Flight of Icarus
Encyclopedia
"Flight of Icarus" is a 1983 song
by Iron Maiden
. It is the band's eighth single and the first from the album, Piece of Mind
. It was the first single by Iron Maiden that was released in the United States. It was also one of the few Iron Maiden singles to receive much airplay in the U.S., peaking at number 8 on the Billboard Top Album Tracks chart - The highest position of any Iron Maiden
single in the US. In the UK, "Flight of Icarus" reached number eleven on the UK Singles Chart
. This song was played frequently during the World Piece Tour and the World Slavery Tour, but has since been dropped from the band's setlists.
who was imprisoned with his father Daedalus
in the the palace of Knossos on Crete
. In an attempt to escape, the pair fabricated wings from feathers and wax so they could fly away. Unfortunately Icarus, not heeding the advice of his father, flew too close to the Sun
, melting the wax that held the feathers and thus fell to his death in the sea. Vocalist Bruce Dickinson
admits that he had modified the original tale to make it an allegory of teenage rebellion against adult authority, which caused the death of Icarus in this case.
The single cover, in something of a parody of the original myth, portrays a winged Eddie
killing Icarus with a flamethrower. Icarus resembles the figure in Evening: Fall of Day, by William Rimmer
, which was used as a label
logo by Led Zeppelin
. The death of the figure on this single cover is a reference to Led Zeppelin's break-up a few years before. http://derek.server311.com/riggsart/Pages/maiden.dir/04mind02.html
Bassist Steve Harris
feels that the studio version should have been played faster, so they play it faster live, claiming "This little extra touch gives it a bit more fire".
The first solo in "Flight of Icarus" is played by Dave Murray
whilst the second solo is played by Adrian Smith
. The ending solo is played by Dave Murray
.
The song can also be found as a cover version on the tribute album Numbers from the Beast featuring Ripper Owens on vocals, Doug Aldrich
on guitars, Jimmy Bain
on bass, and Simon Wright on drums. This version follows the basic configuration of the original composition but departs in terms of the form of the guitar solo.
(where the album was recorded) as the band played a staged recording session of the track. Also, drummer Nicko McBrain
appeared as a blue faced grim reaper. Also, producer Martin Birch
had a cameo in the clip as his face morphed with Maiden mascot Eddie. A newer edit of the video features Flash animation by Camp Chaos spliced between the original footage, replacing McBrain and Birch's acting scenes and some of the '80s-style visual effects. The animation depicts Icarus fleeing away from a winged Eddie (as seen on the album cover).
"I've Got the Fire" is a cover of the song "I Got the Fire
" from the Montrose
album Paper Money
in 1974. This is, in fact, the second time the song has appeared as a B-side. It first appeared as a B-side to the "Sanctuary
" single. However, instead of a live recording, this is a proper studio production.
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
by Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
. It is the band's eighth single and the first from the album, Piece of Mind
Piece of Mind (Iron Maiden album)
Piece of Mind is the fourth studio album by British heavy metal band Iron Maiden. It was originally released in 1983 on EMI, and on Capitol in the US; it was reissued later on Sanctuary/Columbia Records...
. It was the first single by Iron Maiden that was released in the United States. It was also one of the few Iron Maiden singles to receive much airplay in the U.S., peaking at number 8 on the Billboard Top Album Tracks chart - The highest position of any Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
single in the US. In the UK, "Flight of Icarus" reached number eleven on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. This song was played frequently during the World Piece Tour and the World Slavery Tour, but has since been dropped from the band's setlists.
Overview
The song is loosely based on the ancient Greek myth of IcarusIcarus (mythology)
In Greek mythology, Icarus is the son of the master craftsman Daedalus. The main story told about Icarus is his attempt to escape from Crete by means of wings that his father constructed from feathers and wax...
who was imprisoned with his father Daedalus
Daedalus
In Greek mythology, Daedalus was a skillful craftsman and artisan.-Family:...
in the the palace of Knossos on Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
. In an attempt to escape, the pair fabricated wings from feathers and wax so they could fly away. Unfortunately Icarus, not heeding the advice of his father, flew too close to the Sun
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
, melting the wax that held the feathers and thus fell to his death in the sea. Vocalist Bruce Dickinson
Bruce Dickinson
Paul Bruce Dickinson is an English singer, songwriter, airline pilot, fencer, broadcaster, author, screenwriter, actor and marketing director, best known as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Iron Maiden....
admits that he had modified the original tale to make it an allegory of teenage rebellion against adult authority, which caused the death of Icarus in this case.
The single cover, in something of a parody of the original myth, portrays a winged Eddie
Eddie the Head
Eddie, also known as Eddie The Head, is the mascot for the British heavy metal band, Iron Maiden. He is a perennial fixture of the group's artwork, appearing in all of their record covers and in their merchandise, which includes t-shirts, posters and action figures...
killing Icarus with a flamethrower. Icarus resembles the figure in Evening: Fall of Day, by William Rimmer
William Rimmer
William Rimmer was an American artist born in Liverpool, England. He was the son of a French refugee, who emigrated to Nova Scotia, where he was joined by his wife and child in 1818, and who in 1826 moved to Boston, where he earned a living as a shoemaker...
, which was used as a label
Swan Song Records
Swan Song Records was a record label launched by the English rock band Led Zeppelin on 10 May 1974. It was overseen by Led Zeppelin's manager Peter Grant and was a vehicle for the band to promote its own products as well as sign artists who found it difficult to win contracts with other major labels...
logo by Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
. The death of the figure on this single cover is a reference to Led Zeppelin's break-up a few years before. http://derek.server311.com/riggsart/Pages/maiden.dir/04mind02.html
Bassist Steve Harris
Steve Harris (musician)
Stephen Percy "Steve" Harris is an English musician and songwriter, known as the bassist, occasional keyboardist, backing vocalist and primary songwriter of the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden, which he founded in 1975...
feels that the studio version should have been played faster, so they play it faster live, claiming "This little extra touch gives it a bit more fire".
The first solo in "Flight of Icarus" is played by Dave Murray
Dave Murray (musician)
David Michael Murray is an English guitarist and songwriter best known as one of the earliest members of the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden.-Biography:...
whilst the second solo is played by Adrian Smith
Adrian Smith
Adrian Frederick "H" Smith is an English musician and one of three guitarists in the heavy metal band, Iron Maiden. He is also one of the band's regular songwriters and, along with bassist Steve Harris, performs backing vocals on some songs.-Biography:While at school, Smith purchased his first...
. The ending solo is played by Dave Murray
Dave Murray (musician)
David Michael Murray is an English guitarist and songwriter best known as one of the earliest members of the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden.-Biography:...
.
The song can also be found as a cover version on the tribute album Numbers from the Beast featuring Ripper Owens on vocals, Doug Aldrich
Doug Aldrich
Doug Aldrich , is a Los Angeles-based hard rock guitarist, since 2003 a member of Whitesnake. He founded the band Burning Rain with Keith St.John in 1998 and has played previously with the bands Dio, Lion, Hurricane, House of Lords, and Bad Moon Rising...
on guitars, Jimmy Bain
Jimmy Bain
James Stewart 'Jimmy' Bain is a Scottish bassist most famous for playing in the bands Rainbow and Dio with Ronnie James Dio. He has worked with Thin Lizzy frontman Phil Lynott, co-writing on his solo albums....
on bass, and Simon Wright on drums. This version follows the basic configuration of the original composition but departs in terms of the form of the guitar solo.
Music video
The video for this track was directed by Jim Yukich and was filmed in the Bahamas at Compass Point StudiosCompass Point Studios
Compass Point Studios were founded in 1977 by Chris Blackwell, the owner of Island Records.In the late 1970s and mid-1980s, many musical artists from across the world came to the Bahamas to record music at its facilities. Many producers, including Chris Blackwell himself, used the studio to produce...
(where the album was recorded) as the band played a staged recording session of the track. Also, drummer Nicko McBrain
Nicko McBrain
Michael Henry "Nicko" McBrain is an English musician, best known as the drummer for Iron Maiden, which he joined in 1982, prior to which he had played for Streetwalkers, Pat Travers, and the French political band, Trust.-Biography:...
appeared as a blue faced grim reaper. Also, producer Martin Birch
Martin Birch
Martin Birch is a British rock and heavy metal music producer, who became renowned for engineering and producing albums by the British rock bands Deep Purple and Iron Maiden....
had a cameo in the clip as his face morphed with Maiden mascot Eddie. A newer edit of the video features Flash animation by Camp Chaos spliced between the original footage, replacing McBrain and Birch's acting scenes and some of the '80s-style visual effects. The animation depicts Icarus fleeing away from a winged Eddie (as seen on the album cover).
Track listing
- "Flight of Icarus" (Adrian Smith, Bruce Dickinson) - 3:49
- "I've Got the FireI Got the Fire"I Got the Fire" is a song from the Montrose album Paper Money in 1974. The guitar solo is the result of a fortuitous accident:"Guitarist Ronnie Montrose also contributes a solo of singular dexterity and earth-shaking intensity thanks, ironically, to a studio screwup which resulted in the...
" (Ronnie MontroseRonnie MontroseRonnie Montrose, is an Amercian rock guitarist who has headed his own bands as well as performing with a variety of musicians, including Sammy Hagar, Herbie Hancock, Van Morrison, The Beau Brummels, Boz Scaggs, Beaver & Krause, Gary Wright, Tony Williams, The Neville Brothers, Dan Hartman, Edgar...
; MontroseMontrose (band)Montrose was a California-based hard rock band. The band originally featured Ronnie Montrose on guitar and future solo artist and former Van Halen frontman Sammy Hagar...
cover) - 3:53
"I've Got the Fire" is a cover of the song "I Got the Fire
I Got the Fire
"I Got the Fire" is a song from the Montrose album Paper Money in 1974. The guitar solo is the result of a fortuitous accident:"Guitarist Ronnie Montrose also contributes a solo of singular dexterity and earth-shaking intensity thanks, ironically, to a studio screwup which resulted in the...
" from the Montrose
Montrose (band)
Montrose was a California-based hard rock band. The band originally featured Ronnie Montrose on guitar and future solo artist and former Van Halen frontman Sammy Hagar...
album Paper Money
Paper Money
Paper Money is the second album by the band Montrose. It was released in 1974 and was the band's last album to feature Sammy Hagar as lead vocalist.-History:...
in 1974. This is, in fact, the second time the song has appeared as a B-side. It first appeared as a B-side to the "Sanctuary
Sanctuary (Iron Maiden song)
"Sanctuary" is the second single released by the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden. The single was released on 23 May 1980. The song was included in the US release of their debut album Iron Maiden but it was not included in the UK/European release...
" single. However, instead of a live recording, this is a proper studio production.
Charts
| Year | Single | Chart | Position | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | "Flight of Icarus" | Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
14 | Piece of Mind Piece of Mind Piece of Mind is the fourth studio album by British heavy metal band Iron Maiden. It was originally released in 1983 on EMI, and on Capitol in the US; it was reissued later on Sanctuary/Columbia Records... |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
11 | |||
| 1990 | "Flight Of Icarus / The Trooper The Trooper "The Trooper" is a song written by Iron Maiden bass player Steve Harris. It is Iron Maiden's ninth single, and the second from their 1983 album Piece of Mind. The single was released on 20 June 1983... " |
UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... Re-release of both singles as part of "The First Ten Years The First Ten Years The First Ten Years is a series of 10 CDs and double 12" singles by British heavy metal band Iron Maiden, released between 24 February and 28 April 1990, in commemoration of the band's ten year recording anniversary.... " box set. Exceeded the length limit of the UK Singles chart. |
7 | — |
Personnel
- Bruce DickinsonBruce DickinsonPaul Bruce Dickinson is an English singer, songwriter, airline pilot, fencer, broadcaster, author, screenwriter, actor and marketing director, best known as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Iron Maiden....
- vocals - Dave MurrayDave Murray (musician)David Michael Murray is an English guitarist and songwriter best known as one of the earliest members of the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden.-Biography:...
- guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Adrian SmithAdrian SmithAdrian Frederick "H" Smith is an English musician and one of three guitarists in the heavy metal band, Iron Maiden. He is also one of the band's regular songwriters and, along with bassist Steve Harris, performs backing vocals on some songs.-Biography:While at school, Smith purchased his first...
- guitar, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists... - Steve HarrisSteve Harris (musician)Stephen Percy "Steve" Harris is an English musician and songwriter, known as the bassist, occasional keyboardist, backing vocalist and primary songwriter of the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden, which he founded in 1975...
- bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocals - Nicko McBrainNicko McBrainMichael Henry "Nicko" McBrain is an English musician, best known as the drummer for Iron Maiden, which he joined in 1982, prior to which he had played for Streetwalkers, Pat Travers, and the French political band, Trust.-Biography:...
- drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....