It's All Coming Back to Me Now
Encyclopedia
"It's All Coming Back to Me Now" is a power ballad, written by Jim Steinman
. According to Steinman the song was inspired by Wuthering Heights
, and was an attempt to write "the most passionate, romantic song" he could ever create. The Sunday Times posits that "Steinman protects his songs as if they were his children". Meat Loaf had wanted to record "It's All Coming Back..." for years, but Steinman saw it as a "woman's song." Steinman won a court movement preventing his Bat Out of Hell
vocalist from recording it. Céline Dion
went on to record it, which upset Meat Loaf because he was going to use it for a planned album with the working title Bat out of Hell III. Alternately, Meat Loaf
has said the song was intended for Bat out of Hell II
and given to the singer in 1986, but that they both decided to use "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)
" for Bat II, and save this song for Bat III
.
The song has had three major releases, all roughly belonging to the soft rock
genre. The first version appeared on the concept album
Original Sin, recorded by Pandora's Box
. It was then recorded by Céline Dion
for her album Falling into You
, and her version was a commercial hit, reaching No. 2 in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100
and No. 3 in the UK Singles Chart
. Meat Loaf recorded it as a duet with Norwegian singer Marion Raven
for Bat III and released it as a single in 2006.
A music video was produced for each of the three versions; death is a recurring theme in all of these videos, fitting in with the suggestion in Virgin
's press release for Original Sin that "in Steinman's songs, the dead come to life and the living are doomed to die." This is particularly evident when the dead characters seem to be resurrected in the memories of the main vocalist. Although in the case of Celine Dion's video, the theme is less about the living being doomed and more about a lost love.
's novel Wuthering Heights
, Steinman compared the song to 'Heathcliff digging up Cathy's corpse and dancing with it in the cold moonlight'. In the Jim Steinman Opens Pandora's Box promotional video, he posits that the novel:
In another interview, Steinman expands on his comments about the song being about the 'dark side of love'.
The website Allmusic called the song 'a tormented ballad about romantic loss and regret built on a spooky yet heart-wrenching piano melody'. The torment is present in the song's opening ('There were nights when the wind was so cold'), from which the singer recovers ('I finished crying in the instant that you left... And I banished every memory you and I had ever made'). However, the defiance in the verses are replaced by the return of the 'subservient' feelings in the chorus ('when you touch me like this, and you hold me like that...'); this juxtaposition continues throughout the song.
Eroticism
is implied in the lines 'There were nights of endless pleasure' and 'The flesh and the fantasies: all coming back to me'. The song ends with a passionate, quiet reprise of the chorus. Critics have also identified Wagner
, of whom Steinman is an admirer, as an inspiration. Specifying this song, the Sunday Times said "the theme of Wagner's opera Tristan and Isolde
, with its extreme passions and obsessive love, informs all his best work."
A 2007 article in the Toronto Star
claims that the song was written as Steinman's "tryout" as lyricist for Andrew Lloyd Webber
's Sunset Boulevard
.
. The album featured many tracks that would later be recorded by other artists, particularly Meat Loaf
. Elaine Caswell
was the lead vocalist for "It's All Coming Back To Me Now", collapsing five times during its recording. Caswell has since performed the song as part of The Dream Engine
at Joe's Pub
in New York City
.
For the track, Roy Bittan
performed on the grand piano, with Steinman and Jeff Bova
on keyboards. Guitars were by Eddie Martinez
, with Steve Buslowe on bass guitar
. Todd Rundgren
arranged the background vocals, which were performed by Ellen Foley
, Gina Taylor and Deliria Wilde. The song was released as a single in the UK during October 1989, but only reached No. 51 in the singles charts. In its review of the album, Kerrang!
magazine called the song 'excruciatingly operatic'.
Ken Russell
directed the video, which was filmed at Pinewood Studios
in Buckinghamshire
. Steinman wrote the script, based on Russell's "Nessun Dorma" segment in the compilation opera movie Aria. Scholar Joseph Lanza describes the video:
The girl, near death, is being ministered to by paramedics, fantasizing and being 'sexually aroused by a large python and writhing on a bed that lit up in time with the music, while surrounded by a group of bemused, semi-naked dancers'. When Steinman's manager saw it, he responded 'It's a porno movie!' The two-day shoot ran over schedule and budget, costing £35,000 an hour. Russell and Steinman even designed a sequence where a motorcyclist would cycle up the steps of a local church-tower, jump out of the turrets at the top, and then explode; alas, the wardens of the church refused permission.
The 7", 12" and CD singles featured Steven Margoshes's piano solo "Pray Lewd" (containing elements of "It's All Coming Back To Me Now"), Steinman's monologue "I've Been Dreaming Up A Storm Lately", and "Requiem Metal", a sample from Verdi
's Requiem Mass, all from the album Original Sin.
. Steinman produced the track, with Steven Rinkoff and Roy Bittan as co-producers. Bat out of Hell
and Meat Loaf collaborators Todd Rundgren
, Eric Troyer, Rory Dodd
, Glen Burtnick and Kasim Sulton
provided backing vocals.
In 2008, "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" was included on Dion's greatest hits compilation My Love: Essential Collection
. Live performances can be found in the A New Day... Live in Las Vegas
and Taking Chances World Tour: The Concert
albums.
said Steinman's "fatal absence from the last Meat Loaf record
is finally justified here", and The Miami Herald
said "Dion knocks a couple out of the ballpark... [the song] features seven minutes of Wagnerian
bombast, thunderclap piano chord
s and emoting that would wither an opera diva. Sure, it's over-the-top but it's passionate and musical."
Some other reviews were less enthusiastic. After labelling Dion "a Madonna
-meets-Meat Loaf vocal freak", The Vancouver Sun
called the song "intensely self-indulgent, pompously self-important and mediocre beyond belief, the song just never ends." The Ottawa Sun called it 'turgid', while The Toronto Sun, coincidentally, said that it "sounds like a Meat Loaf reject."
According to the Sunday Times, Andrew Lloyd Webber
told Steinman he thought this song "the greatest love song ever written", and on hearing the Dion version reportedly said: "This will be the record of the millennium."
directed the music video
for Dion's version, with Simon Archer as cinematographer and Jaromir Svarc as art director
. It was shot between June 29 and July 3, 1996 in the summer palace of the Austrian Emperor, Ploskovice and Barandov Studios, Prague
, Czech Republic
; it was later released in July 1996. Castle Ploskovice in Ploskovice supplied the exterior of the gothic mansion. There are two versions of this music video; the full version (about 7:44 in length) and the single version (about 6:00 in length). Both of them are included on Dion's 2001 DVD
video collection All the Way… A Decade of Song & Video
.
The video opens with a man dying in an explosive motorcycle crash, after lightning strikes a tree down in his path. Dion's character is haunted by her lover's image, which she sees through a mirror, and images of them together through picture frames. There are stylistic similarities to Russell Mulcahy
's video for Steinman's "Total Eclipse of the Heart
", to the extent that Slant Magazine
calls Dick's video an update. Dion is seen running alone through a dark, gothic mansion, with wind blowing through the open windows.
", "Le fils de Superman", "Fly", "To Love You More
", and a live version of "Where Does My Heart Beat Now
"; a cassette and 7" vinyl version were also released. Another CD contained several dance remixes, although these attracted negative reviews. While praising its original form, Allmusic said that 'as a dance song, it misses the mark...the final 'Moran
' mix is a little better [than the other dance mixes] because the vocals don't pop up until three and a half minutes into the song'.
has said that, in his mind, the song was always meant to be a duet. It was recorded as a duet by Meat Loaf and Marion Raven
for the album Bat out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose
, produced by Desmond Child
. Raven had been working on her solo album with Child, and was chosen because the timbre
of her voice starkly contrasts to Meat Loaf's. In promotional interviews, Meat Loaf said that "I believe that the version that Marion Raven and myself did on this album is the definitive version."
Meat Loaf cried when he first heard the song, which "is the only time that's happened." He has also said that the song could refer to Steinman and himself, with an array of emotions coming back every time they work together. Referring to lines like 'when I kiss you like that', he said that although "I love Jim Steinman", he wouldn't French kiss
him.
P. R. Brown
directed this video, which premiered on VH1 Classic
on August 8, 2006. There are similarities between the video for Meat Loaf's version of the song, and that the video for that of Céline Dion
, with Meat Loaf being haunted by the memory of his lover. It is structured differently, however, with the story being told through flashback. Shots when Raven's character is alive have a distinct yellow tint, with a darker, blue tint for those after her death. Whereas the motorcyclist dies before the first verse in the Dion version, Raven's crash and resulting death is not shown until the final chorus. Meat Loaf becomes angry with Raven because the ghost of Raven’s former lover appears at a masquerade ball
they are attending (some reviewers have compared this to the Stanley Kubrick
film Eyes Wide Shut
.)
This version of the song replaces the word 'nights' with 'lights', in the line 'There were nights of endless pleasure'. The ending of the single version is different, concluding with an additional 'We forgive and forget and it's all coming back to me now'. The album version, following those recorded by Pandora's Box
and Céline Dion, ends with the female voice whispering 'And if we...', followed by four piano notes.
The track was available to download from iTunes
in the UK in August 2006, two months before its UK release on October 16. The CD single includes the song "Black Betty", with the limited edition 7" featuring "Whore", a rock duet with Patti Russo
; it was also released as a DVD single
. The album version was made available on Meat Loaf and Marion Raven's respective MySpace
sites in August, with the single version being played during some of their promotional interviews, such as that on BBC Radio 2
. The cover art is by Julie Bell
, who is also the artist for the album Bat out Of Hell III.
The single entered the UK charts at No. 6 on October 22, 2006, giving Meat Loaf his highest position in the UK charts since "I'd Lie For You (And That's The Truth)" reached No. 2 in 1995. Critical reaction was generally positive, with The Guardian
saying that the song is "ostensibly a reflection on love, but imbued with the delicacy of aircraft carrier
s colliding at sea."
Marion Raven joined Meat Loaf for his 2007 tour of Europe. She was the supporting act, promoting her Set Me Free album. Meat Loaf introduced her again on stage at the latter stages of the concerts to duet on "It's All Coming Back to Me Now". A performance was recorded and released on DVD as 3 Bats Live
.
in the UK in 1996, released by Almighty Records. Since the release of her duet recording, Marion Raven
performed the song solo, accompanied by herself on keyboards, at many of her concerts. Filipina singer Sarah Geronimo
released a cover of the song on her 2003 album Popstar: A Dream Come True
. Contestants of the TV show American Idol
regularly perform the song. Kimberly Kelsey sang it, accompanied by a piano, in season 2
. Before the listings for the album Bat III
were made public, Meat Loaf performed the song in the 2006 season
finale with Katharine McPhee
. Haley Scarnato
sang it in season 6
, and David Hernandez sang it in season 7
.
Jim Steinman
James Richard "Jim" Steinman is an American composer, lyricist, and Grammy Award-winning record producer responsible for several hit songs. He has also worked as an arranger, pianist, and singer...
. According to Steinman the song was inspired by Wuthering Heights
Wuthering Heights
Wuthering Heights is a novel by Emily Brontë published in 1847. It was her only novel and written between December 1845 and July 1846. It remained unpublished until July 1847 and was not printed until December after the success of her sister Charlotte Brontë's novel Jane Eyre...
, and was an attempt to write "the most passionate, romantic song" he could ever create. The Sunday Times posits that "Steinman protects his songs as if they were his children". Meat Loaf had wanted to record "It's All Coming Back..." for years, but Steinman saw it as a "woman's song." Steinman won a court movement preventing his Bat Out of Hell
Bat out of Hell
Bat Out of Hell is the second album by American rock musician Meat Loaf, and his first collaboration with composer Jim Steinman, released in October 1977 on Cleveland International/Epic Records #PE-34974. Selling approximately 200,000 copies per year as of 2010, it is the fifth best-selling album...
vocalist from recording it. Céline Dion
Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
went on to record it, which upset Meat Loaf because he was going to use it for a planned album with the working title Bat out of Hell III. Alternately, Meat Loaf
Meat Loaf
Michael Lee Aday , better known by his stage name, Meat Loaf, is an American hard rock musician and actor...
has said the song was intended for Bat out of Hell II
Bat out of Hell II: Back into Hell
Bat Out of Hell II: Back Into Hell is a 1993 studio album by Meat Loaf and was written and produced by Jim Steinman. It was released sixteen years after Meat Loaf's second solo album Bat Out of Hell. It reached #1 in the US, the UK and Australia...
and given to the singer in 1986, but that they both decided to use "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)
I'd Do Anything for Love (but I Won't Do That)
"I'd Do Anything for Love " is a song composed and written by Jim Steinman, and recorded by Meat Loaf. The song was released in 1993 as the first single from the album Bat Out of Hell II: Back Into Hell. The title of the song confused some listeners, who were curious to know what "that" is...
" for Bat II, and save this song for Bat III
Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose
Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster is Loose is an album by Meat Loaf, the third and last in the Bat Out of Hell series. It was released in October 2006, 29 years after Bat Out of Hell , and 13 years after Bat Out of Hell II: Back Into Hell .Produced by Desmond Child, it is the only Bat album not...
.
The song has had three major releases, all roughly belonging to the soft rock
Soft rock
Soft rock is a style of music which uses the techniques of rock music to compose a softer, more toned-down sound. Soft rock songs generally tend to focus on themes like love, everyday life and relationships. The genre tends to make heavy use of acoustic guitars, pianos, synthesizers and sometimes...
genre. The first version appeared on the concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
Original Sin, recorded by Pandora's Box
Pandora's Box (band)
Pandora's Box was a female pop music group assembled by Jim Steinman in the 1980s. Some of its members had previously worked with Steinman, in the ensemble Fire Inc., on the album Bat Out of Hell, on live shows and on other studio recordings...
. It was then recorded by Céline Dion
Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
for her album Falling into You
Falling into You
Falling into You is an album by Canadian singer Céline Dion, released on March 8, 1996. It is her fourth English-language album and twenty-first overall...
, and her version was a commercial hit, reaching No. 2 in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and No. 3 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. Meat Loaf recorded it as a duet with Norwegian singer Marion Raven
Marion Raven
Marion Elise Ravn, born 25 May 1984 in Lørenskog, Norway, is a Norwegian singer-songwriter, and former child actress. Her surname is of Norse origin, with Ravn meaning Raven, which she adopted as her stage name Marion Raven as well as her trademark raven logo. She was one-half of the now defunct...
for Bat III and released it as a single in 2006.
A music video was produced for each of the three versions; death is a recurring theme in all of these videos, fitting in with the suggestion in Virgin
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
's press release for Original Sin that "in Steinman's songs, the dead come to life and the living are doomed to die." This is particularly evident when the dead characters seem to be resurrected in the memories of the main vocalist. Although in the case of Celine Dion's video, the theme is less about the living being doomed and more about a lost love.
Inspiration
Influenced by Emily BrontëEmily Brontë
Emily Jane Brontë 30 July 1818 – 19 December 1848) was an English novelist and poet, best remembered for her only novel, Wuthering Heights, now considered a classic of English literature. Emily was the third eldest of the four surviving Brontë siblings, between the youngest Anne and her brother...
's novel Wuthering Heights
Wuthering Heights
Wuthering Heights is a novel by Emily Brontë published in 1847. It was her only novel and written between December 1845 and July 1846. It remained unpublished until July 1847 and was not printed until December after the success of her sister Charlotte Brontë's novel Jane Eyre...
, Steinman compared the song to 'Heathcliff digging up Cathy's corpse and dancing with it in the cold moonlight'. In the Jim Steinman Opens Pandora's Box promotional video, he posits that the novel:
is always made much too polite; it always has been in movies. This isn't the Wuthering Heights of Kate BushKate BushKate Bush is an English singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Her eclectic musical style and idiosyncratic vocal style have made her one of the United Kingdom's most successful solo female performers of the past 30 years.In 1978, at the age of 19, Bush topped the UK Singles Chart...
-- that little fanciful Wuthering HeightsWuthering Heights (song)"Wuthering Heights" is a song by Kate Bush released as her debut single in January 1978. It became a No.1 hit in the UK singles chart and remains her biggest-selling single. The song appears on her 1978 debut album, The Kick Inside. The B-side of the single was another song by Bush named "Kite" -...
. The scene they always cut out is the scene when Heathcliff digs up Catherine's body and dances in the moonlight and on the beach with it. I think you can't get much more operatic or passionate than that. I was trying to write a song about dead things coming to life. I was trying to write a song about being enslaved and obsessed by love, not just enchanted and happy with it. It was about the dark side of love; about the ability to be resurrected by it... I just tried to put everything I could into it, and I'm real proud of it.
In another interview, Steinman expands on his comments about the song being about the 'dark side of love'.
It's about obsession, and that can be scary because you're not in control and you don't know where it's going to stop. It says that, at any point in somebody's life, when they loved somebody strongly enough and that person returns, a certain touch, a certain physical gesture can turn them from being defiant and disgusted with this person to being subservient again. And it's not just a pleasurable feeling that comes back, it's the complete terror and loss of control that comes back. And I think that's ultimately a great weapon.
The website Allmusic called the song 'a tormented ballad about romantic loss and regret built on a spooky yet heart-wrenching piano melody'. The torment is present in the song's opening ('There were nights when the wind was so cold'), from which the singer recovers ('I finished crying in the instant that you left... And I banished every memory you and I had ever made'). However, the defiance in the verses are replaced by the return of the 'subservient' feelings in the chorus ('when you touch me like this, and you hold me like that...'); this juxtaposition continues throughout the song.
- 'There were those empty threats and hollow lies
- 'And whenever you tried to hurt me
- 'I just hurt you even worse and so much deeper.'
Eroticism
Eroticism
Eroticism is generally understood to refer to a state of sexual arousal or anticipation of such – an insistent sexual impulse, desire, or pattern of thoughts, as well as a philosophical contemplation concerning the aesthetics of sexual desire, sensuality and romantic love...
is implied in the lines 'There were nights of endless pleasure' and 'The flesh and the fantasies: all coming back to me'. The song ends with a passionate, quiet reprise of the chorus. Critics have also identified Wagner
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
, of whom Steinman is an admirer, as an inspiration. Specifying this song, the Sunday Times said "the theme of Wagner's opera Tristan and Isolde
Tristan und Isolde
Tristan und Isolde is an opera, or music drama, in three acts by Richard Wagner to a German libretto by the composer, based largely on the romance by Gottfried von Straßburg. It was composed between 1857 and 1859 and premiered in Munich on 10 June 1865 with Hans von Bülow conducting...
, with its extreme passions and obsessive love, informs all his best work."
A 2007 article in the Toronto Star
Toronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
claims that the song was written as Steinman's "tryout" as lyricist for Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre.Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of...
's Sunset Boulevard
Sunset Boulevard (musical)
Sunset Boulevard is a musical with book and lyrics by Don Black and Christopher Hampton and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Based on the 1950 film of the same title, the plot revolves around Norma Desmond, a faded star of the silent screen era, living in the past in her decaying mansion on the...
.
Pandora's Box
In 1989, Steinman produced a concept album, Original Sin, with an all-female group called Pandora's BoxPandora's Box (band)
Pandora's Box was a female pop music group assembled by Jim Steinman in the 1980s. Some of its members had previously worked with Steinman, in the ensemble Fire Inc., on the album Bat Out of Hell, on live shows and on other studio recordings...
. The album featured many tracks that would later be recorded by other artists, particularly Meat Loaf
Meat Loaf
Michael Lee Aday , better known by his stage name, Meat Loaf, is an American hard rock musician and actor...
. Elaine Caswell
Elaine Caswell
-Jim Steinman:Over the years Caswell has sung on demos for composer and lyricist Jim Steinman, many of which have been released to the public. These include demos for the songs "Braver Than We Are", "Vampires in Love" and a minor part on the demo for "In the Land of the Pig The Butcher Is...
was the lead vocalist for "It's All Coming Back To Me Now", collapsing five times during its recording. Caswell has since performed the song as part of The Dream Engine
The Dream Engine
The Dream Engine is the name of a music performance group created by Jim Steinman and Steven Rinkoff, first publicly presented in 2006. They only performed songs written or co-written by Steinman...
at Joe's Pub
Joe's Pub
Joe's Pub at Public Theater is a nightclub that hosts live performances regularly. The venue, which is a non-profit operation, is located at 425 Lafayette Street near Astor Place in Manhattan, New York City...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
For the track, Roy Bittan
Roy Bittan
Roy Bittan is an American keyboardist, best known as a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, which he joined on August 23, 1974...
performed on the grand piano, with Steinman and Jeff Bova
Jeff Bova
Jeff Bova is an American Grammy Award winning keyboardist, composer, arranger and record producer. He has been active in music industry since the mid-1970s, contributing to dozens of recordings by significant mainstream artists like Celine Dion, Michael Jackson, Blondie, Eric Clapton, Joe Cocker,...
on keyboards. Guitars were by Eddie Martinez
Eddie Martinez
Eddie Martinez is an American guitarist, born and raised in New York City, who mainly functions as a session musician. He has worked with David Lee Roth , Run-D.M.C. , Robert Palmer , Meat Loaf , several Jim Steinman projects, and many others...
, with Steve Buslowe on bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
. Todd Rundgren
Todd Rundgren
Todd Harry Rundgren is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and record producer. Hailed in the early stage of his career as a new pop-wunderkind, supported by the certified gold solo double LP Something/Anything? in 1972, Todd Rundgren's career has produced a diverse range of recordings...
arranged the background vocals, which were performed by Ellen Foley
Ellen Foley
Ellen Foley is an American singer and actress, who has appeared on Broadway and television, where she co-starred in the sitcom Night Court. In music, she has released three solo albums but is best known for her collaborations with the singer Meat Loaf.- Early life and career :Foley was born in St....
, Gina Taylor and Deliria Wilde. The song was released as a single in the UK during October 1989, but only reached No. 51 in the singles charts. In its review of the album, Kerrang!
Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
magazine called the song 'excruciatingly operatic'.
Ken Russell
Ken Russell
Henry Kenneth Alfred "Ken" Russell was an English film director, known for his pioneering work in television and film and for his flamboyant and controversial style. He attracted criticism as being obsessed with sexuality and the church...
directed the video, which was filmed at Pinewood Studios
Pinewood Studios
Pinewood Studios is a major British film studio situated in Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, approximately west of central London. The studios have played host to many productions over the years from huge blockbuster films to television shows to commercials to pop promos.The purchase of Shepperton...
in Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
. Steinman wrote the script, based on Russell's "Nessun Dorma" segment in the compilation opera movie Aria. Scholar Joseph Lanza describes the video:
a woman's near-death experience [from a motorcycle crash] is set amid operatic excesses and black leather. In a simulated city engulfed by an apocalyptic blaze, British vocalist Elaine Caswell sings and participate sin a ritual to celebrate the song's "nights of sacred pleasure"... [The soundtstage] is stocked with gravestones, motorcycles, python and dancers (allegedly from the London production of CatsCats (musical)Cats is a musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot...
), strapped in chaps, studded bras, and spiked codpieces.
The girl, near death, is being ministered to by paramedics, fantasizing and being 'sexually aroused by a large python and writhing on a bed that lit up in time with the music, while surrounded by a group of bemused, semi-naked dancers'. When Steinman's manager saw it, he responded 'It's a porno movie!' The two-day shoot ran over schedule and budget, costing £35,000 an hour. Russell and Steinman even designed a sequence where a motorcyclist would cycle up the steps of a local church-tower, jump out of the turrets at the top, and then explode; alas, the wardens of the church refused permission.
The 7", 12" and CD singles featured Steven Margoshes's piano solo "Pray Lewd" (containing elements of "It's All Coming Back To Me Now"), Steinman's monologue "I've Been Dreaming Up A Storm Lately", and "Requiem Metal", a sample from Verdi
Giuseppe Verdi
Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi was an Italian Romantic composer, mainly of opera. He was one of the most influential composers of the 19th century...
's Requiem Mass, all from the album Original Sin.
Céline Dion
The song was the first on Dion's album Falling into YouFalling into You
Falling into You is an album by Canadian singer Céline Dion, released on March 8, 1996. It is her fourth English-language album and twenty-first overall...
. Steinman produced the track, with Steven Rinkoff and Roy Bittan as co-producers. Bat out of Hell
Bat out of Hell
Bat Out of Hell is the second album by American rock musician Meat Loaf, and his first collaboration with composer Jim Steinman, released in October 1977 on Cleveland International/Epic Records #PE-34974. Selling approximately 200,000 copies per year as of 2010, it is the fifth best-selling album...
and Meat Loaf collaborators Todd Rundgren
Todd Rundgren
Todd Harry Rundgren is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and record producer. Hailed in the early stage of his career as a new pop-wunderkind, supported by the certified gold solo double LP Something/Anything? in 1972, Todd Rundgren's career has produced a diverse range of recordings...
, Eric Troyer, Rory Dodd
Rory Dodd
Rory Dodd is a Canadian rock vocalist who has performed many songs written by Jim Steinman. He is probably best known for singing the "Turn around, bright eyes" lyrics on Bonnie Tyler's version of "Total Eclipse of the Heart."...
, Glen Burtnick and Kasim Sulton
Kasim Sulton
Kasim Sulton is an American bass guitarist, keyboardist, and vocalist. Best known for his work with Utopia, Sulton sang lead on 1980's "Set Me Free," Utopia's only top 40 hit in the United States...
provided backing vocals.
In 2008, "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" was included on Dion's greatest hits compilation My Love: Essential Collection
My Love: Essential Collection
My Love: Essential Collection is a greatest hits album by Canadian recording artist Celine Dion. It was released by Columbia Records on October 24, 2008 as the follow up to her previous English-language compilation, All the Way... A Decade of Song . Before releasing My Love: Essential Collection,...
. Live performances can be found in the A New Day... Live in Las Vegas
A New Day... Live in Las Vegas
A New Day... Live in Las Vegas is Céline Dion's first English live album, released on June 14, 2004. It's her 11th English longplay and 32nd in total.-Album information:A New Day.....
and Taking Chances World Tour: The Concert
Taking Chances World Tour: The Concert
Taking Chances World Tour: The Concert is a live album/home video by Canadian recording artist Céline Dion. It was released between April 29 and May 14, 2010 in two versions: English and French, both in CD/DVD format...
albums.
Critical reception
The song attracted generally positive reviews. The Calgary Sun stated: "[The song] is undoubtedly the highlight of her English-language recording career. Dion's over-the-top vocals soar and swoop around Steinman's epic, ostentatious arrangement. Not surprisingly, everything else that follows... pales in comparison." Toronto's Eye WeeklyEye Weekly
Eye Weekly was a free weekly newspaper published in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was owned by Torstar, the parent company of the Toronto Star, and was published by their Star Media Group until its final issue on May 5, 2011. The following week, Torstar launched a successor publication, The Grid.-...
said Steinman's "fatal absence from the last Meat Loaf record
Welcome to the Neighborhood
Welcome to the Neighbourhood is Meat Loaf's seventh studio album, released in 1995 as follow-up to the popular album Bat out of Hell II: Back Into Hell. The album went platinum in the US and UK....
is finally justified here", and The Miami Herald
The Miami Herald
The Miami Herald is a daily newspaper owned by The McClatchy Company headquartered on Biscayne Bay in the Omni district of Downtown Miami, Florida, United States...
said "Dion knocks a couple out of the ballpark... [the song] features seven minutes of Wagnerian
Wagnerian rock
Wagnerian rock is a musical term which likely originated with Jim Steinman, who is quoted as using the phrase in the liner notes of the Meat Loaf album, Rock 'N Roll Hero. The phrase is assumed to be inspired by Steinman's love for the music of Richard Wagner and Phil Spector...
bombast, thunderclap piano chord
Chord (music)
A chord in music is any harmonic set of two–three or more notes that is heard as if sounding simultaneously. These need not actually be played together: arpeggios and broken chords may for many practical and theoretical purposes be understood as chords...
s and emoting that would wither an opera diva. Sure, it's over-the-top but it's passionate and musical."
Some other reviews were less enthusiastic. After labelling Dion "a Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
-meets-Meat Loaf vocal freak", The Vancouver Sun
The Vancouver Sun
The Vancouver Sun is a daily newspaper first published in the Canadian province of British Columbia on February 12, 1912. The paper is currently published by the Pacific Newspaper Group, a division of Postmedia Network. It is published six days a week, Monday to Saturday...
called the song "intensely self-indulgent, pompously self-important and mediocre beyond belief, the song just never ends." The Ottawa Sun called it 'turgid', while The Toronto Sun, coincidentally, said that it "sounds like a Meat Loaf reject."
According to the Sunday Times, Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre.Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of...
told Steinman he thought this song "the greatest love song ever written", and on hearing the Dion version reportedly said: "This will be the record of the millennium."
Music video
Nigel DickNigel Dick
Nigel Dick is an English music video and film director, writer and musician based in Los Angeles, California. He directed the Band Aid video "Do They Know It's Christmas?", as well as over 300 other music videos.Nigel Dick should not be confused with the Australian Dr...
directed the music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for Dion's version, with Simon Archer as cinematographer and Jaromir Svarc as art director
Art director
The art director is a person who supervise the creative process of a design.The term 'art director' is a blanket title for a variety of similar job functions in advertising, publishing, film and television, the Internet, and video games....
. It was shot between June 29 and July 3, 1996 in the summer palace of the Austrian Emperor, Ploskovice and Barandov Studios, Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
; it was later released in July 1996. Castle Ploskovice in Ploskovice supplied the exterior of the gothic mansion. There are two versions of this music video; the full version (about 7:44 in length) and the single version (about 6:00 in length). Both of them are included on Dion's 2001 DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
video collection All the Way… A Decade of Song & Video
All the Way… A Decade of Song & Video
All the Way... A Decade of Song & Video is Céline Dion's sixth home video release. It's a collection of her English music videos, released on February 20, 2001. This retrospective anthology features videos and live performances of many Céline Dion favorites, with nine signature singles and seven...
.
The video opens with a man dying in an explosive motorcycle crash, after lightning strikes a tree down in his path. Dion's character is haunted by her lover's image, which she sees through a mirror, and images of them together through picture frames. There are stylistic similarities to Russell Mulcahy
Russell Mulcahy
Russell Mulcahy is an Australian film director. His work is easily recognized by his use of fast cuts, tracking shots and use of glowing lights.- Music videos :...
's video for Steinman's "Total Eclipse of the Heart
Total Eclipse of the Heart
"Total Eclipse of the Heart" is a song written and produced by Jim Steinman and recorded by Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler for her fifth studio album, Faster Than the Speed of Night...
", to the extent that Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
calls Dick's video an update. Dion is seen running alone through a dark, gothic mansion, with wind blowing through the open windows.
Official versions
Several versions of the CD single were released in 1996. They featured the songs "The Power of the DreamThe Power of the Dream
"The Power of the Dream" is a single by Céline Dion, released on August 20, 1996 in Japan."The Power of the Dream" was written and produced by David Foster and Babyface for the opening ceremonies of the 1996 Summer Olympics. Dion performed it in front of more than 100,000 people, in addition to...
", "Le fils de Superman", "Fly", "To Love You More
To Love You More
"To Love You More" is a single by Céline Dion, released in Japan on October 23, 1995.It was recorded for a popular Japanese TV drama series, called Koibito Yo , and included on The Colour of My Love album re-release in Japan...
", and a live version of "Where Does My Heart Beat Now
Where Does My Heart Beat Now
"Where Does My Heart Beat Now" is a hit song from Céline Dion's English debut album called Unison. It was released as the first single in Canada on October 6, 1990 and United States on November 19, 1990, and in other parts of the world in 1991....
"; a cassette and 7" vinyl version were also released. Another CD contained several dance remixes, although these attracted negative reviews. While praising its original form, Allmusic said that 'as a dance song, it misses the mark...the final 'Moran
Tony Moran
Anthony "Tony" Moran is a remixer/producer and DJ known for remixing popular songs. In 2007, he hit number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart with "Walk Away" featuring Kristine W.-Career:...
' mix is a little better [than the other dance mixes] because the vocals don't pop up until three and a half minutes into the song'.
- "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" (Classic Paradise radio mix #1) – 4:20
- "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" (Classic Paradise radio mix #2) – 3:47
- "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" (Classic Paradise mix) – 8:17
- "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" (MoranTony MoranAnthony "Tony" Moran is a remixer/producer and DJ known for remixing popular songs. In 2007, he hit number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart with "Walk Away" featuring Kristine W.-Career:...
anthem 7" edit) – 4:20 - "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" (Moran anthem mix) – 14:38
- "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" (Moran anthem mix part 1) – 10:32
- "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" (Moran breakdown dub) – 9:09
- "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" (Prophet mix) – 7:04
- "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" (Aphrodisiac mix) – 7:47
- "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" (Amnesia mix) – 7:33
- "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" (radio edit #1) – 5:31
- "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" (radio edit #2) – 6:06
- "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" (album version) – 7:37
Peak positions
| Chart (1996) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
8 |
| Belgian Flanders Singles Chart Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... |
1 |
| Belgian Wallonia Singles Chart Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... |
10 |
| Canadian Singles Chart Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays.... |
2 |
| Canadian BDS Adult Contemporary Chart Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems, better known as BDS, is a service that tracks monitored radio, television and internet airplay of songs based on the number of spins and detections... |
1 |
| Canadian Record's Hit Parade Chart The Record (magazine) The Record was a Canadian music industry magazine that featured record charts, trade news and opinions. David Farrell launched the publication in mid-1981, continuing its printed version until August 1999 when The Record continued as a website-based publication... |
3 |
| Canadian Record's Contemporary Hit Radio Chart The Record (magazine) The Record was a Canadian music industry magazine that featured record charts, trade news and opinions. David Farrell launched the publication in mid-1981, continuing its printed version until August 1999 when The Record continued as a website-based publication... |
3 |
| Canadian RPM Top Singles RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... |
1 |
| Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... |
1 |
| Dutch Singles Chart Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
4 |
| European Singles Chart | 8 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
2 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
8 |
| Swedish Singles Chart Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
19 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
3 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
2 |
| US Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks | 1 |
| US Billboard Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks Adult Top 40 is a variation on the United States Billboard charts... |
2 |
| US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play | 15 |
| US Billboard Hot Dance Singles Sales Hot Dance Singles Sales Hot Dance Singles Sales is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States, established in 1985. It measures the sale of commercially released singles that deal with dance music and remixes... |
12 |
| US Billboard Top 40 Mainstream Mainstream Top 40 (Pop Songs) The Mainstream Top 40 is an airplay chart from Billboard magazine, and is also known as Pop Songs on billboard.com. It was often mistaken for and confused with the now discontinued Pop 100 Airplay chart... |
1 |
| Chart (1997) | Peak position |
| Danish Singles Chart Tracklisten Tracklisten is a Danish top 40 record chart that is presented every Thursday midnight at .The weekly Danish Singles Chart also known as Track Top-40 combines the 40 best selling tracks from legal music downloads and the sales of music singles on either CD or vinyl... |
10 |
| French Singles Chart Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
13 |
| German Singles Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
62 |
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
100 |
End of year charts
| End of year chart (1996) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 18 |
| End of year chart (1997) | Position |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 50 |
End of decade charts
| Chart (1990-1999) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 77 |
Certifications
| Country | Certification |
|---|---|
| Australia Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956... |
Gold |
| New Zealand Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
Gold |
| United Kingdom British Phonographic Industry The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies... |
Silver |
| United States Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... |
Platinum |
Meat Loaf and Marion Raven
In interviews, Meat LoafMeat Loaf
Michael Lee Aday , better known by his stage name, Meat Loaf, is an American hard rock musician and actor...
has said that, in his mind, the song was always meant to be a duet. It was recorded as a duet by Meat Loaf and Marion Raven
Marion Raven
Marion Elise Ravn, born 25 May 1984 in Lørenskog, Norway, is a Norwegian singer-songwriter, and former child actress. Her surname is of Norse origin, with Ravn meaning Raven, which she adopted as her stage name Marion Raven as well as her trademark raven logo. She was one-half of the now defunct...
for the album Bat out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose
Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose
Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster is Loose is an album by Meat Loaf, the third and last in the Bat Out of Hell series. It was released in October 2006, 29 years after Bat Out of Hell , and 13 years after Bat Out of Hell II: Back Into Hell .Produced by Desmond Child, it is the only Bat album not...
, produced by Desmond Child
Desmond Child
Desmond Child is an American musician, songwriter, and producer. He is a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame.-Career:...
. Raven had been working on her solo album with Child, and was chosen because the timbre
Timbre
In music, timbre is the quality of a musical note or sound or tone that distinguishes different types of sound production, such as voices and musical instruments, such as string instruments, wind instruments, and percussion instruments. The physical characteristics of sound that determine the...
of her voice starkly contrasts to Meat Loaf's. In promotional interviews, Meat Loaf said that "I believe that the version that Marion Raven and myself did on this album is the definitive version."
Meat Loaf cried when he first heard the song, which "is the only time that's happened." He has also said that the song could refer to Steinman and himself, with an array of emotions coming back every time they work together. Referring to lines like 'when I kiss you like that', he said that although "I love Jim Steinman", he wouldn't French kiss
French kiss
A French kiss is a kiss in which one participant's tongue touches the partner's lips or tongue and usually enters his or her mouth. A French kiss is a slow passionate kiss which is usually considered intimate, romantic, erotic or sexual...
him.
To me it wasn't a song about romance, it was about me and Jim Steinman. We'd had a load of problems with managers in the early '80s and all of a sudden after five years we started to communicate. After I'd been to his house, he sent me the song, and it was "It's All Coming Back To Me Now". Not the line 'When you kiss me like that', but the emotional connection. It doesn't have to be literal.
P. R. Brown
P. R. Brown
Paul R. Brown is a graphic designer, photographer, and music video director.In 1996 he founded Bau-da Design Lab, which currently operates out of Los Angeles and New York. P.R. Brown is well-known for his album designs for musicians such as Mötley Crüe, Korn, Godsmack, and early in his career he...
directed this video, which premiered on VH1 Classic
VH1 Classic
VH1 Classic is a television network, launched on May 8, 2000. It is operated as part of MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom and primarily features music videos and concert footage from the 1970s through the mid-1990s, though it formerly included a wider range of genres and time periods...
on August 8, 2006. There are similarities between the video for Meat Loaf's version of the song, and that the video for that of Céline Dion
Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
, with Meat Loaf being haunted by the memory of his lover. It is structured differently, however, with the story being told through flashback. Shots when Raven's character is alive have a distinct yellow tint, with a darker, blue tint for those after her death. Whereas the motorcyclist dies before the first verse in the Dion version, Raven's crash and resulting death is not shown until the final chorus. Meat Loaf becomes angry with Raven because the ghost of Raven’s former lover appears at a masquerade ball
Masquerade ball
A masquerade ball is an event which the participants attend in costume wearing a mask. - History :...
they are attending (some reviewers have compared this to the Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick was an American film director, writer, producer, and photographer who lived in England during most of the last four decades of his career...
film Eyes Wide Shut
Eyes Wide Shut
Eyes Wide Shut is a 1999 drama film based upon Arthur Schnitzler's 1926 novella Traumnovelle . The film was directed, produced and co-written by Stanley Kubrick, and was his last film. The story, set in and around New York City, follows the sexually-charged adventures of Dr...
.)
Pandora's Box (band)
Pandora's Box was a female pop music group assembled by Jim Steinman in the 1980s. Some of its members had previously worked with Steinman, in the ensemble Fire Inc., on the album Bat Out of Hell, on live shows and on other studio recordings...
and Céline Dion, ends with the female voice whispering 'And if we...', followed by four piano notes.
The track was available to download from iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
in the UK in August 2006, two months before its UK release on October 16. The CD single includes the song "Black Betty", with the limited edition 7" featuring "Whore", a rock duet with Patti Russo
Patti Russo
Patricia "Patti" Russo is an American singer/songwriter/actress. She is perhaps best known as Meat Loaf's female lead vocalist, touring the world with his Neverland Express band for eighteen years.-Career:...
; it was also released as a DVD single
DVD single
A DVD single is a music single in the form of a DVD. The format was introduced in the late 1990s/early 2000s as a replacement for the VHS single...
. The album version was made available on Meat Loaf and Marion Raven's respective MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
sites in August, with the single version being played during some of their promotional interviews, such as that on BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
. The cover art is by Julie Bell
Julie Bell
Julie Bell is an American painter. A fantasy artist and wildlife artist, she is a former bodybuilder and fantasy model for her husband, painter Boris Vallejo.-Career:...
, who is also the artist for the album Bat out Of Hell III.
The single entered the UK charts at No. 6 on October 22, 2006, giving Meat Loaf his highest position in the UK charts since "I'd Lie For You (And That's The Truth)" reached No. 2 in 1995. Critical reaction was generally positive, with The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
saying that the song is "ostensibly a reflection on love, but imbued with the delicacy of aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
s colliding at sea."
Marion Raven joined Meat Loaf for his 2007 tour of Europe. She was the supporting act, promoting her Set Me Free album. Meat Loaf introduced her again on stage at the latter stages of the concerts to duet on "It's All Coming Back to Me Now". A performance was recorded and released on DVD as 3 Bats Live
3 Bats Live
3 Bats Live is a music DVD by rock singer Meat Loaf. Recorded in 2007 at London, Ontario during his "Seize the Night" tour, it mainly features songs from the Bat out of Hell trilogy.- Track listing :...
.
Charts
| Chart (2006) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Singles Chart | 17 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 26 |
| European Singles Chart | 6 |
| German Singles Chart | 7 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 1 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 21 |
| UK Singles Chart | 6 |
Other versions
In addition to the three major releases, the song has been recorded by other artists and used in television series. A dance version was released by Natalie BrowneNatalie Browne
-External links:**...
in the UK in 1996, released by Almighty Records. Since the release of her duet recording, Marion Raven
Marion Raven
Marion Elise Ravn, born 25 May 1984 in Lørenskog, Norway, is a Norwegian singer-songwriter, and former child actress. Her surname is of Norse origin, with Ravn meaning Raven, which she adopted as her stage name Marion Raven as well as her trademark raven logo. She was one-half of the now defunct...
performed the song solo, accompanied by herself on keyboards, at many of her concerts. Filipina singer Sarah Geronimo
Sarah Gerónimo
Sarah Asher Tua Geronimo is a Filipino recording artist, actress and dancer. Geronimo started her career appearing in children's variety shows such as Pen-pen de Sarapen, Ang TV and NEXT...
released a cover of the song on her 2003 album Popstar: A Dream Come True
Popstar: A Dream Come True
Popstar: A Dream Come True is the debut album by Filipino singer Sarah Geronimo, released on September 11, 2003, in the Philippines by VIVA Records. It was produced by Vincent del Rosario. After winning the grand champion title on Star for a Night, she signed a recording contract with the label and...
. Contestants of the TV show American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
regularly perform the song. Kimberly Kelsey sang it, accompanied by a piano, in season 2
American Idol (Season 2)
The second season of American Idol premiered on January 21, 2003 and continued until May 21, 2003. The title of show was shortened from American Idol: The Search for a Superstar of Season 1 to just American Idol. Brian Dunkleman quit after the first season, and Seacrest therefore became the lone...
. Before the listings for the album Bat III
Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose
Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster is Loose is an album by Meat Loaf, the third and last in the Bat Out of Hell series. It was released in October 2006, 29 years after Bat Out of Hell , and 13 years after Bat Out of Hell II: Back Into Hell .Produced by Desmond Child, it is the only Bat album not...
were made public, Meat Loaf performed the song in the 2006 season
American Idol (season 5)
The fifth season of American Idol began on January 17, 2006 and concluded on May 24, 2006. Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell returned to judge, and Ryan Seacrest returned to host. It is the most successful season to date ratings-wise and also with 18 contestants getting record deals -...
finale with Katharine McPhee
Katharine McPhee
Katharine Hope McPhee is an American pop singer, songwriter, actress, model, and television personality. She gained fame as a contestant on the fifth season of the Fox reality show American Idol in 2006, eventually finishing as the runner-up.Her self-titled debut album was released on RCA Records...
. Haley Scarnato
Haley Scarnato
Haley Suzanne Scarnato is an American singer who was the 8th-place finalist on the sixth season of American Idol. Scarnato announced in an interview in November 2009, her album Strongheart was scrapped after she left her management, but is working on a new album and "Strongheart" was her old...
sang it in season 6
American Idol (Season 6)
The sixth season of American Idol premiered on the Fox Broadcasting Company as a two-night, four-hour premiere special on January 16 and January 17, and ran until May 23, 2007. Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson returned to judge once again, and Ryan Seacrest returned as host...
, and David Hernandez sang it in season 7
American Idol (season 7)
The seventh season of American Idol, the annual reality show and singing competition, began on January 15, 2008 and concluded on May 21, 2008. Ryan Seacrest continued to host the show with Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson returning as judges...
.