Biography
The Iron Maiden story begins in the mid/late 70s London, where Steve Harris lived in Hackney, in the East End of London. A Budding football player, he was even apprenticed to West Ham United. However, Steve chose his other love, music, as his career, and instead formed the group we now know and love as Iron Maiden.
The original line up consisted of Steve on bass, Paul Di'Anno (vocals), Dave Murray (guitar) and Doug Samson (drums). Like most new bands, they toured the pubs and clubs in and around London, but, his band was different: he wanted it to be a heavy metal band. The music of the day was punk and New Wave, so and Steve came under pressure to change his new band and conform to the fashionable New Wave sound of the day in order to sign a record deal.
Steve, typically, refused to conform, and the band, instead, influenced by the "Do-It-Yourself" idiom of the punk bands, released their EP, "The Soundhouse Tapes" themselves on their own label, Rock Hard Records in 1977. Sales were encouraging (it was available by mail order), and, in 1979, as it became apparent that New Wave was a passing phase, EMI signed the band in 1979. This was one of many decisions in which Steve was to be proved right, because Iron Maiden soon ended up at the forefront of the remarkable groundswell of metal popularity, now dubbed the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM). Metal was growing in popularity the world over, but it was the British bands that were leading the way - the Americans would soon follow, of course - and it was Maiden who were the undisputed leaders of this movement.
1980 saw the release of their debut album, the eponymous "Iron Maiden", which entered the UK album charts at No. 4, a remarkable feat for the debut album for an almost unknown band. This popularity was spurred on both by the Soundhouse Tapes, and by the band's recent appearance on the UK hit pop music show, Top of the Pops to promote their single "Running Free", on which they insisted that they play live, the first band to do so since 1973 when The Who did so and demolished the stage set.
Doug Samson had been replaced by Clive Burr, and Dennis Stratton had been drafted in on guitars to augment Dave's sound prior to the release of "Iron Maiden." The success of this album saw them supporting Kiss on their first European tour, a relationship which would be reversed in 1988. Shortly afterwards, Dennis Stratton was replaced by Dave Murray's friend, Adrian Smith to maintain the guitar sound. The subsequent release, in 1981, of "Killers" brought them worlwide success, and a world tour. Shortly afterwards, however, Paul Di'Anno announced his departure from the band.
His replacement was ex-Samson vocalist, Bruce Dickinson, a move that ensured superstardom, which came with the release of "The Number Of The Beast" in 1982.
The final line up change for some seven years was to be the replacement in 1983 of drummer, Clive Burr by Nicko McBrain, who joined in time for the release of "Piece Of Mind". This line up of Steve Harris, Bruce Dickinson, Adrian Smith, Dave Murray and Nicko McBrain was the one which saw them through the peak of their popularity and onto world domination, including the appropriately named "World Slavery Tour" of 1984 (in support of the "Powerslave" album).
1988 saw the release of perhaps their most aclaimed album, "Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son", their only concept album, and saw the band headline at Monsters of Rock, Castle Donnington for the first time, and play to a record 107,000 fans, with fellow giants Kiss on the line-up,this time in support of Maiden, along with relative new-comers Guns'n'Roses.
The next change was to be Adrian Smith's departure in 1989, to concentrate on solo projects. His replacement was the ex-Ian Gillan Band, and current Maiden guitarist, Janick Gers. But Janick was to be heard on Bruce Dickinson's own solo album, "Tattooed Millionaire" before Maiden's own 1990 release "No Prayer for The Dying." This album brought them their first and only number one single, "Bring Your Daughters........To The Slaughter".
This line-up released one more album, "Fear Of The Dark", before Bruce Dickinson announced his departure,again to concentrate on solo projects (along with his solo recording career, he had released his first novel and was still a champion fencer).
Bruce was replced by ex-Wolfsbane vocalist, Blaze Bayley. Blaze had a tough act to follow, not only because Bruce had been the established vocalist for over 10 years, but also because Bruce's voice is so distinctive, and had become synonymous with Maiden's sound. Unfortunately, Blaze's time with the band was not welcomed by many fans, and even Steve Harris found the period stressful. However, despite the criticism, Blaze effectively saved the band from extinction, releasing two of the best Maiden albums ever, "X Factor" in 1995, and the brilliant "Virtual XI" in 1998. These followed on from the last two albums which Bruce had recorded with the band, which most fans agree, were very substandard, and the worst the band have released.
However, love him or loath him, Blaze's days were numbered, and he left earlier this year, following the supporting tour for "Virtual XI". It would be true to say, however, that regardless of anyone's liking of or disliking of his vocal style, we, as fans of Iron Maiden, owe Blaze Bayley a huge debt of thanks.
And now the cycle has turned full circle. Blaze's replacement was none other than Bruce Dickinson, who rejoined the band along with Adrian Smith, who with Dave Murray and Janick Gers, brought a triple guitar sound to Iron Maiden for the first time.
The band are currently promoting the release of their CD-Rom game, "Ed Hunter" on another world tour, and a new album is expected late this year or early in 2000.
Blaze is in the process of recording his own solo album, the release of which is keenly awaited by many fans.
Through 11 studio albums and 2 live albums, Iron Maiden remain at the forefront of heavy metal music, an often mis-understood, and equally often maligned music genre, but one which has many thousands of devoted fans throughout the world. Metal is making a comeback, and maiden are there, leading the way yet again, to world domination!!
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Last updated on 25/07/99