Description

Dark red marbled vinyl

On New Year’s Eve 1978, Iron Maiden recorded a demo, consisting of four songs, at Spaceward Studios in Cambridge. Hoping that the recording would help them secure more gigs, the band presented a copy to Neal Kay, then managing a heavy metal club called Bandwagon Heavy Metal Soundhouse, located in Kingsbury Circle, northwest London. Upon hearing the tape, Kay began playing the demo regularly at the Bandwagon, and one of the songs, Prowler, eventually went to No. 1 in the Soundhouse charts, which were published weekly in Sounds magazine. A copy was also acquired by Rod Smallwood, who soon became the band’s manager, and, as Iron Maiden’s popularity increased, they released the demo on their own record label as The Soundhouse Tapes, named after the club. Featuring only three tracks (one song, Strange World, was excluded as the band were unsatisfied with its production) all five thousand copies sold out within weeks. In December 1979, the band secured a major record deal with EMI, and asked Dave Murray’s childhood friend, Adrian Smith of Urchin, to join the group as their second guitarist. Due to his commitment to Urchin, Smith declined and Dennis Stratton was hired instead. And shortly afterwards, Doug Sampson left due to health issues, and was replaced by ex-Samson drummer Clive Burr at Stratton’s suggestion on 26 December 1979. Iron Maiden’s first appearance on an album was on the Metal For Muthas compilation (released on 15 February 1980) and the single Running Free was released on the 8th of February 1980. These were two major releases that led to an ensuing tour which featured several other bands linked with the new wave of British heavy metal (NWoBHM) movement. According to different sources between May 1976 and December 1979 the band played about 200 shows in Great Britain. The band were living in their tour bus for the start of 1980 as well. It was crazy times with hardly no days of. If you look at the February tour dates for example you will find that the band did an amazing 11 nights in a row without a break:

1 February 1980 – Aberdeen – Aberdeen University
2 February 1980 – Glasgow – Glasgow University
3 February 1980 – Saint Andrews – St Andrews University
4 February 1980 – Edinburgh – Tiffany’s
5 February 1980 – Grimsby – Centre Hall
6 February 1980 – Bristol – Romeo & Juliet’s
7 February 1980 – Wakefield – Unity Hall
8 February 1980 – Huddersfield – Huddersfield Polytechnic
9 February 1980 – Manchester – UMIST
10 February 1980 – London – Lyceum Ballroom
11 February 1980 – Mansfield – Civic Theatre

But early tour plans may even suggest that there was 19 shows in a row in the planning stages but the last dates had to be dropped as the band had to record their debut album. Then on the 7th of March until the 27th of March the band were supporting Judas Priest on their British Steel UK tour, where the band only had one day off and that was on the 17th of March were the bands were traveling from Southampton in England to Aberdeen in Scotland. Those were busy days in the Maiden camp and it was tours like this that built up their reputation as one of the hottest acts to see live. This album features material from Tiffanys in Edinburgh, Scotland on the 4th of February 1980 when the band were out on the Metal For Muthas tour with Praying Mantis so this is actually before the release of the Metal For Muthas album and the Running Free single. And the best of all, it seems to be the complete show

Track list:
1. Wrathchild
2. Sanctuary
3. Prowler
4. Remember Tomorrow
5. Running Free
6. Transylvania
7. Strange World
8. Charlotte The Harlot
9. Phantom Of The Opera
10. Iron Maiden
11. Transylvania