Oooh yeah, here we go with one of my favourite bands of all time, Iron Maiden. Iron Maiden formed in 1975 by bass player extrodinaire Steve Harris (same year as Motorhead). The band played a lot of shows around the regular gig circuit of the time. As with a lot of bands at the time there were a multitude of lineup changes. Again it took a while before Maiden got a record out but they did get a 7 inch called “The Soundhouse Tapes” released which got some radio play in 1978.
IRON MAIDEN DEBUT ALBUM
It was really the 1980 released self titled debut which launched Iron Maiden into the stratosphere. The lineup for this one consisted of :
- Paul Di’Anno – lead vocals
- Dave Murray – guitar
- Dennis Stratton – guitar, backing vocals
- Steve Harris – bass, backing vocals
- Clive Burr – drums
The Album itself featured some classic songs including the title track “Iron Maiden” and “Sanctuary” which is still played live to this day. “Iron Maiden” having been played at every show since the bands inception. It also featured the bands iconic mascot “Eddie” on the cover who again has been a mainstay of the bands album covers since the beginning of the band.
For more detailed reviews of Iron Maidens first two albums click on the album covers below
|
 |
The album went to number 4 on the UK charts basically cementing the band as a major force in the wider music as well as probably the biggest metal band of the time. The only other metal band at this point to have charted in any meaningful fashion would have been Black Sabbath (unless you count Kiss as metal) and to a lesser degree a few Motorhead singles did chart… Some high profile support slots followed with European supports touring under Judas Priest and Kiss on tours around Europe.
Things continued to go well for Iron Maiden with the release of their second album “Killers” in 1991. This time using Martin Birch behind the desk, which culminated in much a better production. It also featured new guitar player Adrian Smith who’d replaced Dennis Stratton. While the album sounded great and charted again, singer Paul Dianno started to fall apart at the seams, due to alcohol (and other substances) abuse. While Dianno had a great stage presence and to be fair a pretty good voice, the band felt that he wouldn’t be able to cope with the more musically complex direction and the gruelling tours the band wanted to steer their music into.
Enter Bruce Dickinson
After the departure of Paul Dianno it was necessary to find a singer that could not only sing Dianno’s material but take the new material to another level. That singer was Bruce Dickinson whom the band had poached from another not so well (but not unknown) band Samson. Bruce already had a great voice and had the skill to be able to handle the bands more ambitious material which would form the 1982 album “The Number of the Beast”.
 |
For a more detailed review of Iron Maidens break through album Number of the the Beast click on the album cover. |
The lineup change and increased professionality paid huge dividends with the album charting in both the UK, many European countries, and most importantly the US. Naming the album “The Number of the Beast” also proved to be an unintentional masterstroke in the publicity department when the American religious right wing took offence to it. The campaigning against the band from the right, actually served to thrust the band into the limelight and onto the record players of the Amercian youth establishing the band better than anything the band could have done themselves.
Iron Maiden also continued a trend (I guess started by Motorhead) in having a mascot. Iron Maiden’s mascot, Eddie the head was a stroke of genius as far as the band is concerned making Iron Maiden album covers and tee shirts recognisable the world over. The mascot also serving as free publicity tool when many parents took offence at the bands album covers and tee shirts.
For more great articles on heavy metal be sure to keep checking back on Metalhed.com on a regular basis!