We’re back into the Iron Maiden singles series. As a note, the list presented below is now the final list for my series run through. Should I get more singles I’ll update sometime down the road but I’ll go with this for now, which is really easy since many of the ones I don’t have are getting pretty expensive.

We are now on to the band’s fourth album Piece Of Mind. With it comes a new drummer – Nicko McBrain, who had been drumming for years and had most recently worked with French outfit Trust. His replacement in Trust would be none other than Clive Burr, the man Nicko was replacing in Maiden. Nicko has held down the drumming for Maiden all the years since. And this line-up change gives us a period of stability up until the end of the 1980’s.

Today’s single is in similar fashion to the past few – really just one version with the same cover and content. I have a 12-inch European pressing. This single did get issued in the US as a 7-inch record but I go after the 12-inch stuff when I can. The cover art shows bat-winged Eddie with a flamethrower, because that’s how the Greek tale that this song is inspired by was told originally.

Flight Of Icarus

The single’s lead track is one that doesn’t go full blast but keeps a steady rhythm through its run. The song tends to soar rather than snap necks and would be indicative of future Iron Maiden music. The showcase of the tune is Bruce Dickinson singing his ass off, especially on a part toward the end that is almost inhuman.

Flight Of Icarus is about the Greek myth of the same name, though Maiden adjusted the story a bit to fit their song better. Icarus flew too close to the Sun and bit the dust, and that was the birth of the adage about flying too close to the Sun.

The song one of Maiden’s more popular tracks, though the band took a long time off of playing it live for a few decades. It left setlists after 1986 and didn’t return until 2018. Steve Harris has always been a bit grumpy about the song so that might explain its extended absence, though I can’t say that for sure.

I’ve Got The Fire

No, you don’t have deja vu (and won’t, that Maiden song was never a single). We are handling an Iron Maiden cover of a Montrose song for the second time and it’s the same song. Maiden did the song live with Paul Di’Anno and this time did a studio version with Bruce singing.

This version is more clear than the rougher live track done very early in the band’s recording career and Bruce is a true highlight handling the vocals of a Montrose song. This is short and sweet and is one of the better cover renditions Maiden have done, though we have a whole heap to go through as this series rolls on. And we’ll visit another Montrose song later down the line.

The Iron Maiden Singles Series

Live! + One

Running Free

Sanctuary

Women In Uniform

Maiden Japan

Purgatory

Twilight Zone/Wrathchild

Run To The Hills

The Number Of The Beast

Flight Of Icarus (you are here)

The Trooper

2 Minutes To Midnight

Aces High

Run To The Hills (live)

Running Free (live)

Stranger In A Strange Land

Wasted Years

The Clairvoyant

Infinite Dreams

Bring Your Daughter … To The Slaughter

Holy Smoke

Be Quick Or Be Dead

From Here To Eternity

Virus

Out Of The Silent Planet

Rainmaker

Different World

The Reincarnation Of Benjamin Breeg

Empire Of The Clouds