- French Release from 1984
A rare 1984 French twist on Iron Maiden's "2 Minutes To Midnight." This 12-inch single pressed in France offered the title track, a staple from their "Powerslave" album. But the real intrigue lies on the B-side. Did it include the face-melting "Aces High" or something else? This mystery adds to the collectability for Iron Maiden fans. Classic Maiden with a unique twist, perfect for cranking up in French style.
The album back cover lists the detailed tour dates of IRON MAIDEN 1984 Tour in France
"2 Minutes to Midnight" is the second track from British h eavy metal band Iron Maiden's fifth album Powerslave. It was released as the band's tenth single on August 6, 1984 and rose to number 11 in the UK Singles Chart and number 25 on Billboard Top Album Tracks. The song was written by Adrian Smith and Bruce Dickinson. The song has references to the Doomsday Clock, the symbolic clock used by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. In September 1953 the clock reached 23:58, the closest the clock ever got to midnight. This occurred when the United States and Soviet Union tested H-bombs within nine months of one another. The first guitar solo is played by Dave Murray followed by a guitar solo played by Adrian Smith. The first B-side is a cover of British progressive rock band Beckett's "Rainbow's Gold". Another B-side, titled "Mission from 'Arry", is a recording of an argument between bassist Steve Harris and drummer Nicko McBrain. The argument happened after a show in Allentown, Pennsylvania during the band's World Piece Tour, and occurred due to a misunderstanding on stage between the two due to technical issues with Harris' bass, which had led to McBrain's drum solo going wrong. Vocalist Bruce Dickinson (
From humble beginnings to a heavy metal icon, Bruce Dickinson's journey is filled with powerful vocals, epic stage performances, and a passion for flight. Discover the life of a true renaissance man. Read it Here
) was recording the argument with a concealed tape recorder. Because Harris' bass was not working, he asked a light rigger to tell McBrain to extend the solo. Rather than following proper procedure, the man started shouting to McBrain. Angry that he messed up his solo, McBrain had a confrontation with the man (it is unclear if anything physical happened) that Harris felt was unnecessary. Allegedly the argument had calmed down before Dickinson started recording it and riled the two men up again by asking Nicko what he would have wanted the man to do had he been trying to tell him that the lighting truss above his drum kit was about to fall down, to which he replied "Well, I guess someone would've had to pull me out the fucking way or I'm dead!". The video of the song is featured on the 2003 video collection Visions of the Beast. On the bonus disc of the 2008 DVD release of Live After Death, Bruce Dickinson said of the scene in the video of the soldiers in the apartment, "They came to us with the location and said, 'We've got the perfect location. It's this dingy, grotty East End tenement on the Isle of Dogs. It's all boarded up and there's cat piss everywhere and it's just really foul'. And I looked at this thing and I'm like 'That's Roffy House, on the Isle of Dogs. I used to live there!'"
In Brief:
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NWOBHM New Wave of British Heavy Metal |
Album Production Information: The album: "IRON MAIDEN - 2 Minutes 2 Midnight" was produced by: Martin "Jah" Birch Martin Birch's: The man behind the soundboard, shaping iconic rock and metal anthems. His journey from sound engineer to legendary producer is a testament to passion and innovation. Read on his career Sound/Recording Engineer(s): Frankie Gibson, Bruce Dickinson Frankie Gibson one of the sound engineer's of the "Iron Maiden" albums "Piece of Mind" and "Powerslave". Bruce Dickinson was responsible for the engineering of the track "Mission from 'Arry'" From humble beginnings to a heavy metal icon, Bruce Dickinson's journey is filled with powerful vocals, epic stage performances, and a passion for flight. Discover the life of a true renaissance man. Read it Here George Marion - Mastering Engineer George Marino: legendary mastering engineer behind iconic albums by Metallica, AC/DC, and more. Explore his life and groundbreaking career in music. Album cover Photo: Ross Halfin Dive into the world of rock photography with Ross Halfin. Discover iconic images, behind-the-scenes stories, and the essence of rock and roll captured through his lens. Read it Here Album cover Illustration: Derek Riggs Discover the man behind the monster: Derek Riggs, the artist who brought Iron Maiden's Eddie to life. Explore his artistic journey beyond heavy metal. Read it Here |
Record Label: EMI 1549346 |
12" Vinyl Stereo Gramophone Record Total Album (Cover+Record) weight: xxx gram |
1984 Made in France |
Complete Track Listing of: IRON MAIDEN 2 Minutes to Midnight 12" Maxi-Single |
The Song/tracks on "IRON MAIDEN 2 Minutes to Midnight 12" Maxi-Single" are
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Album cover photos of : IRON MAIDEN 2 Minutes to Midnight France 12" Maxi-Single |
Back cover of 2 Minutes 2 Midnight with a photo of the blind-folded band-members.
Close-up photo of the 45T Record Label "2 Minutes 2 Midnight"
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Note: the above pictures are actual photos of the album and allow you to judge the quality of cover. Slight differences in color may exist due to the use of the camera's flash. |