...What ho hahahaha!
Well, welcome once again to the Not a lot of people know that, part II. Or in other words, Nick's verbal
diarrhoea for the second time running. You lucky lot! Now you're out there holding in your sweaty palms
and all them grubby little fingers and hands, ooh the second re-released singles box set from Iron Maiden,
the second weeks now we're running, now we're onto a cruise. Women In Uniform! You've just listened to it!
Invasion! You've just listened to it! Phantom Of The Opera! You've just listened to it! Ohh, and Twilight
Zone and Wrathchild, both 'Arry Harris.bomber Harris compositions of the most outstandingly stunning
performances! Marvellous!
Well, look here! Women In Uniform, mmmmmm. Now then 'Arry, you slipped up... listen don't tell him but
you know it wasn't a song by 'Arry, see, but he knows that doesn't he. Wot? Anyway, Women In Uniform,
written by the Macainah brothers... I think I pronounced that right lads... if you're listening, well too f'king
bad if I ain't, I'm very sorry but anyway, nevertheless. Aussie band, Skyhooks I believe they were called, the
name of the band, first originally recorded this Women In Uniform. The boys decided to do it, and released
this single 27th of October 1980. And uh, well, great song, you know... doo doo ah dee dee... good song, and
all that. And as I say, you've got Invasion and Phantom Of The Opera live. My goodness, aren't you lucky
people... Gosh I don't even have this stuff at home. You know what, I tell ya, one of the reasons that we're
releasing all these bits and pieces, not only to celebrate ten years with such a great company as EMI, but not
a lot of us have got a complete set of the singles and all that stuff so it's really so we can get the old
collection going. Yeah, so anyway, nevertheless!
Allright, now Mike Kenny made his debut in the video as Eddie I do believe, on the very first promo video.
Well, I say the first promo,. the Invasion video, was the first rock promo, one of the first rock promos by a
British rock band. I suppose you think Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody was close to that, you know, I think
they were probably the very first. But it was quite visionary if you think of the importance of videos now,
you get it... vision... quite visi... yeah, allright ok, cut the crap and get on with it. So there you go, first song
the band's ever released in a-side is by somebody else, and uh yeah, that's cool. And by the way, Invasion
was part of the band's you know the stage set that the boys used to use in the late 70's, and originally it was
released on the Soundhouse Tapes. Oh, we all know about the Soundhouse Tapes... take that if you don't!
wooh, I'll give you ...I wanna hit you so hard... Anyway! Invasion was on the Soundhouse Tapes, and
Steve and the guys decided to record a proper studio version of this song, so that's why that was re-done
basically.
And Phantom was recorded at the Marquee in July 1980, oh yes you lucky Maidenettes and Maiden guys
and all that out there! Four dates in one week, to wind up their summer UK tour in 1980, can you remember
that? What a great time! Did Top Of The Pops live, again, by the way, and the guys did the sound
check... this is, not a lot of people know this... and the did the sound check in the afternoon. And a minute
before the performance the sound monitor engineer turned around and says "I'm not gonna have this... you're
too loud, we're gonna turn it down". And they messed around with all the twiddly knobs and everything, on
the desk, ON THE DESK! right? And it totally poxed it all up. So the boys vowed never to play.um... I
said Top Of The Pops, didn't I. Well you know that company on the last thing I was trying to think of an
abbreviation for, right? Well you know what I'm talking about right? Well it's the Bleeding Bojack
Company, right, that's what it is, and that's what they done to 'em so it's on the videos now and that's it.
Boom.
So you lucky lot. Oooh, Twilight Zone and Wrathchild, both as I said, 'Arry Harris compositions... released
the 2nd of March 1981, got to chart position 31. Not bad, eh! Oh by the way, the Women In Uniform and
Invasion and that got to 35, I think I forgot to mention that. If I did mention it, too f'king bad, allright. So,
Twilight Zone and Wrathchild, that was recorded as part of a Killers session at the turn of '80 and '81. Now
Martin, he actually couldn't be there at this particular session, so the boys produced Twilight Zone
themselves. Quite clever when you think about it, aren't they, playing and producing it at the same time.
Amazing! Anyway, hahaha, so they decided to release this Twilight Zone on the Killer's album. And so the
boys and Rod sent a telex over to Japan, see, and they explained all the details of the song. So the Japanese,
they're a funny lot aren't they, they took it literally, and the song was printed as Details Of Twilight Zone.
My goodness, that's a cracker isn't it? Hah!
By the way, boys and girls, if you know your trivia. Mr. H. Adrian Smith joined the band in that particular
time, didn't he? Yeah, now Twilight Zone, this happened to be Adrian's first single with the band. Now not a
lot of people would remember that, but then again, probably they would, so I'll stuff it in the pipe and smoke
it. H joined the band in September 1980, and as you know, on the back of this as it's a double a-side, it was
Wrathchild, and Adrian had to learn Wrathchild as part of his audition, you know. He also had to show the
boys that he could kick a football and down a pint of beer in five seconds. He managed both of them no
problem, now Wrathchild he had to do the business. Well all I can say is this... he must have done a f'king
good job didn't he, eh? Cause he's steaming and he's right there, see? So, not a lot of people knew that either.
So anyway, that's H's audition out of the way, and he was always happening and he went out on the tour in
1980 and 1981 and all this. And, well, there you go. As it happens, as I said, the session that they did with
Twilight Zone and Wrathchild came out so well that they released it as a double a-side... By the way, as
we're talking about musicians, I've got a joke for ya. I'm not gonna to like it very much, but you might,
allright, so here it is:
What do you call somebody that hangs around with musicians?
Awwww no, not that one! Surely! Allright, a bloody drummer!
Allright, now I've said it and all the boys are at me, I've got that one out of the way. Thanks a lot Rod,
hmmm. There you go. Oh by the way, I was in a band called Trust around that period of time, and in fact,
the boys, we came out with Iron Maiden on their Killers tour of Great Britain. And not a lot of people know
that either. But uh, we had a great time, we did about three and a half weeks with the band, and we had a
serious... it was great! Well, what can I say? Not a lot anymore, I think I've just about covered all that one.
Um, so I'm going down the pub to have a beer. Tada!
