en Purgatory (song)

"Purgatory"
"Purgatory"
Single by Iron Maiden
from the album Killers
B-side	"Genghis Khan"
Released	15 June 1981
Recorded	1980
Genre	Heavy metal
Length	3:22
Label	EMI
Songwriter(s)	Steve Harris
Producer(s)	Martin Birch
Iron Maiden singles chronology

"Purgatory" is Iron Maiden's fifth single, released on 15 June 1981, and would be their last with singer Paul Di'Anno. It served as the second single from Killers. The single was reissued in 1990, on the same CD and 12" vinyl as the EP Maiden Japan, in the First Ten Years box set.

History

According to drummer Nicko McBrain, the track is a remake of one of the band's earlier songs, entitled "Floating", of which "Purgatory" is a faster re-arrangement.^[1] It was the group's least successful single as it failed to break into the Top 50 in the UK charts, although the group's manager, Rod Smallwood, states that this was because "it wasn't really a single, it was just lifted off the album which the fans already had."^[2]

Most notably, the single's original cover artwork was withdrawn for use on the band's next studio album, The Number of the Beast.^[2] Smallwood recalls that, on being presented with the original cover, "we said, 'No, that's much too good,' so we kept it for the album. We had the artwork months before we had the music."^[3] This meant that the band's artist, Derek Riggs, had to come up with a replacement, this time illustrating the Devil's face rotting away to reveal the band's mascot, Eddie's, face underneath.^[4]

Track listing

7" single

Side one
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Purgatory"	Steve Harris	3:22

Side two
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
2.	"Genghis Khan"	Harris	3:10

Personnel

Production credits are adapted from the 7 inch vinyl cover.^[5]

Iron Maiden

Production

Martin Birch – producer
Derek Riggs – cover illustration

Charts

Purgatory

Chart (1981)	Peak position
UK Singles (OCC)^[6]	52

Purgatory / Maiden Japan

Chart (1990)	Peak position
UK Singles (OCC)^[7]	5

References

^ McBrain, Nicko; Iron Maiden. "Listen with Nicko! Part III". The First Ten Years: Part 3.
^ ^a ^b Bushell, Garry; Halfin, Ross (1985). Running Free, The Official Story of Iron Maiden (2nd ed.). Zomba Books. p. 100. ISBN 0-946391-84-X.
^ Wall, Mick (2004). Iron Maiden: Run to the Hills, the Authorised Biography (3rd ed.). Sanctuary Publishing. p. 190. ISBN 1-86074-542-3.
^ Bushell, Garry; Halfin, Ross (1985). Running Free, The Official Story of Iron Maiden (2nd ed.). Zomba Books. p. 101. ISBN 0-946391-84-X.
^ "Purgatory" 7 Inch Single (Media notes). Iron Maiden. EMI. 15 June 1981.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 February 2021.

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[1] McBrain, Nicko; Iron Maiden. "Listen with Nicko! Part III". The First Ten Years: Part 3.

[Bushell_100-2] Bushell, Garry; Halfin, Ross (1985). Running Free, The Official Story of Iron Maiden (2nd ed.). Zomba Books. p. 100. ISBN 0-946391-84-X.

[Wall_190-3] Wall, Mick (2004). Iron Maiden: Run to the Hills, the Authorised Biography (3rd ed.). Sanctuary Publishing. p. 190. ISBN 1-86074-542-3.

[Bushell_101-4] Bushell, Garry; Halfin, Ross (1985). Running Free, The Official Story of Iron Maiden (2nd ed.). Zomba Books. p. 101. ISBN 0-946391-84-X.

[5] "Purgatory" 7 Inch Single (Media notes). Iron Maiden. EMI. 15 June 1981.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)

[fuk1-6] "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 February 2021.

[sc_United_Kingdom_-7] "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 February 2021.

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Purgatory (song)