
Written by Phil Ashdown
On 14th April 1980 Iron maiden released their highly anticipated eponymous debut album. Buoyed by the success of the Running Free single reaching No 34 on the UK charts and a performance on BBC’s Top Of The Pops, for which the band refused to mime, insisting on playing live they were finally ready to let the record buying public hear what all the fuss was about.
Maiden had toured solidly throughout the UK on the Metal For Muthas tour and had built up a solid reputation as an excellent live band. They were even offered a support slot on Judas Priest’s British Steel tour (Priest’s British Steel LP was released on the same day) and some claimed that Priest had to considerably raise their game having to follow Maiden onto the stage.
The album contained eight tracks, picked from songs mainly written by Steve Harris that had been honed to perfection by the band on the road. It is produced by Wil Malone whom the band have since claimed lacked interest, effectively leaving the young band to produce it themselves. Steve Harris claims it took only thirteen days to complete at Kingsway Studios in West London during January, with the band taking time out from touring to complete the mixing process at Morgan Studios in West London in February. Earlier efforts in December 1979 with Guy Edwards and The Sweet’s Andy Scott both ended in failure, particularly when Scott insisted on Harris playing the bass with a pick instead of his natural way of using his fingers!
Despite the band’s criticism of the overall sound and production it was met with critical and commercial success, reaching No4 on the UK album charts. Geoff Barton, reviewing the album in Sounds said, “Heavy metal for the ’80s, its blinding speed and rampant ferocity making most plastic heavy rock tracks from the ’60s and ’70s sound sloth-like and funeral-dirgey by comparison.”
This was to be the only studio album with guitarist Dennis Stratton who was dismissed after a European tour supporting Kiss. The reason was given as “musical differences” due to alleged claims that Sratton added harmony guitars and backing vocals to the track Phantom Of The Opera which were promptly removed by the band.
They were soon back on the road on the Iron Maiden Tour which included their first headline dates in mainland Europe. They were shocked to find how popular the band were in places like Leiden in Holland with fans getting the message by word-of-mouth in these pre-internet days.
Another single, Sanctuary, was released on 23 May. It featured a recording made during the album sessions and was never intended to be included on the LP. The B-side included two live recordings from London’s famous Marquee, Drifter – which would be included on the next album and a cover of Montrose’s I’ve Got The Fire. It entered the UK charts at No33 before peaking at No29 a week later. The cover artwork caused controversy as it showed band mascot Eddie, wielding a bloodied knife, standing over the body of then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. At the suggestion of band manager Rod Smallwood EMI released two versions of the single, one with Thatcher’s face censored as a way to gain more press coverage. This proved successful with the Daily Mirror running a story about the single and publishing the uncensored artwork.
Tracks on the album include the 7-minute “Phantom of the Opera” which is one of Harris’s favourites and is still performed live relatively frequently. With lots of mood and time-changes, Harris marks it as “the first song I’d written that was a bit more proggy” “Transylvania” is an instrumental piece composed by Harris, Iron Maiden is the only song played at every Maiden show and normally involves a giant Eddie rising from behind the drumkit. Charlotte The Harlot is written by guitarist Dave Murray and on Running Free and Remember Tomorrow, Harris collaborated with singer Paul Di’Anno.
Of all the album’s songs, “Phantom of the Opera”, “Running Free”, “Sanctuary” and “Iron Maiden” are the most frequently played in the band’s concert tours. All of the album’s songs, excluding “Strange World”, have been recorded with Bruce Dickinson on vocals, either on live albums, studio B-Sides or both
- Prowler
- Remember Tomorrow
- Running Free
- Phantom Of The Opera
- Transylvania
- Strange World
- Charlotte The Harlot
- Iron Maiden
On release the album received immediate critical acclaim, with Geoff Barton, reviewing the album in Sounds, writing, “Heavy metal for the ’80s, its blinding speed and rampant ferocity making most plastic heavy rock tracks from the ’60s and ’70s sound sloth-like and funeral-dirgey by comparison.”
To promote the second part of the Iron Maiden Tour the band entered the studio to record a cover of Australian band Skyhooks’ Women In Uniform. Steve Harris was not keen on the idea of doing a cover but when producer Tony Platt got involved, as he had worked with AC/DC Harris agreed. The idea had been suggested by the band’s publishers, Zomba and it turned out that Platt and guitarist Dennis Stratton had been tampering with the song’s mix and had been told by Zomba to get a hit single. Harris sacked Platt and mixed the song himself. The single was released on 27 October and peaked at No35 in the UK charts. They also shot a video that was filmed at London’s Rainbow theatre and directed by Doug Smith.
Again, the artwork was created by Derek Riggs and featured Eddie arm-in-arm with two young women (in uniform) with Margaret Thatcher waiting round a corner with a sub machine gun. Again it was intended as a tongue-in-cheek joke but even prompted a demonstration at Maiden’s show at Leeds University on 22 November.
ALBUM TRACKLISTING
- Prowler
- Remember Tomorrow
- Running Free
- Phantom Of The Opera
- Transylvania
- Strange World
- Charlotte The Harlot
- Iron Maiden
ALBUM LINE-UP
Steve Harris – Bass
Paul Di’Anno – Vocals
Dave Murray – Guitar
Dennis Stratton – Guitar
Clive Burr – Drums
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- Iron Maiden - Running Free - UK - 7" vinyl - £15.00, $18.90, €17.70 (New Item) (arrived 26-May-2022 14:47)on May 26, 2022 at 11:55 pm
IRON MAIDEN Running Free (Classic original 1980 UK 7" vinyl single with intact four prong centre and Eddie picture labels, also includes Burning Ambition, housed in a plain die-cut paper sleeve. The vinyl remains excellent with only a few light surface scuffs. An ideal play copy EMI5032)
- Iron Maiden - The Number Of The Beast - Red Vinyl + P/S - EX - UK - 7" vinyl - £35.00, $44.10, €41.30 (New Item) (arrived 26-May-2022 14:45)on May 26, 2022 at 11:55 pm
IRON MAIDEN The Number Of The Beast (1982 UK limited edition 7" single pressed on Red Vinyl with picture labels and intact four prong centre, also including Remember Tomorrow recorded live in Italy. Housedin a paper picture sleeve which features the classic image of Eddie holding the decapitated head of Satan. The sleeve has some minor general wear to the edges and some light ringwear, whilst the vinyl shows only light signs of play. A nice example at an advantageous price EMI5287)
- Iron Maiden - Run To The Hills - UK - 7" picture disc - £25.00, $31.50, €29.50 (New Item) (arrived 26-May-2022 14:43)on May 26, 2022 at 11:55 pm
IRON MAIDEN Run To The Hills (1982 UK limited edition 7" Picture Disc single, also including Total Eclipse, one of the group's best songs & only available as the B-side on this single & the Japanese edition of the 'Number Of The Beast'album [later added to the reissue CD]. The disc features a great image of Eddie & the Devil fighting on a hill top, with a group shot on the back EMIP5263)
- Iron Maiden - The Book Of Souls - Japanese - cd album box set - £39.99, $50.39, €47.19 (New Item) (arrived 23-May-2022 09:19)on May 26, 2022 at 11:55 pm
IRON MAIDEN The Book Of Souls (2015 Japanese limited edition 11-track double CD album, comes housed in a great slipcase with 20-page booklet containing Japanese liner notes & lyrics and obi-strip WPCR-16856/7)
- Iron Maiden - Killers + Poster + Obi - Japanese - vinyl LP - £295.00, $371.70, €348.10 (New Item) (arrived 11-May-2022 12:34)on May 26, 2022 at 11:55 pm
IRON MAIDEN Killers (1981 Japanese 11-track vinyl LP with picture labels, the highly influential second album featuring Wrathchild & The Ides Of March, picture sleeve with illustrated Japanese/lyric insert & matching blood font obi-strip. This copy also comes with the rare glossy 33" x 23" fold-out poster of the band live on stage. The sleeve displays minimal wear and the poster has never been displayed, whilst the vinyl shows minimal signs of play. A fantastic complete copy, all in near mint condition, now very hard to find EMS-91016)
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