1981 studio album by Iron Maiden
Killers is the second studio album by English
heavy metal band
Iron Maiden . It was first released on 2 February 1981 in the United Kingdom by
EMI Records and on 11 May in the United States by
Harvest and
Capitol Records .
[9] The album was their first with guitarist
Adrian Smith , and their last with vocalist
Paul Di'Anno , who was fired after problems with his stage performances arose due to his alcohol and cocaine use.
[10] Killers was also the first Iron Maiden album recorded with producer
Martin Birch , who went on to produce their next eight albums until
Fear of the Dark (1992).
Background
Killers was the second and final Iron Maiden album with vocalist
Paul Di'Anno (shown here in 2008)
Killers is the only Iron Maiden album to feature two instrumentals. It was written almost exclusively by
Steve Harris ;
[11] only "Twilight Zone" and the title track are cowritten.
Bar "Murders in the Rue Morgue" (based on the
story of the same name by
Edgar Allan Poe )
[12] and "Prodigal Son", the songs were written in the years prior to the recording of their debut album.
[13] Five of the album's songs featured in the band's live setlists in 1977, when
Dennis Wilcock fronted Iron Maiden.
[14] "Wrathchild" and "Strange World" appear to be written as far back as 1976 and original singer
Paul Mario Day later claimed he had co-written "Strange World".
[15] No songs were recorded professionally until the Killers sessions, with the exception of "Wrathchild" (a version recorded in 1979 was featured on the
Metal for Muthas compilation).
[13]
"The Ides of March" is nearly identical to "Thunderburst", by fellow British
NWOBHM band
Samson , who featured a pre-Maiden
Bruce Dickinson on vocals; however, "The Ides of March" was written during the brief time in 1977 in which future Samson drummer
Thunderstick was a member of Iron Maiden. While Harris took sole credit for "The Ides of March", "Thunderburst" is credited to Harris and all four members of Samson's
Head On line-up, Bruce Bruce, aka Bruce Dickinson,
Chris Aylmer ,
Paul Samson , and Thunderstick, aka Barry Purkis.
Killers spent eight weeks on the UK chart.
[16] The North American edition, which came out a few months later, was initially released on
Harvest Records /
Capitol Records and subsequently on
Sanctuary Records /
Columbia Records . The song "
Twilight Zone " was added to the album. In Australia, the
Skyhooks cover "
Women in Uniform " was added instead as a bonus track.
The
Killer World Tour featured the band's first US shows, beginning at
The Aladdin , Las Vegas, in support of
Judas Priest .
[17] Subsequently, "Wrathchild" is the only regularly played track from the album, appearing in almost all their tours.
Track listing
All tracks are written by
Steve Harris , except where noted
Side one Title 1. "The Ides of March" (instrumental) 1:48 2. "Wrathchild" 2:54 3. "Murders in the Rue Morgue" 4:14 4. "Another Life" 3:22 5. "Genghis Khan" (instrumental) 3:02 6. "Innocent Exile" 3:50
Side two Title Writer(s) 7. "Killers" 4:58 8. "Prodigal Son" 6:05 9. "
Purgatory " 3:18 10. "Drifter" 4:47 Total length: 38:18
Side two – North American edition Title Writer(s) 7. "Killers" 4:58 8. "
Twilight Zone " 2:33 9. "Prodigal Son" 6:05 10. "Purgatory" 3:18 11. "Drifter" 4:47 Total length: 40:51
1995 UK reissue bonus disc Title Writer(s) 1. "Twilight Zone" 2:33 2. "Women in Uniform" (Skyhooks cover) Macainsh 3:07 3. "Invasion" 2:38 4. "Phantom of the Opera" (live) 6:55 Total length: 15:13
1995 US reissue bonus disc
[19] Title Writer(s) 1. "Women in Uniform" (Skyhooks cover) Macainsh 3:07 2. "Invasion" 2:38 3. "Phantom of the Opera" (live) 6:55 4. "
Running Free " (live; from
Maiden Japan ) 3:07 5. "Remember Tomorrow" (live; from Maiden Japan ) 5:44 6. "Wrathchild" (live; from Maiden Japan ) 2:52 7. "Killers" (live; from Maiden Japan ) 4:50 8. "Innocent Exile" (live; from Maiden Japan ) 3:46 Total length: 32:59
1998 remastered edition Title Writer(s) 1. "The Ides of March" (instrumental) 1:46 2. "Wrathchild" 2:55 3. "Murders in the Rue Morgue" 4:19 4. "Another Life" 3:23 5. "Genghis Khan" (instrumental) 3:09 6. "Innocent Exile" 3:54 7. "Killers" 5:01 8. "Prodigal Son" 6:12 9. "Purgatory" 3:20 10. "Twilight Zone" 2:33 11. "Drifter" 4:49 Total length: 41:21
Covers
The song "Wrathchild" was covered in 2003 by the English metal band
Sikth and featured as a
B-side on their single "
Scent of the Obscene ".
[20] The song was also covered in 2005 by female tribute band
The Iron Maidens on their 2007 album
Route 666 , by
Gallows on the 2008 tribute CD
Maiden Heaven: A Tribute to Iron Maiden released by
Kerrang! magazine, and by
Six Feet Under on the reissue of their 1999 album
Maximum Violence .
[21] "Wrathchild" was featured in the
PlayStation 2 game
Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s .
[22]
Personnel
Production and performance credits are adapted from the album liner notes.
[23]
[24]
Iron Maiden
Additional personnel
Martin "Headmaster" Birch – producer, engineer
Nigel Hewitt – second engineer
Derek Riggs – cover illustration
Dave Lights – cover concept
Robert Ellis – photography
Rod Smallwood – band manager, photography (1998 edition)
Dennis Stratton – guitar on "
Women in Uniform ", "Invasion", and "Phantom of the Opera" (1995 edition)
Tony Platt - producer of "Women in Uniform" (1995 edition)
Simon Heyworth – remastering (1998 edition)
Ross Halfin – photography (1998 edition)
P.G. Brunelli – photography (1998 edition)
Simon Fowler – photography (1998 edition)
Denis O'Regan – photography (1998 edition)
George Chin – photography (1998 edition)
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
References
^
"Killers certification" .
^
Bushell, Garry ;
Halfin, Ross (1985).
Running Free, The Official Story of Iron Maiden (2nd ed.). Zomba Books. p.
83 .
ISBN
978-0-946391-84-4 .
^
Bushell, Garry ;
Halfin, Ross (1985).
Running Free, The Official Story of Iron Maiden (2nd ed.). Zomba Books. p.
88 .
ISBN
978-0-946391-84-4 .
^ Huey, Steve.
Iron Maiden - Killers at
AllMusic . Retrieved 26 June 2011.
^
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 .
^ O'Connor, Andy (4 December 2018).
"Iron Maiden: Killers" .
Pitchfork . Retrieved 5 December 2018 .
^ Stagno, Mike (27 June 2006).
"Iron Maiden - Killers " . Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 26 June 2011 .
^ McDonald, Riley (2019).
"The Daily Vault Music Reviews : Killers" . dailyvault.com . Retrieved 29 January 2019 .
^
"RIAA certifications" .
Recording Industry Association of America .
^ Saulnier, Jason (22 November 2012).
"Paul Di'Anno Interview, Legendary Singer talks Life on the Road" . Music Legends. Retrieved 29 April 2013 .
^ Doran, John (2005). "Murder Most Foul". Metal Hammer Presents: Iron Maiden 30 Years of Metal Mayhem : 144.
^ Brannigan, Paul. "Hack Job?". Kerrang! Legends (2): 26–27.
^
a
b
Wall, Mick (2004). Iron Maiden: Run to the Hills, the Authorised Biography (3rd ed.). Sanctuary Publishing. p. 183.
ISBN
978-1-86074-542-3 .
^
"Iron Maiden Album Statistics: 1977 | setlist.fm" . www.setlist.fm . Retrieved 18 February 2024 .
^ Blabbermouth (27 January 2019).
"Original IRON MAIDEN Singer PAUL MARIO DAY Says Dispute Over 'Strange World' Song Is 'Finished With' " . BLABBERMOUTH.NET . Retrieved 18 February 2024 .
^
The Guinness Book of British Hit Albums , 1996 edition
^
Wall, Mick (2004). Iron Maiden: Run to the Hills, the Authorised Biography (3rd ed.). Sanctuary Publishing. p. 251.
ISBN
978-1-86074-542-3 .
^
"Iron Maiden - Killers 1981 Australian LP" .
Discogs . April 1981. Retrieved 20 March 2013 .
^
"Iron Maiden - Killers 1995 US 2CD" .
Discogs . 9 October 1995. Retrieved 20 March 2013 .
^
"Sikth - Scent of the Obscene" .
Discogs . Retrieved 4 May 2012 .
^
"Kerrang! Maiden Heaven Track Listing Revealed!" .
Kerrang! . 25 June 2008. Archived from
the original on 2 May 2009. Retrieved 9 November 2010 .
^
"Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks The 80s : Complete List of Songs Revealed" .
Blabbermouth.net . 4 July 2007. Retrieved 4 May 2012 .
^ Killers (Media notes).
Iron Maiden .
EMI . 2 February 1981.{{
cite AV media notes }}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (
link )
^ Killers Remastered (Media notes).
Iron Maiden .
EMI . 1998.{{
cite AV media notes }}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (
link )
^
Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book.
ISBN
0-646-11917-6 .
^
"Austriancharts.at – Iron Maiden – Killers" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
^
"Le Détail des Albums de chaque Artiste – I" . Infodisc.fr (in French). Archived from
the original on 22 October 2014. Retrieved 9 June 2012 . Select Iron Maiden from the menu, then press OK.
^ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 166.
ISBN
978-951-1-21053-5 .
^
"Offiziellecharts.de – Iron Maiden – Killers" (in German).
GfK Entertainment Charts . Retrieved 26 April 2018.
^
a
b
c Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005 (in Japanese). Roppongi, Tokyo:
Oricon Entertainment . 2006.
ISBN
4-87131-077-9 .
^
"Charts.nz – Iron Maiden – Killers" . Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
^
"Norwegiancharts.com – Iron Maiden – Killers" . Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
^
"Swedishcharts.com – Iron Maiden – Killers" . Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
^
"Iron Maiden | Artist | Official Charts" .
UK Albums Chart . Retrieved 22 April 2018.
^
"Iron Maiden Chart History (Billboard 200)" .
Billboard . Retrieved 22 April 2018.
^
"Italiancharts.com – Iron Maiden – Killers" . Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
^
a
b
"Greekcharts.com – Iron Maiden – Killers" . Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
^
"Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2020. 47. hét" (in Hungarian).
MAHASZ . Retrieved 16 September 2021.
^
"Portuguesecharts.com – Iron Maiden – Killers" . Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
^
"Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts" (in German).
GfK Entertainment Charts . 1981. Archived from
the original on 19 October 2021. Retrieved 3 April 2022 .
^
"Canadian album certifications – Iron Maiden – Killers" .
Music Canada . 30 January 1991. Retrieved 26 April 2013 .
^
"French album certifications – Iron Maiden – Killers" (in French). InfoDisc. Retrieved 26 April 2013 . Select IRON MAIDEN and click OK.
^
"Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Iron Maiden; ' Killers' )" (in German).
Bundesverband Musikindustrie . Retrieved 26 April 2013 .
^
"Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1987−1998" (PDF) (in Swedish).
IFPI Sweden . Archived from
the original (PDF) on 17 May 2011. Retrieved 26 April 2013 .
^
"British album certifications – Iron Maiden – Killers" .
British Phonographic Industry .
^
"American album certifications – Iron Maiden – Killers" .
Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved 26 April 2013 .
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