Iron Maiden (Iron Maiden album)

***Iron Maiden*** is the debut studio album by the English heavy metal band Iron Maiden. It was issued by EMI on April 14, 1980 in the UK, and a few months later in North America. The North American version also included the song "Sanctuary", previously released in the UK as a non-album single. In 1998, along with the rest of the band's pre-1995 releases, Iron Maiden was remastered with "Sanctuary" added in all territories. It is the band's only album to feature guitarist Dennis Stratton.

Although Iron Maiden have since criticised the quality of the album's production, the release was met with critical and commercial success, debuting at No. 4 in the UK Albums Chart as well as achieving prominence for the band in mainland Europe.

When first issued in 1980, 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." In 1981 the album achieved Silver certification. The 1985 reissue achieved Gold and the 1998 remaster went Platinum.

Listen to the album on Deezer.

#### **Personnel**

* Paul Di'Anno – lead vocals
* Steve Harris – bass, backing vocals
* Dennis Stratton – guitar, backing vocals
* Dave Murray – guitar
* Clive Burr – drums

### **Singles**

***"Running Free"*** is the debut single by Iron Maiden, released on February 8, 1980. It was written by Steve Harris and Paul Di'Anno. In 1985, a live version of the song was released, as the first single from Live After Death (the band's twelfth single).

According to vocalist Paul Di'Anno, who wrote the song's lyrics, it is "a very autobiographical song, though of course I've never spent the night in an LA jail. It's about being 16 and, like it says, just running wild and running free. It comes from my days as a skinhead." The song is known to be one of the band's more traditional rock numbers, which Mick Wall describes as "Iron Maiden at their punk-metal apotheosis," and is still performed live to this day.

The single's cover art is famously known as the first official appearance of Iron Maiden's mascot, Eddie, although his face is obscured as the band did not want him unveiled until the album's release. Ironically, the live single's cover art is the first not to feature Eddie, as it shows a real picture of the band performing on stage.

The B-side "Burning Ambition", recorded in November 1979 at Wessex Studios with producer Guy Edwards as a 4-piece band just prior to hiring Dennis Stratton & Clive Burr, is one of Harris' earliest compositions written around the time he was in Gypsy's Kiss. It is one of the few recordings to feature Doug Sampson on drums. The guitar solo in this song is played by Dave Murray.

#### **Personnel**

1980 single

* Paul Di'Anno – lead vocals
* Dave Murray – guitar
* Dennis Stratton – guitar & backing vocals on "Running Free" only
* Steve Harris – bass guitar & backing vocals
* Clive Burr – drums on "Running Free" only
* Doug Sampson – drums on "Burning Ambition" only

***"Sanctuary"*** is the second single released by the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden. The single was released on May 23, 1980. Although originally issued as a non-album single, the song was added to the later US release of their debut studio record, Iron Maiden (1980). When the album was re-released in 1998, the song was added in all territories.

The original mix of the song was recorded in November 1979 and originally appeared on the 1980 Metal for Muthas compilation, featuring several other artists associated with the new wave of British heavy metal, which the band recorded as a four-piece with Doug Sampson on drums. Although the compilation was panned in Sounds, Iron Maiden's songs were praised, with their contributions being described as "raucous heavy metal/punk crossovers and tantalising tasters for their own forthcoming album."

The cover art caused controversy for the band as it depicted their mascot, Eddie, wielding a knife while crouching over the corpse of then British prime minister Margaret Thatcher. The band's manager, Rod Smallwood, explained the artwork's concept: "The artwork is very tongue in cheek, as usual. At that time, Maggie had visited the old USSR and, following her tough stance with them, had been christened the Iron Maiden. Eddie took offence to this, and even more so when she started taking our posters." It was Smallwood himself who suggested to EMI that the cover be released with Thatcher's face censored "as this would give the tabloids an angle and draw attention to the single."

#### **Personnel**

* Paul Di'Anno – lead vocals
* Dave Murray – guitar
* Dennis Stratton – guitar
* Steve Harris – bass guitar
* Clive Burr – drums