Maiden Japan

Maiden Japan, also known as Heavy Metal Army, 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.

This article is about the Iron Maiden EP. For the Monday Michiru album, see Maiden Japan (album). For the anime licensing company, see Section23 Films.

Maiden Japan
EP by
Iron Maiden
Released14 September 1981
Recorded23 May 1981
VenueKosei Nenkin Hall, Nagoya, Japan
GenreHeavy metal
Length16:38[1]
LabelEMI,[1] Harvest[2]
ProducerIron Maiden, Doug Hall
Iron Maiden EPs chronology
Live!! +one
(1980)		 Maiden Japan
(1981)		 No More Lies – Dance of Death Souvenir EP
(2004)
Alternative cover
Alternate "Venezuelan" cover
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal6/10[4]

Release

There 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.

Cover art

The original cover depicted the band's mascot, Eddie, holding the severed head of singer Paul Di'Anno.[5] 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 were looking to replace him. Maiden Japan was released in Venezuela in 1987 with the original cover and has become a collector's item.

Track listing

Production and performance credits are adapted from the EP liner notes.[1][2]

Japanese original EP pressing
Side One
No.TitleWriter(s)Original ReleaseLength
1."Running Free"Steve Harris, Paul Di'Anno1980 ~ Iron Maiden2:48
2."Remember Tomorrow"Harris, Di'Anno1980 ~ Iron Maiden5:27
Side Two
No.TitleWriter(s)Original ReleaseLength
3."Killers"Harris, Di'Anno1981 ~ Killers4:39
4."Innocent Exile"Harris1981 ~ Killers3:44
Total length:16:38

US, Canada, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, and Brazil EP pressings
Side One
No.TitleWriter(s)Original ReleaseLength
1."Running Free"Harris, Di'Anno1980 ~ Iron Maiden2:48
2."Remember Tomorrow"Harris, Di'Anno1980 ~ Iron Maiden5:27
Side Two
No.TitleWriter(s)Original ReleaseLength
3."Wrathchild"Harris1981 ~ Killers2:52
4."Killers"Harris, Di'Anno1981 ~ Killers4:39
5."Innocent Exile"Harris1981 ~ Killers3:44
Total length:19:30

Full Live Album Version
Track List
No.TitleWriter(s)Original ReleaseLength
1."Wrathchild"Steve Harris1981 ~ Killers2:58
2."Purgatory"Harris1981 ~ Killers3:14
3."Sanctuary"Harris, Dave Murray, Paul Di'Anno1980 ~ Iron Maiden3:58
4."Remember Tomorrow"Harris, Di'Anno1980 ~ Iron Maiden5:22
5."Another Life"Harris1981 ~ Killers6:51
6."Genghis Khan"Harris1981 ~ Killers2:54
7."Killers"Harris, Di'Anno1981 ~ Killers4:42
8."Innocent Exile"Harris1981 ~ Killers4:04
9."Twilight Zone"Murray, Harris1981 ~ Killers2:31
10."Strange World"Harris1980 ~ Iron Maiden5:17
11."Murders in the Rue Morgue"Harris1981 ~ Killers3:57
12."Phantom of the Opera"Harris1980 ~ Iron Maiden6:54
13."Iron Maiden"Harris1980 ~ Iron Maiden4:02
14."Running Free"Harris, Di'Anno1980 ~ Iron Maiden3:02
15."Transylvania"Harris1980 ~ Iron Maiden5:44
16."Drifter"Harris1981 ~ Killers8:04
17."I've Got the Fire" (Montrose Cover)Ronnie Montrose1980 ~ Sanctuary2:54

NOTE: – "I've Got the Fire" was recorded Live at the Marqueen Club in London on 3 April 1980.

Personnel

Production
  • Doug Hall – producer, engineer
  • Hiro Ohno – photography
  • Rod Smallwood – management, photography

Chart performance
Title Chart (1981) Peak
position
"Maiden Japan" UK Singles Chart 43[6]
"Maiden Japan" Billboard 200 89[7]
Title Chart (1990) Peak
position
"Purgatory / Maiden Japan" UK Albums Chart[note 1] 5[8]

Notes
  1. Re-release of both titles as part of "The First Ten Years" box set. Exceeded the length limit of the UK Singles chart.

References
  1. Maiden Japan (Media notes). Iron Maiden. EMI. 14 September 1981.CS1 maint: others (link)
  2. Maiden Japan (Media notes). Iron Maiden. Harvest Records. 14 September 1981.CS1 maint: others (link)
  3. Book, John. Iron Maiden – Maiden Japan at AllMusic. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
  4. 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.
  5. Popoff, Martin (2006). Run For Cover: The Art Of Derek Riggs. Aardvark Publishing. p. 40. ISBN 1-4276-0538-6.
  6. "Iron Maiden- UK Charts". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 6 January 2012.
  7. "Billboard Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  8. "UK Albums Archive- 10 March 1990". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 October 2011.
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