Iron Virgin

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Iron Virgin were a Scottish rock band of the 1970s, who in image and style have been compared to contemporary glam acts such as Slade and The Sweet.

Discovered by Decca Records producer Nick Tauber in Edinburgh, the band was signed to the label's "progressive" offshoot, Deram. Their first single was "Jet", a cover from Paul McCartney's Band on the Run album. Recorded in December 1973, the song was released in February 1974 and was getting exposure when McCartney himself issued it as a single, effectively smothering Iron Virgin's recording.

Their second - and best known - single was "Rebels Rule", from their 1974 album of the same name. It scored reasonable reviews and a variation called "Stand Up for Kenny Everett" was often played on the BBC by the DJ of the title. The song did not enjoy chart success, however, and the band soon broke up.

Iron Virgin's music has been re-released on compilation CDs such as The Velvet Tinmine, part of the 'Junkshop' collection of discs issued in 2002 and after that focussed on glam bands from the early 70s whose output never - or barely - charted.