Back in 1993

[GhostofCain]

I heard once that Doogie White was considered among the names for a Bruce replacement. He fits the bill for a band like Maiden, and to be fair, if he had landed the job, Bruce's comeback wouldn't have happened, or at least, probably not in 2000.

Kiske was fed up with traditional metal and metalheads by then, as his own departure ended up showing. I think Helloween's example is probably a decent comparison of what Maiden would've seen had White joined them, sinde Deris was a great fit for the band and they still managed to produce some of their best stuff with him. I wonder if they would've done a Doogie White/Bruce Dickinson lineup like Helloween did though.

Doogie White was the alternative had Blaze turned the Maiden job down. He did rehearse with the band in Steve’s barn as part of his audition.

I seem to remember learning years later that Damian Wilson was another of the guys who made it to the last stages of the selection process.

 

[endlessblockades]

The contest to replace Bruce was a huge deal here in Brazil back in the day, as Andre Matos (Angra, Shaman) and Edu Falaschi (Symbols, Angra) sent tapes to Sanctuary and were contacted by the management. Here are the faxes that Edu received from Dick Bell

 

[The_7th_one]

I can't read it but I guess it says, thanks for your tape, great voice, but we're looking for some English dude.

 

[Kalata]

I've found some adverts and articles from that time in Reedit.
Kerrang started to talk about Michael Kiske, Blaze and even rescue Paul.

View attachment 40549

Blaze has been cited as the best young British metal frontman around. Btw, in 1994 he almost had a ''Bruce look'' with the hair.

None of ''the outsiders'' would have fit it.

I heard once that Doogie White was considered among the names for a Bruce replacement. He fits the bill for a band like Maiden, and to be fair, if he had landed the job, Bruce's comeback wouldn't have happened, or at least, probably not in 2000.
Kiske was fed up with traditional metal and metalheads by then, as his own departure ended up showing. I think Helloween's example is probably a decent comparison of what Maiden would've seen had White joined them, sinde Deris was a great fit for the band and they still managed to produce some of their best stuff with him. I wonder if they would've done a Doogie White/Bruce Dickinson lineup like Helloween did though.

Kiske and Andi switch is one of the most successful in metal (although Kiske's voice is higher), but listening to some Maiden covers by Doogie, I don't think so at all. He did a great job in Rainbow and has highs in his voice, but I think only with Kiske, Bruce's return would have been difficult. He is most likely the one that would have done the best job, although there wasn't a right choice.

Bruce leaving the band was a shock but not totally unexpected.

Regarding his replacement, there were some rumours about Michael Kiske and Joey Belladona being possibilities, although the general feeling was that Bruce’s replacement would be a British singer (later we learnt that Blaze was always Steve’s first choice for the job).

1- Why?
2- Joey, wow. Steve's always first choice, like probably now, but why they did tons of auditions then?

Doogie White was the alternative had Blaze turned the Maiden job down. He did rehearse with the band in Steve’s barn as part of his audition.
I seem to remember learning years later that Damian Wilson was another of the guys who made it to the last stages of the selection process.

So this was the Top 3? I like Blaze best.

 

[CA Bryers]

So this was the Top 3? I like Blaze best.

Personally, I'm glad it worked out the way it did, even if it meant the band struggled live and lost some (casual at best) fans because Blaze wasn't Bruce. We got two great albums from the era (yes, I said TWO, dammit!), and Blaze went on to record some absolutely great solo albums. Those albums wouldn't exist as they do had he not spent time in the Maiden camp and been influenced by their style, etc., and he (and those albums) probably never would've popped up on my radar had he not been in Maiden.

 

[Vaenyr]

Personally, I'm glad it worked out the way it did, even if it meant the band struggled live and lost some (casual at best) fans because Blaze wasn't Bruce. We got two great albums from the era (yes, I said TWO, dammit!), and Blaze went on to record some absolutely great solo albums. Those albums wouldn't exist as they do had he not spent time in the Maiden camp and been influenced by their style, etc., and he (and those albums) probably never would've popped up on my radar had he not been in Maiden.

Not only that, but we wouldn't have gotten BNW in the way we know it without Blaze. I'll die on the hill that as far as the general songwriting goes no two Maiden albums are as similar to each other as VXI and BNW are (with the obvious exception of the debut and Killers).

It makes sense, considering four of the 10 BNW tracks were started during the VXI sessions with Dream Of Mirrors featuring lyrics by Blaze. Adrian and Bruce brought their influences with them, but the DNA of Virtual XI can be heard all over the album.

 

[Christopher Baines]

I've found some adverts and articles from that time in Reedit.
Kerrang started to talk about Michael Kiske, Blaze and even rescue Paul.

View attachment 40549

Its funny reading "ill give 500% every night" because we know that is far from what happened