Song Of The Day 3/31/2013: Stoney & Meatloaf - "(I'd Love To Be) As Heavy As Jesus"

I don't often stray into explicitly religious material, but it's Easter Sunday, and we're having Meatloaf. His first appearance on record was an R&B collaboration with a woman who went by the name Stoney, released on the Rare Earth boutique label under the Motown Records umbrella. Stoney & Meatloaf was made in the early 70's, an era during which Jesus Christ Superstar rebranded the Messiah as a very hip, kinda new, kinda "wow" martyr. It followed that all pop bands of the time had to have a religious song to sell to budding Jesus freaks and Godspell fans. As far as those types of songs go, this is one of the better ones. The, um, somewhat portentously-titled "(I'd Love To Be) As Heavy As Jesus" shows Mr. Loaf was a richly toned soul singer with obvious raw goods.

Stoney's actual name is Shaun Murphy, and I unwittingly saw her last Friday night at the Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band show in Tacoma -- she's Seger's long-time backup singer. Meatloaf, of course, has become America's most beloved bombast merchant and off-beat film actor, known for his roles in Rocky Horror, Fight Club, Celebrity Apprentice, and making Mitt Romney feel incredibly awkward.