Maiden Japan, released as Heavy Metal Army in Japan, is a live EP by the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden, released on September 14, 1981. The title is a pun of Deep Purple‘s live album Made in Japan. There are at least two different versions of this EP; all tracks were recorded at the Aichi Kosei Nenkin Kaikan in Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan on May 23, 1981.
It was lead singer Paul Di’Anno‘s final recording with the band. The original Japanese pressing features only 4 tracks and the record speed is 45RPM, but the other version has 5 tracks. It was never the band’s intention to release this album, but Toshiba-EMI wanted a live album.
The EP has been officially reissued on CD twice, the four-track version was included as part of the singles box set The First Ten Years, released in 1990, while the five-track version was included on the bonus disc that came with the 1995 reissue of Killers in the US (the European release did not include the Maiden Japan tracks).
The original cover depicted the band’s mascot, Eddie, holding the severed head of singer Paul Di’Anno. The replacement cover was done on very short notice after Iron Maiden‘s manager, Rod Smallwood, received a proof for review, and became agitated at Di’Anno‘s depiction because the band was looking to replace him. Maiden Japan was released in Brazil (in 1981 & a 1985 re-issue) & Venezuela (in 1987) with the original cover and have become collector’s items. Maiden Japan EP went platinum in Canada and made it to the charts in many other countries around the world.
Tracklist:
SIDE ONE
- Running Free
- Remember Tomorrow
SIDE TWO
- Wrathchild
- Killers
- Innocent Exile
Iron Maiden
Paul Di’Anno: lead vocals
Dave Murray: guitar
Adrian Smith: guitar, backing vocals
Steve Harris: bass, backing vocals
Clive Burr: drums
Production
Doug Hall: producer, engineer
Hiro Ohno: photography
Rod Smallwood: management, photography
