Iron Maiden have replaced the song ‘Gangland’ with ‘Total Eclipse’ on a newly announced vinyl reissue of their seminal third studio album ‘The Number of the Beast.’
To commemorate its 40th anniversary year, ‘The Number of the Beast’ is being released on black vinyl on Friday 18th November 2022 via Warner Music. It was previously reissued on cassette back in March.
A huge global smash that catapulted Iron Maiden into superstardom and infamy, ‘The Number of the Beast’ was the first Maiden album to feature Bruce Dickinson on vocals.
The vinyl reissue will be augmented by Iron Maiden’s live album ‘Beast Over Hammersmith’, which was recorded at London’s Hammersmith Odeon on 20th March 1982 just two days before the release of ‘The Number of the Beast.’
It’s the first time ‘Beast Over Hammersmith’ has had an official vinyl release.
Significantly, the track-listing on the new ‘The Number of the Beast’ release has changed with the track ‘Gangland’ removed in favour of ‘Run to the Hills’ B-side ‘Total Eclipse.’
Iron Maiden bassist and founder Steve Harris has long voiced his dissatisfaction with the inclusion of ‘Gangland’ and regards ‘Total Eclipse’ as a superior song.
Steve Harris comments: “On this vinyl release we get the chance to put ‘Total Eclipse' in its rightful spot on the album for the first time.
“The reason it didn’t make it in the first place was that it was all a mad rush when we were finishing the record and we had to get the ‘Run To The Hills’ single out before the tour and we basically had to pick a B-side and it was between ‘Gangland’ and ‘Total Eclipse’ and we just picked the wrong one, really!
“I think ‘Total Eclipse’ is a stronger song and the album would have been stronger if it had been on there.”
The package features exclusive liner notes written by Maiden founder and bassist Steve Harris as well as restored and expanded artwork taken from the CD format of Beast Over Hammersmith, previously only available in the Limited Edition Eddie’s Archive boxset originally released in 2002."
Iron Maiden's 'The Number of The Beast' vinyl reissue track-listing:
Disc 1 – The Number Of The Beast
Side 1:
Invaders
Children Of The Damned
The Prisoner
22 Acacia Avenue
Side 2:
The Number Of The Beast
Run To The Hills
Total Eclipse*
Hallowed Be Thy Name
*alternative tracklisting to original TNOTB vinyl release. 'Total Eclipse' replaces 'Gangland'
Disc 2 – Beast Over Hammersmith
Side 3
Murders In The Rue Morgue
Wrathchild
Run To The Hills
Children of The Damned
The Number Of The Beast
Side 4:
Another Life
Killers
22 Acacia Avenue
Total Eclipse
Transylvania
Disc 3 – Beast Over Hammersmith
Side 5:
The Prisoner
Hallowed Be Thy Name
Phantom Of The Opera
Iron Maiden
Side 6:
Sanctuary
Drifter
Running Free
Prowler
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