Aces High and Churchill's Speech

Chartwell

Trooper
I have a question that perhaps some of you old-timers with inside knowledge can answer. I think Churchill's Speech is integral to Aces High, and is one of the best openings to a Maiden song. It's used live, it was used to awesome effect in the video, and it's like it's part of a set - can't have one without the other. Does anyone know why the speech wasn't included at the beginning of the studio version of the song on Powerslave? Copyright issues, length of LPs/cassettes, something else? It's funny to hear something that is so perfectly matched but actually wasn't in the original version.
 
Copyright issues - no. That particular video/speech is in public domain. Length of media, hardly; record is 51 minutes long.

It's possible they got the idea about Churchill's Speech while recording/planning the video for Aces High single, which came out about a month later than album. And continued to use it as concert intro when opening with Aces High ('84,'85,'99,'08,'09). "Political" reasons are also probable, maybe Harris just doesn't like putting non-Maiden intros on record.
 
I guess they came up with the idea while preparing for the tour. The album was already recorded by then.
The audio single followed the album version, but the idea to add Churchill's speech in the clip might also have come from the tour.

Chronological order of other events:

1. recording of Powerslave album and b-sides
2. start tour
3. release album
4. release Aces High single and video
 
It should be noted that Aces High is more evocative of a different Churchill speech than "We Shall Never Surrender", and I imagine that it was out of the need for a tour intro that this discussion began. It fits, of course, but it's not quite right.
 
You are of course thinking about the "so few" speech?

so-few-poster-741209.jpg
 
Yes you're right, i forgot that Powerslave tour started before album was released. So they probably got the idea at tour planning.
Funny that album got released in the middle of west european leg, i always thought they released album after that week of Soviet Bloc touring. Because people there weren't able to get it on release day anyway, they needed to wait for smuggled imports.

For instance, Yugoslav dates are 18-19 of August, while Jugoton released LPs and cassettes in September. So people had to wait one month after the show. Weird timing...
 
I recall an old Steve's interview where he said they had to remove the speech from the album simply because the playing time was too long. It was before the age of CD... <_<
 
JackKnife said:
I recall an old Steve's interview where he said they had to remove the speech from the album simply because the playing time was too long. It was before the age of CD... <_<
Honestly, I'm glad it was removed. Don't get me wrong, it totally works live. But if it was tacked on before Aces High, I'd just end up skipping to the actual start of the song. I do the same for Satellite 15... The Final Frontier; skipping the first half.
 
I think they had planned to do the Churchill Speech during concerts only. Remember there was an intro before Where Eagles Dare too. And CSIT with the Blade Runner Theme. Aces High is just more well known because of how huge that tour and LAD was.
 
Churchill's speech does nothing for you? ARRGGGHHH! How is that even possible? The greatest English-speaking orator of the last century!
 
ThorSkaagi said:
Just hearing it on a live album doesn't do anything for me. It must be accompanied by the video for full effect.

Huh??  There is no video.  The speech was made to the House of Commons and recorded for radio --  RADIO! -- broadcast.  Also, insofar as you are only referring to its use at a Maiden concert, bear in mind that on the original World Slavery Tour, there was no video accompaniment.  (I know this because I was there.)

Edit:  hey, a thousand posts.  I need to spend more time with my kids.
 
Cornfed Hick said:
Huh??  There is no video.  The speech was made to the House of Commons and recorded for radio --  RADIO! -- broadcast.  Also, insofar as you are only referring to its use at a Maiden concert, bear in mind that on the original World Slavery Tour, there was no video accompaniment.  (I know this because I was there.)

I think he meant the music video for the song.
 
Perun said:
You guys know this?
Yes. But wasn't there a different clip used in 2008? After reading the original post again I agree that he was referring to the Music Video.
 
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