Iron Maiden: News, History & Updates

Iron Maiden Biography by Greg Prato

Excerpts from Greg’s books for Alternative Nation

PAUL DI’ANNO [ex-Iron Maiden singer]: Steve was just leaving high school, and I was just joining it. We knew a mutual friend. They were looking for a singer, I was playing in a punk band. I think I went down to have a look at them with their old singer, Dennis Wilcock. I went down to see them, and I thought they were absolutely rubbish. [Laughs] I absolutely hated it. I walked in with a wrong attitude in the first place – I was more into punk and stuff. I didn’t like it. They were just like an average pub band, as far as I was concerned. Didn’t like much of the stuff at all. And then I did go and try out for them though, because my mate kept pissing me off – he kept going on and on. I went down and did it. Steve came around on the night after the auditions – after they had auditioned a few people – and said, “Oh, you’ve got the job if you want it.” And I said, “Well, I don’t really. I’m not bothered, to be honest with you.” And a little while later – about a month or so later – I’m out with Steve again at some pub or something, and went around his house. I listened to the new stuff – which was the first Iron Maiden album – and it was absolutely fantastic. And that was it. I was hooked [Di’Anno would join in 1978].

LIPS [Anvil singer/guitarist]: It’s interesting, because we’re almost the same age – to the day [of the Maiden members]. Steve Harris and I are probably a few days apart [Harris was born on March 12, 1956, Lips was born on March 2, 1956]. And we listened to a lot of the same music growing up – a lot of similarities. To me, it’s weird, because they became really big, but yet they were using a lot of the same elements and learned from the same elements that I did. It’s luck, I guess. The magic is with you.

GLENN TIPTON [Judas Priest guitarist]: We’ve helped to shape the way that metal has gone, and we’ve inspired a lot of bands and guitar players to play in certain ways. But I think Maiden has also had a lot of influence on bands and shaped the way that metal went. It’s something that if you’ve been around a long time – which bands like we have, and Maiden – you do help to shape the path of metal and the direction it goes in, and influence kids and inspire them. It’s a good thing.

DENNIS STRATTON [ex-Iron Maiden guitarist]: I think [artist] Derek Riggs played a massive part, because David Lights had started Eddie [the band’s ghoulish mascot]] off before the band became big – with a little head on a stick, with little lights coming out of his eyes, and a bit of smoke out of his mouth. But Derek Riggs took it up a big level, by that design. And as you can see, it’s grabbed people’s attention all over the world. So yeah, a big difference when Derek Riggs [provided artwork].

EDDIE TRUNK [Radio host, That Metal Show co-host]: Maiden was so masterful at the way that they were able to really market themselves – right from the get-go – with the album covers and the imaging of Eddie and all that. You’ve got to remember, I was a kid at the time. Most of us were kids. And that is a very powerful thing, to see something like that – this drawing of this monster. It starts to conjure up stuff in your head, like, “Hey, what’s the story with these guys? What are these guys about?” There was just a great imagery there. And then of course, this thing came out [on stage] with the mask on and became more elaborate over time. I think that as great as the music is on the record, that’s a big part of the Iron Maiden story, that you can’t brush under the carpet – there was almost this imagery about the band, right from the get-go, driven by the fact that this character, this mascot, was on the cover of every one of their records.

DAVE LOMBARDO [ex-Slayer drummer]: Yeah [Lombardo was disappointed about Di’Anno leaving], but I was impressed with ‘The Number of the Beast.’ I think that album was as good as the previous ones. So I wasn’t really disappointed when I heard it, I actually embraced it and I liked it. “Children of the Damned” and all those songs were just great. So yeah, I might have been disappointed, but I think they made a wise choice in recruiting Bruce [Dickinson] – he’s a perfect addition to the band.

CHARLIE BENANTE [Anthrax drummer]: That’s a tough one, I don’t know how you can compare [Di’Anno and Dickinson as vocalists]. All I’ll say is Paul Di’Anno totally fit those first two records, whereas Dickinson totally fit the next chapter of Maiden.

MIKE PORTNOY [Dream Theater drummer]: I think Bruce was a huge, huge part of the band’s sound and when the band finally really broke through with ‘The Number of the Beast,’ ‘Piece of Mind,’ and ‘Powerslave,’ I think a big part of it was…not only Bruce’s voice, but also his look. Paul…at that time, nobody in metal had short hair – it just wasn’t the look at the time. And Bruce had the long hair and was like a “Golden God.” I think a big part of Maiden’s mainstream breakthrough was due to Bruce joining the band.

SCOTT IAN [Anthrax guitarist]: They still sound completely original and sound like something that nobody has ever done, because nobody has. You had a lot of bands trying to be Iron Maiden over the years after Iron Maiden became “Iron Maiden.” No one’s ever equaled it, no one’s ever even come close. There’s only one Iron Maiden. And that’s why those records – to me, today – if I put ‘Killers’ on for somebody who’s never heard Iron Maiden before, it wouldn’t like they were listening to something old. Not at all.

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All quotes from Iron Maiden ’80 ’81