Here we go again...Iron Maiden sued over the rights of 6 songs

He tells an interesting version of events. I'm not convinced, but still:

I happen to believe that Iron Maiden are a great band...Harris made it his own...but it wasn't originally. Steve Harris DID NOT FORM IRON MAIDEN. That is yet another piece of false history pedalled by the Iron Maiden organisation. In fact, Steve Harris joined an existing, unknown band when that band's bass player left. Then Harris and* thought the singer was useless and so the band auditioned new singers and Harris invited Dennis to listen to them audition...none were much good so Harris asked Dennis if he would join...and that is the true history. They then got two guitarists in from a Melody Maker advert...who probably had something to do with co-writing music with Harris for the few early original songs, as before that it was a covers band. Then Dennis and the rest of the band sacked the guitarists and Dennis introduced Dave Murray to Harris and brought both Dave and Bob Sawyer into the band.
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*And... who?
 
McKay (or whoever made that statement) really needs to give up now. He can't (shouldn't) change history. Come on, even if Steve didn't form Iron Maiden, who's going to hear him now? Maiden is Steve's band. Nobody's gonna just stay and listen to him trying to take down one of the biggest bands around by claiming "the band wasn't formed by who you think it was". Actually, it doesn't matter who formed Iron Maiden, what matter is that Maiden wouldn't be Maiden without Steve.
 
GhostofCain said:
http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/ir...wsuit-filed-by-former-singer-dennis-willcock/

Loads of comments from McKay in the comments section.
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I really hope this will be the last lawsuit. It really is getting tiresome for both the band and the fans.
If it turns out that Dennis Willcock did actually write the lyrics for the songs in question then he obviously has a strong case.
I was watching an interview with Thunderstick (Barry Purkis) earlier on and he stated that he co-wrote "The Ides of March" with Steve however wasn't given a writing credit. Thunderstick later put it on the Samson album "Head On" under the title Thunderburst. He had to give Steve a writing credit for it. But Maiden didn't give Thunderstick a writing credit on Killers.
The sooner it's over, the better.
 
That was McKay, from the comments section of the article that @GhostofCain posted. I think it's total bullshit and it's completely irrelevant anyway. Maiden is a totally different beast (sorry) now than it was back then, all of it down to Steve, so I don't really see why who formed the band matters.

maideneer10 said:
If it turns out that Dennis Willcock did actually write the lyrics for the songs in question then he obviously has a strong case.
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According to Maiden he only changed two or three lyrics in Prowler and Charlotte the Harlot. If that's true his case is weak as piss.
 
Didn't he? I believe Maiden bought the rights off of him though, so that shouldn't be an issue.
 
One interesting thing he mentions is that Steve Goldby from Metal Talk worked for him doing the background research on material allegedly plagiarised by Steve. Another thing he says is that Andy Taylor has bought an Iron Maiden live tape from 1977 for £10,000.
 
Edington said:
Didn't he? I believe Maiden bought the rights off of him though, so that shouldn't be an issue.
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It's just worrying when McKay starts bringing other ex-band members contributions into the argument.
At least we know that there can be no issues since TNOTB album onwards. All song writing credits are accounted for.
 
Forostar said:
Why? Do you know what the case is? If true (we'll see in court), he co-wrote stuff.
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Because claiming a writing credit for three words is ridiculous. McKay claims that the only reason the words got changed is because Willcock couldn't remember the lyrics. That sounds like the songs were finished before Willcock made his changes. I fail to see how that gives him the right the claim he wrote them.
 
Just bringing that post up about 'Steve not forming Maiden', I've uncovered something. It's always been stated that Steve founded IM on Christmas '75, but in this interview around 1:30

)

he states it was actually May '75. Has there been a simple slip up in the dates by Steve and co, or is he forgetting the story he made up about founding it on XMas day (assuming he is lying about this) and lost track of what he said before? What do u guys think?
 
phantomoftheicarus said:
Just bringing that post up about 'Steve not forming Maiden', I've uncovered something. It's always been stated that Steve founded IM on Christmas '75, but in this interview around 1:30

)

he states it was actually May '75. Has there been a simple slip up in the dates by Steve and co, or is he forgetting the story he made up about founding it on XMas day (assuming he is lying about this) and lost track of what he said before? What do u guys think?
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Actually Nicko brings the May '75 up and Steve confirms it. Maybe he just goes with it or maybe they know something we don't...
 
Forostar said:
Why? Do you know what the case is? If true (we'll see in court), he co-wrote stuff.
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Changing 2 or 3 words is not the same as co-writing stuff. ;)

That being said, it is pretty evident that Rod, Steve and Dave have not been as honest about songwriting credits as we thought they were.
 
Edington said:
McKay claims that the only reason the words got changed is because Willcock couldn't remember the lyrics.
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I was wrong, it was Maiden that said that.

"The band states: "[He] was, when he was a member of IRON MAIDEN, notorious for forgetting lyrics for the band's songs, or missing out words, or singing the wrong words. He… even had to sing from lyric sheets at live performances. Accordingly it is implausible that Mr Willcock can now remember lyrics he allegedly wrote some 40 years ago." "
 
The other things might be true as Maiden camp states, but this paragraph seems very fishy to me:

Since it first appeared on MAIDEN's debut LP, the track has been solely credited to guitarist Dave Murray. But in the documents served to the High Court, Harris and publisher Imagemstate: "The lyrics for [the song] were written by Mr Harris in or around 1977 to accompany music written by Mr Murray, who had joined IRON MAIDEN in late 1976."

Steve put his name on anything. Anything. Why would then he dissown the lyrics to Charlotte? This is very strange.
 
matic22 said:
The other things might be true as Maiden camp states, but this paragraph seems very fishy to me:

Since it first appeared on MAIDEN's debut LP, the track has been solely credited to guitarist Dave Murray. But in the documents served to the High Court, Harris and publisher Imagemstate: "The lyrics for [the song] were written by Mr Harris in or around 1977 to accompany music written by Mr Murray, who had joined IRON MAIDEN in late 1976."

Steve put his name on anything. Anything. Why would then he dissown the lyrics to Charlotte? This is very strange.
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Lorraine became suspicious? :lol: :lol:
 
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