- Iron Maiden (album)
-
Iron Maiden Studio album by Iron Maiden Released 14 April 1980 (UK)
17 August 1980 (US)Recorded February 1980, at Kingsway Studios, London[1] Genre Heavy metal Length 40:39 Language English Label EMI Producer Will Malone Iron Maiden chronology Iron Maiden
(1980)Killers
(1981)Alternative cover remaster coverSingles from Iron Maiden - "Running Free"
Released: 8 February 1980 - "Sanctuary"
Released: 23 May 1980
Professional ratings Review scores Source Rating Allmusic [2]
Sputnikmusic [3]
This table needs to be expanded using prose. See the guideline for more information.
Iron Maiden, released on 14 April 1980, is the debut album by the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden. It was released by EMI in the UK, reaching number 4 in the UK charts, and a few months later in the U.S., originally on Harvest/Capitol Records and subsequently Sanctuary Records/Columbia Records. The US release also included the song "Sanctuary", only released in the UK as a single. In 1998, along with the rest of the band's pre-X Factor releases, Iron Maiden was remastered with "Sanctuary" added in all territories.
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, with the last being played at every show since the band's inception and signalling the arrival of Eddie, the band's mascot, onstage.[4] All of the record's songs, excluding "Strange World", have been recorded with Bruce Dickinson on vocals, either on live albums, studio B-Sides or both. "Strange World" and "Transylvania" were the only songs not played on the "Eddie Rips Up The World Tour", 2005. Four songs ("Prowler", "Remember Tomorrow", "Running Free" and "Iron Maiden") were covered for the 2008 tribute album Maiden Heaven: A Tribute to Iron Maiden released by Kerrang! magazine.[5]
Iron Maiden is one of two Iron Maiden albums listed in 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die (The Number of the Beast is the other).[6]
Contents
History
This was the band's only album produced by Will Malone, who Iron Maiden have since claimed lacked interest in the project and effectively left them to produce most of the album themselves, which, according to bassist Steve Harris, was completed in just 13 days.[7] The band (especially Harris) criticised the quality of the production, although many fans still prefer the raw, almost punk-like sound to the songs.[8][7] This was also the only studio album with guitarist Dennis Stratton, who, having been brought in as a last-minute placement, was sacked due to "musical differences" after the band's European tour in support of Kiss.[9]
Although "Strange World" is credited solely to Harris, Paul Day, the band's original vocalist from 1975-1976, claimed that he also contributed to the song.[10]
"Charlotte the Harlot", their only song to have been written by Dave Murray alone,[8] is the first of four Iron Maiden tracks which make reference to the fictional prostitute 'Charlotte,' although Murray states it was "based on a true story."[11]
The 7-minute epic "Phantom of the Opera" is also a personal favourite of Steve Harris 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."[7]
"Transylvania" is an instrumental piece, composed by founder and bassist Steve Harris, which was later covered by Iced Earth on the album Horror Show.[12]
"Running Free" was released as a single on 23 February 1980, reaching number 34 in the UK singles chart. The band also performed the song on the UK TV show Top of the Pops, refuting the usual tradition for artists to mime and thus becoming the first group to perform live on the show since The Who in 1972.[13]
The "Sanctuary" single was released on 7 June charting at number 29,[14] with the censored cover of Eddie standing over Margaret Thatcher's body earning the band publicity in the British press.[15] Managers Rod Smallwood and Andy Taylor's management company would be named after the song.[16]
The 1998 re-release has, besides the addition of the previously mentioned song "Sanctuary", a different cover than the original release; a digital recreation by original artist Derek Riggs, with a portion of the original artwork instead being used on the disc itself.
The Iron Maiden Tour was the tour in support of the album.
Track listing
All songs written and composed by Steve Harris, except where noted.
Original UK release No. Title Writer(s) Length 1. "Prowler" 3:55 2. "Remember Tomorrow" Harris, Paul Di'Anno 5:27 3. "Running Free" Harris, Di'Anno 3:17 4. "Phantom of the Opera" 7:20 5. "Transylvania" (instrumental) 4:05 6. "Strange World" 5:45 7. "Charlotte the Harlot" Dave Murray 4:12 8. "Iron Maiden" 3:35 Original US release No. Title Writer(s) Length 1. "Prowler" 3:56 2. "Remember Tomorrow" Di'Anno, Harris 5:29 3. "Running Free" Di'Anno, Harris 3:17 4. "Phantom of the Opera" 7:08 5. "Transylvania" 4:17 6. "Strange World" 5:32 7. "Sanctuary" Di'Anno, Murray, Harris 3:14 8. "Charlotte the Harlot" Murray 4:10 9. "Iron Maiden" 3:31 1998 Remastered release No. Title Writer(s) Length 1. "Prowler" 3:55 2. "Sanctuary" Di'Anno, Murray, Harris 3:14 3. "Remember Tomorrow" Di'Anno, Harris 5:27 4. "Running Free" Di'Anno, Harris 3:17 5. "Phantom of the Opera" 7:08 6. "Transylvania" 4:19 7. "Strange World" 5:30 8. "Charlotte the Harlot" Murray 4:12 9. "Iron Maiden" 3:35 1995 Reissue bonus disc No. Title Writer(s) Length 1. "Sanctuary" Di'Anno, Murray, Harris 3:14 2. "Burning Ambition" 2:42 3. "Drifter" (live) 6:04 4. "I've Got the Fire" (live Montrose cover) Ronnie Montrose 3:14 - On the 1998 remastered release, the fade out of "Transylvania" and the intro to "Strange World" were moved to the end of "Transylvania".
Personnel
- Paul Di'Anno – vocals
- Dave Murray – guitar
- Dennis Stratton – guitar, backing vocals
- Steve Harris – bass guitar, backing vocals
- Clive Burr – drums
Chart Performance
Album
Year Chart Position 1980 Swedish Albums Chart 27[17] UK Albums Chart 4[18] Singles
Year Single Chart Position Album 1980 "Running Free" UK Singles Chart 34[19] Iron Maiden "Sanctuary" 29[20] 1990 "Running Free / Sanctuary" UK Albums Chart[note 1] 10[21] — Notes
- ^ Re-release of both singles as part of "The First Ten Years" box set. Exceeded the length limit of the UK Singles chart.
Certifications
Country Certification Sales/shipments Canada Platinum[22] 100,000 United Kingdom Platinum[23] 300,000 References
- ^ Newspaper article from 2 February 1980. Retrieved 5 August 2008
- ^ Iron Maiden (album) at Allmusic. Retrieved 2011-06-22.
- ^ "Sputnikmusic - Iron Maiden (album) review". http://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/7926/Iron-Maiden-Iron-Maiden/. Retrieved 2011-06-22.
- ^ Wall, Mick (2004). Iron Maiden: Run to the Hills, the Authorised Biography (3rd ed.). Sanctuary Publishing. p. 137. ISBN 1-86074-542-3.
- ^ "Kerrang! The making of Maiden Heaven". Kerrang.com. http://www.kerrang.com/blog/2008/07/the_making_of_maiden_heaven.html. Retrieved 13 January 2011.
- ^ "1001 Albums You Must Hear - 2008 Edition". http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/1001Albums.htm. Retrieved 2011-10-21.
- ^ a b c "Iron Maiden: Maiden Voyage". Guitar World. 7 March 2011. http://www.guitarworld.com/iron-maiden-maiden-voyage?page=0,1. Retrieved 1 June 2011.
- ^ a b Wall, Mick (2004). Iron Maiden: Run to the Hills, the Authorised Biography (3rd ed.). Sanctuary Publishing. p. 145. ISBN 1-86074-542-3.
- ^ Wall, Mick (2004). Iron Maiden: Run to the Hills, the Authorised Biography (3rd ed.). Sanctuary Publishing. p. 162. ISBN 1-86074-542-3.
- ^ "Paul Day: My History in Brief". http://www.paulmarioday.com/biography.html. Retrieved 2011-10-10.
- ^ Wall, Mick (2004). Iron Maiden: Run to the Hills, the Authorised Biography (3rd ed.). Sanctuary Publishing. p. 144. ISBN 1-86074-542-3.
- ^ "Sputnikmusic review: Iced Earth- Horror Show". http://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/8601/Iced-Earth-Horror-Show/. Retrieved 2011-10-10.
- ^ Wall, Mick (2004). Iron Maiden: Run to the Hills, the Authorised Biography (3rd ed.). Sanctuary Publishing. p. 131. ISBN 1-86074-542-3.
- ^ Wall, Mick (2004). Iron Maiden: Run to the Hills, the Authorised Biography (3rd ed.). Sanctuary Publishing. p. 147. ISBN 1-86074-542-3.
- ^ Wall, Mick (2004). Iron Maiden: Run to the Hills, the Authorised Biography (3rd ed.). Sanctuary Publishing. p. 148. ISBN 1-86074-542-3.
- ^ "Iron Maiden manager comments on split from Sanctuary". http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=61565. Retrieved 2011-10-10.
- ^ "Iron Maiden- Swedish Album Chart". http://swedishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Iron+Maiden&titel=Iron+Maiden&cat=a. Retrieved 2011-10-10.
- ^ "UK Albums Archive- 26th April 1980". http://www.theofficialcharts.com/archive-chart/_/3/1980-04-26/. Retrieved 2011-10-10.
- ^ "UK Singles Archive- 8th March 1980". http://www.theofficialcharts.com/archive-chart/_/1/1980-03-08/. Retrieved 2011-10-10.
- ^ "UK Singles Archive- 14th June 1980". http://www.theofficialcharts.com/archive-chart/_/1/1980-06-14/. Retrieved 2011-10-10.
- ^ "UK Albums Archive- 24th February 1990". http://www.theofficialcharts.com/archive-chart/_/3/1990-02-24/. Retrieved 2011-10-10.
- ^ CRIA Gold & Platinum certifications for October 2006. Retrieved 25 July 2007.
- ^ BPI Database. Retrieved 23 August 2008.
Categories:- 1980 albums
- Iron Maiden albums
- Debut albums
- EMI Records albums
- Albums produced by Will Malone
- New Wave of British heavy metal albums
- "Running Free"
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