Powerslave
Encyclopedia
Powerslave is the fifth studio album by the English heavy metal
band Iron Maiden
, released on 3 September 1984 on EMI in Europe and its sister label Capitol Records
in the US (it was re-released by Sanctuary
/Columbia Records
in the US in 2002).
It is notable for its Ancient Egyptian
theme displayed in the cover artwork, lifted from the title track, which was carried over to the album's supporting tour
. The World Slavery Tour began in Warsaw
, Poland
on 9 August 1984, and is widely regarded as being the band's longest and most arduous to date, as well as leading to the live album
, Live After Death
.
The release also contains a musical re-telling of Samuel Taylor Coleridge
's "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
", which uses pieces of the original poem as lyrics and is, furthermore, Iron Maiden's longest song to date (at 13 minutes and 34 seconds in length).
Powerslave is also notable as being the band's first album to feature the same lineup as the previous one, which would remain intact for two further studio releases.
"2 Minutes to Midnight
" and "Aces High
" were released as singles.
in Nassau, Bahamas in 1984, the same place its predecessor, Piece of Mind
, was in early 1983. The band spent weeks drinking on the island, which singer Bruce Dickinson
states consisted of Banana Daiquiris, while recording the songs.
Steve Harris
recalled how, under time pressure, the song "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" was written in a relatively short space of time. Influenced by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
's poem of the same name (drawing heavily from his 1815-16 gloss), the song directly quotes two passages from the poem, the former including the famous lines: 'Water, water everywhere - nor any drop to drink'. At over thirteen minutes long, the track contains several distinct sections with differing moods, and would become a fan favourite. During the 'Somewhere Back in Time World Tour
', Dave Murray
, Bruce Dickinson
and Steve Harris
cited the song as their favourite from that tour to play live.
Once finished, the band began the World Slavery Tour
, beginning in Poland in August 1984 and ending in California, USA in late 1985. The stage set was an eye-opener, echoing the album cover, including monumental pedestals several stories high atop which the musicians appeared at times during the show. The set amply filled even the gigantic proscenium of Radio City Music Hall. It was also the first time a heavy metal
band had taken a full set behind the Iron Curtain
, visiting Poland, Hungary and Yugoslavia, a landmark achievement at the time. The tour continued into South America for the first time where they played to an estimated audience of 300,000 at the inaugural Rock in Rio
as special guests to the band Queen
. The Live After Death
album and video, recorded over four nights at Long Beach Arena in LA and Hammersmith Odeon
in London, were also released and respectively peaked at Nos. two and one in the UK charts.
In total, the tour was 13 months long and touched 28 countries. Powerslave debuted at number two in the UK charts, as a result of their record companies (EMI)'s third "Now That's What I Call Music!
" pop compilation. According to both Nicko McBrain
and Adrian Smith
, Powerslave began making Iron Maiden famous "very fast, very quickly," such as in Brazil, where hundreds of fans waited outside hotels and restaurants for the band.
"Flash of the Blade" was covered by the American band Avenged Sevenfold
on their live double live album/DVD: Live in the LBC & Diamonds in the Rough
. Rhapsody of Fire
have also recorded a cover of the song that will be featured on the deluxe edition of their new album From Chaos to Eternity
.
with
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band 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...
, released on 3 September 1984 on EMI in Europe and its sister label Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
in the US (it was re-released by Sanctuary
Sanctuary Records
Sanctuary Records Group Limited was a record label based in the United Kingdom and a subsidiary of Universal Music Group. Until June 2007, it was the largest independent record label in the UK and the largest independent music management company in the world...
/Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
in the US in 2002).
It is notable for its Ancient Egyptian
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
theme displayed in the cover artwork, lifted from the title track, which was carried over to the album's supporting tour
World Slavery Tour
The World Slavery Tour was a concert tour by the heavy metal band Iron Maiden in support of their fifth album, Powerslave, beginning in Warsaw, Poland on 9 August 1984 and ending at Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre in Irvine, California on 5 July 1985...
. The World Slavery Tour began in Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
on 9 August 1984, and is widely regarded as being the band's longest and most arduous to date, as well as leading to the live album
Live album
A live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
, Live After Death
Live After Death
Live After Death was well received by the music press, with Kerrang! describing it as "possibly the greatest live album of all time." Allmusic shared this sentiment, describing Live After Death as "easily one of heavy metal's best live albums."...
.
The release also contains a musical re-telling of Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Samuel Taylor Coleridge was an English poet, Romantic, literary critic and philosopher who, with his friend William Wordsworth, was a founder of the Romantic Movement in England and a member of the Lake Poets. He is probably best known for his poems The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Kubla...
's "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner is the longest major poem by the English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge, written in 1797–98 and was published in 1798 in the first edition of Lyrical Ballads. Modern editions use a later revised version printed in 1817 that featured a gloss...
", which uses pieces of the original poem as lyrics and is, furthermore, Iron Maiden's longest song to date (at 13 minutes and 34 seconds in length).
Powerslave is also notable as being the band's first album to feature the same lineup as the previous one, which would remain intact for two further studio releases.
"2 Minutes to Midnight
2 Minutes to Midnight
"2 Minutes to Midnight" is the second track from British heavy metal band Iron Maiden's fifth album Powerslave. It was released as the band's tenth single on 6 August 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 "Aces High
Aces High (song)
"Aces High" is a song by British heavy metal band Iron Maiden, written by bassist Steve Harris. It is Iron Maiden's eleventh single and the second from the 1984 studio album Powerslave...
" were released as singles.
Background
The album's recording took place 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...
in Nassau, Bahamas in 1984, the same place its predecessor, 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...
, was in early 1983. The band spent weeks drinking on the island, which singer 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....
states consisted of Banana Daiquiris, while recording the songs.
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...
recalled how, under time pressure, the song "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" was written in a relatively short space of time. Influenced by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Samuel Taylor Coleridge was an English poet, Romantic, literary critic and philosopher who, with his friend William Wordsworth, was a founder of the Romantic Movement in England and a member of the Lake Poets. He is probably best known for his poems The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Kubla...
's poem of the same name (drawing heavily from his 1815-16 gloss), the song directly quotes two passages from the poem, the former including the famous lines: 'Water, water everywhere - nor any drop to drink'. At over thirteen minutes long, the track contains several distinct sections with differing moods, and would become a fan favourite. During the 'Somewhere Back in Time World Tour
Somewhere Back In Time World Tour
Somewhere Back in Time World Tour was a concert tour by Iron Maiden in 2008 and 2009, focussed on the band's 80s material, in particular songs from Powerslave, Somewhere In Time and Seventh Son of a Seventh Son...
', 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:...
, 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....
and 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...
cited the song as their favourite from that tour to play live.
Once finished, the band began the World Slavery Tour
World Slavery Tour
The World Slavery Tour was a concert tour by the heavy metal band Iron Maiden in support of their fifth album, Powerslave, beginning in Warsaw, Poland on 9 August 1984 and ending at Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre in Irvine, California on 5 July 1985...
, beginning in Poland in August 1984 and ending in California, USA in late 1985. The stage set was an eye-opener, echoing the album cover, including monumental pedestals several stories high atop which the musicians appeared at times during the show. The set amply filled even the gigantic proscenium of Radio City Music Hall. It was also the first time a heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band had taken a full set behind the Iron Curtain
Iron Curtain
The concept of the Iron Curtain symbolized the ideological fighting and physical boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1989...
, visiting Poland, Hungary and Yugoslavia, a landmark achievement at the time. The tour continued into South America for the first time where they played to an estimated audience of 300,000 at the inaugural Rock in Rio
Rock in Rio
Rock in Rio is a series of music festivals held in three cities: Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, Lisbon in Portugal and Madrid in Spain.Four incarnations of the festival were in Rio de Janeiro, in 1985, 1991, 2001 and 2011, four in Lisbon, in 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010, and two in Madrid in 2008 and 2010....
as special guests to the band Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
. The Live After Death
Live After Death
Live After Death was well received by the music press, with Kerrang! describing it as "possibly the greatest live album of all time." Allmusic shared this sentiment, describing Live After Death as "easily one of heavy metal's best live albums."...
album and video, recorded over four nights at Long Beach Arena in LA and Hammersmith Odeon
Hammersmith Apollo
Hammersmith Apollo is a major entertainment venue located in Hammersmith, London. Designed by Robert Cromie in Art Deco style, it opened in 1932 as the Gaumont Palace cinema, being re-named the Hammersmith Odeon in 1962...
in London, were also released and respectively peaked at Nos. two and one in the UK charts.
In total, the tour was 13 months long and touched 28 countries. Powerslave debuted at number two in the UK charts, as a result of their record companies (EMI)'s third "Now That's What I Call Music!
Now That's What I Call Music!
Now That's What I Call Music! is a series of various artists compilation albums released in the United Kingdom and Ireland by Polygram /EMI/Sony Music/Virgin Records ; spinoff series were later introduced in South Africa and many other countries worldwide, including the United States...
" pop compilation. According to both 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:...
and 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...
, Powerslave began making Iron Maiden famous "very fast, very quickly," such as in Brazil, where hundreds of fans waited outside hotels and restaurants for the band.
"Flash of the Blade" was covered by the American band Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged Sevenfold is an American heavy metal band from Huntington Beach, California. Formed in 1999, the group consists of vocalist M. Shadows, lead guitarist Synyster Gates, rhythm guitarist Zacky Vengeance, bassist Johnny Christ....
on their live double live album/DVD: Live in the LBC & Diamonds in the Rough
Live in the LBC & Diamonds in the Rough
Diamonds in the Rough -Personnel:Avenged Sevenfold* M. Shadows – lead vocals* Synyster Gates – lead guitar, backing vocals* Zacky Vengeance – rhythm guitar, backing vocals...
. Rhapsody of Fire
Rhapsody of Fire
Rhapsody of Fire is an Italian symphonic power metal band led by Alex Staropoli. Since forming in 1993, the band has released eight studio albums, one live album, two EPs, and a live DVD...
have also recorded a cover of the song that will be featured on the deluxe edition of their new album From Chaos to Eternity
From Chaos to Eternity
From Chaos to Eternity is the nineth full-length studio album by the Italian symphonic power metal band Rhapsody of Fire. It was released in June 17, 2011 via Nuclear Blast. This album is the first to feature the guitar playing of Tom Hess who became a full time official member of the band in 2011...
.
Track listing
Subsequent releases
- The 1995 re-release contains a bonus disc, which contains the B-sides of the original singles.
- It was re-released in 1998 with an extra multimedia section, which featured the music videos for "Aces High" and "2 Minutes to Midnight".
- Originally, "Back in the Village" and "Powerslave" had running times of 5:03 and 7:12 respectively, but when remastered for the 1998 reissue, the introduction to "Powerslave" was merged with the end of "Back in the Village", resulting in "Powerslave"'s length being cut to 6:48 and "Back in the Village" being extended to 5:20.
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....
– lead vocalsLead vocalistThe lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the... - 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...
– bassBass 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 ....
with
- Martin BirchMartin BirchMartin 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....
– producer, engineer - Frank Gibson – assistant engineer
- George Marino – mastering
- Simon Heyworth – remastering
- Derek RiggsDerek RiggsDerek Riggs is a contemporary British artist best known for creating the heavy metal music band Iron Maiden's mascot, "Eddie the Head".-Career:...
– artwork, design, sleeve design, sleeve idea, sleeve illustration - Rod SmallwoodRod SmallwoodRod Smallwood, co-manager of the British band Iron Maiden and co-founder in 1976 of then Smallwood-Taylor Enterprises, today Sanctuary Group which is the world's largest music management company. The company was named after the Maiden song by the same name...
– design, sleeve design, sleeve idea - Ross HalfinRoss HalfinRoss Halfin is a British rock and roll photographer. He began his career working for Sounds magazine in the 1970s, shooting various artists on the punk scene including The Clash, The Jam, The Sex Pistols, 999 and The Adverts...
– photography - Moshe Brakha – photography
Additional notes
- Catalogue – (1984 LP) EMI 1-12321, (1984 CD) Capitol C2-46045, (1998 CD) EMI 96920
Album
| Chart (1984) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40 Ö3 Austria Top 40 Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the name of the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Fridays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as Disc Parade and was presented by Ernst Grissemann... ) |
15 |
| Netherlands (MegaCharts) | 5 |
| New Zealand (RIANZ) | 11 |
| Norway (VG-lista VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by... ) |
5 |
| Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) | 5 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) | 10 |
| UK Albums 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... (The Official Charts Company) |
2 |
| US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
21 |
| Chart (1985) | Peak position |
| UK Albums 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... (The Official Charts Company) |
99 |
| Chart (1992) | Peak position |
| Norway (VG-lista VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by... ) |
4 |
| Chart (2006) | Peak position |
| Spain (PROMUSICAE) | 96 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart | Position | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | "2 Minutes to Midnight 2 Minutes to Midnight "2 Minutes to Midnight" is the second track from British heavy metal band Iron Maiden's fifth album Powerslave. It was released as the band's tenth single on 6 August 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... " |
German Singles Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
70 | "Powerslave" |
| 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... |
10 | |||
| 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 | |||
| "Aces High Aces High (song) "Aces High" is a song by British heavy metal band Iron Maiden, written by bassist Steve Harris. It is Iron Maiden's eleventh single and the second from the 1984 studio album Powerslave... " |
Irish Singles Chart | 29 | ||
| UK Singles Chart | 20 | |||
| 1990 | "2 Minutes to Midnight / Aces High" | UK Albums ChartRe-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. |
11 | — |