STONEY & MEATLOAF - WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET

Released: October 1971

Charts:  US: #71 

Before rising to fame with “Bat Out of Hell”, Meat Loaf (Marvin Aday) recorded “Stoney and Meatloaf”, a 1971 Motown album with singer Shaun Murphy, whom he met during the Detroit production of “Hair”. Released on the Rare Earth label, the album showcased Meat Loaf’s powerful voice in a soul-rock style, marking his first professional recording. The single “What You See Is What You Get,” released ahead of the album, became his first charting hit, peaking at #71 on the Billboard Hot 100. This early work hinted at the dramatic vocal talent that would later define his career and collaborations with Jim Steinman.

The “Stoney and Meatloaf” album featured a special contribution from Motown legend Stevie Wonder, who played piano on one of the tracks. Meat Loaf recalled that Wonder, recording his iconic “Innervisions” at the same studio, offered to play on what he humorously described as a corny song. 

The album, originally released in 1971, was re-released multiple times under the title Featuring Stoney and Meat Loaf with altered track listings, first in 1978 and 1979 on the Prodigal label and again in 1986 on Tamla Motown.