Hang Cool Teddy Bear is the tenth studio album by Meat Loaf. It was released on 19 April 2010 by Mercury Records in the UK and by Loud & Proud Records in the US on 11 May 2010, with global distribution handled by Universal Music Group.
The album was produced by Rob Cavallo, and contains songs written by Justin Hawkins, Rick Brantley and Jon Bon Jovi, amongst others. Guests on the album include Brian May, Steve Vai, Patti Russo, Hugh Laurie, Jack Black, and Pearl Aday. This is the fourth studio...
Hang Cool Teddy Bear is the tenth studio album by Meat Loaf. It was released on 19 April 2010 by Mercury Records in the UK and by Loud & Proud Records in the US on 11 May 2010, with global distribution handled by Universal Music Group.
The album was produced by Rob Cavallo, and contains songs written by Justin Hawkins, Rick Brantley and Jon Bon Jovi, amongst others. Guests on the album include Brian May, Steve Vai, Patti Russo, Hugh Laurie, Jack Black, and Pearl Aday. This is the fourth studio album by Meat Loaf not to include any songs written by former collaborator Jim Steinman.
The first single from the album, "Los Angeloser", was released for download on April 5, 2010.
The album was released on CD, Hardback book CD/DVD Deluxe edition, Limited Edition LP, digital and Super Deluxe Box Set. The Super Deluxe edition comes in a booklike box containing two audio CDs, a concert DVD of Meat Loaf live in 2008, a Meat Loaf metal keyring, sheet music for the track "Los Angeloser," and a Meat Loaf Hang Cool Teddy Bear album art print card.
In May 2009, Meat Loaf began work on the album in the studio with Green Day's American Idiot album producer Rob Cavallo, whom he credits with rescuing the project after the initial recordings were made. "I went into the studio with 19 songs and three of them made the record," Meat Loaf said. "Rob said, 'Look, these other songs are for a different album than the one we're making.'" A friend, Hollywood screenwriter Kilian Kerwin, gave Meat Loaf the idea of making a concept album. Meat Loaf and Kerwin discussed the idea of a soldier lying near death on a battlefield, but instead of his life flashing before his eyes, his possible future flashes before them.
Each song presents "a different scenario in his future". Meat Loaf recruited eight songwriters for the album— including Jon Foreman, Desmond Child, former American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi, The Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins, Rick Brantley, Eric Sean Nally, Tommy Henriksen and Jon Bon Jovi. "I didn't tell [the songwriters] what the story was and I'm kind of glad I didn't because it becomes too literal when you do that," Meat Loaf said.
Much of the work on the album was done in July 2009. It was officially completed as of December 12, 2009.
Guest musicians on the album include guitarists Steve Vai and Brian May of Queen, a longtime friend of Meat Loaf, Brooklyn musician Adam Ahuja, as well as actors Hugh Laurie and Jack Black, also old friends. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.
