Ahead of the release of the new feature-length documentary “Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition,” Iron Maiden vocalist Bruce Dickinson and bassist Steve Harris have opened up about the group’s early trajectory and their massive leap into heavy metal superstardom.
Speaking with The Guardian, Bruce Dickinson recalled the pressure and profound confidence he felt when he left Samson to replace former frontman Paul Di’Anno in 1981. At the time, Iron Maiden was rapidly establishing itself as a leading force in the New Wave of British Heavy Metal.
“It was like being a striker for the Conference and they say, ‘Go and play front and centre for Man City,” Bruce explained. “But I was grossly overconfident because I was 21 years old: ‘Of course I’m going to get the gig, because I can do exactly what you want and a whole lot more.’ I knew how ambitious Steve was, and where he wanted to go with the music. It was obvious the band could be absolutely immense. I loved the fact that they were technically so accomplished as musicians…there were no limits, musically.”
That musical ambition quickly materialized with his 1982 studio debut, The Number Of The Beast. The record became a critical and commercial landmark for the genre. While reflecting on the studio sessions, Steve Harris maintained his notoriously grounded perspective regarding the album’s eventual legacy.
“When you go in with a batch of songs, you don’t necessarily think you’ve made a classic album,” Harris stated. “I just think: well, we’ve made a bloody good album and people will either like it or they won’t.”
However, the vocalist remembered the atmosphere in the studio differently, recognizing the immediate impact of the material they were putting to tape.
“Did we know it was special? Yeah, we did!” Bruce countered. “We’d stay in the studio afterwards listening back. We’d sit there drinking [80s beer brand] Watneys Party Sevens. We built a wall of those bloody things and we’d get home at four in the morning after we’d stopped recording at eight or nine. The rest of the time we were just sat there pinching ourselves going: ‘F**king hell, isn’t this great?’”
Iron Maiden will resume their “Run For Your Lives” world tour next month, with legs scheduled across Europe, the Americas, Asia, and Australia. The band is also the subject of a new documentary, “Burning Ambition,” arriving in cinemas on May 07. Furthermore, the group will be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame this November, though the active members will not attend the Los Angeles ceremony due to their touring schedule.
