The Clairvoyant (song)
Encyclopedia
"The Clairvoyant" was released in 1988 (see 1988 in music
) by Iron Maiden
. It is the band's nineteenth single and the third from their Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
album. The single, which was also released as a clear vinyl, debuted at number six in the UK charts. It contains three live performances from Maiden's 1988 headlining performance at the Monsters of Rock
festival in Donington Park
.
The promotional video for the song, although set to the studio version, features live clips from the Donington performance.
The song starts in the first person, from the main character's point of view. Later, it's in the third person, after he's dead. According to Steve Harris, the song was inspired by the death of psychic Doris Stokes
, and his wondering that if she were truly able to see the future, wouldn't she have been able to foresee her own death?
The song's guitar solo is played by Dave Murray.
with
1988 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1988.-January-March:* January 1 – André Rieu's Johann Strauss Orchestra plays its first concert....
) 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 nineteenth single and the third from their Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
Seventh Son of a Seventh Son is the seventh studio album by British heavy metal band Iron Maiden, released in 1988 by EMI in Europe and its sister label Capitol Records in the US...
album. The single, which was also released as a clear vinyl, debuted at number six in the UK charts. It contains three live performances from Maiden's 1988 headlining performance at the Monsters of Rock
Monsters of Rock
Monsters of Rock was an annual music festival held in England, then moved in other locations like The Netherlands, France, Italy, Germany, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Chile.The Last show was in 2008....
festival in Donington Park
Donington Park
Donington Park is a motorsport circuit near Castle Donington in Leicestershire, England.Originally part of the Donington Hall estate, it was created as a racing circuit during the pre-war period when the German Silver Arrows were battling for the European Championship...
.
The promotional video for the song, although set to the studio version, features live clips from the Donington performance.
The song starts in the first person, from the main character's point of view. Later, it's in the third person, after he's dead. According to Steve Harris, the song was inspired by the death of psychic Doris Stokes
Doris Stokes
Doris May Fisher Stokes , born Doris Sutton, was a British spiritualist and psychic medium.She was a controversial figure, with some believing her to possess psychic abilities, while sceptics stated that her performances amounted to nothing more than cold reading, a technique used to create the...
, and his wondering that if she were truly able to see the future, wouldn't she have been able to foresee her own death?
The song's guitar solo is played by Dave Murray.
Track listing
- "The Clairvoyant" (Harris) – 4:16
- "The Clairvoyant" (live) (Harris) – 4:27
- "The Prisoner" (live) (Harris) – 6:08
- "Heaven Can Wait" (live) (Harris) – 7:08
Versions
| Songs | Country & Year | Catalog Number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Clairvoyant / The Prisoner (Live) | Germany 1988 | EMI 006-20 3927 7 | Single 7" |
| The Clairvoyant / The Prisoner (Live) | UK 1988 | EMI EM 79 | Black Labels Single 7" |
| The Clairvoyant / The Prisoner (Live) | UK 1988 | EMI EM 79 | Silver Labels Single 7" |
| The Clairvoyant / The Prisoner (Live) | UK 1988 | EMI EMS 79 | Poster Sleeve Clear Vinyl Single 7" |
| The Clairvoyant / The Prisoner (Live) / Heaven Can Wait (Live) | EEC 1988 | EMI K 060 20 3048 6 | Maxi Single 12" |
| The Clairvoyant / The Prisoner (Live) / Heaven Can Wait (Live) | UK 1988 | EMI 12 EM 79 | Maxi Single 12" |
| The Clairvoyant / The Prisoner (Live) / Heaven Can Wait (Live) | UK 1988 | EMI 12EMG 79 | Maxi Single 12" Gatefold Sleeve |
| The Clairvoyant / The Prisoner | UK 1988 | EMI EMP 79 | Shaped Picture Disc 7" |
| The Clairvoyant / The Prisoner | UK 1988 | EMI EMP 79 | Uncut Picture Disc 12" |
| The Clairvoyant (Live) / The Prisoner (Live) / Heaven Can Wait (Live) | UK 1988 | EMI CDEM 79 | CD Single |
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 ....
with
- Michael Kenney - additional keyboards
Chart performance
| Year | Single | Chart | Position | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | "The Clairvoyant" | 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... |
7 | Seventh Son of a Seventh Son Seventh Son of a Seventh Son Seventh Son of a Seventh Son is the seventh studio album by British heavy metal band Iron Maiden, released in 1988 by EMI in Europe and its sister label Capitol Records in the US... |
| 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 ... |
6 | |||
| 1990 | "The Clairvoyant / Infinite Dreams Infinite Dreams "Infinite Dreams" is a live single released in 1989 by the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden. It is the only single to be released from a home video, 1988's Maiden England. The performance was recorded in Birmingham, England in November 1988 towards the end of the massive world tour to support... " |
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. |
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