Artist: IRON MAIDEN
Album: THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST REMASTERED (CD)

Year: 1982
EAN/UPS: 724349691803
Media type: CD

IRON MAIDEN's third album, 'The Number Of The Beast', released in March 1982 proved a milestone, breaking the band internationally and giving the band numerous hit singles, including their first top ten smash with 'Run To The Hills', in Britain. As with 'Killers', IRON MAIDEN retained Martin Birch as producer, also employing Battery Studios once again. Due to contractual obligations with his previous management Dickinson was unable to officially assist in the songwriting.

Valuable profile building controversy was stoked by the title track, although in reality 'The Number Of The Beast' had been inspired by a Steve Harris nightmare. Nonetheless, with it's focus on the "666" chorus, a fair degree of stirring up tales of devil worship were to follow the band, particularly in the USA, for quite some time. Vincent Price had been approached to provide the opening narrative, a Biblical quotation from Revelations 13:18, but his price was deemed too high so an imitator was drafted.

The track 'The Prisoner' provided the band with some degree of publicity too. The songs lyrics dealt with the cult 60s television show of the same name and starring actor Patrick McGoohan donated his famous line "I am not a number, I am a free man!" as the intro. Other notable inclusions were highlighted by a return of the debut album's 'Charlotte the Harlot' character in '22, Acacia Avenue' and the sprawling 'Hallowed Be Thy Name', this track cited by many ardent fans as the group's finest achievement.

The galloping 'Run To The Hills', a tale of native American Indians, charged its way into the charts, hitting number 7, and remained entrenched in the rankings for a considerable time. Recognised as one of the band's finest moments, it would also stay lodged in the band's live set for perpetuity.

Lead off date on the 'Beast On The Road' tour was at Queensway Hall in Dunstable on February 25th, the band's first UK headline tour, closing on March 20th at London's Hammersmith Odeon, seeing THE RODS as support act. The band crossed the North Sea for a European tour packaged with BLACKFOOT commencing at the Palais des Sports in Reims, France on March 22nd. These concerts would through France, Spain and Switzerland prior to hooking up with TRUST on April 18th at the Forкt Nationale in Brussels, Belgium. The French band stuck with IRON MAIDEN until the close of the month in Germany. A one off show on May 1st at the Amsterdam Jaap Edenhall paired BLACKFOOT and IRON MAIDEN with headliners the SCORPIONS.

Journeying to the USA, IRON MAIDEN guested for RAINBOW's 'Straight Between The Eyes' tour with an opening gig at the IMA Auditorium in Flint, Michigan on May 11th. Concerts in June were conducted as opening act for 38 SPECIAL. A brief burst of Canadian headliners, in Ottawa, Toronto, Kingstown, Quebec City and Montrйal, preceded a valuable radio broadcast show at the New York Palladium on June 29th. The campaign continued by forming up a treble billing with GIRLSCHOOL and the SCORPIONS kicking off on July 2nd at the Circus Pavilion in Chicago.

IRON MAIDEN returned to the UK in August to play the Reading festival on August 28th. Beforehand a brace of warm up gigs took place at Chippenham Gold Diggers Club on the 25th and Poole Arts Centre on the 26th. Flying straight back to the USA, IRON MAIDEN rejoined the SCORPIONS for a further run at the Long Beach Arena in Los Angeles, California on September 1st. The SCORPIONS shows ended in Portland, Oregon on the 12th and two days later IRON MAIDEN adopted the role of opening band for JUDAS PRIEST's 'Screaming For Vengeance' tour at the Kiel Auditorium in Saint Louis, Missouri, staying with the Birmingham Metal Gods until October 23rd at the Rochester, New York War Memorial.

'The Beast On The Road' reached down as far as Australia in November, sharing stages with HEAVEN, prior to Japanese concerts. Clive Burr's final concert behind the IRON MAIDEN drum kit took place in Niggata on December 10th.

TRACKLIST:

1. Invaders
2. Children Of The Damned
3. The Prisoner
4. 22 Acacia Avenue
5. The Number Of The Beast
6. Run To The Hills
7. Gangland
8. Hallowed Be Thy Name

LINE-UP:

Bruce Dickinson (vocals)
Dave Murray (guitar)
Adrian Smith (guitar)
Steve Harris (bass)
Clive Burr (drums)