Ellen Foleys new album, Fighting Words, will be out August 6th, 2021 and is a rocking collection of eleven tracks mostly written by her longtime collaborator, Paul Foglino.

The albums first single, I’m Just Happy to Be Here, finds Ellen duetting with Karla DeVito, who, much like herself, was a featured vocalist who appeared on Meat Loaf’s 50-million-selling, mega-platinum Bat Out of Hell period (1977).

Simply put, rocker Ellen Foley is best known as the powerhouse voice behind Meatloaf’s multiplatinum 1977 legendary duet, Paradise by the Dashboard Light.

But Foleys strong, passionate and at times bone-shivering voice, combined with her acting talent and dance moves, has most definitely allowed for a diverse and successful career; something she always dreamed of as a girl growing up in St. Louis.

I went to Catholic school and was shown lots of films about finding our vocation as a nun saving pagan babies in Africa, but it never took, she laughs.

Ellen left St. Louis the day after she turned 21 and moved to New York to study acting. She went on cattle-call auditions and got a few parts on stage, but her first paying job was singing in a music comedy revue in the Catskills.

It was corny with me in false eyelashes and the boys in glittery jumpsuits, she says. I was fired. I was too odd. Thank God!

Ellen started a band called Big Jive and performed in Atlantic City before there were casinos. She then got a part doing more edgy comedy with That National Lampoon Show. It was completely tasteless, sacrilegious, she remembers, and a lot of fun.

During her tour with National Lampoon she met fellow actors Meatloaf and Jim Steinman, who would write Paradise ...

After Paradise ... Ellen received several gold records and awards for her three solo albums (Night Out, Spirit of St. Louis, and Another Breath) which were produced by high profile rock legends, such as Ian Hunter, Mick Ronson, and Mick Jones and Joe Strummer of The Clash.

Her brand new album, the aforementioned Fighting Words features ten new tracks as well as Foleys version of Heaven Can Wait, a Jim Steinman-penned ballad from Bat Out of Hell, on which she had not originally performed.

Indeed, this version of Heaven Can Wait first appeared on the soundtrack to Lies I Told My Little Sister, which funnily enough also featured Foley in a supporting role.

1. Are You Good Enough
2. Be Nice
3. I’m Just Happy To Be Here
4. I Call My Pain By Your Name
5. I Found A Love
6. I’ll Be True
7. Come On Love
8. Fill Your Cup
9. This Won’t Last Forever
10. Leave Him Janie
11. Heaven Can Wait

Opening the album with the drum-led rocker Are You Good Enough and the gently rhythmic Be Nice, next we get the first single, the melodic rock pop bounce of I’m Just Happy To Be Here (featuring the noted Karla DeVito), the country-imbed I Call My Pain By Your Name, and Foleys harmonious cover of Wilson Pickett’s I Found A Love.

On an album where all the titles stand out as a laundry list of self-help-inspired positive affirmations and advice for everyone to grasp on to, next up is the mid-tempo AOR of I’ll Be True which itself is backed by the low key, Motown-esque Come On Love, the beautiful ballad Fill Your Cup, with the album rounding out on the guitar-led pairing of This Won’t Last Forever and Leave Him Janie, coming to a close on Foleys heartfelt rendition of Steinman’s melodic balladry rock powerhaus Heaven Can Wait.

Today, Foley has the same rock n roll energy and great stage moves she did when she was fighting off Meatloaf at the dashboard light. I have seen my share of paradise, says Ellen, and I will continue to do so.

Additional guests on Fighting Words include bassist C. P. Roth (Ozzy Osbourne, Suzanne Vega, Garland Jeffreys), drummer Steve Goulding (Graham Parker & The Rumour, The Mekons), vocalist Ula Hedwig (Darlene Love, Bette Midler), and many other stellar artists.

www.ellenfoley.com