Blogocentric Formulations

I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)

"The Soundtrack of Your Life"  | Day 27

"I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)"
by Meat Loaf

R.I.P. Meat Loaf

I was never a huge fan of Meat Loaf the way a few of my friends are. I really like "Paradise By The Dashboard Light" and of course the classic I'm featuring today. But he was never an artist I spent a lot of time listening to outside of his hits. I've even been listening to some of his catalogue since his passing and I can't say I've had any new revelations in terms of songs that I just have to add to my playlists. But this one I could listen to on repeat for days.

More than the song, though, I want to devote my entry today to the music video linked above.

First of all, it's a nearly eight-minute retelling of Beauty and the Beast and Phantom of the Opera.

Second of all, it was directed by Michael Bay. Yes, that Michael Bay.

Third of all, the cinematographer was Daniel Pearl, who won the first-ever MTV Award for Cinematography for his work the video for "Every Breath You Take" by The Police, and was the cinematographer on the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie from the 70s. Pearl has repeatedly mentioned in interviews that this is his favorite project that he's done.

The thing that I found most amazing about this video, though, is the fact that the featured singer in the song, Lorraine Crosby, isn't the woman in the video. The woman in the video is actually supermodel Dana Patrick. Although this is Michael Bay we're talking about, so in retrospect I shouldn't have been surprised that he decided to cast a hot model for the female lead. Dana Patrick actually did the same thing for Patti Russo's part in the music video for Meat Loaf's "I'd Lie For You (And That's The Truth)" (which starts out as a continuation of the story from this video and was also photographed by Daniel Pearl), and lip-synched so convincingly that she reportedly received multiple offers for record deals from music executives who assumed she was the one doing the actual singing.

This is one of the first music videos that really got my attention for its production value and storytelling. It's a big, bold concept for a big, bold song, and I think it still holds up today.