Dennis Stratton in Iron Maiden

[DrRocklml]

I've been wondering for the past couple of days (for some reason) when Dennis Stratton joined the band, if he played on "Burning Ambition", supposedly recorded the same month he joined in December, and when was his first gig with the band. This era of Maiden tends to be a bit murky and I want to get to the bottom of this!

 

[Welsh Phantom]

I've been wondering for the past couple of days (for some reason) when Dennis Stratton joined the band, if he played on "Burning Ambition", supposedly recorded the same month he joined in December, and when was his first gig with the band. This era of Maiden tends to be a bit murky and I want to get to the bottom of this!

From memory, Burning Ambition was from an earlier recording session before Dennis joined, with Davey doing all the guitar parts and (I think!) Doug Sampson on drums.

Not sure about Dennis' first gig though.

 

[DrRocklml]

Do you know who played at the Christmas Bash in 1979 (19 Dec.)? I've seen a couple of pictures and it shows a 5-member lineup with both guitarists having blonde hair, but Tony Parsons wasn't with the band then. Stratton, of course, has black hair.

 

[DrRocklml]

Another look (and a prototype Eddie on the Iron Maiden sign!)

December 19th, 1979 @ Music Machine ("Heavy Metal XMas")

 

[Forostar]

I'm pretty sure that's Parsons on the pictures, not Dennis. Looks and guitar.

I'll ask lira (a member who doesn't come often here), he might know (or find out) when Dennis exactly joined, or/and who played the 19 December gig.

 

[lira]

Hi Forostar and all.

Yes, it is Tony Parsons on the guitar in the picture, but that was incorrectly labeled by the producers of Early Days DVD as he was kicked out on November (24).
The photo was perhaps from THE HEAVY METAL BONFIRE NIGHT EXPLOSION event on November 5th, 1979 - Parsons' last gig in the Music Machine.
The HEAVY METAL XMAS gig was Doug Sampson's last gig, back with the 4-lineup.

About Dennis Stratton, he joined Maiden at the end of year 1979 and didn't play on the Burning Ambition studio session - which i would call Running Free sessions, because they recorded 2 songs for the single. About the time Stratton and Burr came into the band it was decided they would record as quick as possible another version of "Running Free". Thus it ended on the single with the "Burning Ambition" taken from that session.

First Stratton and Clive burr gig was in Aberdeen University, Scotland, February 1st 1980.

 

[Forostar]

Thanks @lira!

If you would like to (help) build/share a detailed description of all seventies concerts with as much info as possible, resulting in chronological order.
That would be so interesting. I'm thinking of these possible ingredients for every gig:

- date
- line-up
- venue
- setlist (= bonus ingredient)
- location (address) (= bonus ingredient)
- current state venue (still there?; function; possibilities to enter) (= bonus ingredient)

I can imagine it could be a lot of work, but imagine the result. Some sort of seventies Maiden guide!
You could build it slowly, work every once a while on it, if it's too much to do at once. You can make line-up segments as well. And work on the line-up you prefer.