Correct! Your turn.
Clues explained:
Clue 1: If taken at face value, events in this song unfold in 1974.
According to Paul Di'Anno, there are some autobiographical elements to the song's lyrics (even though he hadn't been in an L.A jail at the time).
Paul was 16 in 1974.
Clue 2: The song has been played live. On the night of the song's live debut, two other Maiden songs were played live for the very first time.
Running Free got it's live debut on Sept. 10th 1979, along with "Phantom of the Opera" and "Remember Tomorrow."
Clue 3:
A prominent part of the Maiden song in question is palpably inspired by a song from a self-titled early 70s debut album. On this album, the artist also performs a cover version of a trad blues song which is also covered by another big rock band, from which there goes a direct link to the Maiden song you're looking for. And yes, to thicken the plot, this big rock band has a song on their debut album where the artist with the self-titled early 70s album is mentioned.
The iconic drum beat on "Running Free", again according to Paul Di'Anno, was lifted from Gary Glitter's "Rock'n'Roll pt 2", from his 1973 album "Glitter". That album also has a cover of blues classic "Baby, Please Don't Go", a song also recorded by AC/DC in the mid-70s. The direct link to "Running Free" is that AC/DC is written on the wall on the cover of the "Running Free" single. On AC/DC's debut album, the song "Little Lover" refers to Gary Glitter in the lyrics.
Clue 4:
A song with the same name is performed by a famous and influential punk rock band, and released on a compilation album released a few weeks after the song you're looking for was given its live debut by Iron Maiden. In the lyrics to the Maiden song, there is the name of another famous punk rock band, a German heavy metal band and a Led Zeppelin song.
The Buzzcocks had a single called "Running Free", released on their 1979 compilation album "Singles Going Steady". Iron Maiden's "Running Free" names another punk band "The Boys", the German metal outfit "Running Wild" and the Led Zeppelin song is "That's the Way".
Clue 5:
Release history: The song can be heard both on a single, album and live release.
Rather self-explanatory.
Clue 6:
He save child running wild
A line from the song "Vambo" by The Sensational Alex Harvey Band. "Vambo" is also written on the wall on the "Running Free" single cover. The "child running wild" can also serve as a reference to "Running Free".
Clue 7:
The songwriting is a collaboration, and this particular collaboration is responsible for one more song on the studio album where the song appears.
Harris/Di'Anno, who also wrote "Remember Tomorrow".
Clue 8:
Maiden have played this song live in five different decades.
From 1979 until 2013.
Congratulations!