Steve Harris
- Thread starter Night Prowler
- Start date
The_7th_one
Ancient Mariner
Happy birthday!!!
Spambot
Meme Lord
I opened this thread, saw that poster at the top and it confused the fuck out of me. First I thought it already passed, then I thought they missed the year on then poster and then I though: but wait, aren't Maiden touring late 2025? No, that is Bruce. Then I realised it really passed.
Why don't we have a calendar of Maiden related activities on this forum?!?!?!?!?!?
Why don't we have a calendar of Maiden related activities on this forum?!?!?!?!?!?
Weird on Top
Invader
Happy Birthday, Steve! 
Iron Lurker
Ancient Mariner
I still get a laugh that the last entry on the home page is from 2012...
I don't think this interview published on "Guitarworld.com" ("Bass Player") has been shared yet?
Steve talks about his basses (and about the fact that he has more gray hair now than in the past).
www.guitarworld.com
Steve talks about his basses (and about the fact that he has more gray hair now than in the past).
“I’ve got Fenders of various ages and they all sound different. That’s not a Spinal Tap thing – they just do!” Iron Maiden’s Steve Harris on staying loyal to Fender, and the Gibson that sounded “horrible”
In his quest for the perfect tone Steve Harris has tried virtually every make of bass there is, but always comes back to one
Black Abyss Babe
Slava Ukraini!
"Iron Maiden have been headbanging away since 1979" - before that they were much more demure and reserved, aparently ...I don't think this interview published on "Guitarworld.com" ("Bass Player") has been shared yet?
Steve talks about his basses (and about the fact that he has more gray hair now than in the past).
“I’ve got Fenders of various ages and they all sound different. That’s not a Spinal Tap thing – they just do!” Iron Maiden’s Steve Harris on staying loyal to Fender, and the Gibson that sounded “horrible”
In his quest for the perfect tone Steve Harris has tried virtually every make of bass there is, but always comes back to one
TaaviMaiden
Educated Fool
By expanding on this narrative, an argument could be made for a second anniversary tour in 2029. 
By expanding on this narrative, an argument could be made for a second anniversary tour in 2029.
Hush! Don't give them ideas
Rock Hard Gemany Vol 454, April 2025
My translation
Steve Harris about
“RockPop in Concert” (December 1983)
"The last concert was incredible. I can remember it as if it was yesterday. When I'm asked about the best performances of our career, that one immediately comes to mind. That day, we were under a lot of pressure because we were the first band to perform and the
billing was so strong. We couldn't afford any slip-ups. The poster was completely crazy, I still have it at home.
We played first, before the Scorpions, who had a home game, Judas Priest, Ozzy Osbourne, Def Leppard, Quiet Riot... So we had to be great,
and I know we were. We had no other choice. I really think we delivered one of our best shows ever, one of the most powerful and dynamic ones.
As always, we said to ourselves as we came out of the dressing room onto the stage:
“Let's go, let's show them what we're made of!” On this day, however, because of the order of the gigs and because of the competition
between the bands, we had that little bit more energy. It was just great! The way we played - especially “22 Acacia Avenue”, that just
rocked! As for Eddie's execution:
That was just for fun, because it was about making an impression with something unexpected. I particularly liked that moment. And although it was arranged, I was a bit surprised how violently we dealt with him. But it was cool...”
On touring after the release of “Piece of Mind”:
Steve Harris spent some time away with his wife Lorraine. He recalls:
"Back then it was a gift from God to have six weeks of vacation. We were very happy when we got a week off.
But we didn't complain. Back then we decided to tour as much as possible and play as many concerts as possible. That was what
we wanted from the bottom of our hearts. If you look at the schedule of our first years, the pace we set for ourselves was just insane.
Album, tour, album, tour - that's what our lives looked like, but we were young and hungry...
We were also under constant pressure: If we wanted to sell tickets, we needed albums to promote them. That's how it was back then, today it is the other way around: You tour to sell records.
Back then, our manager Rod Smallwood and our agents worked their butts off to keep us on the road for as long as possible. But we wanted that too. If that doesn't suit you, you have to change jobs!
Our producer Martin Birch never stood still. Between our albums he worked with Blue Öyster Cult, Whitesnake, Black Sabbath and so on, and as soon as he was ready, he was back in the studio with us. So when a tour came to an end, we immediately started composing because the studio date was already looming. It was madness!”
My translation
Steve Harris about
“RockPop in Concert” (December 1983)
"The last concert was incredible. I can remember it as if it was yesterday. When I'm asked about the best performances of our career, that one immediately comes to mind. That day, we were under a lot of pressure because we were the first band to perform and the
billing was so strong. We couldn't afford any slip-ups. The poster was completely crazy, I still have it at home.
We played first, before the Scorpions, who had a home game, Judas Priest, Ozzy Osbourne, Def Leppard, Quiet Riot... So we had to be great,
and I know we were. We had no other choice. I really think we delivered one of our best shows ever, one of the most powerful and dynamic ones.
As always, we said to ourselves as we came out of the dressing room onto the stage:
“Let's go, let's show them what we're made of!” On this day, however, because of the order of the gigs and because of the competition
between the bands, we had that little bit more energy. It was just great! The way we played - especially “22 Acacia Avenue”, that just
rocked! As for Eddie's execution:
That was just for fun, because it was about making an impression with something unexpected. I particularly liked that moment. And although it was arranged, I was a bit surprised how violently we dealt with him. But it was cool...”
On touring after the release of “Piece of Mind”:
Steve Harris spent some time away with his wife Lorraine. He recalls:
"Back then it was a gift from God to have six weeks of vacation. We were very happy when we got a week off.
But we didn't complain. Back then we decided to tour as much as possible and play as many concerts as possible. That was what
we wanted from the bottom of our hearts. If you look at the schedule of our first years, the pace we set for ourselves was just insane.
Album, tour, album, tour - that's what our lives looked like, but we were young and hungry...
We were also under constant pressure: If we wanted to sell tickets, we needed albums to promote them. That's how it was back then, today it is the other way around: You tour to sell records.
Back then, our manager Rod Smallwood and our agents worked their butts off to keep us on the road for as long as possible. But we wanted that too. If that doesn't suit you, you have to change jobs!
Our producer Martin Birch never stood still. Between our albums he worked with Blue Öyster Cult, Whitesnake, Black Sabbath and so on, and as soon as he was ready, he was back in the studio with us. So when a tour came to an end, we immediately started composing because the studio date was already looming. It was madness!”
The_7th_one
Ancient Mariner
Thanks a lot!!!
harrisdevot
Priest of the Holy Wristband
Thank you so much.
Steve Harris about
"Powerslave"
“The piece came from three ideas from Bruce,” says Steve. “I told him: 'Combine them into one big song instead of trying to work out every single
idea.” I thought it was cool that he composed a song on his own, like he did on “Piece Of Mind” with “Revelations”, which by the way was also composed of two or three ideas. So I helped him put it all together. What's rather interesting: Years later he asked me to help him
arrange 'Empire Of The Clouds' (over 18 minute long track on “The Book Of Souls”, 2015 - ff), but I refused because he didn't need me.
If I had done it, the thing would probably have been even longer (laughs).
I also had no desire to change the flair of the number by interfering with it. I think it's good to have unusual pieces where I don't get involved. So I told him that he already had all the parts of the song and just had to put them together that they fit the story he wanted to tell.
But to get back to “Powerslave”:
I helped him fine-tune the arrangement. I don't know if he remembers it differently and would deny it, but that's what happened.
I didn't ask for any credit for it - why should I have done that? After all, Bruce had written the piece, not me. I only helped with the arranging and in some places added a few melodic embellishments.”
When we ask Steve whether he does the same with his own compositions, he confirms that:
"I have already combined ideas in a song that I originally intended for two or three different songs. Sometimes I have a good idea that I can't finish right away. Then I put it aside to comeback to it later.
I'm thinking of songs like 'Rime Of The Ancient Mariner", "When The Wild Wind Blows‘, ’The Red And The Black', 'Death Of The Celts', 'For The
Greater Good Of God' and so on.
The same applies to 'The Book Of Souls', which was the brainchild of Janick. When I told him that it didn't really fit on “The Final Frontier” and that we will shelve it to make it a key track on the 'next album, he thought I was pulling his leg.
I guess he thought, “That's it then. Steve's going to put this song on the shelf and we'll never hear anything about it again.” Except I already had a pretty good idea of what I wanted to do with this song. It just didn't fit into the overall concept of “The Final Frontier” and its space theme.
I could well imagine that this composition would become the title track of the next album and would set the direction.
With your lyrics, your artwork and the production of your concerts you have to conjure images up in people's minds,
and all basically has to come from the songs.
Many bands - without wanting to criticize anyone - have great shows, but many of the effects they use just look spectacular but have no direct
connection to the songs they play.
Obviously we use effects sometimes just to have effects, but most of the time our album artwork and stage animations are directly related to our songs.
The cover of “Powerslave” and the stage design of the "World Slavery Tour" 1984/'85 were probably the best examples of this.
And I believe that's one of the things that make us stand out from other bands."
"Powerslave"
“The piece came from three ideas from Bruce,” says Steve. “I told him: 'Combine them into one big song instead of trying to work out every single
idea.” I thought it was cool that he composed a song on his own, like he did on “Piece Of Mind” with “Revelations”, which by the way was also composed of two or three ideas. So I helped him put it all together. What's rather interesting: Years later he asked me to help him
arrange 'Empire Of The Clouds' (over 18 minute long track on “The Book Of Souls”, 2015 - ff), but I refused because he didn't need me.
If I had done it, the thing would probably have been even longer (laughs).
I also had no desire to change the flair of the number by interfering with it. I think it's good to have unusual pieces where I don't get involved. So I told him that he already had all the parts of the song and just had to put them together that they fit the story he wanted to tell.
But to get back to “Powerslave”:
I helped him fine-tune the arrangement. I don't know if he remembers it differently and would deny it, but that's what happened.
I didn't ask for any credit for it - why should I have done that? After all, Bruce had written the piece, not me. I only helped with the arranging and in some places added a few melodic embellishments.”
When we ask Steve whether he does the same with his own compositions, he confirms that:
"I have already combined ideas in a song that I originally intended for two or three different songs. Sometimes I have a good idea that I can't finish right away. Then I put it aside to comeback to it later.
I'm thinking of songs like 'Rime Of The Ancient Mariner", "When The Wild Wind Blows‘, ’The Red And The Black', 'Death Of The Celts', 'For The
Greater Good Of God' and so on.
The same applies to 'The Book Of Souls', which was the brainchild of Janick. When I told him that it didn't really fit on “The Final Frontier” and that we will shelve it to make it a key track on the 'next album, he thought I was pulling his leg.
I guess he thought, “That's it then. Steve's going to put this song on the shelf and we'll never hear anything about it again.” Except I already had a pretty good idea of what I wanted to do with this song. It just didn't fit into the overall concept of “The Final Frontier” and its space theme.
I could well imagine that this composition would become the title track of the next album and would set the direction.
With your lyrics, your artwork and the production of your concerts you have to conjure images up in people's minds,
and all basically has to come from the songs.
Many bands - without wanting to criticize anyone - have great shows, but many of the effects they use just look spectacular but have no direct
connection to the songs they play.
Obviously we use effects sometimes just to have effects, but most of the time our album artwork and stage animations are directly related to our songs.
The cover of “Powerslave” and the stage design of the "World Slavery Tour" 1984/'85 were probably the best examples of this.
And I believe that's one of the things that make us stand out from other bands."