TV SHOWDOWN: If you saw Meat Loaf...

TV SHOWDOWN: If you saw Meat Loaf recently on David Letterman’s show, you know that he sang his new single, “Love Is a Lemon.” What you don’t know is how Loaf almost was a last-minute scratch.

Hours before Meat Loaf was scheduled to fly from Boston to New York to appear on CBS’ “Late Show With David Letterman,” he was informed by the show’s staff that he wouldn’t be performing “Life Is a Lemon,” as originally planned.

Instead, the Meat man was asked to sing his recent hit “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That)”--as a duet with the erstwhile Larry (Bud) Melman.

Unprepared to make such a major production change on short notice, a source close to the singer says, Loaf refused and was apparently bumped off the show. Loaf’s manager, Allen Kovac, told the Letterman staff that his client would be more than happy to go on NBC’s “Tonight Show” and tell Jay Leno all about his experience. That’s when he got the green light to come back on the show and sing the new single.

An executive of the show confirmed that Loaf was indeed asked to perform the duet, but denied threatening to cancel his appearance if he didn’t perform it.