Singles, classics, and the focus of set lists

SirRobbins

SirRobbins

Ancient Mariner
So I have been thinking.... Many refer to frequently played songs as classics.... when I look at these so called "classics", one thing becomes apparent. They were mostly all singles. None of them seem to be songs that were not a single. What makes Maiden choose a single over other songs on the album? Some singles have been horrid compared to other short songs on the album? Why only release 2 or 3 songs as singles? Def Leppard released 7 singles from Hysteria. The songs they choose as singles are sometimes not that great and others it is justified. Here is the list of the band's choices for singles with frequency of play being almost non existent since album release or not in regular rotation.



1. Women in Uniform
Likely a song that Bruce didn't perform well or the band just never wanted to play again...

2. Twilight Zone
Another Paul song gone to the grave....

3. Purgatory
Another song that Bruce likely didn't perform well with. Several videos show him singing it in 1981 and though it's definitely a Paul song, he didn't totally butcher it and now with a deeper voice, it could work today but it's likely a gone to the grave song as well.

4. Flight of Icarus
Rumored to be hated by Steve, this song was played in 1983 on the WPT and then again on the first 5 shows in 1986 then dropped and never revived. Gone to the grave, likely forever.

5. Stranger in a Strange Land
played throughout 1986-87 and then dropped for over a decade only to come back for a few shows in 1999, then dropped again never to be heard since. This song may have a chance to surface one last time before the band call it a day but sources indicate Adrian doesn't want to play it as it reminds him of his father passing

6. Infinite Dreams (live version)
Arguably the best song on SSOASS, the song itself wasn't released as a single but the live version was. This song was dropped after 1988 and never played again. It was rehearsed in 2012 for ME but the band dropped it during rehearsals and chose Afraid to Shoot Strangers instead.... :facepalm: one of the biggest WTF moments for them

7. to save time and reading, every single from the 90s except Lord of the Flies has been ignored since the supporting tour... Tracks that have been played since were not released as singles...

8. Lord of the Flies
This is the only Blaze era "single" that made it past the year 2000 and only for one tour before disappearing. The song resurfaced in 2003-2004 for the DOD tour. Then, it was never heard again.

9. Out of the Silent Planet
played only 4 times I believe on BNW tour then never played again

10. No More Lies
Played on the DOD tour and TFF tour in 2010 then likely to the grave it went...

11. Wildest Dreams
Another DOD song that was played in 2003 and then in 2010 then likely went to the grave

12. Rainmaker
This song was played on DOD tour then sent to the grave

12. Different World
Played in 2007 then sent to the grave

12. The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg
Played in 2007 and again in 2010, not heard since.

13. El Dorado
Played on TFF tour then gone forever.......

No songs on TBOS were released as singles
 
Songs that made a disappearance that we would not expect (not just singles)

1. The Trooper was not played in 1986-1987 on Somewhere on Tour

2. Fear of the Dark was not played in 2005-2006 Early Days tour

3. Hallowed was not played in 2012-2014 on Maiden England tour and again on the 2017 leg of TBOS tour

4. 2 Minutes to Midnight was not played in 2016-2017 on TBOS tour
 
Diesel 11 said:
Actually I believe that both Speed of Light and Empire of the Clouds were released as singles, though the latter one fits into more of the 'EP' range given its length.
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the band didn't recognize them as singles on their website but I do remember Speed of Light being done as one... I was going by the band's own site for releases and such...
 
SirRobbins said:
to save time and reading, every single from the 90s except Lord of the Flies has been ignored since the supporting tour... Tracks that have been played since were not released as singles..
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Unfortunately, it would not surprise me in the least if the horrid Bring Your Daughter...To The Slaughter makes another return.
 
it would surprise me.... If Bruce seems to have a strong say in the set list, it won't return... sadly, it means many other tracks won't return either....
 
SirRobbins said:
Stranger in a Strange Land
played throughout 1986-87 and then dropped for over a decade only to come back for a few shows in 1999, then dropped again never to be heard since. This song may have a chance to surface one last time before the band call it a day but sources indicate Adrian doesn't want to play it as it reminds him of his father passing
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This is a myth; the reason why the song was dropped was because Adrian missed a couple of shows due to his father's passing, and in the interim the band dropped the song as they didn't feel comfy playing it without H. When he came back the decision was made to leave the set as-is because it flowed better.
 
This last sentence sounds as the perfect excuse for not wanting to play this song (or any other for that record) anymore, that tour or another.
The song might as well have become too emotional for him on that tour, who knows. Something like that sure would not have been said in the open. "Better flow" sounds better.
 
There seems to be a lot of rumors and speculation here. Lego already mentioned the SIASL thing, there are probably untold reasons for it not being played but I have a hard time believing that it has to do with Adrian's dad. Also why are we assuming that No More Lies or El Dorado won't be played again? We've only had two tours since they were last played, one of which was focused on the 80s.

Empire Of the Clouds is definitely a single and the second never performed live.
 
^ the band generally don't like TFF as an album.... I don't think we will ever hear anything from it again.... I like being optimistic but I feel the 2010 tour may have been their version of a history tour for the last 10 years.... I hope it wasn't a hoorah for those albums... I will go nuts if I never hear Paschendale live.....
 
Wait how do we know the band dislike TFF? You're making some big assumptions here.
 
Mosh said:
Wait how do we know the band dislike TFF? You're making some big assumptions here.
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it's obvious to me in their interview on TFF documentary they were not crazy about it..... it is an assumption based on their moods in the interviews... It is, however, the first studio album to feature nothing from it carrying over to the next tour or even two tours for that matter...Traditionally, they did DOD and some songs skipped the history tour and were brought back on the next album tour... same with AMOLAD. skipped history tour but back for new album tour. With TFF, skipped history tour but NOTHING from new album tour... Nothing carried over. There is clearly a reason for this but it is unknown factually but on my assumption, they didn't want to because they may not like it or feel it fit into the set of TBOS which I could see.... DOD and AMOLAD fit together nice being war themed...
 
Nothing from DOD was played again until 2010, they skipped it on the AMOLAD tour.

When you have 16 slots for songs and 6 of those are already devoted to the new album, there's not a lot of room leftover. The TBOS tour felt really heavy on new material for me and I'm glad they mixed in classics where they did. It had a nice balance.
 
I'm sure I read an article where Steve Harris said he was embarrassed by Women in Uniform. Personally I like it and think it is a good cover.
 
I think it's important to note that, while Maiden are incredibly successful, their career has been a marathon and not a sprint. Even with platinum records, they were very much an underground band in the 80s. Their singles/albums usually charted respectably the first week, and then disappeared. Def Leppard was in a different league in terms of commercial reach in the 80s (two consecutive diamond albums is an incredibly rare feat in any genre of music) so the label kept pumping out singles for as long as people kept buying the albums (and all of the Hysteria singles were big hits and stayed on the charts for some time). With Maiden, once the 'core demographic' bought record, there probably wasn't much business sense to keep releasing singles beyond the first couple per record.
 
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Mosh said:
Nothing from DOD was played again until 2010, they skipped it on the AMOLAD tour.

When you have 16 slots for songs and 6 of those are already devoted to the new album, there's not a lot of room leftover. The TBOS tour felt really heavy on new material for me and I'm glad they mixed in classics where they did. It had a nice balance.
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I think this sums it up. Between 1/2 of the new album being played every tour, and a predictable selection of 'mandatory cuts' like IM, NOTB, Trooper , there isn't much real estate left for the band to introduce too many surprises. Plus the band obviously loves set list stability and not introducing changes unless needed for pacing.... so we'll never get a Dream Theater or Pearl Jam style set list rotation every night.
 
soundwave said:
I think it's important to note that, while Maiden are incredibly successful, their career has been a marathon and not a sprint. Even with platinum records, they were very much an underground band in the 80s. Their singles/albums usually charted respectably the first week, and then disappeared. Def Leppard was in a different league in terms of commercial reach in the 80s (two consecutive diamond albums is an incredibly rare feat in any genre of music) so the label kept pumping out singles for as long as people kept buying the albums (and all of the Hysteria singles were big hits and stayed on the charts for some time). With Maiden, once the 'core demographic' bought record, there probably wasn't much business sense to keep releasing singles beyond the first couple per record.
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Yup they were never a singles band.

This thread seems to be going off an assumption that Maiden mostly ignore songs because they aren't singles, but I think that's a little backwards. They knew they weren't going to get radio airplay. So instead of writing a song with the intention of it being a single, they could just select the best songs that were the appropriate length. Most of Maiden's singles are great songs and have endured for a reason. And they didn't settle on these staples right away. For example, they were switching between Die With Your Boots On and The Trooper for years before The Trooper became the staple it is today.

JM666 said:
I'm sure I read an article where Steve Harris said he was embarrassed by Women in Uniform. Personally I like it and think it is a good cover.
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I've heard that the record company urged them to do a cover for a single. It's a really great version regardless.
 
I Hope they remember TFF on the next tour. that album got great songs that didn't make it in the tour like starblind and mother of mercy
 
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