IRON MAIDEN - Flight of Icarus PD (Picture Disc) 12" Vinyl

"Flight of Icarus" is a song by the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden. It was released as a single in 1983 and appears on their third studio album, "Piece of Mind". The single was released on 7" vinyl and 12" vinyl, and it also had a picture disc version. The picture disc featured the band's mascot Eddie on the front, with the title of the song and the band's name written in bold font. This version of the single was made in limited numbers and is considered a collector's item. The song was a commercial success, reaching the top 40 in several countries, and it was a fan favorite.

Album Info: A 12" Picture Disc Single 45RPM, in a generic plastic transparent sleeve

 

IRON MAIDEN - Flight of Icarus PD ( Picture Disc) 12" Vinyl Album
 vinyl lp record

 Album Description: : Iron Maiden is a heavy metal band that has been entertaining audiences with their unique blend of music and showmanship since the late 1970s. The band's distinctive sound and style have earned them a massive following, making them one of the most successful heavy metal bands in history. One of the most popular Iron Maiden songs is "Flight of Icarus," and the picture disc vinyl version of the single is a must-have for any collector or fan.

History of "Flight of Icarus": "Flight of Icarus" is a song that was released in 1983 as a single from Iron Maiden's fourth studio album, "Piece of Mind." The song tells the story of the Greek mythological character Icarus, who flew too close to the sun and fell to his death. The song features soaring vocals, pounding drums, and blistering guitar solos, making it one of Iron Maiden's most beloved songs.

The Picture Disc Vinyl: The picture disc vinyl version of "Flight of Icarus" is a collector's dream. It features an image of Icarus on one side and the band's logo on the other, with the song's title and band name printed in bold letters. The vinyl is a 12-inch single, and the picture disc design is sure to make it stand out in any collection.

The Sound Quality: While picture disc vinyl is often criticized for having inferior sound quality compared to traditional black vinyl, the "Flight of Icarus" picture disc has received positive reviews for its sound. The vinyl has a bright, clear sound that captures the energy and power of Iron Maiden's music.

 Collector's attributes: This section contains detailed information to be able to uniquely identify this particular version/release of the album IRON MAIDEN - Flight of Icarus (Picture Disc)
 Album back cover

 

 

  Barcode: There is NO barcode on this Picture Disc
 Labels  Side One:

EMI – 12 EMI P5378 A

 

 Side Two:

EMI – 12 EMI P5378 B

 Matrix code / run-out grooves  Side One:

12 EMIP 5378 A-2U-1-1

 

 Side Two::

12 EMIP 5378 A-2U-1-1

 

Music Genre:

NWOBHM 

Album Production information:

The album: "IRON MAIDEN - Flight of Icarus (Picture Disc)" was produced by: Martin Birch:

  • Martin Birch – Producer, Sound Engineer

    I first noticed Martin Birch on those early Iron Maiden sleeves—the ones with the typography that felt like a threat. At twelve, I didn’t care about "production value"; I just liked that the guitars didn't sound like mud. He was the man behind the sound mixer, the one who made the snare snap like a dry branch in a cold forest. He was "The Headmaster," and we were all just students of his high-voltage curriculum.

    Birch didn’t just record noise; he organized aggression. By 1972, he was already wrangling the messy brilliance of Deep Purple’s Machine Head, turning Ian Gillan’s banshee wails into something that didn't just clip the tape but lived inside it. In 1980, he pulled off the ultimate renovation, giving Black Sabbath a much-needed shower and a new spine. Heaven and Hell shouldn't have worked, but Martin polished that Birmingham sludge into something operatic and gleaming. It was a pivot that felt like fate, mostly because he refused to let the mid-range get lazy.

    Then came the long, obsessive stretch with Iron Maiden from 1981 to 1992. It was a twelve-year marriage to the fader. From the moment Killers (EMC 3357, for those who care) hit the shelves, the sound was physical. He knew how to let Steve Harris’s bass clatter like a machine gun without drowning out the melody—a sonic miracle that still feels fresh. You can almost smell the ozone and the dust on the Marshall stacks when the needle drops on The Number of the Beast. He stayed until Fear of the Dark, then simply walked away. No victory lap, no bloated memoir. He preferred the hum of the desk to the noise of the crowd, leaving us with nothing but the records and a slight sense of abandonment. But then, when you’ve already captured lightning on tape for twenty years, why bother hanging around for the rain?

  • Sound/Recording Engineer(s): Martin Birch:

    Album cover illustration: Derek Riggs

  • Derek Riggs – Illustrator, Cover Artist Derek Riggs is the artist who gave Iron Maiden its visual soul by creating Eddie, one of the most recognizable mascots in heavy metal history. Since the band’s 1980 debut, his artwork fused sci-fi, horror, and dark fantasy into covers that were as confrontational and imaginative as the music itself. Riggs’ paintings didn’t just decorate records, they built a world that became inseparable from Maiden’s identity.
  • Album cover photography: Simon Fowler

  • Simon Fowler – Photographer Simon Fowler is a British photographer celebrated for his striking portraits of rock and metal legends, including Iron Maiden, whose 1983 album “Piece of Mind” credited him as Simon “Bullseye” Fowler. His work spans the vibrant eras of the late 1970s through the 1990s, capturing icons at their creative peak.
  • Record Label & Catalognr:

    EMI - 12 EMI P5378

    Media Format:

    12" Vinyl Stereo Gramophone Record
    Total Album (Cover+Record) weight: 230 gram  

    Year & Country:

    1983 UK
    A0375 Iron Maiden Flight of Icarus (PD)
    Album Back Cover  Photo of "IRON MAIDEN - Flight of Icarus (Picture Disc)"
    A0375 Iron Maiden Flight of Icarus (PD)  

    Note: The images on this page are photos of the actual album. Slight differences in color may exist due to the use of the camera's flash.

    Personnel/Band Members and Musicians on: IRON MAIDEN - Flight of Icarus (Picture Disc)
      Band-members, Musicians and Performers
    • Bruce Dickinson – lead vocals
    • Bruce Dickinson – Singer

      Samson forged the roar; Iron Maiden turned it into a global alarm system.

      Bruce Dickinson, Bruce Dickinson is the rare frontman who can sound like a human air-raid siren and still tell a story. Before the arenas, I track him in Samson (1979–1981) , where the voice sharpened into steel. He joined Iron Maiden in 1981 and powered their classic run through 1993, then returned in 1999 and has stayed ever since. Between the big chapters he kept moving: a solo career from 1990 onward, plus the short, sharp Skunkworks detour in 1996. On stage he’s theatrical without slipping into pantomime—commanding, precise, and oddly disciplined for heavy metal. Timeline: Samson ’79–’81; Maiden ’81–’93 and ’99–now; solo from ’90; Skunkworks ’96. And yeah, never boring.

    • Dave Murray – guitar
    • Dave Murray – Guitar

      Maiden’s calm killer: smooth leads, twin-guitar harmony for days, and that melodic bite that makes the “gallop” feel cinematic instead of chaotic.

      Dave Murray (born 23 December 1956, Edmonton, Middlesex, England) is one of the defining lead guitar voices of heavy metal, and in my book he’s the melodic “second spine” of Iron Maiden. His timeline with the band starts early: joining in 1976, getting briefly pushed out in 1977, then returning in 1978 and staying locked in ever since—making him one of the longest-serving members in the whole Maiden saga. During that 1977 gap he spent around six months with Urchin (Adrian Smith’s band), which is a fun little historical glitch in the matrix if you like your Maiden lore messy and human. Beyond the main band, his most notable “outside the mothership” credit is the all-star charity metal project Hear ’n Aid (1985), because apparently even guitar lifers sometimes leave the bunker to do side quests. Dave Murray Wiki

    • Adrian Smith – guitar, backing vocals
    • Adrian Smith – Guitarist, Songwriter

      The melodic blade behind Maiden’s heaviest hooks.

      Adrian Smith, Adrian Smith, he writes riffs the way old street poets throw punches: clean, sharp, and memorable. Before the Maiden machine, I hear him in Urchin (1973–1980), already mixing melody with bite. He joined Iron Maiden in November 1980, helped define their twin-guitar gold through 1990, then stepped away as the band’s direction shifted. In the wilderness years he tried A.S.A.P (1989–1990) and led Psycho Motel (1993–1999), plus a stint in Bruce Dickinson’s solo band (1997–1999). Since his return to Iron Maiden in 1999 he’s stayed a key songwriter, while still stretching out with projects like Smith/Kotzen (2020–present). He’s the guy who makes speed feel singable, not just fast for fast’s sake.

    • Steve Harris – bass, backing vocals
    • Steve Harris – Bass Guitar, Songwriter

      Iron Maiden’s engine room: galloping bass lines, history-nerd lyrics, and “captain of the ship” energy baked into every riff.

      Steve Harris (born 12 March 1956, Leytonstone, England) is the rare bassist who doesn’t just hold the floor—he draws the whole blueprint. In my book, he’s the founder and primary songwriter who’s kept Iron Maiden on its rails from 1975–present, with that instantly recognizable “gallop” driving huge chunks of the catalogue. The pre-Maiden grind matters too: first band days in Influence/Gypsy’s Kiss (1973–1974, including a documented gig run in 1974), then the older, blues-leaning Smiler period (1974–1975) where his more ambitious writing basically forced the next step: forming Maiden. Outside the mothership, he’s fronted his own hard-rock outlet British Lion (2012–present), a project that grew out of connections going back to the early 1990s and finally hit the world as his solo debut in 2012.

    • Clive Burr – drums
    • Clive Burr – Drums

      The early Maiden groove machine: big feel, sharp fills, and that “Beast-era” punch that still rattles the walls.

      Clive Burr (8 March 1957 – 12 March 2013) is one of those drummers who didn’t just keep time—he gave a band its early backbone. I mainly hear him as Iron Maiden’s rocket fuel from 1979–1982, laying down that urgent, swinging drive on their first run of classic records and helping make the whole NWOBHM thing feel dangerous instead of polite. Before that, he did the London grind with Samson (1977–1978). After Maiden, the timeline gets gloriously nomadic: Trust (1983–1984), a blink-and-you-miss-it week with Alcatrazz (1983), his own Clive Burr’s Escape (1983–1984) evolving into Stratus (1984–1985), the supergroup cameo in Gogmagog (1985), Desperado (1988–1990), and later work with Praying Mantis (1995–1996). His later years were brutally shaped by multiple sclerosis, but the playing legacy stays loud, human, and unmistakably his own—Clive Burr Wiki

    Complete Track-listing of the album "IRON MAIDEN - Flight of Icarus (Picture Disc)"

    The detailed tracklist of this record "IRON MAIDEN - Flight of Icarus (Picture Disc)" is:

      Track-listing Side One:
    1. Flight of Icarus
      Track-listing Side Two:
    1. I've got the Fire

    IRON MAIDEN - Vinyl Records Discography Home Page