Description

2014 re-issue. European press on Parlophone rec

Sanctuary was Iron Maidens second single and it was released on 23 May 1980. The song was included in the US release of their debut album Iron Maiden but it was not included in the UK/European release. However, when the album was re-released in 1998 the song was added to the UK release. The cover art shows the band’s mascot, Eddie having just murdered former Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher. This image, though intended as a lighthearted play on her nickname as the “Iron Lady”, managed to cause a minor stir in local newspapers (though this was nothing compared with the reaction to one of their future albums). On most copies of the original single, Thatcher’s eyes were covered by a black box because the image was considered offensive. Copies without this box are extremely rare, however are not to be confused with The First Ten Years 12″ re-release, which no longer features the black box. When Derek Riggs was asked about the artwork during “The First Ten Years” documentary, he said that he’d originally drawn the cover featuring Eddie murdering another woman, inspired by the line in the song -I never killed a woman before but I know how it feels-, but when he took the art to the band they asked him to change it to include Margaret Thatcher. Of the incident, he said, they wanted me to make it look like Margaret Thatcher, because she was called the Iron Maiden, but I didn’t even have a photograph of the woman! He wound up having to contact Margaret Thatcher’s Public Relations people, who then sent him a photo of her. Sanctuary was originally released in both 7 and 12 45rpm vinyl formats. The b-side on this 7 includes a live version of the song Drifter and a live version of Montroses I’ve Got the Fire, from their 1974 album Paper Money. Drifter includes the usual crowd interaction part where the audience is invited to follow the lead singer as he chants Yo Yo Yo, parodying The Police song Walking on the Moon Both of the songs were recorded live at the Marquee Club in London on 3 April 1980. On Sanctuary, the first guitar solo is played by Dennis Stratton followed by a guitar solo by Dave Murray. On both the live versions of Drifter and I’ve Got the Fire, the first guitar solo is played by Murray while the second is played by Stratton. The later single Women in Uniform shows Thatcher getting her revenge on Eddie by plugging him with her Sterling submachine gun.

Track listing:
1. Sanctuary
2. Drifter-live at the Marquee, London 1980
3. Ive Got the Fire-Montrose cover-live at the Marquee, London 1980