Killers (Iron Maiden album)

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Killers
Killers cover
Studio album by Iron Maiden
Released February 9, 1981 (UK)
June, 1981 (U.S.)
Recorded Battery Studios, November 1980 – January 1981
Genre Heavy metal
Length 43:53
Label EMI
Producer Martin "Headmaster" Birch
Professional reviews
Iron Maiden chronology
Live!! +one
(1980)		 Killers
(1981)		 Maiden Japan
(1981)

Killers, released on February 9, 1981 on EMI in the UK, is the second album by Iron Maiden. It was the first of their albums to feature guitarist Adrian Smith, and the last to feature vocalist Paul Di'Anno, who left the band mid-tour due to problems with alcohol and cocaine. This was also the first album produced by veteran producer Martin Birch who went on to produce their next eight albums before retiring after Fear of the Dark in 1992.

Being the most popular song on the album, "Wrathchild" has been on the set lists of nearly all of the band's concert tours.

Contents

[edit] History

The album is an unusual one in that it features two instrumentals and was written almost exclusively by Steve Harris with only minor assistance from the rest of the band. All of the songs, with the exception of "Murders in the Rue Morgue" and "Prodigal Son," were written before the release of their debut album (they could not fit all of them on one album, and the songs were later re-recorded anyway to feature Adrian Smith); an early version of "Wrathchild" was featured on the Metal for Muthas compilation.

The U.S. edition, which came out a few months after its UK release, was initially released on Harvest Records/Capitol Records and subsequently on Sanctuary Records/Columbia Records. "Twilight Zone" was also added to the album.

The song "Murders in the Rue Morgue" is based on the story of the same name by Edgar Allan Poe. "Rue Morgue" is the name of a fictitious street in Paris, it translates in English as "Mortuary Street". However, the only reference to the story in the song is when two girls are found dead.

The song "Wrathchild" was redone on the Iron Maiden all-star tribute album Numbers from the Beast featuring Di'anno on vocals, Alex Skolnick on lead guitar, Chris Traynor on rhythm guitar, Frank Bello on bass, and John Tempesta on drums. A cover of the song also appears in the video game Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s.

Killers World Tour was the tour supporting the album.

[edit] Track listing

All songs written by Steve Harris, unless indicated otherwise. This is the only album up until 2000's Brave New World where Harris has a writing credit on every track.

[edit] Original UK release

  1. "The Ides of March" – 1:46
  2. "Wrathchild" – 2:54
  3. "Murders in the Rue Morgue" – 4:18
  4. "Another Life" – 3:22
  5. "Genghis Khan" – 3:06
  6. "Innocent Exile" – 3:53
  7. "Killers" (Paul Di'Anno, Harris) – 5:01
  8. "Prodigal Son" – 6:11
  9. "Purgatory" – 3:20
  10. "Drifter" – 4:48

[edit] Original U.S. release

  1. "The Ides of March" – 1:45
  2. "Wrathchild" – 2:54
  3. "Murders in the Rue Morgue" – 4:19
  4. "Another Life" – 3:22
  5. "Genghis Khan" – 3:06
  6. "Innocent Exile" – 3:53
  7. "Killers" (Di'Anno, Harris) – 5:01
  8. "Twilight Zone" (Dave Murray, Harris) – 2:34
  9. "Prodigal Son" – 6:11
  10. "Purgatory" – 3:21
  11. "Drifter" – 4:48

[edit] Remastered release

  1. "The Ides of March" – 1:45
  2. "Wrathchild" – 2:54
  3. "Murders in the Rue Morgue" – 4:19
  4. "Another Life" – 3:22
  5. "Genghis Khan" – 3:06
  6. "Innocent Exile" – 3:53
  7. "Killers" (Di'Anno, Harris) – 5:01
  8. "Prodigal Son" – 6:11
  9. "Purgatory" – 3:21
  10. "Twilight Zone" (Murray, Harris) – 2:34
  11. "Drifter" – 4:48

[edit] 1995 reissue bonus disc

  1. "Women in Uniform" (Skyhooks cover) (Greg Macainsh)
  2. "Invasion"
  3. "Phantom of the Opera (live)"
  4. "Running Free (live)" (Di'Anno, Harris)
  5. "Remember Tomorrow (live)" (Di'Anno, Harris)
  6. "Wrathchild (live)"
  7. "Killers (live)" (Di'Anno, Harris)
  8. "Innocent Exile (live)"

An older cassette version was also released which contained "Women in Uniform" on side two. The live versions on the reissue are taken from the album Maiden Japan.

[edit] Personnel

[edit] Additional personnel

v • d • e
Iron Maiden
Bruce Dickinson · Dave Murray · Adrian Smith · Janick Gers · Steve Harris · Nicko McBrain
Paul Di'Anno · Blaze Bayley · Dennis Stratton · Clive Burr
See: List of Iron Maiden band members for detailed band member history
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