

Sam:

Meat Loaf was a singer and actor who as a 16-year-old went to see John F. Kennedy arrive in Dallas Airport on November 22nd, 1963. When wondering about how he and his friends were allowed that close, a nearby cop reassured them that nobody would get a gun anywhere near the president, which was technically true. Who is Jim Steinman?

Emma:

Jim Steinman was a long time collaborator with Meat Loaf. They had an on again, off again kind of bromance. Meat Loaf first met him at an audition where Jim was the only person in the room. He later said,"now that I know Steinman really well, I know why he was the only one in the room. He doesn't like anyone to violate his space.

Sam:

Nobody wanted to be near him. Who are we?

Emma:

We are Emma Crossland and Sam Wilkinson. Comedians and hosts of this podcast who have been described as humorous, but lazy in their approach.

Sam:

By whom?

Emma:

The internet

Sam:

was that Anthony?

Emma:

I don't know.

Sam:

Is that you? We've settled this Anthony.

Emma:

Sam, Sam!. Calm yourself. Welcome to Chat Out of Hell. ding.

Sam:

You know how you shouldn't read your reviews? Yes. You certainly shouldn't deliver someone their reviews directly before they do a show.

Emma:

Sorry, Sam.

Sam:

It's all right, Emma.

Emma:

Hey, Sam, how are you doing?

Sam:

I'm all right. Thanks, pal. How are you?

Emma:

Yeah. All right.

Sam:

Good, Good. Any, uh, pod worthy stuff to mention in your life?

Emma:

Nope. Went dog sitting yesterday. Nice. Not dogging, that's different. Dog sitting yesterday for my parents. And their dog was so pleased to see me it spent the entire day laying in its basket facing the wall away from me. As soon as my parents and their friends came home, it was bouncing around like a lunatic. So that was harsh judgment.

Sam:

I feel better about that other review

Emma:

now.

Sam:

So this is Chat Out of Hell, which is the fortnightly in which we both listen to a Meat Loaf or Jim Steinman song and then bring it back here for us both to talk about until we're bored of talking about it. And then we rate it on our patented Meat Loaf and or Jim Steinman song rating scales. So what have you brought this time

Emma:

I've brought Amnesty Is Granted from Welcome to the Neighbourhood. What have you brought?

Sam:

I have brought Cry Over Me, which was on the Bat out of Hell Three album in 2007. And we're gonna start with that one this time. So listeners go away, find your YouTubes or your Spotifys or your bats.

Emma:

Does, this one have a video?

Sam:

It does have a video, Emma. It is rubbish. But regardless, you can find a video for it on YouTube if you so choose. Otherwise, I'll give you a two sentence summary of it, which will basically do the same job. Either way, listeners, we're gonna go listen to it and we'll be right back

Soundtrack:

I want you to cry. Die over me. Even a moment.

Sam:

Poor, sad Meat Loaf. That was Cry Over Me from Bat out of Hell Three, The Monster is Loose, released 7th of May, 2007. Went to number 47 in the UK charts. Gosh,

Emma:

Gosh, it did that well,

Sam:

did that well and did not chart anywhere else. Opinions.

Emma:

Oh God. I think if. Emma from the early two thousands. So teenage Emma had heard this, it would've been the soundtrack to a couple of breakups. That does not mean I condone It's pretty dull. It's a breakup song and it's like, I want you to be as sad as I am.

Sam:

It's a heartbreak song. Written by our old pal, Diane Warren.

Emma:

Ah, it does have flavors

Sam:

it's got flavors of the Diane Warren. Yeah. This is the third of six songs of hers that Meat Loaf recorded. so far we've covered Not a Dry Eye in the

Emma:

house, Uhhuh, which is another heartbreak song,

Sam:

it's another heartbreak song. It is another heartbreak song, but that's more of a big theatrical heartbreak song. Yeah. This is a, oh I'm so sad. this is a moper, isn't it? I'd Lie for You and That's the Truth. Not a Dry Eye and I'd Lie For You are both Steinman impressions. You could not describe this as a Steinman impression.

Emma:

No. No you really couldn't.

Sam:

The other songs she's written for him, If This is The last kiss brackets, Let's Make it Last All Night.

Emma:

is from Welcome to the Neighbourhood.

Sam:

It is. And I Was Wrong from, Couldn't have Said It Better and Unsaid, which is a B side from that album. Diane Warren said of Meat Loaf that"he transformed a song into a larger than life thing. I think that's what made him such a great performer and artist is that when he sang a song, he acted a song." That's just what he said as well. It is.,"it wasn't just singing notes and words. He got into character. You could feel that." And the character that Meat Loaf played in this song was slightly mopey sad man."God, how lucky was I to have Meat Loaf record six of my songs? What a gift. You give them to somebody like Meat Loaf and it's like, fuck man. Yes. This is how that song's supposed to sound. This song I wrote is now this epic piece. And that's what you'd get when Meat Loaf would do a song you wrote. It was just an amazing gift for a songwriter." So that's how this song is supposed to sound.

Emma:

Wow.

Sam:

you wanna talk about the video?

Emma:

I do.

Sam:

The video for people who didn't choose to watch it, Meat Loaf stands remembering a lady run around near the sea while displaying exactly as much emotion on his face as he does in the song. A creepy man who looks exactly like halfway between young Meat Loaf and young Jim Steinman.

Emma:

It's so weird, isn't it?

Sam:

Spies on her for a bit and then somebody else runs over to steal Meat's woman who wasn't even his anyway, because she has her own agency. It ends on a single shot of some seabird sitting on a rock with the feeling that they aren't supposed to be there. You know, like how that Star Wars film had to invent Porgs because the island they were filming on was full of puffins. They kept coming to

Emma:

look at what was

Sam:

going on. Oh, I didn't know that you not know that? That's adorable. Yeah. Porgs only exist because the puffins wouldn't get out of the way.

Emma:

Oh, puffins are brilliant. Puffins

Sam:

puffins are brilliant. Meat Loaf says this video took four hours to film.

Emma:

I can believe it.

Sam:

Oh, I thought somebody must have been slacking off.

Emma:

Do you wanna know what I said about the video? Yes, please. When I watched it earlier I said, the video reminds me of something, an ambitious and moody sixth form media student would produce for their coursework.

Sam:

It very much did have a student drama piece feel to it,

Emma:

I also said it was really underwhelming and that I miss Michael Bay and his explosions.

Sam:

So what is with that guy who looks 50 50 between Meat Loaf and Jim,

Emma:

did they have a baby?

Sam:

Who the fuck is that guy who keeps following? Yeah. Put him in the video. It's fine.

Emma:

he is Jim Loafman, isn't

Sam:

Yeah, he is a very if you are the the 50 50 split between Meat Loaf and Jim Steinman that was in that video, do let us know. Why were you there?

Emma:

did they find you?

Sam:

What's your deal?

Emma:

What's

Sam:

deal? What's your deal, man? This song is from the album Bat Out of Hell Three. Yeah. The Monster is Loose. Yes. Which is a mess of an album.

Emma:

Well, it was supposed to be the next Meat Jim kind of album, wasn't it? And then Jim was never really on board for it.

Sam:

Well, in the on again off again, bromance. That is the Loafman life. This is definitely an off again moment. During initial press for this album, Meat Loaf said that Jim was too ill to contribute There are seven songs written by Jim on the album, but they're all from earlier projects. A lot of'em are from Pandora's Box or Batman the musical. Jim didn't write anything new and Meat said it's'cause Jim was too ill. Meat Loaf said in an interview with Mick Wall, that was Jim lying to Meat. And then it comes down to a lot of legal wrangling over the rights to the Bat, out of Hell name Another one of those things where Meat Loaf at different points says different things. But a lot of the time he claims that he never sued Jim and Jim never sued him, but their respective managements were suing one another and it all gets very school playground.

Emma:

It sounds like the kind of thing that Meat Loaf would write about extensively in his autobiography.

Sam:

Almost certainly. And that's why I've not turned to it for reference because It's okay. Whatever he said in it, he'll have changed his mind about that a couple of years later, anyway.

Emma:

It was written before this album came out

Sam:

Oh, fair enough. Meet said to Mick Wall, in his book, Like a Bat out of Hell"they record companies and people tried to do welcome to the Neighbourhood as Bat Three. And I fought'em I said, no, this is not a Bat out of Hell record. It's a fine record and it's good and you can put it out. It's got songs on it that are good, but it's not a Bat out of Hell record. There's something very different about Bat Out of Hell records. They're just bigger. They're renegades", renegades, According to some sources in later years, Meat Loaf will regret applying the Bat out of Hell name to this album because it isn't, it's just not on the same level as one and two. And there's some good songs on it, mostly stuff that Jim wrote that he then reperformed, but it doesn't have the same feel either. The opening track has new metal elements to it.

Emma:

Yeah, I've heard that. It's weird, isn't it.

Sam:

Certainly not what I've come the Meat Loaf shop for. So this album, instead of being produced by Jim, was produced by Desmond Child. Who is a name, I think he may have popped up already at some point in our conversations. Desmond's a busy old man. So he produced all of this. He's worked with Meat and with Jim in the past. He's got extensive songwriting credits. I Was Made for Loving You, I was made for lovin' you baby. You Give Love a Bad Name, Living on a Prayer. Bad Medicine. Dude Looks Like a Lady. Just like Jesse James. Living la vida Loca. Poison, the Alice Cooper one. How Can We be Lovers if we can't be friends? And that's just the songs I've heard of. For Bonnie Tyler. He wrote, if You Were a Woman, and I was a Man, which was on Secret Dreams and Forbidden Fires, one of the Jim Steinman albums. And he also wrote Bonnie's Believe In Me, which she took to Eurovision in 2013. Which finished 19th. Okay. It's an all right ballad, but it's not remotely Eurovision. And on the night, Bonnie delivered an adequate performance and then, sure in the knowledge of not having to come back again, went off to the green room and got hammered.

Emma:

old Bonnie.

Sam:

Yep. And he also wrote the song Everyone Matters on it's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas movie. Awww.

Emma:

Have

Sam:

you

Emma:

seen

Sam:

that one?

Emma:

Not that I remember. I might have seen it,

Sam:

It's one from the Muppet Dark Ages. Right before the revival. In the mid sort of 2010s and after Muppet Treasure Island and Muppets from Space, it was basically, It's a Muppet Wonderful Life.

Emma:

Oh

Sam:

Oh yeah. But on an incredible made for TV budget.

Emma:

It sounds

Sam:

Whoopi Goldberg plays God in it.

Emma:

Oh, wow.

Sam:

So yeah, Desmond is very much a musical stalwart who's worked in all different genres. He's written written songs for billions of people. And he produced the entire album. Mick Wall Isn't a fan, He asks whether it was Desmond Child's job to recognize that he was working on part three of a trilogy and have a line that you can trace from part one to part two to part three. Meat Loaf's response is,"yeah, you have to have that. You need the line that you can trace, but that can also be a micro line."

Emma:

Oh wow.

Sam:

This is during the press tour for this record.

Emma:

feels like it was a hastily shoved together idea.

Sam:

It's yeah. a money grab. This is our Well, it does, but it's Meat Loaf was 58 when he recorded this.

Emma:

Yeah.

Sam:

And no matter what you believe about the lawsuits, they did happen. Whether that was actually because of Meat and Jim falling out or because their managements dicks. Yeah. Or both. we've talked in the past about Meat's voice falling off a cliff after this record. Yeah. This is his last chance to record something genuinely good. Yeah. So I don't blame him for going for it. And if Jim's not about or up for it, then get someone else. Desmond does a, an adequate job, but it's just not a Jim Steinman

Emma:

no,

Sam:

This is our second dip into Bat out of Hell Three. So we'll have plenty more to say about the Would you like to do a quiz?

Emma:

no, But it's gonna happen, isn't

Sam:

it? Would you like to do a quiz, Emma?

Emma:

Yes. Sam, I'd like to do a quiz, please. And thank

Sam:

Emma. I've got three quotes for you. One of them is not from a review of Bat out of Hell Three. One. Whoever decided it will be a good idea should be tarred and feathered." Two. A brightly lit mess." Three. Has provoked anguished commentaries about just what he stands for." for

Emma:

All of those could be about Mr. Blobby. Which one is

Sam:

that's the twisted web I weave

Emma:

Oh, i'm gonna say that a brightly lit mess is the one that isn't about Meat Loaf.

Sam:

so far on this series, Emma, you are two nil up.

Emma:

Yeah,

Sam:

It's two one.

Emma:

Oh, no. Mm-hmm. Is it the one about what he stands for?

Sam:

That is indeed. Oh

Emma:

Oh Oh. I hate myself.

Sam:

Quote one, the full quote, whoever decided it would be a good idea for Meat Loaf to tackle new metal should be tarred and feathered. Quote two is just straight lifted from an Allmusic review of Bat out of Hell Three, and quote three is from the New York Times

Emma:

About Mr. Blobby?

Sam:

In 1994,"Mr. Blobby's rise to stardom has provoked anguished commentaries about just what he stands for. Some commentators have called him a metaphor for a nation gone soft in the head. Others have seen him as proof of Britain's deep seated attraction to trash."

Emma:

Wow.

Sam:

Yeah. Mr. Blobby went international,

Emma:

He did.

Sam:

Don't have a lot else to say on this one.

Emma:

Fair enough, shall we it then?

Sam:

Yeah. Well, first of all, We'll turn to what the people of the internet think. And they don't have a lot to say either, so I've just got one for you. This is from at SCAT Pack 21. Okay."RIP, old friend. I'll roadie for you again on the other side." Aw. I just want, no. Oh, really? I was gonna call out Scatpack for a needless, humble brag.

Emma:

Just thought it was

Sam:

well, maybe I'm an arsehole. Shall we rate this song Emma?

Emma:

Let's rate it.

Sam:

Okay. So for this song, we are gonna use our patented Meat Loaf song rating scale, which after the adjustment to our patent now runs from Michael Lee Day at the top to Michael Lee Okay. In the middle, all the way down to Michael Lee No Way. For the misogynistic and or horrible songs what he'd done. What's this?

Emma:

It's an Okay.

Sam:

It's a very bottom tier. Okay. But it is an okay.

Emma:

it can't be in no way because it's not

Sam:

It's not of No.

Emma:

it's not rubbish. it's just,

Sam:

rubbish. It's an okay song if I've listened to it a few times in the past week and, sing along to it, but I don't

Emma:

it'll be creeping onto any

Sam:

No. I'm not gonna miss it when I don't have to listen to it a load anymore. But it's not, yeah, it's a Michael Lee. It's okay. okay. Okay. Emma, what song did you bring?

Emma:

I have brought Amnesty is Granted, which is from the Welcome to the Neighbourhood album. There's no video for this one, so go away and listen to it on your device of choice.

Soundtrack:

Bess

Emma:

Amnesty is Granted from Welcome to the Neighbourhood, Sam, any opinions from the Off?

Sam:

Well, it's better, isn't it? It's more what we're here for. I'm assuming it's not a Steinman.

Emma:

It isn't, no.

Sam:

no.

Emma:

It's by a guy called Sammy Hagar.

Sam:

It's by Sammy Hagar. Yeah. Ah,

Emma:

Off of a Van Halen

Sam:

out of off of the Van Halens

Emma:

1985 to 1996. So the post David Lee Roth years. I think it's a bit of a banger. It's one of my. Top songs from that album. And I've listened to it a lot over the years, so I quite enjoyed this. It's been a nice one for me.

Sam:

That's nice. I did see you dancing along.

Emma:

I love it. It's on the car

Sam:

singing along to even the ancillary side words. Yeah. Yeah. One thing it does have in common with Steinman is is that it's exactly two minutes too long. Yes. At four minutes there was a really good out point. Yeah. And they went, nah, let's have a bit more, let's have a

Emma:

Let's just keep going.

Sam:

It's quite fun. I enjoy it. Who played on it?

Emma:

Sammy Hagar.

Sam:

Oh, Sammy Hagar was the

Emma:

guitar. Yes. And also did backing vocals. Nice. So it's, that's why it's got a bit of a, an edge

Sam:

to I think. Yeah. Yeah.

Emma:

A rarity on that album, I feel. Sammy Hagar was really heavily involved in this one. I've sent you A Linky link.'Cause Hagar made it

Sam:

Oh, good. So this is the original recording, is it?

Emma:

Meat Loaf is the original

Sam:

recording. Right. okay. Sammy. And then Sammy did his own version,

Soundtrack:

No one has to give

Emma:

So what did you think of that version?

Sam:

It was shorter. Yes. And yet I still felt it outstayed its

Emma:

Yes

Sam:

Yes It's very wrapped up at a kind of post Nirvana sound, late nineties

Emma:

It doesn't do it for me.

Sam:

No. And I it. There's something on the tip of my brain, which maybe listeners, you'll get there before I do, that tell me now, tell it like it is hook sounds so much like some other song that I can't quite remember.

Emma:

Yeah, I dunno.

Sam:

It,

Emma:

it sounds familiar, but I can't quite put finger on it. Yeah. So I just thought it was an interesting

Sam:

Yeah. Dunno. But yes.

Emma:

Prefer the,

Sam:

from recording. Yeah. Yeah.

Emma:

Cause it's just got a lot of oomph to it.

Sam:

Yeah, I think the Sammy Hagar version. Isn't stripped back enough to appeal to my folky. That side of, oh, it's never gonna be folky, yeah. More stripped down tendencies, but it's not massive enough. they've, I was thinking about the John Lewis ad. Yeah. It's not slow enough to be the John Lewis ad. But they've not turned up enough dials to Meat Loaf it or Spinal Tap it. Yeah.

Emma:

Yeah. I'm

Sam:

talking about turning up dials.'cause YouTube ran an advd for spinal tap

Emma:

know.

Sam:

watching

Emma:

That's

Sam:

for the listeners, not for you.

Emma:

I thought that advert was more on brand than any of the other ones.

Sam:

Yeah, mostly when I play us videos off YouTube, we get stuff like, well, there was an advert for the Norwegian neck pillow before before the preview

Emma:

more on brand for you.

Sam:

Yes. It's but just to remind you guys, Spinal Tap Two's coming out, is it gonna be rubbish? I bet it will.

Emma:

are we gonna go and see it anyway? Probably. So a bit about the song according to Hagar's autobiography, he wrote the song about being able to be with his newfound love away from his ex-wife, Betsy. So, for him it feels like it's a song of optimism and leaving not so great relationship. Far Out Magazine wrote an article called Amnesty is Granted: The Lost Van Halen Song Written by Sammy Hagar. They've said"it's a cry for togetherness, even amid complete disdain and despair" regarding Hagar's feelings for being pushed out of Van Halen. So there's a lot to do with that in this article. And then it quotes the lyrics,"time ticks away, it drifts away," and it says here"leaving empty, shattered moments". But I don't think that's the correct lyric.'Cause when I was listening to the Meat Loaf version it's not shattered moments and other lyric sites quote it as being sandy shoulders leaving empty. Sandy, should sandy Yep.

Sam:

think I was in school with him. I

Emma:

Anyway, that's just an aside. time ticks away. It drifts away, leaving empty, shattered moments. Who said that love could last forever? I'm growing tired of feeling like I do.' Evidently the song tapped into Hagar's experiences with a loss love and himself while in the band, even if it was released as a solo piece"

Sam:

Interesting contextualizing it in the sort of loss of working in Van Halen. Meat Loaf and Sammy Hagar both mourning Creative partnerships that they're no longer in.

Emma:

Indeed. Yeah. It does feel a bit that way. But I too have Mick Wall's book, Like a Bat Out of Hell. And Mick's not very kind about this song.

Sam:

Mick is very into Steinman and Loaf stuff as are we. But I think we're a bit more forgiving sometimes of Meat's solo stuff. Not always. A lot of it is rubbish. But

Emma:

would you like to hear the Mick wall quote that"Six minutes of guitar wank that Van Halen wouldn't have used as a B side." I think's a little harsh.

Sam:

it's a little harsh. It's a bit much, it does remind us that Mick Wall is ultimately a music reviewer Yeah.

Emma:

Yeah.

Sam:

Of the sort that we have discussed in the past. That we both used to be and then couldn't make money out of it. Yeah. The worst people to talk to about music are music reviewers. Yes.

Emma:

Ha.

Sam:

Whereas podcast music comedians

Emma:

we're just lazy.

Sam:

well, lazy podcast music. Yeah. We won't have a whole conversation with you.

Emma:

Nope. The Sammy Hagar release came in 1997 on his album, Marching to Mars whereas the Meat Loaf version came out in 95. So, I feel like you are right when you say that, Hagar's version sounds more like nineties

Sam:

late nineties grungy.

Emma:

It's fine.

Sam:

Yeah, it's fine. It's, do it for me. If that was the version that you'd brought for the review. neither of us would have any discussion about the rating. It would be bottom of the

Emma:

barrel. Yeah.

Sam:

Yeah.

Emma:

Middle of the road. Middle of the road.

Sam:

of the road. Yeah.

Emma:

There's not a right lot to say about it. This was never a single. So it didn't hit like the critic press or anything like that particularly. The people of the internet don't have very much to say but there is one comment that occurred a few times and if you think back to the intro of the song Meat Loaf's version you can play it if you like.

Sam:

I'm just Is full of biddly guitar.

Emma:

shredding guitar. But this isn't the bit I'm gonna talk about. Keep going.

Sam:

That bit is like in Bill and Ted when they're rubbish and then Rufus comes and jams with them and he's an amazing guitarist.

Emma:

Still not that bit.

Sam:

Yeah. But can we talk about Bill and

Emma:

Ted? That's for another day, Sam. This bit Okay. Can stop now. The people of the internet said needs more cowbell.

Sam:

Oh, okay.

Emma:

That was all they've said. literally all. That's it.

Sam:

Yeah. The people of the internet don't often have opinions on album tracks. No. They leave it to us.

Emma:

So what are our opinions then?

Sam:

Is it time to rate this be. Okay. Well, we are back to our Meat Loaf song rating scale, which Emma, as you know, runs from Michael Lee Aday to Michael Lee Okay, down to Michael Lee No Way. This is gonna be a tricky one.

Emma:

is, Isn't it?

Sam:

so we can discard No Way.

Emma:

Yeah. It's definitely not a No Way.'cause at no point is anybody gonna be offended. And also it's not rubbish. Is it top end Okay. Or bottom end Aday?

Sam:

Shall I check the spreadsheet for what else made it to the hallowed halls of Aday

Emma:

Yeah. Because I know how I feel about'Cause this album came out in 95. It was of course part of my youth.

Sam:

Oh, is there a Meat Loaf memory?

Emma:

It's not a specific memory. But definitely Teenage Emma listened to this lot during breakups and thought

Sam:

about what it would be like to break up with someone and then immediately have somebody else that they were going back Yeah.

Emma:

I think I particularly enjoyed the line the lines about love lasting forever. Who said that love would last forever sulked Emma.

Sam:

I can't wait till I'm old enough to feel ways about stuff. Yeah. Adays so far: Martha was an Aday for me, but not for you. Uhhuh. I'd Lie For You and That's the Truth. Couldn't Have Said it Better. California Isn't Big Enough,

Emma:

which is a brilliant song.

Sam:

Thank you to, I think it was Stephanie recommended California Isn't Big Enough. Emma is now obsessed

Emma:

It's changed my life. If I'm ever able to choose walk on music for a gig again.

Sam:

Okay. In purely musical terms uh, this song is better than California isn't Big Enough. But half the songs we've rated Okay are better songs than California isn't Big Enough.

Emma:

California isn't big enough is up. Therefore, we were both in agreement. We And I think We still are.

Sam:

If it wasn't about

Emma:

if it wasn't about it

Sam:

an Aday, but

Emma:

it's about

Sam:

Uh, but Emma is this song about dicks.

Emma:

It's not about dicks. But for me it's an Aday

Sam:

I think it's an Aday as well. It's definitely a step above the sort stuff that we've rated as. Okay. Yeah. Modern Girl, Running for the Red Light, Tear Me Down. Yeah. It's above that sort of stuff. So yeah. This is a Michael Lee Aday. Yay. Ding, Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, Ding.

Emma:

Lovely

Sam:

So that was our songs this episode. What did you think about those songs? Do you agree with our ratings? Do you think we're idiots? Are we lazy? I don't know why I'm stuck on that. It's, it was a good review. It

Emma:

let it go some, let it go.

Sam:

don't do that to a brain. Like, you know, I've got the thing. It's alright. I've now given myself the thing as well. Yeah. Do you agree with our ratings? Do you have anything to add? chatoutofhell@gmail.com like these people have done. Woo, RL Gray's been in touch. Hi RL Hi RL Thanks for tuning in on your big radio. RL has given us some kind words, which I will skip over, but thank you very much. A few notes on our first episode this series"as an incurable pendant, I will be remiss in not pointing out that the notice usually posted on rear view mirrors, at least in the US is objects in mirror are closer than they appear.' Maybe Steinman was doing a playful reversal to indicate that no matter how far back in the past events get, they can still feel painfully recent." Yeah, that's true. I think we did talk about that and then I cut it.

Emma:

I know I spent quite a long time looking for a photograph of a

Sam:

Yes, yes. I So RL: it's only in the US and one of the big pauses we took when we were recording that episode was me trying to research what awful court case must have resulted in American cars having to display this notice.'cause everybody else just has mirrors and we look in them.

Emma:

Yeah. We're, We're fine with

Sam:

it. But yeah, dunno why that is, but yes, you're absolutely right. RL it, is playing with the phrase and inverting RL goes on"besides playing Meat's father in the Objects video, Robert Patrick has also played the fathers of Johnny Cash in Walk the Line and Elvis Presley in the 2005 miniseries Elvis. So he built a sort of mini career of playing famous musicians' fathers, I guess" That's interesting, RL. But as an incurable pendant, I will be remiss in not pointing out back to you that Robert Patrick didn't play Meat Loaf's father in the video, he played Kenny's father. I don't, I know that was delivered so smugly and I'm really sorry, RL.

Emma:

Thank

Sam:

you for writing in.

Emma:

You are beaming with

Sam:

I am, I am, I'm really sorry about. Yeah, RL confirms thanks to Doctor Who and such, I'm enough of an Anglophile to just about know who Mr. Blobby is." I don't remember Mr. Blobby in Doctor Who

Emma:

but Commiserations anyway. Yes. on your Mr. Blobby knowledge.

Sam:

you. God,

Emma:

gosh,

Sam:

we get into some Mr. Blobby chat?

Emma:

If we have to.

Sam:

Did you ever see or meet Mr. Blobby

Emma:

No. Did you? you? met Mr. Blobby. I did Was it all you hoped it would be? I dunno why I'm being mean about this because I, as a 41-year-old woman, get genuinely excited about the prospect of meeting people like Mickey, Matt people,

Sam:

people like the man inside the Mickey Mouse, costume

Emma:

characters like Mickey. Well, so,

Sam:

so I very quick, Mr. Blobby explainer for people who don't have a clue, he started out as a joke character on a Saturday night entertainment show who was like an over the top piss take of the stupidest version of what a kid's character could be. And then kids loved him anyway. And I was one of those kids,

Emma:

as was I at the

Sam:

as was I at the time. Yeah. so the show was called Noel's House Party. It was a sort of Saturday night light entertainment show. There was music and pranks people could

Emma:

Edmonds

Sam:

A man called Noel Edmonds, who we don't have time to get

Emma:

but google him.

Sam:

crikey. that. But that span out into a series of live events called Noel's Garden Party.

Emma:

Did you go to a

Sam:

garden party? We, I went to a Noel's garden party. Oh. There is a beautiful photo in my mum's house of my brother stood in front of a, I guess a pickup truck with Mr. Blobby stood in the back of it waving like the Popemobile.

Emma:

Amazing.

Sam:

I also got the autograph of disgraced Blue Peter presenter, John Leslie,

Emma:

my Amazing. Yeah.

Sam:

So thanks RL.

Emma:

Sam, hang on. I'm not finished here. What was Blobby like in person?

Sam:

Oh my God.

Emma:

it everything you hoped?

Sam:

He was surprisingly down to earth and very funny

Emma:

Would you say witty, erudite. Right,

Sam:

It was like when um, you know, sometimes when you look into the eyes of a, of a, a beloved family pet. Yeah. And you see a soul back

Emma:

you A depth that you

Sam:

uhhuh.

Emma:

you and a connection.

Sam:

Exactly. Exactly. It was like that except his eyes were stuck on and made of plastic.'cause they were big googly eyes and he went"blobby blobby blobby". I don't really remember meeting him. We just have the photo evidence.

Emma:

I'd love to see the photos.

Sam:

I'm not in them, it's just my brother. Also that day there were some men. The only memory I have of that day is getting John Leslie's autograph, which I still have somewhere, I think. Brilliant. Yeah. That'll be worth something one day. And there were people giving away free packets of crisps. And at the end of the day, as we were leaving again I saw two of them stood together, like right next to each other, chatting. And I barged straight between the two of them to see if I'd get any more crisps. And they had no more crisps to And my mum told me off of being rude, which was fair enough. Yeah. Lovely day out. I recommend it. Noel's Garden party, 1994. Check it out.

Emma:

Did you ever visit the Crinkly Bottom theme park?

Sam:

No. And I You know what? Let's just leave that thread hanging. Yeah. RL continues. am curious how well known A Christmas Story is over there. It's practically an institution here, partly because a particular cable TV used to play a 24 hour marathon of the movie every year for all I know, they still do." Have you ever seen a Christmas story? No, I have due to being married to one of them there So it's permeated over. I saw it on Channel Five once. there you go. If you are married to an American RL, you will have heard of it. If you're not, you haven't.

Emma:

we go.

Sam:

It's about some kid who wants something for Christmas and eventually he gets it and it's set in the fifties.

Emma:

Oh, sounds great.

Sam:

It's all right. It's a Christmas Story Okay. So that was RL. And then I just want to go over to a Reddit comment. This is from EZ or probably Easy Pastelwitch. And they say, I'm obsessed with you guys' podcast and binge lessened over a week while having a terrible case of post festival flu. Aw. so nice. It's so nice. I'm sorry you had the flu, but I'm just, thank you for listening. And I would've replied, but I can't remember where the password is for our Reddit account, but thank you.

Emma:

Also, hope you're feeling better and ooh, what festival?

Sam:

Oh yeah. And then Chris, Matt sent us an email which is nothing but praise for us, so it would be massively egotistical to read it all out. Genuinely crying at you guys observations on the videos. Nothing more to add. I just need to keep my oar in as a regular Chris. Thanks Chris. Yeah,

Emma:

thanks Chris. That was lovely.

Sam:

Your keeping your oar in has been noted. And if you want to be among those keeping their A in people keeping their oar in, you can drop us an email chatoutofhell@gmail.com. You can maybe give us your opinion on our songs for next time, and they are gonna be,

Emma:

I'm gonna bring No Matter What, made famous by Boyzone.

Sam:

Who were a, an Irish boy band.

Emma:

Originally from the Whistle Down the Wind musical. Written by Andrew Lloyd Weber and Jim Steinman What are you bringing Sam?

Sam:

I'll be bringing In the Land The Pig. The Butcher is King.

Emma:

a title.

Sam:

yeah, that's off the Bat, out of Hell Three album and was originally written for Batman the Musical.

Emma:

It is gonna be a musicals themed

Sam:

themed episode. Yeah. So listeners, let us know your opinions on those. Give us five stars on your podcast apps. Recommend us on a first date or to the bus driver. It's the same to us. Keep your general Meat Loaf thoughts and anecdotes flying in. Did you see Meat Loaf playing Mario Kart on the SNES? And if so, did you know that Americans don't pronounce the console name as SNES? They say ess en ee ess. What a world. Let us know. chatoutofhell@gmail.com. Anything else to mention, Emma? No. You all right? Yes. Okay. I was just very surprised. I don't we are weird or they are. Okay. I enjoyed that. Good. we'll see you again in two more weeks time for a musical-arrific Chat out of Hell

Emma:

Bye.

Sam:

Bye.