I'm a musician in a small town. When this song was released, it was the controversy that caused me to find it and buy it. I was blown away and still believe that album is still best all around record of all time. Changed my playing and listening. Hell Yeah.
american preachers use stuff like this to raise money from the suckers. a postal worker i know saw letters from mississippi the jews in hollywood are killing christ again when the scorcese film came out the last temptation of christ. such types use scare tactics. they also burned maiden records.. kaiden responded with holy smoke.
First learned of Iron Maiden in 1980 when was in Germany that summer. I was hooked. I first saw Maiden with Scorpions, Foreigner, and Loverboy in 1982, Bill Graham's Day on the Green. That show of 4 bands costed me $13.50. Epic times.
@JRcomments you were very lucky I was only 11 at the time when I discovered them with thier debut album, by the artwork by Riggs I had to buy it and man good by sabbath and acdc it was Maiden and Priest
1984 I saw them live in the middle of a race track at a county park in Plymouth, WI. The Bill was Iron Maiden, Ratt and Accept. I was 16 years old and it was AMAZING!
The parents back then were going nuts over this. We teens thought it was funny. I listened to heavy metal all the time and I'm a normal 58 year old woman!!! Iron Maiden rocks !!!
Bruce's first album with Maiden, after replacing Paul Di'anno. This song was written by founder and bassist (Steve Harris) after experiencing a nightmare after watching the movie "Damien Omen II". This band is far from devil worshippers.. simple as that. Nice reaction, guys. 👍 Add: I didn't realize you guys were answering the quiz question at the end of the video. I commented about halfway through the video then heard your answer at the end. 😆
A couple of things you might like to know: Bruce did start writing with the band when he joined, but because of contractual problems with his previous band, he couldn't get any writing credits (officially) for this album. The quick story of Eddie is that he started as a white kabuki mask which hung above the drummer during early gigs around the UK. It would pour out "blood" at the end when the "Iron Maiden" song was played. When the time for the first album came, their manager (Rod Smallwood) didn't think putting the band on the cover was the best idea because they guys were quiet, almost shy, and looked like they worked at a local warehouse (or something) - not like rock stars in a heavy metal band. So he came up with the idea of fleshing out Eddie (the head - pronounced 'ed in a cockney accent), making him the biggest, baddest rock star so the guys didn't have to be. To this day, none of the members of Iron Maiden (changing lineups and all) look or act like rock stars - except on stage, I suppose. Oh, and Derek Riggs created the first images of Eddie (and many more).
First time I heard this was days before Halloween when I had just come home, just before midnight, and turned on the stereo before turning on any lights. Radio station was unusually silent before hearing, "Woe to you, oh earth and sea, for the Devil sends the beast with wrath because he knows the time is short . . ." Sent chills down my spine and I was frozen for the next 4 minutes. Went out the next day and bought the album.
The mascot's full name : Eddie T Head The name was taken from an old joke : Eddie was born without a body - he was just a head. Nonetheless, his parents loved him dearly and always spoiled him with lots of presents on his birthday. One year, as his birthday was nearing, his parents had received news from Eddie's doctors, who were happy to report that medical science had now advanced to where they could build Eddie a body. Eddie's parents were so excited and decided to tell him the news on his birthday. When the big day arrived, Eddie's parents had come to him, barely able to contain their excitement, and his father said "Hello, Eddie - your mother and I have a BIG surprise for you this year!" and his mother added, "Oh Eddie, you're going to love this! You will be so pleased!" And Eddie just rolled his eyes and said "Ohhhh no! Not another f*ckin HAT!!"
Up the Irons! All hail the mighty Iron Maiden! Having been a teen in the early 80's I'm a veteran of the Satanic Panic Wars of 1983 thru 1987. All gave some, some gave all!
I saw them in Long Beach California where I lived at the time I’m in Santa Monica now but they played 4 nights from Thursday to Sunday and I was there all four nights in 1985. They filmed 🎥 the shows for what became the Live After Death cd/dvd! My favorite Bruce Dickinson moment: SCREAM FOR ME LONG BEACH…SCREAM FOR ME LONG BEACH…SCREAM FOR ME LONG BEACH ARENA!!! UP THE IRONS!!!😎😎😎🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
3:00 Lyrical note, "... was the reflections of my warped mind staring back at me..." Many people have heard this as: "... my woman staring back at me."
Near 60 and I still have the original Tshirt and ticket stubs from the Number of the Beast tour, Piece of Mind tour and the Powerslave concert. Some of the best concerts I have ever seen.
As someone that became a legal adult as the 80's came to an end, I agree with this 100%! AD&D and Iron Maiden will forever have at least one thing in common... Both were accused of devil worship, but neither one had anything at all to do with that. Both were just awesome fun!!
@@chasestreet8082 Aye, i was born in 69, so i became a legal adult in 1987, my parents (may they both RIP miss ya mom and dad) they were very open minded about all this stuff, i never had a problem with them about listening to Maiden or playing AD&D, only complain about this music was my mom saying "whats that noise" but, a couple of friends of mine. who also played dungeons with me, their parents were a bit more conservative about this "devil" stuff so they had to keep it secret from them hat we played or listened to music like this.
Notice: The devil in red who jumps by the end of the video, was the Drums roadie for Clive Burr; that roadie take the place of Clive when he has to leave the band due to health issues, his name is Nicko MaCbrain, who plays drums till today in Iron Maiden.
I was 10 when this came out and I remember blasting this on my boombox outside of a catholic church while i waited for my aunt who was inside lol. Good times. They are so good live, seen them a bunch.
You need to see them live, they're going to be on tour again at some point this year, but you need to catch them soon as it won't be long before they hang up their gear. ##UpTheIrons 🤘🏻🤘🏻
Fun Fact : That epic scream Bruce does was a complete accident. In the studio, as they were recording this song, it was one thing after another - someone messed up their part, a string broke, technical glitches, etc - it was one retake after another, and Bruce was getting exhausted... and then just when they thought hey had it, the producer (Martin Birch) says something went wrong and they had to record it again - well Bruce, in complete frustration let out that scream - and the tape was still recording... after finally finalizing the take, they listened back and heard that scream, and decided they had to use it. Fun Fact : This song was inspired by a nightmare that bassist Steve Harris had after seeing one of the Omen movies (I think it was Omen II : Damien). Fun Fact : During the recording of this album, in addition to all the studio mishaps and equipment breakdowns and other misfortunes, producer Martin Birch had a little car accident. After all the damage was assessed and he got the bill for his car, it came to... no lie : £666.66....! Just one of those creepy coinkydinks.
The reason this was so big for Bruce Dickinson, it was the first Iron Maiden album he appeared on, following his departure from Samson, and replacing Paul Di'Anno as Maiden's vocalist. It also signaled a significant change in musical direction for the band, and catapulted them into mainstream Metal, while the previous two albums, "Iron Maiden" and "Killers" were, at the time, more of a niche with hardcore metal fans, but received little recognition outside of that. This is the album where the band really blew up.
I think this song is the reason 1980s Maiden didn't get as big in the US as it was in Europe, South America and so on. People thought just mentioning the devil was dangerous. It's based on Steve Harris' dreams and a love for old cheesy horror movies 😀 They really don't worship any devil other than Eddie. Iron Maiden is one of the best live acts in the world and has been for 40+ years. They are true entertainers and their fans are like a family.
I started listening to Maiden in 1983, a year after this album came out. After this album came out, they were lumped into what was known as the satanic panic. The opening narration is taken from two different passages in the Bible. This is the first album featuring singer Bruce Dickinson and last with drummer Clive Burr.
I was watching Their concert in 1984 in Kraków ( Poland ) and second time in 1985 in Katowice ( Poland ) . Both concerts were on very top level . Music was perfect and show was great .
iron maiden are still touring, so keep your eyes open for tour dates, they will be in Canada in October, here's some dates and places: Sat 26 Toronto, ON, CANADA Scotiabank Arena, Sun 27 Quebec, QC, CANADA Videotron Centre, Wed 30 Montreal, QC, CANADA Centre Bell.
The song is inspired by the horror movie "The Omen" (amovie about the antichrist). Actually many Iron Maiden songs are inspired by movies and books. So they are as much "worshiping the devil" as the cast & crew of that horror movie are, if making a piece of art with the devil as its theme means you are worshiping him. ^^ BTW: the last line of the last song of this album is "Hallowed Be Thy Name" (you mentioned it) and it's about a prisoner on deathrow finding god in his last hour. Very diabolical... ;)
I agree with the comments below; the religious right in US were burning their albums during the early 80s as they freaked out about the title, but obviously Iron Maiden are not Satanists by any means!!
Steve Harris (aka) God, the genius that he is, wrote this song after a nightmare he had after watching the horror movie Omen 2. It is just about a nightmare🤘 They also made the song Fear of the Dark due to Steve Harris, too😉 Iron Maiden formed on the 25th of December 1975, and the rest is history😜 Up the mighty Irons!!!🤘🤘
Bassist Steve Harris besides being the founding member of the band is also the primary lyricist. He is a super avid reader especially historical texts about war, ancient civilizations and the like, as well as fictional works as well, with a lot of sci-fi, fantasy and horror. They also gather inspiration movies and TV, etc.Great reaction.❤ I always forget how awesome this song is. It sounds great and fresh and new everytime no matter how many times I've heard it. Fire🔥
This song did create quit a stir when it came out especially in the States with religious groups trying to ban it. I first saw this as an adult on MTV and was thinking what did I just see. But as I did more research I discovered I took it completely wrong. Iron Maiden is probably the best story telling band ever. You get a world history lesson in every song.
Thank you for reacting! I like this band now for over 30 years. My favourite album is "Second son of a second son"! Very many great songs on it. Keep on!!!
I'm so glad you did this one with the studio recording - everyone's first listen of this song needs to have that epic scream, which has since been unmatched by even Bruce himself.
Apparently came about as the producer the late great Martin Birch made him do multiple takes of the opening part of the song to perfect it, that he was ready to trash the studio in a fit of rage when Martin asked him to do the scream, Bruce was more than ready to do so.
@@stevored1989 That sounds familiar... whatever the actual cause - mishaps, mistakes, technical issues, etc, or, the perfectionism of a producer - it definitely sounds like it boils down to Bruce losing his sh*t cos of "take after take" monotony. Haha. But how fortunate, the way it worked out, eh?
This may have been the first Maiden song I heard as a kid. Knowing this was exactly what parents warned me about... man... icing on the cake! This has always been one of my faves. 22 Acacia Avenue is also great.
If you want to go for the opposite message, you could check out "Stryper". They are a Christian rock band, mostly popular in the 80's but, they're still together to this day. Songs like "More than a man", "Free", "To Hell with the devil", "The Way", and for a ballad, "Honestly". Great underrated band.
How's it the opposite?? This song isn't pro-devil? It's a dream Steve Harris had, I love stryper and iron maiden they're not opposites. In fact Michael Sweet from Stryper is a fan and they actually covered an iron maiden song on their covers album
Good interpretation of the song, you guys! I don't know the official story, but it is certainly not a glorification of the devil. I think it actually describes a dream or vision the singer has experienced.
New scribe here, after many watches. I like the way you structure your reactions. You discuss minimally before and after the song, give your personal thoughts on the instrument contributions, you go back in the video after each discussion, and give clear, honest opinions at the very end. Well Done.
The band really wanted to get Vincent Price to do the spoken word intro but he wanted too much money. So instead they hired a British actor that sounded similiar to Price that was much more affordable.
Yes, it was a very controversial song. Inspired by a dream but it didn't matter to protestors outside Maiden shows on this tour. Mostly religious, but it happened for years outside Maiden concerts. Great tune! Great channel!
Only if you've had seen them live in concert back in 82' when this album came out...just an incredible, long lasting classic heavy metal band. They are just full of energy and I remember reading articles in Circus magazine that Iron Maiden band members are very much into sports as they had soccer matches with other popular HM bands. Lets also not forget that Bruce Dickenson is also holds an airline transport license and owns his own airplane. Go Maiden!!!
LOVE Maiden!!!! Any time you guys do Maiden....sit back and watch the numbers and likes go up. One of my favorites from the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal ( the second British Invasion ). Great analysis and reaction. I highy recommend the song Can I Play With Madness. Have a great weekend!!! GO BOSTON BRUINS!!! 🍻🤟
Maiden was a smart band even behind the scenes, the classic clips, just like in the Trooper and Run to the Hills were all public domain copyright free movies which cost nothing to use. In the case here we saw How to Make a Monster, I was a Teenage Werewolf, The Crimson Ghost and Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster among others. The visuals not only helped cut costs but helped deliver the message on MTV that this was meant in a horror movie feel and not some Satanic agenda. This was released around the time the churches were going after Dungeons and Dragons declaring it a tool of Satan.
My first concert was Maiden in 1983 when I was 12. Then saw them again in 1985. My daughter is 17 now and saw them when she was 10-11. So I’ve seen them 3x now. Maiden are not devil worshipers; far from it. In fact Bruce has always been a clean guy; meaning no drugs or alcohol. He received his pilots license and did a bit of commercial aviation work but then used his abilities to pilot Iron Maiden’s Jet (Call sign 666) around the world to concerts. He’s also a very high caliber fencer.
Maiden is still a touring band, so I think you guys should try to get tickets and check them out if you get the chance. Awesome live band still. I’ve seen them live eight times: Gothenburg 1993 Roskilde Festival 2000 Roskilde Festival 2003 Gothenburg 2005 Gothenburg 2008 New York City 2010 Malmö 2013 Gothenburg 2016
Bruce is a pilot and licensed for commercial planes. also he hunts and recove war planes from ww2 to restore and fly thats his passion. thats why iron maiden still is for money to finance his toys
This is a song where a lyric video would be more helpful to understanding the lyrics. A line like "This can't go on, I must inform the law" clearly indicates the narrator is not exactly a devil worshiper. All the people freaking out about the song back in '82 of course would never do any research.
This song was very controversial when it came out, but even though the name is number of the beast, and the lyrics have several devil references....they are not satanist or anything of the sort.....just a nightmare put to lyrics......their lyrics are very intricate. Also....cool that you said the bass sounds like it galloping.....thats what Steve Harris is known for.....his blazing, galloping bass..........Run to the Hills, from this same album, really showcases his sound. You nailed the explanation of the song.....and what the "adults" were saying about them at the time.
If you listen the answer is in the first verses before the chorus... the song is about nightmares created by horror movies. This is where most of the images come from... no satan worshiping there
Love Maiden When This Album Came Out, Maiden Were Being Labeled Devil Worshipers, This Was Bruce Dickinson's Debut Album After He Replaced Paul Dianno On Vocals.
During the Satanic panic bands found out that there is no such thing as bad publicity. Satan sold music. A friend of mine watched a preacher talk about backwards masking. He said when the preacher endorsed it as satanic he immediately went and bought it 😅.
Absolutely a great song. Great rhythm and song structure. Always a good listen. You mentioned you want to see them live. They will be touring this year. I'm going to see them in October near Seattle. You definitely should check them out live.
It was Bruce's First video and Clive Burr's last.. Rip Clive Burr.. 🙏🏻 A little fact, they wanted Vincent Price for the narrative at the beginning of the song but he wanted too much money so they decided on Barry Clayton after Price demanded £25,000..!!!..
I reckon I was about 12-13 when I first heard Run to the hills on a 45 that mum had. I’m now 50 a passionate metal head, still blame mum, and she still asks me, am I still listening to that devils music. 🤘🏻. True story, and I will never change.
Love you guys’ reactions to Iron Maiden. Please take time to check out the official video to Aces High at some point. If you say you like Iron Maiden’s guitar work you are in for a treat!
I saw Iron Maiden for this tour in Huntsville Alabama where they opened for 38 Special. IT was Maiden, than Point blank and 38 Special. I saw them again in the 90s and the last time in 2022. If you really want to see them they are still touring and still as great as the first time I saw them.
Maiden's Best Workout Songs have to be Aces High, The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner and Caught Somewhere In Time..., Blistering Guitar Work by Adrian Smith and Dave Murray..., Get Them!!!!
I'm so glad to live in El Paso tx, where my parents were from across the border and they didn't understand English. We listened to any music without their criticism. (My parents were super cool) and maiden has performed here several times. Saw them last year. Hey can you please, please try( electric eye) from Judas priest. Give priest a chance
You should hear Paul Di'Anno, Iron Maidens original singer. He's really amazing. Check out Prowler, Remember Tomorrow or Phantom of the Opera off the first album. The whole thing kicks ass. Steve Harris the lyricist and song writer hates it because of the way it was recorded, but it's almost a cross between punk rock and metal. I freaking love it. And you should see Maiden. They are touring this year. I've seen them close to 30 times and for dudes in their mid 60's they still put on a hell of a show.
They are not worshiping the devil by the way. I remember a lot of people saying in another video that it was one of the band members had a nightmare, and this song is about that.
I think a lot of long term die hard Godzilla fans would disagree with your opinion of Monarch Legacy of Monsters because its a history of how it all began . Everyone is entitled to their own opinion . Love your channel A band you should check out some time is Savatage 80's prog rock group that eventually turned into Trans Siberian Orchestra ( TSO )
No devil worship here. Steve Harris wrote it about a nightmare he had after watching a horror movie.
FACTS
If I'm not wrong, Steve Harris was also inspired by the poem "Tam 'O Shanter"
Movie was Omen 2.
I'm a musician in a small town. When this song was released, it was the controversy that caused me to find it and buy it. I was blown away and still believe that album is still best all around record of all time. Changed my playing and listening. Hell Yeah.
american preachers use stuff like this to raise money from the suckers. a postal worker i know saw letters from mississippi the jews in hollywood are killing christ again when the scorcese film came out the last temptation of christ. such types use scare tactics. they also burned maiden records.. kaiden responded with holy smoke.
I discovered Iron Maiden in 1982 with this song, still a fan and went to 17 shows so far.
...I discovered them listening to "Run To The Hills" on a metal mix album...been a fan ever since
Wow! That's amazing!
The person in the devil costume is Niko McBrain the now drummer in the band. He also a born again Christian.
Sad
Wow never knew that😊
Why is that sad. It's wonderful.@@DerekDerekDerekDerekDerekDerek
Depends what you mean by born again Christian
I saw Iron Maiden on this tour in Philadelphia, they OPENED UP for JUDAS PRIEST.
2 tickets 16 dollars.
Man, I miss those days.
Fun reaction.
I was at that show as well! It was incredible!
I saw them on this tour with Scorpions and Girlschool in Houston and with Scorpions in Corpus Christi, just a couple of days apart.
Me too brother ,funny thing is Lars Ulrich tried to warn us with Napster and he was right
First learned of Iron Maiden in 1980 when was in Germany that summer. I was hooked. I first saw Maiden with Scorpions, Foreigner, and Loverboy in 1982, Bill Graham's Day on the Green. That show of 4 bands costed me $13.50. Epic times.
@JRcomments you were very lucky I was only 11 at the time when I discovered them with thier debut album, by the artwork by Riggs I had to buy it and man good by sabbath and acdc it was Maiden and Priest
1984 I saw them live in the middle of a race track at a county park in Plymouth, WI. The Bill was Iron Maiden, Ratt and Accept. I was 16 years old and it was AMAZING!
The parents back then were going nuts over this. We teens thought it was funny. I listened to heavy metal all the time and I'm a normal 58 year old woman!!! Iron Maiden rocks !!!
It's about a dream and a warning Steve Harris is not a devil worshiper. That was stupid read the fucking lyrics
Bruce's first album with Maiden, after replacing Paul Di'anno. This song was written by founder and bassist (Steve Harris) after experiencing a nightmare after watching the movie "Damien Omen II". This band is far from devil worshippers.. simple as that. Nice reaction, guys. 👍 Add: I didn't realize you guys were answering the quiz question at the end of the video. I commented about halfway through the video then heard your answer at the end. 😆
A couple of things you might like to know:
Bruce did start writing with the band when he joined, but because of contractual problems with his previous band, he couldn't get any writing credits (officially) for this album.
The quick story of Eddie is that he started as a white kabuki mask which hung above the drummer during early gigs around the UK. It would pour out "blood" at the end when the "Iron Maiden" song was played. When the time for the first album came, their manager (Rod Smallwood) didn't think putting the band on the cover was the best idea because they guys were quiet, almost shy, and looked like they worked at a local warehouse (or something) - not like rock stars in a heavy metal band. So he came up with the idea of fleshing out Eddie (the head - pronounced 'ed in a cockney accent), making him the biggest, baddest rock star so the guys didn't have to be. To this day, none of the members of Iron Maiden (changing lineups and all) look or act like rock stars - except on stage, I suppose. Oh, and Derek Riggs created the first images of Eddie (and many more).
You need to see this band live, while you still can! They still tour....
No kidding! Many people missed the legendary Rush because they waited.
The first Album with this Singer. The Singer before was Paul Di Anno
This video was shot at Newcastle City Hall England On Tuesday 16th of March 1982🤘Up the Irons😊
First time I heard this was days before Halloween when I had just come home, just before midnight, and turned on the stereo before turning on any lights.
Radio station was unusually silent before hearing, "Woe to you, oh earth and sea, for the Devil sends the beast with wrath because he knows the time is short . . ."
Sent chills down my spine and I was frozen for the next 4 minutes. Went out the next day and bought the album.
The mascot's full name : Eddie T Head
The name was taken from an old joke : Eddie was born without a body - he was just a head. Nonetheless, his parents loved him dearly and always spoiled him with lots of presents on his birthday. One year, as his birthday was nearing, his parents had received news from Eddie's doctors, who were happy to report that medical science had now advanced to where they could build Eddie a body. Eddie's parents were so excited and decided to tell him the news on his birthday. When the big day arrived, Eddie's parents had come to him, barely able to contain their excitement, and his father said "Hello, Eddie - your mother and I have a BIG surprise for you this year!" and his mother added, "Oh Eddie, you're going to love this! You will be so pleased!" And Eddie just rolled his eyes and said "Ohhhh no! Not another f*ckin HAT!!"
Up the Irons! All hail the mighty Iron Maiden! Having been a teen in the early 80's I'm a veteran of the Satanic Panic Wars of 1983 thru 1987. All gave some, some gave all!
I was a teen too and played D&D at the same time so yea I'm a vet of Satanic Panic Wars! LOL Cheers.
😂
I wasn’t a teen but I was a young adult and still I can’t get my fill of Iron Maiden even though I am now 68 years old and a grandma.
I saw them in Long Beach California where I lived at the time I’m in Santa Monica now but they played 4 nights from Thursday to Sunday and I was there all four nights in 1985. They filmed 🎥 the shows for what became the Live After Death cd/dvd! My favorite Bruce Dickinson moment: SCREAM FOR ME LONG BEACH…SCREAM FOR ME LONG BEACH…SCREAM FOR ME LONG BEACH ARENA!!! UP THE IRONS!!!😎😎😎🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Wow! Great, mature, respectful reaction! You guys were spot on! Love it! Up the Irons!!! 🖤
3:00 Lyrical note, "... was the reflections of my warped mind staring back at me..." Many people have heard this as: "... my woman staring back at me."
Near 60 and I still have the original Tshirt and ticket stubs from the Number of the Beast tour, Piece of Mind tour and the Powerslave concert. Some of the best concerts I have ever seen.
The 80's was a great time to listen to Iron Maiden and play AD&D.
As someone that became a legal adult as the 80's came to an end, I agree with this 100%! AD&D and Iron Maiden will forever have at least one thing in common... Both were accused of devil worship, but neither one had anything at all to do with that. Both were just awesome fun!!
@@chasestreet8082 Aye, i was born in 69, so i became a legal adult in 1987, my parents (may they both RIP miss ya mom and dad) they were very open minded about all this stuff, i never had a problem with them about listening to Maiden or playing AD&D, only complain about this music was my mom saying "whats that noise" but, a couple of friends of mine. who also played dungeons with me, their parents were a bit more conservative about this "devil" stuff so they had to keep it secret from them hat we played or listened to music like this.
RIP CLIVE BURR
Notice:
The devil in red who jumps by the end of the video, was the Drums roadie for Clive Burr; that roadie take the place of Clive when he has to leave the band due to health issues, his name is Nicko MaCbrain, who plays drums till today in Iron Maiden.
I was 10 when this came out and I remember blasting this on my boombox outside of a catholic church while i waited for my aunt who was inside lol. Good times. They are so good live, seen them a bunch.
You need to see them live, they're going to be on tour again at some point this year, but you need to catch them soon as it won't be long before they hang up their gear. ##UpTheIrons 🤘🏻🤘🏻
It’s quite a wild and storied career they have to look back on as a band when they do retire. An enduring legacy, to be sure. 🤘
IRON MAIDEN..THE CLASSIC LINEUP IS THE BEST
Fun Fact : That epic scream Bruce does was a complete accident. In the studio, as they were recording this song, it was one thing after another - someone messed up their part, a string broke, technical glitches, etc - it was one retake after another, and Bruce was getting exhausted... and then just when they thought hey had it, the producer (Martin Birch) says something went wrong and they had to record it again - well Bruce, in complete frustration let out that scream - and the tape was still recording... after finally finalizing the take, they listened back and heard that scream, and decided they had to use it.
Fun Fact : This song was inspired by a nightmare that bassist Steve Harris had after seeing one of the Omen movies (I think it was Omen II : Damien).
Fun Fact : During the recording of this album, in addition to all the studio mishaps and equipment breakdowns and other misfortunes, producer Martin Birch had a little car accident. After all the damage was assessed and he got the bill for his car, it came to... no lie : £666.66....!
Just one of those creepy coinkydinks.
The reason this was so big for Bruce Dickinson, it was the first Iron Maiden album he appeared on, following his departure from Samson, and replacing Paul Di'Anno as Maiden's vocalist. It also signaled a significant change in musical direction for the band, and catapulted them into mainstream Metal, while the previous two albums, "Iron Maiden" and "Killers" were, at the time, more of a niche with hardcore metal fans, but received little recognition outside of that. This is the album where the band really blew up.
Iron Maiden still tours. You can go see them
A MELHOR BANDA SEM DUVIDA
BANDA QUE CRESCEU SEM CRIAR PROBLEMAS PARA ELES E PARA OS OUTROS ...SE ME ESTOU A FAZER ENTENDER
I saw them for the first time when this album came out...UP THE IRONS!!!🔥🤟🔥
I think this song is the reason 1980s Maiden didn't get as big in the US as it was in Europe, South America and so on. People thought just mentioning the devil was dangerous. It's based on Steve Harris' dreams and a love for old cheesy horror movies 😀 They really don't worship any devil other than Eddie.
Iron Maiden is one of the best live acts in the world and has been for 40+ years. They are true entertainers and their fans are like a family.
I started listening to Maiden in 1983, a year after this album came out. After this album came out, they were lumped into what was known as the satanic panic. The opening narration is taken from two different passages in the Bible. This is the first album featuring singer Bruce Dickinson and last with drummer Clive Burr.
Number Of The Beast is an amazing album!💯
It is, but I prefer the 2 albums that came after.
I was watching Their concert in 1984 in Kraków ( Poland ) and second time in 1985 in Katowice ( Poland ) . Both concerts were on very top level . Music was perfect and show was great .
Greatest Metal Band Ever
iron maiden are still touring, so keep your eyes open for tour dates, they will be in Canada in October, here's some dates and places: Sat 26 Toronto, ON, CANADA Scotiabank Arena, Sun 27 Quebec, QC, CANADA Videotron Centre, Wed 30 Montreal, QC, CANADA Centre Bell.
The song is inspired by the horror movie "The Omen" (amovie about the antichrist). Actually many Iron Maiden songs are inspired by movies and books.
So they are as much "worshiping the devil" as the cast & crew of that horror movie are, if making a piece of art with the devil as its theme means you are worshiping him. ^^
BTW: the last line of the last song of this album is "Hallowed Be Thy Name" (you mentioned it) and it's about a prisoner on deathrow finding god in his last hour. Very diabolical... ;)
I still remember watching them on MTV back in 1983. Can't believe it has been that long
I agree with the comments below; the religious right in US were burning their albums during the early 80s as they freaked out about the title, but obviously Iron Maiden are not Satanists by any means!!
Song was warning about the beast not worshipping him
The band is touring in 2024, you’ll need to see if they’re playing a show in your area.
They are a super tight LIVE band, it elevates everything !!!
No shortage of good clips on UA-cam... 🤘
I think Iron Maiden's speakers went up to 11😜
Best Rock Band Ever, Best Rock Singer Ever, This is ROCK !💪🥁🎸👍!
Steve Harris (aka) God, the genius that he is, wrote this song after a nightmare he had after watching the horror movie Omen 2. It is just about a nightmare🤘
They also made the song Fear of the Dark due to Steve Harris, too😉
Iron Maiden formed on the 25th of December 1975, and the rest is history😜
Up the mighty Irons!!!🤘🤘
This song is the opposite of devil worship. I view it more as a warning.
Bassist Steve Harris besides being the founding member of the band is also the primary lyricist. He is a super avid reader especially historical texts about war, ancient civilizations and the like, as well as fictional works as well, with a lot of sci-fi, fantasy and horror. They also gather inspiration movies and TV, etc.Great reaction.❤ I always forget how awesome this song is. It sounds great and fresh and new everytime no matter how many times I've heard it. Fire🔥
This song did create quit a stir when it came out especially in the States with religious groups trying to ban it. I first saw this as an adult on MTV and was thinking what did I just see. But as I did more research I discovered I took it completely wrong. Iron Maiden is probably the best story telling band ever. You get a world history lesson in every song.
Thank you for reacting! I like this band now for over 30 years. My favourite album is "Second son of a second son"! Very many great songs on it. Keep on!!!
The number of the beast is the first album that Bruce sang on.
I'm so glad you did this one with the studio recording - everyone's first listen of this song needs to have that epic scream, which has since been unmatched by even Bruce himself.
Bruce surprised himself on that one, didn’t he?
Apparently came about as the producer the late great Martin Birch made him do multiple takes of the opening part of the song to perfect it, that he was ready to trash the studio in a fit of rage when Martin asked him to do the scream, Bruce was more than ready to do so.
@@stevored1989
That sounds familiar... whatever the actual cause - mishaps, mistakes, technical issues, etc, or, the perfectionism of a producer - it definitely sounds like it boils down to Bruce losing his sh*t cos of "take after take" monotony. Haha.
But how fortunate, the way it worked out, eh?
This may have been the first Maiden song I heard as a kid. Knowing this was exactly what parents warned me about... man... icing on the cake! This has always been one of my faves. 22 Acacia Avenue is also great.
If you want to go for the opposite message, you could check out "Stryper". They are a Christian rock band, mostly popular in the 80's but, they're still together to this day.
Songs like "More than a man", "Free", "To Hell with the devil", "The Way", and for a ballad, "Honestly". Great underrated band.
How's it the opposite?? This song isn't pro-devil? It's a dream Steve Harris had, I love stryper and iron maiden they're not opposites. In fact Michael Sweet from Stryper is a fan and they actually covered an iron maiden song on their covers album
yawn....
Stryper is great!!
Good interpretation of the song, you guys! I don't know the official story, but it is certainly not a glorification of the devil. I think it actually describes a dream or vision the singer has experienced.
New scribe here, after many watches. I like the way you structure your reactions. You discuss minimally before and after the song, give your personal thoughts on the instrument contributions, you go back in the video after each discussion, and give clear, honest opinions at the very end. Well Done.
Run to the hills with iron maiden please 😊
Iron Maiden is the best live band ever, so recommend reaction to live videos! :)
You can still see them live. I'd HIGHLY recommend you get tickets now for when they are near you. Their concerts are AMAZING!!!!!
Good job, nice reaction video! It's also funny that because of this song people said that Iron Maiden were satanic, they‘re obviously not
Yeah, but back in the 80s, they found some reason with every rock band to label them as satanic. I mean, AC/DC? come on!!! 😂
Like Motley Crew and Shout at the Devil. Which is funny because it was at and not with.
they obviously are
Bruce is a fan of the biggest satanist : crowley
Bruce worships crowley a satanist who was called the beast
Air scream is the vocal credit on the album
Bruce joined Iron Maiden this is his first album
Go to one of their concerts... you won't be disappointed.
The band really wanted to get Vincent Price to do the spoken word intro but he wanted too much money. So instead they hired a British actor that sounded similiar to Price that was much more affordable.
Yes, it was a very controversial song. Inspired by a dream but it didn't matter to protestors outside Maiden shows on this tour. Mostly religious, but it happened for years outside Maiden concerts. Great tune! Great channel!
I saw them live at Blossom Music Theater in Cuyahoga heights, Cleveland Ohio. It was one of the best concerts I've seen
Only if you've had seen them live in concert back in 82' when this album came out...just an incredible, long lasting classic heavy metal band. They are just full of energy and I remember reading articles in Circus magazine that Iron Maiden band members are very much into sports as they had soccer matches with other popular HM bands. Lets also not forget that Bruce Dickenson is also holds an airline transport license and owns his own airplane. Go Maiden!!!
Hell and fire were spawned to be released! 🔥😈
They're still touring so I would highly recommend you try to see them. Saw them in 2022 and I got tickets for 2024.
LOVE Maiden!!!! Any time you guys do Maiden....sit back and watch the numbers and likes go up. One of my favorites from the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal ( the second British Invasion ). Great analysis and reaction. I highy recommend the song Can I Play With Madness. Have a great weekend!!! GO BOSTON BRUINS!!! 🍻🤟
I can still honestly say some 40 or so years latter the first time I heard this song blew me away more than any song since.
Maiden was a smart band even behind the scenes, the classic clips, just like in the Trooper and Run to the Hills were all public domain copyright free movies which cost nothing to use. In the case here we saw How to Make a Monster, I was a Teenage Werewolf, The Crimson Ghost and Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster among others. The visuals not only helped cut costs but helped deliver the message on MTV that this was meant in a horror movie feel and not some Satanic agenda. This was released around the time the churches were going after Dungeons and Dragons declaring it a tool of Satan.
My first concert was Maiden in 1983 when I was 12. Then saw them again in 1985. My daughter is 17 now and saw them when she was 10-11. So I’ve seen them 3x now. Maiden are not devil worshipers; far from it. In fact Bruce has always been a clean guy; meaning no drugs or alcohol. He received his pilots license and did a bit of commercial aviation work but then used his abilities to pilot Iron Maiden’s Jet (Call sign 666) around the world to concerts. He’s also a very high caliber fencer.
Maiden is still a touring band, so I think you guys should try to get tickets and check them out if you get the chance. Awesome live band still. I’ve seen them live eight times:
Gothenburg 1993
Roskilde Festival 2000
Roskilde Festival 2003
Gothenburg 2005
Gothenburg 2008
New York City 2010
Malmö 2013
Gothenburg 2016
The Southern Baptist Bible thumpers had a heart attack when this song hit.
This was the first concert I ever went to in 1987 in Denver. Seventh Son tour. They remain in my top 5 bands of all time.
Bruce is a pilot and licensed for commercial planes. also he hunts and recove war planes from ww2 to restore and fly thats his passion. thats why iron maiden still is for money to finance his toys
I heard this song live before the LP came out in 1982. It was an amazing experience.
This is a song where a lyric video would be more helpful to understanding the lyrics. A line like "This can't go on, I must inform the law" clearly indicates the narrator is not exactly a devil worshiper.
All the people freaking out about the song back in '82 of course would never do any research.
This song was very controversial when it came out, but even though the name is number of the beast, and the lyrics have several devil references....they are not satanist or anything of the sort.....just a nightmare put to lyrics......their lyrics are very intricate.
Also....cool that you said the bass sounds like it galloping.....thats what Steve Harris is known for.....his blazing, galloping bass..........Run to the Hills, from this same album, really showcases his sound.
You nailed the explanation of the song.....and what the "adults" were saying about them at the time.
If you listen the answer is in the first verses before the chorus... the song is about nightmares created by horror movies. This is where most of the images come from... no satan worshiping there
Love Maiden When This Album Came Out, Maiden Were Being Labeled Devil Worshipers, This Was Bruce Dickinson's Debut Album After He Replaced Paul Dianno On Vocals.
"Nosferatu", Fucking kick ass movie. (1922)
Dance of Death live is great, Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner live from Flight 666, and Fear of the Dark live Rock in Rio
During the Satanic panic bands found out that there is no such thing as bad publicity. Satan sold music. A friend of mine watched a preacher talk about backwards masking. He said when the preacher endorsed it as satanic he immediately went and bought it 😅.
Absolutely a great song. Great rhythm and song structure. Always a good listen. You mentioned you want to see them live. They will be touring this year. I'm going to see them in October near Seattle. You definitely should check them out live.
It was Bruce's First video and Clive Burr's last.. Rip Clive Burr.. 🙏🏻 A little fact, they wanted Vincent Price for the narrative at the beginning of the song but he wanted too much money so they decided on Barry Clayton after Price demanded £25,000..!!!..
The band has actually been around since 1975.......This was the 1st album with Bruce who joined in 1985!
He joined in 82
Steve Harris the bassist is really the writer, producer and its his band. 😂😂❤
Up the irons 🤘🏻 best band ever!
My mom was very worried about me after hearing this album being blasted in my room. Good times.
I reckon I was about 12-13 when I first heard Run to the hills on a 45 that mum had. I’m now 50 a passionate metal head, still blame mum, and she still asks me, am I still listening to that devils music. 🤘🏻. True story, and I will never change.
I always love the bass mix on their albums. Even on a crappy car cassette deck it came through but never was overbearing.
Love you guys’ reactions to Iron Maiden. Please take time to check out the official video to Aces High at some point. If you say you like Iron Maiden’s guitar work you are in for a treat!
I saw Iron Maiden for this tour in Huntsville Alabama where they opened for 38 Special. IT was Maiden, than Point blank and 38 Special. I saw them again in the 90s and the last time in 2022. If you really want to see them they are still touring and still as great as the first time I saw them.
Iron Maiden wanted Vincent Price for the speaking part at the start. They couldn't afford him so the gig went to Barry Clayton, another actor.
Maiden's Best Workout Songs have to be Aces High, The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner and Caught Somewhere In Time..., Blistering Guitar Work by Adrian Smith and Dave Murray..., Get Them!!!!
I'm so glad to live in El Paso tx, where my parents were from across the border and they didn't understand English. We listened to any music without their criticism. (My parents were super cool) and maiden has performed here several times. Saw them last year. Hey can you please, please try( electric eye) from Judas priest. Give priest a chance
You should hear Paul Di'Anno, Iron Maidens original singer. He's really amazing. Check out Prowler, Remember Tomorrow or Phantom of the Opera off the first album. The whole thing kicks ass. Steve Harris the lyricist and song writer hates it because of the way it was recorded, but it's almost a cross between punk rock and metal. I freaking love it. And you should see Maiden. They are touring this year. I've seen them close to 30 times and for dudes in their mid 60's they still put on a hell of a show.
They are not worshiping the devil by the way. I remember a lot of people saying in another video that it was one of the band members had a nightmare, and this song is about that.
They are out again … I’ll be in Salt Lake in October to see em again. Epic Live .. a must.
I think a lot of long term die hard Godzilla fans would disagree with your opinion of Monarch Legacy of Monsters because its a history of how it all began . Everyone is entitled to their own opinion . Love your channel A band you should check out some time is Savatage 80's prog rock group that eventually turned into Trans Siberian Orchestra ( TSO )
This song and The Flame (WASP) were my energy drink on those teenage nights that kept me going into the wee hours of the morning.