The path that brought the track to Columbia Records was lined with contractual chaos. Meat Loaf routinely asserted across multiple interviews that Steinman wrote the song specifically for his follow-up project, Renegade Angel. Financial litigation between Meat Loaf and Cleveland International Records halted studio sessions. Simultaneously, the singer lost his voice due to psychological exhaustion and severe vocal cord strain. Steinman moved forward alone, releasing his own solo versions of several songs while reserving the crown jewel for the right interpreter.
| Phase & Year | Working Title & Artist | Production Context & Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| 1978, 1980 | "Vampires in Love" (Cast Workshop) | Written for a planned stage musical based on the silent horror classic Nosferatu. |
| 1981, 1982 | Unrecorded Demo (Meat Loaf consideration) | Intended for Midnight at the Lost and Found; abandoned due to label disputes and vocal loss. |
| 1983 | "Total Eclipse of the Heart" (Bonnie Tyler) | Released on Faster Than the Speed of Night; spent 4 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. |
| 1997, Present | "Totale Finsternis" (Stage Cast) | Restored to original context as a vampire seduction duet in Dance of the Vampires. |
When Bonnie Tyler met Steinman in his New York apartment in 1982, she was exhausted by formulaic pop. Steinman evaluated Tyler's raspy range, heavily altered following surgery to remove vocal nodules in 1977. He concluded that her rasp was the only instrument harsh enough to convey his operatic violence. Backed by E Street Band pianist Roy Bittan and drummer Max Weinberg, the session at Power Station studios turned into a relentless, marathon recording event. Steinman produced a seven-minute master that terrified label executives, who demanded commercial edits before relenting.
