(McBrain)
........
: Hey Nicko, wake up the tape's rolling...
Ah! ok now, well! What you doing letting me go to sleep now? Yeah, ah! Did you say the tape's rolling? Well look here, I mustn't....I can't go to sleep in the studio....time costs money don't it, you know what I mean. It's what she said last night... Hahahaha! Yes, she cleaned me out, she did, I tell ya. Don't tell the wife though...be in you know proverbial shit creek without a paddle, or should I say without the old pussy. Ooh ooh! You know, no nookie for a year, watch out. Might not even have any nookie ever, cause she'll probably chop my head off. Hmmm, yeah, that's a bit... that's a thought...gotta watch out.
Anyway! Lucky you, welcome to "not alot of people knew that, or know that, or even still don't know it -- notes number three". Ding! Love it! Purgatory and Genghis Khan are in your proud possession. And you have probably just had an assortment of audible boosting out of those speakers right into your lug holes. And you've also got Killers, Innocent Exile, Remember Tomorrow and Running Free... Maiden Japan. Released 14th of September 1981, that little lot was... We'll get to that in a minute.
Anyway, Purgatory, eh, Genghis Khan...well the boys, didn't they...they had the only non-top-50 single ever? Where was I? Hmm. Anyway! Well that's enough of that. Uuuh, released the 15th of June, Purgatory and Genghis Khan were, or was, hmm. And it's just been released again, hasn't it? Cause you are the proud owner of it, and you're listening to me again... oh no, they say...oh no...ten sick toads to bail me out... oh no, it's Nicko...Ohhh! Well look here, it's a little bit of trivia for you on this one. I know that not alot of people know this, cause I even didn't know this, and I'll admit this....I did not know this, all right. I'll say it again, I did not know this. Purgatory was originally called Floating, hmm, and it was part of Iron Maiden's live show between '76 and '77, would you believe! It was originally played at a very much slower tempo than what is being played at on you know past excursions, so to speak. Well, Steve...he likes to play a little bit faster, he does, see...likes it oooh, and I like that too. And he decided.. he said to the band, "look, I like uh... you know... I like this song, you like it to don't ya?" They said "sure"...well they had to didn't they? And uh, Hahaha! So, anyway they rearranged it and beefed it up for the Killers album, and c'est la vie, or as it is, c'est quoi, or say what, there it is. Purgatory. As it happens, at the right tempo...boom! Love it! Cause Steve...you know, there's certain songs that are written... we'll get onto that later on, there's a little story I'll tell you about that too.
But uh, here you go, Genghis Khan... that was sort of a filling song, if you like. It was written on short notice... that's why it's a short song! Hahahah! Stupid idiot. Maiden discovered they were short of a song on the Killers album. So, they sat down and sort of went "here, let's think of something." And it was given a working title of Jenkin's Barn... god knows why, Genghis Khan...Jenkin's Barn...I suppose it rhymes, doesn't it? Anyway, I dunno, soppy sod...works in mysterious ways, this music business, don't it? Anyway, the sleeve for the Purgatory single was originally the Number Of The Beast album art work. And the band decided it was too good to keep for the... you know... too good to keep! It was best..it was too good so they wanted to keep it... (slaps himself) ...ooh, wake up! They wanted to keep it for the next album...cor, that hurt. Dave, what'd you do that for, man? Anyway... they wanted to keep it for the next album, cause it fitted perfectly with the old NOB. Well, now look, that's rephrase that...NOB being an abbreviation for Number Of The Beast. Now we'll get into that later on right so. Number Of The Beast, yes. And, it felt... you know... Steve had this song with him and.... "yeah... that's what we'll do, we'll keep this art work for the album." So Derek did a new Eddie and he did the Eddie-devil sleeve for the single which you all know, which you're standing looking at, or sitting looking at, or lying on the floor or on top of your missus or she's on top of you, looking at it... I don't know what you're doing but but you're having it in your hand ain't ya? No, the sleeve, silly! The sleeve! Right! Now as I said, it didn't make the top... it didn't get over 50... it got chart position 52. As I said, where was I? It'd been up number one and all...ahhm, nevermind. Ah, hahaha, Jesus.
Anyway! Maiden Japan! What can you say about this? This actually was recorded on the band's very first Japanese tour. And uh, the actual Japanese version of this record was titled Heavy Metal Army and there was no equivalent words in the Japanese language for Maiden Japan. I would have thought they just should have said it "Maiden Japan" and called it that! Well nevertheless. This was the last Maiden release to feature Paul Di'Anno, as we know. What a great singer, he was with the band for quite a few years, many, you know, quite a number of years, a few years there. But, Paul went on to different pastures, green and blue and white and yellow, whatever they were. Um, but any... oh, by the way on the Japanese sleeve it says "pray roud". Hahaha, Jeez! Pray roud! It don't take a degree in English science to work that one out, does it? Eh? Does it? What do you mean what does it mean? PRAY ROUD! Right, that's enough of that. Anyway, by the way, Rod took all the photographs for this band... uh, for this single, the single you know, all the live shots uuh...for the Maiden Japan. And he went down, he went down the old duh duty free racket market, you know like "ooh aah, you give me money, ooh, think of me Rod-san, you can have this!" So anyway, he bought a Cannon camera on the cheap, as usual. And actually this is definitely where Ross got his inspiration from... I mean what can I say, Rod actually astounded the photo world with his prowess behind the lens. What a great...what a c... what a cracker! What a cracker. Anyway, by the way, one little point... this got to to number 43 on the charts, this Maiden Japan, released 14th of September 1981, and again if I said it already, to f'king bad.
Now. Oh yes, this is a joke for ya. If the answer to the question is "my cock robin", what's the question? "What's that... in my ass Batman!" Hahahahah!