SoHo 3667 - Iron Maiden

AS IT ALL BEGAN
1975-1981

Iron Maiden - 98 Remaster on right / 80 Original on left It's not so easy to reach glory, even (or maybe "even more") in the cruel world known as show business. So it happened that a young boy going by the name of Steve Harris decided to buy a Fender Telecaster Replica for 40 pounds to play music in the time he had spare from playing football. It was 1975.
The young Steve enrolled in lots of bands, like Smiler (band n.33460 going by that name) and Gypsy's Kiss, who were rumored to be technically unable to play Steve's ideas. So he decided to fulfill his burning ambition by creating his own band. Some friends, a movie for the name and Iron Maiden was born.

So we are at december 1975, and it seems everything is ready to start, doesn't it? It doesn't.
'Arry is just at the start of his long selection (3 years) to create the first "recording" line-up. This years will see lots of changes in Iron Maiden, even a brief escape of Dave Murray towards Adrian Smith's Urchin from the early 1977 to the same year's spring: the keyboard player didn't want to be shadowed by Dave's genius, and Terry Wapram on the guitar swore he would never play in a band without keyboards; anyway, as you can guess, keyboards were kind of useless for 77-style Maiden, so Dave was back for our joy.
To be remembered is the stage-presence of Dennis Wilcock on the vocals, a guy who liked theatre, to the point of (fake) cutting himself onstage with a sword and spitting (fake) blood on the first rows. He had some input on the first Iron Maiden logo, who was like the 78-96 one, except for a being placed inside a mouth which, in the end, reminded too much of Rolling Stones and was therefore scrapped.

This way for new year's eve of 1978, when Iron Maiden recorded their first demo with the following line-up: Paul Di'Anno (vocals), Steve Harris (bass), Dave Murray and Tony Parsons (guitar), Doug Sampson (drums). This was an important step for the band, and so the perfect one to start our commentaries.

THE SOUNDHOUSE TAPES

The Soundhouse Tapes - back coverThe Soundhouse Tapes
Paul Di'Anno
Steve Harris
Dave Murray
Tony Parsons
Doug Sampson
 Metal For Muthas (compilation)
THE SOUNDHOUSE TAPES Prowler - Invasion - Iron Maiden
Metal For Muthas Wrathchild - Sanctuary
(+other songs from other authors here unknown and not relevant)

This is a demo, so there's nothing strange in its roughness. What I really can't understand is why they didn't include Strange World , which is perfect and more interesting than on the LP. Anyway, this is really a good start, and I liked it when I had the chance to hear it; just don't expect anything perfect, since they had to use the unmixed and unproduced tapes due to bad luck and money restriction. Paul sang much better than after...

This way for a recording deal, my friend. The legendary Rod Smallwood saw the potential of the band and got them signed with EMI Records. By the time of the real recording, however, the band lost Doug Sampson (due to ill health) and Tony Parsons. Not too great a matter, since this meant the entrance of Clive Burr in the band. There's just a fun thing about the first album, and it is that Steve Harris didn't even dare to ask for Martin Birch behind the production console, while the producer would have liked to be there!

IRON MAIDEN

Iron Maiden - 1980Iron Maiden - ReIssue
Paul Di'Anno
Steve Harris
Dave Murray
Dennis Stratton
Clive Burr
 Running FreeSacntuaryWomen In Uniform
IRON MAIDEN Prowler - Remember Tomorrow - Running Free - Phantom Of The Opera - Transylvania
Strange World - Sanctuary* - Charlotte The Harlot - Iron Maiden
(*USA/Remasters only)
Running Free Running Free - Burning Ambition
Sanctuary Sanctuary - Drifter - I've Got The Fire
Women In Uniform Women In Uniform - Invasion

The first album was rough, really rough. I do not like the sounds, and Remember Tomorrow is a pale seed of what you will hear on Maiden Japan. Anyway, the songs were good even with Paul starting to lose the "touch", and there are some masterpieces: in order of appearance Running Free, Strange World, Charlotte The Harlot, Iron Maiden and Sanctuary (I'm European, so I only heard it when I got the single).
To be true, if I had discovered the band with this album I wouldn't have been sure about being a great fan, not at the start anyway; on the bright side there's the well-known Murray quality theory: write a few but very good songs.

And so the band went on UK and Europe tour with Judas Priest and Kiss, at times outperforming the headliners; but it isn't surprising. They gained so much a solid victory they could afford the headline on the next world tour.And so there was a new album, called Killers. Maggie look out...

KILLERS

KillersMaiden Japan
Paul Di'Anno
Steve Harris
Dave Murray
Adrian Smith
Clive Burr
 Twilight ZonePurgatory
KILLERS The Ides Of March - Wrathchild - Murders In The Rue Morgue - Another Life
Genghis Khan - Innocent Exile - Killers - Twilight Zone* - Prodigal Son
Purgatory - Drifter (*USA/Remasters only)
MAIDEN JAPAN Running Free - Remember Tomorrow - Killers - Innocent Exile
Twilight Zone Twilight Zone - Wrathchild
Purgatory Purgatory - Genghis Khan

Enters Martin Birch. Enters Adrian Smith. Nice things happening.
The band is still far from perfection, and the sound of guitars isn't still "round'n'full" enough. But the signs are good, and so we have a legendary Purgatory (an all time best) and Killers. Drifter and Twilight Zone also are enough to make this a "must have", but if I can say something, Drifter is much better live, and sometimes I feel I miss it live; same problem with Wrathchild: without the audience, it lacks something.

The album is followed by Maiden Japan, and I must say that sometimes I feel it as the best live recording by the band. It has almost more energy than Live After Death, and the performance has a perfect sound and great drumming (ok, Clive, this time I'm missing you a bit). Paul has found his voice again, but for the last time; anyway, look through the door and smile... (note: every single song on Maiden Japan is light years better than its studio version)

NAVIGATION CONTROLS