Maiden Japan, released as Heavy Metal Army in Japan, is a live EP by the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden. The title is a pun of Deep Purple's live album Made in Japan.
| Maiden Japan | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| EP by | ||||
| Released | 14 September 1981 | |||
| Recorded | 23 May 1981 | |||
| Venue | Aichi Kōsei Nenkin Kaikan, Nagoya, Japan | |||
| Genre | Heavy metal | |||
| Length | 16:38 | |||
| Label | EMI | |||
| Producer |
| |||
| Iron Maiden EPs chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Alternative cover | ||||
 Brazilian and Venezuelan alternate cover | ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal | 6/10[2] |
Release
editThere are at least two different versions of this EP; all tracks were recorded at the Aichi Kosei Nenkin Kaikan in Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan on 23 May 1981. It was lead singer Paul Di'Anno's final recording with the band. The original Japanese pressing features only 4 tracks and the record speed is 45RPM, but the other version has 5 tracks. It was never the band's intention to release this album, but Toshiba-EMI wanted a live album.
The EP has been officially reissued on CD twice — the four-track version was included as part of the singles box set The First Ten Years, released in 1990, while the five-track version was included on the bonus disc that came with the 1995 reissue of Killers in the US (the European release did not include the Maiden Japan tracks).
Cover art
editThe original cover depicted the band's mascot, Eddie, holding the severed head of singer Paul Di'Anno.[3] The replacement cover was done on very short notice after Iron Maiden's manager, Rod Smallwood, received a proof for review, and became agitated at Di'Anno's depiction because the band was looking to replace him. Maiden Japan was released in Brazil (in 1981 & a 1985 re-issue) & Venezuela (in 1987) with the original cover and have become collector's items.[citation needed]
Accolades
editThe Rolling Stone Italia named Maiden Japan EP as "The most important and the best metal's live EPs ever".[4] Ultimate Classic Rock placed Maiden Japan on Top 40 Best 1981 Albums List.[5] Maiden Japan EP went platinum in Canada and made it to the charts in many other countries around the world.
Track listing
editProduction and performance credits are adapted from the EP liner notes.[6][7]
European and Japanese edition
editAll tracks are written by Steve Harris and Paul Di'Anno, except where noted
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Running Free" | 2:48 |
| 2. | "Remember Tomorrow" | 5:27 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3. | "Killers" | 4:39 | |
| 4. | "Innocent Exile" | Harris | 3:44 |
| Total length: | 16:38 | ||
International edition
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Running Free" | 2:48 |
| 2. | "Remember Tomorrow" | 5:27 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3. | "Wrathchild" | Harris | 2:52 |
| 4. | "Killers" | 4:39 | |
| 5. | "Innocent Exile" | Harris | 3:44 |
| Total length: | 19:30 | ||
Personnel
edit- Paul Di'Anno – lead vocals
- Dave Murray – guitar
- Adrian Smith – guitar, backing vocals
- Steve Harris – bass, backing vocals
- Clive Burr – drums
Production
edit- Doug Hall – producer, engineer
- Hiro Ohno – photography
- Rod Smallwood – management, photography
Chart performance
edit| Title | Chart (1981) | Peak position |
|---|---|---|
| "Maiden Japan" | UK Singles Chart | 43[8] |
| "Maiden Japan" | Billboard 200 | 89[9] |
| Title | Chart (1990) | Peak position |
| "Purgatory / Maiden Japan" | UK Albums Chart[note 1] | 5[10] |
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[11] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
Notes
edit- ^ Re-release of both titles as part of "The First Ten Years" box set. Exceeded the length limit of the UK Singles chart.
References
edit- ^ Book, John. Iron Maiden – Maiden Japan at AllMusic. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
- ^ Popoff, Martin (1 November 2005). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 2: The Eighties. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. p. 170. ISBN 978-1-894959-31-5.
- ^ Popoff, Martin (2006). Run For Cover: The Art Of Derek Riggs. Aardvark Publishing. p. 40. ISBN 1-4276-0538-6.
- ^ "The best and most important metal's live Eps ever" (in Italian). rollingstone.it. 15 November 2020.
- ^ "1981 Rock Albums". ultimateclassicrock.com. 15 November 2020.
- ^ Maiden Japan (Media notes). Iron Maiden. EMI. 14 September 1981.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Maiden Japan (Media notes). Iron Maiden. Harvest Records. 14 September 1981.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ "Iron Maiden- UK Charts". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 6 January 2012.
- ^ "Iron Maiden Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
- ^ "UK Albums Archive- 10 March 1990". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 October 2011.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Canadian album certifications – Iron Maiden – Maiden Japan". Music Canada.