Iron Maiden/London, UK 1979 Live and Rehearsals

Iron Maiden, the heroes who shocked the world with “The Steel Maiden,” is here with the earliest album capturing their pre-debut period. This release features rare audience recordings from the 1970s. Divided into four sections plus a few others, we’ll explore each one individually. Disc 1 (First Half): The Lost Dennis Wilcock Era The album opens with recordings from IRON MAIDEN’s earliest days with Dennis Wilcock (1977). While Paul Di’Anno is generally considered the band’s first singer, he was actually the third. While recordings from the original Paul Mario Day era (1975/1976) have yet to be discovered, a limited number of live performances and rehearsals from the second singer, Dennis Wilcock (1976-1978), have been made public. This release brings together these rare recordings. First Half of 1977: Live Performances from the Dave Murray & Bob Sawyer Era First up is a live audience recording. It features the full version of “Prowler,” as well as fragmented renditions of “Floating” (the original version of “Purgatory”) and “Charlotte the Harlot.” While it’s a blessing to be able to hear such a rare recording, the clarity of the sound is actually quite remarkable. Perhaps due to the intimate feel of a club, it’s far better than the hall recordings made after their major label debut. And what this sound portrays is an incredibly rare live performance. While the timing of member changes in the very early days is unclear, current research by music enthusiasts has revealed the following lineup: Steve Harris (bass), Dennis Wilcock (vocals), Dave Murray & Bob Sawyer (guitar), and Ron “Rebel” Matthews (drums). This lineup ran from December 1976 to mid-1977, and is believed to have been recorded in the first half of 1977. The name of Ron Matthews, a founding member alongside Harris, is dazzling, and “Floating,” a track that bears no resemblance to “Purgatory,” is enough to send you swooning. But what really shocks you is Wilcock’s vocals. They’re not as intense as Di’Anno’s, nor as high-pitched as Dickison’s. “Prowler,” where you can fully enjoy his vocals, is the album’s greatest treasure. In fact, this is the only full track from 1977 to be unearthed. This is a culminating take, offering a deep, six-minute taste of Wilcock-era MAIDEN. Second Half of 1977: Rehearsals with an official keyboardist. Afterward, all members except Harris and Wilcock were replaced. The lineup that continued from the second half of 1977 through February 1978 is as follows: Steve Harris (bass), Dennis Wilcock (vocals), Terry Wopram (guitar), Tony Moore (keyboards), and Barry “Thunderstick” Perkins (drums). Later, their ally Murray left the band, and the masked drummer Thunderstick, who would go on to become famous with Samson, joined the lineup. Furthermore, IRON MAIDEN was born not just with twin guitars, but with a unique guitar and keyboard setup. This lineup, unearthed not just live but rehearsal recordings, is said to have been recorded by Thunderstick. Each recording is just under a minute long, but these six tracks offer superb sound, even without the soundboard. Though only a few dozen seconds long, the content is incredibly rich. The recordings include “Sanctuary” and “Wrathchild” with their strange, electronic-like phrases; “Another Life” with its piano, which is somewhat reminiscent of FACES; “Strange World” and “Charlotte the Harlot” with their prominent Wilcock vocals; and “Iron Maiden” with its slightly different riff. It’s full of fun, precisely because it’s from the very early days, when the band was experimenting with various keyboards and arrangements, while still being primitive (according to one theory, Thunderstick owns a complete recording of the rehearsal…I really hope they release it!). DISC 1 (second half) / DISC 2 (first half) – Two of the oldest live albums from the Di’Anno era. The extremely rare Wilcock era is also shocking, but the main focus of this work is two full audience recordings from the Paul Di’Anno era. Both are valuable records from 1979, when Tony Parsons and Doug Sampson were still in the band. To begin with, there are only three full recordings from before their debut. Let’s take a look at these three: September 10th Music Machine performance (this disc is available on DISC 1); September 30th “DEFINITIVE MUSIC MACHINE 1979”; October 5th Ruskin Arms performance (this disc is available on DISC 2). DISC 1 (second half): September 10th, 1979 Music Machine performance. While the classic “DEFINITIVE MUSIC MACHINE 1979 (Zodiac 329)” is the pinnacle of the Parsons/Sampson era, this release features the other two performances, all mastered to perfection. The “September 10th Music Machine Performance” in particular is renowned as the oldest live album from the Di’Anno era. Of course, 1978’s “THE SOUNDHOUSE TAPES” is older, but that was merely a studio demo. It remains the oldest full-length live album. While the sound quality falls short of the classic “DEFINITIVE MUSIC MACHINE 1979,” this release is packed with classic tracks you won’t find on the original. Enjoy “Another Life,” “Innocent Exile,” and “Drifter.” DISC 2 (First Half) – October 5, 1979, Ruskin Arms Performance. The replacement disc, Disc 2, is a recording of the “October 5, 1979, Ruskin Arms Performance.” This premium version was digitized directly from the first-generation cassette unearthed by the prestigious “Krw_co.” This disc is even longer and includes “The Ides of March,” “Strange World,” and “I’ve Got the Fire.” The inclusion of “Strange World” in particular completes the entirety of their debut album, “The Steel Maiden.” It’s also a great way to enjoy this masterpiece, showcasing rare members and a developing version. The inclusion of “The Ides of March” from this period is also a highlight. Even more valuable are the guitar solos. Disc 1 also features Dave Murray’s solo, but here we also get a Tony Parsons solo. Solo time is already rare in IRON MAIDEN, but Parsons’ solo is truly a rare and exclusive moment. Disc 2 (Second Half) – Original Singer: Paul Mario Day’s MORE At the end of this album, a rare bonus track from IRON MAIDEN’s original singer, Paul Mario Day, is added. As mentioned above, no recordings from his time with IRON MAIDEN remain, but this release includes two rare takes from his later band, “MORE.” One track is “Atomic Rock.” A Japanese CD version of the album “WARHEAD” was released in 2014, but this is a B-side single that wasn’t available there either. The other track is “Depression” from the 1981 Munich concert. These two tracks are soundboard cuts. This definitive compilation brings together the essential, rare recordings from the Dennis Wilcock era, two priceless 1979 live shows, and a rare soundboard recording of MORE, led by Paul Mario Day. While the timeless classic “DEFINITIVE MUSIC MACHINE 1979” is the most important, this two-disc set also brings together other treasures. This is the earliest album to capture the band’s pre-debut appearance. This two-disc set compiles the best masters of live/rehearsal recordings from the 1977 Dennis Wilcock era and the earliest audience recordings from the “Music Machine” concert on September 10, 1979, and the “Ruskin Arms” concert on October 5, 1979, from the Paul Di’Anno era. This definitive compilation also includes rare bonus tracks from MORE, led by original singer Paul Mario Day. Live & Rehearsals 1977 Music Machine, London, England 10th September 1979 Ruskin Arms, London, England 5th October 1979 Disc 1 (73:47) 1977 TAPES 1. Prowler (Live at Bridgehouse) 2. Floating (Purgatory) (Live at The Harrow) 3. Charlotte The Harlot (Live at The Harrow) 4. Dennis Willcock MC 5. Sanctuary (Rehearsal) 6. Another Life (Rehearsal) 7. Strange World (Rehearsal) 8. Charlotte The Harlot (Rehearsal) 9. Wrathchild (Rehearsal) 10. Iron Maiden (Rehearsal) Music Machine, London, England 10th September 1979 11. Wrathchild 12. Sanctuary 13. Prowler 14. Remember Tomorrow 15. Another Life 16. Running Free 17. Transylvania 18. Invasion 19. Charlotte The Harlot 20. Phantom Of The Opera 21. Iron Maiden 22. Innocent Exile 23. Dave Murray Guitar Solo 24. Drifter Disc 2 (79:05) Ruskin Arms, London, England 5th October 1979 1. The Ides Of March 2. Wrathchild 3. Sanctuary 4. Prowler 5. Remember Tomorrow 6. Running Free 7. Another Life 8. Transylvania 9. Strange World 10. Invasion 11. Charlotte The Harlot 12. Phantom Of The Opera 13. Iron Maiden 14. Innocent Exile 15. Tony Parsons Solo 16. Dave Murray Solo 17. Drifter 18. I’ve Got The Fire SOUNDBOARD BONUS: ‘MORE’ TRACKS 19. Atomic Rock (1981 Single B-Side) 20. Depression (Live in Munich 1981)