Classic Albums - Iron Maiden: The Number of the Beast

1982 was a momentous year for Iron Maiden. Following the addition of brilliant new vocalist Bruce Dickinson, their third album the number of the beast was released to universal acclaim from both critics and rock fans. The album topped the UK charts for 2 weeks, launched them into the US top 40 for the first time, and invaded the top 10 album charts worldwide achieving a plethora of gold and platinum awards. The number of the beast is regarded as one of the greatest and most influential heavy metal albums of all time, including, along with demonic title track, such classic metal anthems as run to the hills, hallowed be thy name, the prisoner and children of the damned. This exclusive film tells the full and vibrant story behind the making of the album. It is packed with exclusive interviews with the entire band Bruce Dickinson, Steve Harris, Adrian Smith, Dave Murray - with the first interview for many years with drummer Clive Burr who left the band after the massive beast on the road world tour. Producer martin birch takes us through the original multi-track tapes and long time manager Rod Smallwood adds his own anecdotes from that period. Current drummer Nicko Mcbrain, who at that time played with the support band, adds his tales from the road and guitarist Adrian Smith contributes exclusive acoustic guitar renditions of children of the Damned and the number of the beast. Featuring masses of previously unseen footage from the 1982 Hammersmith Odeon show on beast on the road plus an exciting preview of the forthcoming state of the art DVD shot at rock in Rio in January 2001, this program provides a Unique insight into how the number of the beast propelled iron maiden into international superstar status and came to be a classic album.

Iron Maiden's 1982 breakthrough, The Number of the Beast--its first with leather-lunged vocalist Bruce Dickinson--remains a heavy-metal watershed, and this Classic Albums program reunites the major players (including producer Martin Birch) for the undoubted pleasure of longtime Maiden fans. The interviews with band members and rock journalists in the 50-minute program touch on Maiden's early career, then delve into the creation of songs that have become hard-rock classics: the title song came about from a nightmare that bassist-songwriter Steve Harris couldn't shake, "The Prisoner" was inspired by the Patrick McGoohan television series, and the hit "Run to the Hills" made the sort of political statement (about white men's savage treatment of native peoples) that then-Capitol Records exec Don Zimmermann notes most American fans couldn't have cared less about while head-banging. --Kevin Filipski