The Prisoner (song)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"The Prisoner"
Song by Iron Maiden
from the album The Number of the Beast
Recorded	1982
Genre	Heavy metal
Length	6:02
Writer(s)	Steve Harris, Adrian Smith, Bruce Dickinson
Composer(s)	Steve Harris, Adrian Smith, Bruce Dickinson
The Number of the Beast track listing
Children of the Damned (2)	"The Prisoner" (3)	22 Acacia Avenue (4)

"The Prisoner" is a song by the English heavy metal band Iron Maiden, and was written by Steve Harris, Adrian Smith, and Bruce Dickinson; although because of a contractual agreement with the band Samson, Dickinson was not allowed to be credited. The song is the third track on Iron Maiden's 1982 album "The Number of the Beast".

Both Smith and Harris were fans of the television series "The Prisoner" starring Patrick McGoohan. The song starts with McGoohan's opening narration for every episode of the series; the narration was taken from a tape owned by the early metal DJ Tommy Vance.

The band got personal permission from McGoohan to put the sample in the song. Rod Smallwood, the band's manager at the time, nervously called McGoohan. McGoohan thought about the proposition for a moment and asked, "What's the band's name again?". After hearing that it was Iron Maiden, he sharply told Smallwood "Do It!". Wall, Mick. Run To The Hills – The Authorised Biography of Iron Maiden – Revised Edition, 227.

"The Prisoner" and well as the seventh track "Gangland" were not initially going the be on the album.^{[citation needed]} In fact, some fans were outraged that the tracks were added instead of the song "Total Eclipse". Regardless, both Harris and Smith feel the song is one of their best.^{[citation needed]}

Steve Harris: "Adrian took the solo on this one and it's one of his favorites. It's a very strong live number, although we don't play it on the set now."[1]

[edit] External links

• The Prisoner on Songfacts
• The Iron Maiden Commentary