"A Kiss Is a Terrible Thing to Waste" is a song from the 1996 musical Whistle Down the Wind

Whistle Down the Wind (musical)

Whistle Down the Wind is a musical based on the 1961 film Whistle Down the Wind with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Jim Steinman, known for his work with Meat Loaf and Bonnie Tyler.-Stage Premiere:...

, and was covered by Meat Loaf

Meat Loaf

Michael Lee Aday , better known by his stage name, Meat Loaf, is an American hard rock musician and actor...

, with guest vocals by Bonnie Tyler

Bonnie Tyler

Bonnie Tyler is a Welsh singer, most notable for her hits in the 1970s and 1980s including "It's a Heartache", "Holding Out for a Hero" and "Total Eclipse of the Heart".-Early life:...

, for the 1998 compilation album The Very Best of Meat Loaf

The Very Best of Meat Loaf

The Very Best of Meat Loaf is a 1998 album spanning the first 21 years of Meat Loaf's recording career. Although not reaching the top ten in the UK, it recently went platinum, and was already platinum around the rest of the world just after its release...

. The music was composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber

Andrew Lloyd Webber

Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre.Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of...

, and the lyrics were written by Jim Steinman

Jim Steinman

James Richard "Jim" Steinman is an American composer, lyricist, and Grammy Award-winning record producer responsible for several hit songs. He has also worked as an arranger, pianist, and singer...

. Steinman also produced the Meat Loaf version of the song, which was mixed by Frank Filipetti

Frank Filipetti

Frank Filipetti is a music producer, engineer and mixer who was born in Bristol, Connecticut. He was one of the first engineers to embrace digital...

 and arranged by Steinman, Lloyd Webber and Roy Bittan

Roy Bittan

Roy Bittan is an American keyboardist, best known as a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, which he joined on August 23, 1974...

, with orchestral arrangements by Lloyd Webber and David Cullen

David Cullen

David Cullen is a former basketball player who currently assists the organisation Crossover Basketball with its work in Northern Ireland...

.

Reception

Bob Gajarsky of Consumable Online said that "A Kiss Is A Terrible Thing To Waste", brings together all of the elements fans love (or hate) about the full-fledged productions behind [Jim] Steinman and Meat Loaf in yet another seven-and-a-half minute epic."

Personnel

Lead Vocals - Meat Loaf

Guest Vocals - Bonnie Tyler

Guitars - Eddie Martinez

Eddie Martinez

Eddie Martinez is an American guitarist, born and raised in New York City, who mainly functions as a session musician. He has worked with David Lee Roth , Run-D.M.C. , Robert Palmer , Meat Loaf , several Jim Steinman projects, and many others...

 

Solo Guitar - Clem Clempson

Bass, Backing Vocals - Kasim Sulton

Kasim Sulton

Kasim Sulton is an American bass guitarist, keyboardist, and vocalist. Best known for his work with Utopia, Sulton sang lead on 1980's "Set Me Free," Utopia's only top 40 hit in the United States...

 

Acoustic Piano - Roy Bittan

Roy Bittan

Roy Bittan is an American keyboardist, best known as a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, which he joined on August 23, 1974...

 

Drums - Kenny Aronoff

Kenny Aronoff

Kenny Aronoff is an American drummer. He has played drums for many musicians, including John Mellencamp, Bob Seger, Belinda Carlisle, Elton John, John Fogerty, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Meat Loaf, The BoDeans, Gregg Alexander, The Smashing Pumpkins, Tony Iommi, Jon Bon Jovi, Vasco Rossi, Cinderella and...

 

Orchestra Conducted by Mike Reed

Mike Reed

Professor G. Mike Reed is an American computer scientist and Director of UNU/IIST, Macau, part of the United Nations University since 2005. Previously he was at the Oxford University Computing Laboratory where he was also a Fellow in Computation of St Edmund Hall, Oxford...

 

Backing Vocals - Glen Burtnick, Keith Murrell

"If Only's": Cathy Porter