Iron Maiden Transylvania
Transylvania is normally associated with Dracula and blood sucking vampires. However, there is another Transylvania and this has to do with the music band Iron Maiden. May be only those who are fans of Iron Maiden and their music will be aware of this piece. |
Transylvania is an instrumental musical piece by the well-known British rock band Iron Maiden. The piece was composed by Steve Harris while he was playing with his previous band Smiler. Harris is the founder of Iron Maiden and the bass player in the band.
On April 14, 1980, Iron Maiden released their debut album also entitled Iron Maiden in the UK. It was released by EMI and the album reached the number 4 position in the UK album charts. A few months later the album was then released in the US. Transylvania is the fifth track in the album in the original release, both in the UK and the US. However, after the album was remastered, it was featured as the sixth song in the album.
According to Steve Harris, he got the initial idea for the instrumental piece as he was walking home from a pub named Cart and Horses. He then put forth the idea of the song to his band Smiler; however, the other band members usually found most of his songs too complicated, and therefore, refused to play this piece.
After he formed the band Iron Maiden, Transylvania became a regular fixture when they were performing and touring to promote their album. It was greeted very well by the audience, and the piece became an instant success.
Another heavy metal band named Iced Earth, made a cover of Transylvania for album entitled Horror Show. Even an all female band from Malaysia named Candy and an all female tribute band to the Iron Maiden named The Iron Maidens covered this piece.
In 2008, when Iron Maiden was touring, they recorded an audio track for the piece along with video footage and it was played as an intro during their Somewhere Back in Time World Tour concerts.
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