Vocalists that were auditioned for Bruce Dickinson's replacement in 1993

Discussion in 'Maiden Chat' started by Kalata, Apr 2, 2018.

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  1. Kalata

    Kalata Out of the Silent Planet

    Probably this has been discussed here before, but it is interesting to list some of the candidates.
    'Till now, I didn't even know about the other vocalists (I only know about Kiske - well, at least from '93 'till now :D)

    As far as I'm convinced, the final 3 singers were:
    1. Blaze Bayley
    2. Andre Matos (Angra)
    3. James LaBrie (Dream Theater)

    This can be just an assumption (at the moment I can't remember where I read about that ranking)

    From what I have read the other vocalists were:
    - Doogie White (Rainbow)
    - Steve Grimmett (Grim Reaper)

    And what about Michael Kiske (Helloween) - that is somehow like a legend isn't it ? Is he really was meant to be the replacement for Bruce ?

    Guys, if you know other vocalists that were auditioned - go and list them !
     
    Last edited: Sep 5, 2018
    Kalata, Apr 2, 2018
    #1
  2. Saapanael

    Saapanael "Get a life, punk!"

    LaBrie auditioned for Maiden? :eek: Right after the successful Images & Words?
     
    Saapanael, Apr 2, 2018
    #2
    Collin likes this.
  3. Night Prowler

    Night Prowler CriedWhenBazzaSued Staff Member

    Blaze couldn't hit the high notes, Matos' voice was too soft and girly and he wasn't British, LaBrie's voice was too soft and he wasn't British.

    Don't think Kiske ever auditioned, but also would've been a bad fit, due to his voice being soft, not being British, the accent and the fact that he was a dick back then :p

    I wasn't too familiar with Doogie White so after checking this out, I think he would've been better than the above 3. Still far from perfect though.

    I also wasn't familiar with Grimmett, also would've been an OK choice based on this.

    IMO Ray Gillen would've been an excellent choice. Too bad he was dead and not British :p

    *I read an interview once in which Steve Harris said he wouldn't have hired someone who wasn't British, so...
     
    Night Prowler, Apr 2, 2018
    #3
  4. Saapanael

    Saapanael "Get a life, punk!"

    I'm glad LaBrie didn't go because that would've meant no Awake.
     
    Saapanael, Apr 2, 2018
    #4
    Black Bart likes this.
  5. Kalata

    Kalata Out of the Silent Planet

    ^ I know about this for ages, haha ! Kiske is German so.... maybe Steve Harris had him in mind as a potential replacement.

    But neither Andre Matos nor James LaBrie are British, so that is strange.
     
    Kalata, Apr 2, 2018
    #5
  6. Black Wizard

    Black Wizard Cereal Litigator

    British singers for British bands. #Brucexit
     
    Black Wizard, Apr 2, 2018
    #6
  7. Kalata

    Kalata Out of the Silent Planet

    As I said, this can be just an assumption.
     
    Kalata, Apr 2, 2018
    #7
  8. fredo96993

    fredo96993 Eddie dressed as a hill.

    JLB did all of TNOTB live with Dream Theater if you want to check that out to see how he would have managed.
    The two bands have been linked, such as Bruce saying the Images and Words demos spurred them on during the FOTD writing sessions and then Bruce singing with them a few times before rejoining Maiden, including attempting a few Maiden numbers in 1998...
     
    fredo96993, Apr 2, 2018
    #8
  9. Deus_Adrian

    Deus_Adrian Prince of the Final Frontier

    Anything would have been better than Blaze.
     
    Deus_Adrian, Apr 2, 2018
    #9
    GhostSword and MindlessPieces like this.
  10. Brigantium

    Brigantium Grim Reaper Staff Member

    Doogie White for the win, although I think his style was too Bruce-ish for what Steve wanted at that time. I heard him with Michael Schenker a couple of years ago and he was belting it out, so his voice has maybe fared better than Blaze's in the long term. Hallowed isn't ideal for his voice, although tbh I don't think it's terribly easy for Bruce these days either. Bruce's most recent live performances of Hallowed sound very similar to this. As discussed on various other threads, he was also either the wrong height (!) for Steve's liking, or too Scottish. :rolleyes:
     
    Brigantium, Apr 2, 2018
    #10
  11. Diesel 11

    Diesel 11 As you scream into the web of silence...

    :(
     
    Diesel 11, Apr 2, 2018
    #11
    Maturin and JudasMyGuide like this.
  12. Randalf

    Randalf Ancient Mariner

    Marco Hietala (Tarot, Nightwish...) did send an audition tape; he confirmed this in his his book. Obviously, he wasn't really considered since he wasn't British and all, but I suppose he was one of the strong ones anyway. If I recall correctly, Steve said somewhere that one of those who auditioned was from Scandinavia (strictly speaking, Finland isn't a part of Scandinavia though) and sounded a bit like a mix between Bruce and Dio. It could have been Marco, but of course this cannot be confirmed.
     
    Randalf, Apr 2, 2018
    #12
    Forostar likes this.
  13. Deus_Adrian

    Deus_Adrian Prince of the Final Frontier

    Sorry man but he is horrible.
     
    Deus_Adrian, Apr 2, 2018
    #13
    MindlessPieces likes this.
  14. Diesel 11

    Diesel 11 As you scream into the web of silence...

    :bigsurprise:
     
    Diesel 11, Apr 2, 2018
    #14
  15. Black Bart

    Black Bart Ancient Mariner

     
    Black Bart, Apr 2, 2018
    #15
  16. Mosh

    Mosh The years just pass like trains Staff Member

    That’s 2002 JLB though during one of the low points of his career. In 1994 he would have fit the bill much better.
     
    Mosh, Apr 2, 2018
    #16
    JudasMyGuide and Saapanael like this.
  17. Black Wizard

    Black Wizard Cereal Litigator

    He and Portnoy probably hated each other already.
     
    Black Wizard, Apr 2, 2018
    #17
  18. Mosh

    Mosh The years just pass like trains Staff Member

    BTW I've never heard that JLB was even considered, let alone a finalist.

    And yea I doubt he auditioned. MP would've lost his shit.
     
    Mosh, Apr 2, 2018
    #18
    JudasMyGuide likes this.
  19. Saapanael

    Saapanael "Get a life, punk!"

    I listened to some of DT's Maiden covers a while ago and JLB butchered Children of the Damned bad in 2002. I left these videos with the feeling that it must've been a very off time for him. Early 90s LaBrie was definitely something else.
     
    Saapanael, Apr 2, 2018
    #19
  20. Number 6

    Number 6 Ancient Mariner

    But then again, we wouldn't have "Man On the Edge", or "Futureal", or "Como Estais Amigos".
     
    Number 6, Apr 2, 2018
    #20
    karljant, JudasMyGuide, harrisdevot and 2 others like this.
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