A scream breaks the still of the night: Paul Di’Anno’s best vocal performances

Headbangers received some sad news this week.

Iron Maiden vocalist Paul Di’Anno, who sang with the band from ‘78-’81, passed away at the age of 66. So far, no official cause of death has been released, but Paul had been suffering from a number of health issues for the last several years, including lymphedema, a chronic condition that causes swelling in the body’s tissues due to a compromised lymphatic system. And though he had just released a new album with his latest project Warhorse and was still getting out on the road to play some live gigs, much of his recent onstage singing was done from a wheelchair. Health problems aside, 66 is far too young, and that impact that Paul had on Maiden and heavy metal in general is immeasurable.

Without question, Iron Maiden is one of the most important and influential heavy metal bands of all time. But Maiden wouldn’t have become what they are today had it not been for Paul Di’Anno. Yes, the band achieved greater commercial success with his successor and current vocalist Bruce Dickinson, and one could argue that Bruce has a better voice; it’s a voice that soars, one that’s more dramatic and almost operatic, whereas Paul’s gruff voice sounded like someone handed the microphone to a drunken soccer hooligan (albeit a hooligan with heart). But as Maiden founder and bassist Steve Harris told biographer Mick Wall: “There's sort of a quality in Paul's voice, a raspiness in his voice, or whatever you want to call it, that just gave it this great edge." Kerrang magazine writer Nick Ruskell summed it up even better, praising Paul’s “ragged charm and threatening directness” and his “ability to deliver a line like a headbutt.” So while Bruce Dickinson certainly helped launch Iron Maiden into the stratosphere, it was Paul Di’Anno who helped light the fuse.

Formed in 1975, the band had already gone through numerous line-up changes and had already fired two different singers before Paul Andrews successfully auditioned for the position in 1978 and adopted the stage name of Paul Di’Anno. They gigged regularly in London’s East End and started to build a small but fiercely loyal and ever-growing fanbase. Recording a demo was the next logical step. With a line-up consisting of Paul, Steve Harris, drummer Doug Sampson, guitarist Dave Murray (still in the line-up to this day) and guitarist Paul Cairns, they spent two days over New Years weekend in 1978 recording four songs at Spaceward Studios in Cambridge. Satisfied with the results, they presented a tape to DJ Neal Kay, who managed a rock club called The Bandwagon Heavy Metal Soundhouse in North London. Neal liked what he heard, and began playing it regularly as part of his DJ sets at the club. His weekly “Soundhouse Chart” was published by Sounds magazine, and Maiden’s demo track “Prowler” eventually reached the number one slot. This gave the band some much needed exposure, and their demo soon came to the attention of Rod Smallwood, who became their manager.

In December of 1979, Rod helped Iron Maiden secure a deal with EMI Records. Meanwhile, demand for their music was growing. Fans had seen the Sounds charts and were constantly asking where they could get a copy of the demo tape. While waiting to sign their contract with EMI, the band decided to release the demo as a memento for their loyal fans. They pressed up 5000 vinyl copies as a 3 song 7” 45 EP dubbed The Soundhouse Tapes (in honor of Neil Kay’s club), and released it on their own Rock Hard Records label. 3000 copies were sold by mail order alone in the first week. Demand was so great that fans began asking local British music retailers like HMV and Virgin if they had copies of the new Maiden EP. In fact, both retail chains placed orders of 20,000 copies each for the EP. However, though they could have made a substantial amount of money, the band opted not to press up any more copies. As Rod Smallwood explained to author Mick Wall, “We could have really cashed in at that point. It was our record, not EMI's, and we could have made enough to clear our debts, if we'd wanted to, maybe got it in the charts, even. But there was just no way. It really was something special for the true die-hard Maiden fans, and we'd already made that quite clear. If we'd changed our minds, just to get our hands on a bit of cash, it would have been selling out the kids who'd gone to all the trouble to send in for one of the original 5,000 copies.” Needless to say, the rest of those copies sold out within three weeks. Today, the EP is a valuable and rare collector’s item, and an original copy was sold for over $2000 in February of this year.

And the rest, as they say, is history. EMI released Iron Maiden’s self-titled debut album in 1980. It spent 15 weeks on the UK charts and garnered critical acclaim from music writers like Geoff Barton, who praised “its blinding speed and rampant ferocity making most plastic heavy rock tracks from the '60s and '70s sound sloth-like and funeral-dirgey by comparison." The album’s reputation has only grown over the years, and today it is considered one of the foundational albums of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal.

Second LP Killers was released in ‘81, quickly followed later that same year by the live Maiden Japan EP. Killers was the first Maiden album to chart in America, and the band embarked on their first U.S. tour opening for Judas Priest, while the EP captured the raw power of the band in a live environment. Both releases were well-received by fans and critics alike.

Maiden Japan would be the final Maiden release to feature Paul Di’Anno on lead vocals. Fueled by booze and heavy cocaine use, his increasingly out of control behavior and unreliability became too much for the rest of the band to handle. He was fired at the end of the Killers tour. Paul had always maintained that it was more of a mutual parting of ways, but admits that it was absolutely the right decision for Maiden. He was replaced by Bruce Dickinson in September of 1981, and the band never looked back. Paul would go on to sing in a number of different solo and group projects, but none were ever as successful as his time with Maiden.

Nevertheless, his legacy is secure. The influence of the Di’Anno era of Iron Maiden is staggering. Members of Metallica, Anthrax, Megadeth, Exodus, and even Alice In Chains all cite Iron Maiden as an influence, particularly those first two albums. And those albums continue to inspire a new generation of metalheads to this day. For a guy who only sang with the band for 2 albums and 2 EP’s, that’s a hell of an impact.

Let’s take a closer look at some of Paul Di’Anno’s greatest vocal performances:

1. “Prowler” - THE SOUNDHOUSE TAPES EP (1979)

Where it all began. A tad slower and much more raw than the version that would open Maiden’s self-titled debut album a year later, the original version of “Prowler” still makes for a fun listen. And though the band is tight (having already played this song live hundreds of times at this point), it’s Paul’s vocals that are the highlight. Steve Harris has always staunchly denied any musical influence from the punk scene, but Paul actually sang for a brief period in a punk band (with the unfortunate name of The Paedophiles) before auditioning for Maiden, and it shows. There’s a spunky, streetwise nature to his vocal here that lends an air of authenticity and rerlateability that just wasn’t there in some of the pseudo-operatic styles being utilized by a lot of his peers at the time. And his voice hadn’t quite taken on that trademark raspy tone at this point, making it clear that this kid could actually sing when he wanted to!

2. “Running Free” - IRON MAIDEN (1980)

The third track from Iron Maiden’s self-titled debut album was also their first official single for EMI/Capitol, and it’s a song the band still regularly plays live today. The vocal is pure Paul, gruff and in-your-face as he pulls no punches in a song that he described as “very autobiographical.” In Mick Wall’s 2004 Iron Maiden biography, Paul said, “It's about being 16 and, like it says, just running wild and running free. It comes from my days as a skinhead." The song made it onto the U.K. Top 40, and earned the band an appearance on the influential British TV show Top Of The Pops, where they insisted on playing live rather than lip-synching (the first band to do so on the show since The Who’s appearance in 1972).

An essential slice of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal.

3. “Phantom Of The Opera” - IRON MAIDEN (1980)

Paul gets a great workout on this track that stretches over seven minutes and features a number of time changes. At first, his vocal effortlessly mirrors Steve Harris’s note-dense and complicated main theme, proving that he was a much more dexterous vocalist than people gave him credit for. Then, during the bridge, he gets to stretch out a little, his voice sweetened just a tiny bit with the addition of some harmony vocals courtesy of Harris and then-guitarist Dennis Stratton. It became an instant Iron Maiden classic, and one that allowed Steve Harris to showcase his prog-rock influences while also letting Paul show off an unexpected vocal versatility. Another song that’s still prominently featured in the band’s live sets.

4. “Sanctuary” IRON MAIDEN (1980)

Released as a stand-alone single in the U.K., but included on the American version of the debut album, “Sanctuary” is a speedy little number that perfectly encapsulates the classic NWOBHM sound: faster, louder, and rawer than the metal that came before, delivered with an energy and attitude that was largely borrowed from the punk scene (even if the metalheads didn’t want to admit it). Paul mines similar territory here to what he did on “Running Free” on this one, and it’s just as effective here.

Fun fact: the single’s cover art caused a bit of controversy upon release. It showed Maiden’s zombie-like mascot “Eddie” holding a knife over the body of a deceased Margaret Thatcher (who, thanks to her tough stance when it came to dealing with Russia, had recently been dubbed by the British media as “The Iron Maiden”). Needless to say, some found the cover in bad taste, with the Scottish newspaper Daily Record calling it “horrific.” Not surprisingly, the controversy and subsequent publicity helped drive sales, and the single became even more successful than “Running Free.”

5. “Iron Maiden” - IRON MAIDEN (1980)

Every band needs a calling card, right? Black Sabbath had “Black Sabbath,” so, naturally, Iron Maiden has “Iron Maiden.” With its fast tempo, dark subject matter and a barking, aggressive vocal from Paul, this one could almost be considered a pre-cursor to thrash metal. At any rate, it’s another classic Maiden banger, and the one song that the band has played at every single live gig since their formation in 1977.

6. “Wrathchild” - KILLERS (1981)

Iron Maiden’s second album Killers starts off with the short instrumental intro “The Ides Of March,” then segues directly into this short burst of pure aggression that runs just shy of three minutes. Though this one was written by Steve Harris way back in 1976, Paul makes it his own. He’s anger personified here, growling out the spiteful lyrics as he spins a tale of revenge against the ultimate deadbeat dad. The song was part of the set list on the first ever Iron Maiden live concert video Live At The Rainbow, released in December 1980. Live videos clips for “Wrathchild” and the song “Iron Maiden” pulled from the full-length Rainbow concert were the first heavy metal videos ever shown on MTV. They aired on the music channel’s first day of broadcasting on August 1st, 1981, with “Wrathchild” receiving four plays that first day alone.

7. “Killers” - KILLERS (1981)

The title track to Iron Maiden’s second album absolutely slays (no pun intended). It starts with a driving, foreboding bass groove from Steve Harris, which becomes almost hypnotic, until it’s pierced by Paul’s howl of “Ohhhhhhhh, YEAHHHHHH!!!” The pattern repeats four times, building tension, until he sings the line “Ooooh, look out!”, and a sudden tempo change launches the song into a thundering gallop. The first verse is sung from the point of view of a third person narrator, describing the frightening sensation of being stalked by a killer in the London subway system. But the second verse switches to the first person point of view, with Paul taking on the role of the killer himself, at first relishing his gruesome acts, until shame takes over with the final line, “Oh God help me, what have I done…I’ve done it agaaaaaiiiiiiiiiiiiiin!!!!!!!” Like “Phantom Of The Opera,” the song has a progressive rock foundation, but the sheer ferociousness of the playing combined with Paul’s masterful vocals (gleeful, menacing, frightening and mournful all at the same time) propel this song into a completely unheard of (at the time) new level. “Killers” is not just another Maiden classic, it’s one of the greatest heavy metal songs of all time.

8. “Prodigal Son” - KILLERS (1980)

A bit of a deep cut, “Prodigal Son” features Paul singing from the point of view of a desperate man imploring “Lamia” for help. There doesn’t seem to be a definitive answer as to who exactly Lamia is, but she may or may not be some sort of female demon. Which would make sense, since the narrator is begging for help with a curse placed on him by the devil himself as punishment for having “…messed around with mystic things and magic for far too long.” It’s a rare Iron Maiden song that features prominent acoustic guitars, and it’s another great example of how Paul could really sing when he wanted to. Here, he abandons his trademark rasp for a smoother (dare I say soulful?) croon to deliver one of his most emotional vocal performances.

9. “Purgatory” - KILLERS (1981)

“Purgatory” was Iron Maiden’s fifth single overall, and the second single released from the Killers album. A raging slab of speed metal, it would be the final single to feature Paul Di’Anno on lead vocals. It was also the band’s least successful single, and failed to crack the top 50 in the U.K. Sales and chart positions aside, it became a fan favorite and an important stepping stone on the way to the development of what would become known as thrash metal. Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax, Megadeth and dozens of other thrash bands might not exist at all had they not heard “Purgatory.”

10. “Drifter” - KILLERS (1981)

Closing out side 2 of Killers, “Drifter” may be the only Iron Maiden song to feature lines like “What you feeling when you hold me tight?/ I'm gonna cuddle up to you tonight/ Gonna get you feeling so secure…” But don’t let the lyrics fool you; this is no ballad, a fact that becomes quite clear once you hear the speed and ragged ferocity of the playing. The lyrics were written by Steve Harris, but Paul sings them like they came from his own wandering heart. And even though this isn’t a love song per se, it is kind of romantic. Yes, the narrator is stating pretty plainly that he plans to move on soon, but he also really wants his lady to join him. “Gotta’ keep on roamin’/ gotta’ sing my song,” belts Paul, “…but I want you to sing along,” he assures her. On the final line, he sings “…cuz I’m a drifter/ driftin’ on and on and on….”, punctuated with a defiant final scream. A fitting end to a landmark record, ending a remarkable run with one of the greatest metal bands of all time.

BONUS TRACKS:

5 Songs from Paul Di’Anno’s very spotty and not that awesome but maybe check it out anyway because hey why not and it’s still Paul Di’Anno right post-Iron Maiden career:

1. “Flaming Heart” - DI’ANNO (1984)

About as heavy as Eddie Money, but with considerably less personality, Paul’s eponymous first post-Maiden project is pure 80’s AOR. Still, his voice is not the worst thing about this. In fact, his singing is clearer and brighter than just about anything he ever did with his former band, and the songs are kinda’ catchy in a drenched-in-cheesy-80’s-keyboards sort of way. Bottom line: this sounds like something that could’ve been played over the closing credits of Weird Science or something, so if you’re looking for metal, best steer clear. Not surprisingly, the band never caught on, and they disbanded after one album and tour.

2. “Living In A Fucking Time Warp” - GOGMAGOG (1985)

Well, I suppose you could classify this as kinda-sorta’ hard rock-ish, at least compared to the Di’Anno band. But it’s also about as bland and generic as it gets. And the thing is, it didn’t have to be! This was a metal supergroup of sorts, and if you were a fan of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal, the Gogmagog line-up looked pretty stellar (on paper, anyway): Paul on vocals, his former Maiden bandmate Clive Burr on drums, Janick Gers on guitar (formerly of NWOBHM band White Spirit, and one of Maiden’s current guitarists since 1990), Pete Willis (ex-Def Leppard) on guitar, and Neil Murray (ex-Whitesnake) on bass. The problem was, the band did not form organically. They were “assembled” by a shady scumbag record producer named Jonathan King (who was convicted of sexually abusing five teenage boys in 2001). King had originally intended the core line-up to consist of David Coverdale from Deep Purple/Whitesnake, John Entwistle from The Who, and ex-Rainbow drummer Cozy Powell. For whatever reason, that line-up didn’t work out, so King put together this band of, well…second stringers I guess you could call them. Their only release was a 3 song EP in ‘85, with two of the songs written by King and the third by songwriter Russ Ballard. Had the band decided to write their own material and stick to a tried and true heavy metal style, who knows what they could’ve come up with. Surely something better than this. Formulaic, flaccid and utterly forgettable.

3. “(Forever) Fighting Back” - PAUL DI’ANNO’S BATTLEZONE (1986)

OK, now we’re getting back to some metal! Granted, Battlezone wasn’t exactly re-inventing the wheel here; it’s kinda’ meat n’ potatoes, metal-by-numbers. But it sure beat the hell out of anything else Paul had done post-Maiden up to this point. That being said, the honest truth is that this band just didn’t have the chops that Iron Maiden did. And the reason that the Di’Anno/Maiden combo worked so well was its contrasts. Paul’s gruff and street-tough voice was the perfect foil for the band’s proggy complexity delivered with raw speed and power, which resulted in a fresh new take on metal that hadn’t been heard before. With Battlezone, the music was written by guitarist John Hurley and drummer Bob Falck, with lyrics by Paul, and what they came up with was, well, unremarkable. Serviceable, but quickly forgotten in a sea of literally dozens of bands with a similar sound. And in 1986, this type of generic traditional heavy metal was starting to sound dated and tame as newer and younger thrash metal bands like Metallica and Anthrax were taking the scene by storm. Musical differences, arguments, drugs, numerous line-up changes and actual fistfights between members put an end to Battlezone after two albums. Paul tried to resurrect the band in the late 90’s with a completely different line-up, but it went nowhere.

4. “Die By The Gun” - KILLERS (1994)

The answer to the question “What would happen if Paul Di’Anno started listening to a LOT of Pantera?”, Paul’s next musical project took its name from the second Iron Maiden album. Released in 1992, their debut album Murder One was actually a fairly traditional metal album, but with an updated modern sound. It was nothing special, but it served its purpose as a sort of calling-card for Paul’s new project (and to remind metal fans that he still existed). A world tour followed, including extensive dates in America. After the tour, Paul remained in the States and moved into an L.A. apartment with his new American girlfriend. Their volatile relationship ended with Paul being arrested for spousal abuse, cocaine possession and firearms offenses. At the trial, the judge reportedly called him “a menace to society” and sentenced him to four months in jail. While serving his time, he began writing material for the second Killers album, which, not surprisingly, was called Menace To Society. At the time “groove metal” was all the rage, with bands like Pantera, Machine Head, White Zombie and Sepultura leading the charge, and Killers adopted this style for the new record. Released in 1994, the second Killers album is notable for being one of the heaviest releases Paul has ever done. However, other than Metal Hammer magazine (who named it Album Of The Year for ‘94), the album was lambasted by critics at the time for being much too derivative. And rightfully so, in my opinion; seriously, this sounds like a Pantera cover band.

5. “Warhorse” - PAUL DI’ANNO’S WARHORSE (2024)

The debut album from Paul’s final project Warhorse was released in July of this year. Recorded in Croatia with Croatian backing musicians, the album was being hyped as Paul’s big musical comeback. Did it deliver? Depends on who you ask, I suppose. Personally, I found it a bit of a let-down. On the one hand, it was great to hear Paul back in front of a microphone, and his voice was sounding strong, despite his many health setbacks. But ultimately, I think I agree with Classic Rock Magazine’s Rich Hobson, who wrote in his review that certain tracks on the album “capture the beat-the-odds mentality of old school heavy metal,” but others “reduce the triumphant tone, Di'Anno flogging dead donkeys on an album that could otherwise have put him back in the saddle.”

If nothing else, the album works as a testament to Paul’s tenacity. He worked hard at his craft right up until the end. And, as his successor Bruce Dickinson sang on a song with his former Maiden bandmates in 1983, “If you’re gonna’ die, die with your boots on.”

That he certainly did. Rest in power, Paul. Thanks for the tunes.