Dead Ringer for Love - Misplaced Pages

"Dead Ringer for Love" is a song performed by American rock singer Meat Loaf and American singer-actress Cher from Meat Loaf's second studio album, Dead Ringer. The song was written by Jim Steinman and one of only two tracks on the album produced by Steinman and Jimmy Iovine.

Song information

The song was originally written by Jim Steinman, Tony Hendra and Sean Kelly as the theme for the short-lived television comedy series Delta House, sung by Michael Simmons. Steinman reworked the melody into the song "Dead Ringer for Love" for the Dead Ringer album, while portions of the lyrics would later appear in his "Tonight Is What It Means to Be Young".

The song was performed live many times by Meat Loaf but never by Cher. There is no footage of Cher and Meat Loaf ever performing this song live together, although Cher appeared in the music video. The song performed by Meat Loaf is available in two live CDs: Live Around the World and Bat out of Hell: Live with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, with Cher's part performed by Patti Russo.

The track was released in the United Kingdom in November 1981 and debuted at number 63 on the UK Singles Chart. It slowly climbed the chart and peaked at number five in early February 1982. It later appeared on Meat Loaf's Hits out of Hell and on some Bat Out of Hell re-releases, and in Cher's Greatest Hits: 1965–1992 and Essential Collection compilations

Allmusic editor William Ruhlmann later highlighted the song. Also, Donald A. Guarisco retrospectively praised the lyrics: "The tongue-in-cheek lyrics tell the tale of a guy who’s realized he cant 'live by rock ‘n’ roll and brew alone' and sets his sights on his ideal woman (...) The lyric devotes equal time to his vampy object of affection". He added that, "This unique blend of vocal and instrumental firepower makes 'Dead Ringer For Love' feel like a long-lost outtake from the Grease soundtrack on steroids."

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Chart (1981/1982)	Peak position
Australian Singles (Kent Music Report)	65
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)	33
Ireland (IRMA)	2
Netherlands (Single Top 100)	39
Spain Top 40 Radio	17
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)	16
UK Singles (OCC)	5

Year-end charts

Chart (1982)	Position
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)	48

Certifications

Certifications for "Dead Ringer for Love"
Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) digital, sales since 2004	Gold	400,000
United Kingdom (BPI) physical release, sales in 1981	Silver	250,000
Shipments figures based on certification alone. Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

"BPI".
"Meat Loaf's 10 Best Songs: Critic's Picks". Billboard.
Review by Allmusic, Retrieved 15 October 2013
Song review by Allmusic Retrieved October 15, 2013
Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 61. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
"Meat Loaf – Dead Ringer for Love" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
"The Irish Charts – Search Results – Dead Ringer for Love". Irish Singles Chart.
"Meat Loaf – Dead Ringer for Love" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
Fernando Salaverri (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
"Meat Loaf – Dead Ringer for Love". Singles Top 100.
"Meat Loaf: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
"UK Singles (Official Charts Company) 1982 - Year End". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
"British single certifications – Meat Loaf and Cher – Dead Ringer for Love". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
"British single certifications – Meat Loaf and Cher – Dead Ringer for Love". British Phonographic Industry.

v t e Meat Loaf
Studio albums	Bat Out of Hell (1977) Dead Ringer (1981) Midnight at the Lost and Found (1983) Bad Attitude (1984) Blind Before I Stop (1986) Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell (1993) Welcome to the Neighbourhood (1995) Couldn't Have Said It Better (2003) Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose (2006) Hang Cool Teddy Bear (2010) Hell in a Handbasket (2011) Braver Than We Are (2016)
Live albums	Live at Wembley (1987) Live Around the World (1996) VH1: Storytellers (1999) Bat Out of Hell: Live with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (2004) 3 Bats Live (2008)
Compilations	Hits Out of Hell (1985) Heaven & Hell (1989) The Very Best of Meat Loaf (1998)
Other albums	Stoney & Meatloaf (1971) Free-for-All (1976)
Videography	Hits Out of Hell Bat Out of Hell II: Picture Show VH1: Storytellers To Hell and Back: The Meat Loaf Story Bat Out of Hell: Live with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra 3 Bats Live Meat Loaf: In Search of Paradise
Tours	The Seize the Night Tour (2006–07) The Casa de Carne Tour (2008) Guilty Pleasure Tour (2011) Mad, Mad World Tour (2012) Last at Bat Tour (2013)
Singles	"What You See Is What You Get" "You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth" "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" "Two Out of Three Ain't Bad" "Bat Out of Hell" "I'm Gonna Love Her for Both of Us" "Dead Ringer for Love" "Read 'Em and Weep" "In Europe '82" "If You Really Want To" "Razor's Edge" "Midnight at the Lost and Found" "Modern Girl" "Nowhere Fast" "Rock 'n' Roll Mercenaries" "Blind Before I Stop" "Special Girl" "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" "Life Is a Lemon and I Want My Money Back" "Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through" "Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are" "I'd Lie for You (And That's the Truth)" "Not a Dry Eye in the House" "Runnin' for the Red Light (I Gotta Life)" "A Kiss Is a Terrible Thing to Waste" "Is Nothing Sacred" "Did I Say That?" "Couldn't Have Said It Better" "Man of Steel" "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" "Cry Over Me" "Los Angeloser"
Related	Discography Jim Steinman Neverland Express Stoney & Meatloaf Ted Nugent Pearl Aday To Hell and Back

v t e Cher singles
1960s singles	"All I Really Want to Do" "Where Do You Go" "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)" "Alfie" "I Feel Something in the Air" "Sunny" "Behind the Door" "Mama (When My Dollies Have Babies)" "Hey Joe" "You Better Sit Down Kids" "The Click Song" "Take Me for a Little While" "Yours Until Tomorrow" "Chastity's Song (Band of Thieves)" "I Walk on Guilded Splinters" "For What It's Worth"
1970s singles	"Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves" "The Way of Love" "Living in a House Divided" "Don't Hide Your Love" "Am I Blue?" "Half-Breed" "Dark Lady" "Train of Thought" "I Saw a Man and He Danced with His Wife" "Rescue Me" "Geronimo's Cadillac" "Long Distance Love Affair" "Pirate" "War Paint and Soft Feathers" "Take Me Home" "Wasn't It Good" "It's Too Late to Love Me Now" "Hell on Wheels"
1980s singles	"I Paralyze" "I Found Someone" "We All Sleep Alone" "Skin Deep" "After All" "If I Could Turn Back Time" "Just Like Jesse James"
1990s singles	"Heart of Stone" "You Wouldn't Know Love" "Baby I'm Yours" "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)" "Love and Understanding" "Save Up All Your Tears" "Love Hurts" "Could've Been You" "When Lovers Become Strangers" "Oh No Not My Baby" "Whenever You're Near" "Many Rivers to Cross" "Walking in Memphis" "One by One" "Not Enough Love in the World" "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" "Paradise Is Here" "Believe" "Strong Enough" "All or Nothing" "Dov'è l'amore"
2000s singles	"The Music's No Good Without You" "Song for the Lonely" "Alive Again" "A Different Kind of Love Song" "When the Money's Gone" "Love One Another"
2010s singles	"You Haven't Seen the Last of Me" "Woman's World" "I Hope You Find It" "Take It Like a Man" "I Walk Alone" "Fernando" "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" "SOS"
2020s singles	"Chiquitita" "DJ Play a Christmas Song"
Promotional singles	"Ringo, I Love You" "Superstar" "Classified 1A" "Carousel Man" "Holdin' Out for Love" "Bad Love" "Rudy" "Bang Bang" "Main Man" "Human" "Sirens" "Ooga Boo" "One of Us"
Other songs	"Our Day Will Come" "Fernando" "Dressed to Kill"
Guest singles	"A Love Like Yours (Don't Come Knocking Everyday)" "Dead Ringer for Love" "I Got You Babe" "It Ain't Necessarily So" "Love Can Build a Bridge" "Più che puoi" "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" "Stop Crying Your Heart Out"
Category

Categories: