Wasted Years
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| "Wasted Years" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Iron Maiden | ||||
| from the album Somewhere in Time | ||||
| B-side | "Reach Out" "Sheriff of Huddersfield" |
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| Released | 6 September 1986 | |||
| Genre | Heavy metal | |||
| Length | 5:07 | |||
| Label | EMI | |||
| Writer(s) | Adrian Smith | |||
| Iron Maiden singles chronology | ||||
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"Wasted Years" is the fourteenth single released by Iron Maiden and the first from their Somewhere in Time album. It is the only song on the album that features no synthesizers. Released in 1986, it was the first single solely written by guitarist Adrian Smith, who also sings backing vocals. It reached number 18 in the UK Singles Charts.
The cover depicts the band mascot Eddie's point of view as he flies a spaceship chasing the Doctor's TARDIS. A similar Doctor Who reference can be seen on the back of the album's sleeve, where the Doctor's TARDIS is parked on a rooftop.
The promotional video features black and white footage of the band playing the song in studio, mixed with various scenes from band's previous promotional videos, together with clips of off-show activities during World Slavery Tour.
Wasted Years is featured in Rock Band.
Contents |
[edit] B-sides
The b-side "Reach Out" was sung by Adrian Smith, with regular lead singer Bruce Dickinson providing backing vocals. This song was previously performed live by Nicko McBrain and Smith's side project The Entire Population of Hackney.
The demential song "Sheriff of Huddersfield" is about Iron Maiden manager Rod Smallwood's decision to move to Los Angeles and buy a house in the Hollywood Hills. Apparently he had trouble adjusting to the LA lifestyle and often complained to the band about it. Interestingly Smallwood was unaware of the composition until it was released on the single, as the band had kept it secret from him. The song opens with the spoken line "We're on a mission from Rod", a parody of the tagline for The Blues Brothers, "We're on a mission from God". Later, a similar comedy piece called "Bayswater Ain't a Bad Place to Be", again mocking Smallwood, was released as an unlisted untitled b-side ("Space Station No. 5"'s epilogue) in the "Be Quick or Be Dead" single.
[edit] Composition
The song deals with subject of homesickness and alienation while on tour, but the mere fact that band is touring is well worth it.[1] It reflects on negative aspects of very long and exhausting World Slavery Tour, personal problems that band members were going through in that period.[2] The original working title was "Golden Years", as can be heard on numerous Somewhere On Tour bootlegs.
Song is composed from keys of E minor and G major. Adrian Smith plays the solo.
[edit] Live performances
Wasted Years is one of three tracks from Somewhere In Time that have been played on more than two concert tours,[3] other two being second album single, Stranger in a Strange Land and Heaven Can Wait. It was featured on Somewhere On Tour, Seventh Tour of a Seventh Tour, Real Live Tour (only on few dates), The Ed Hunter Tour, and Somewhere Back in Time World Tour.
Janick Gers played the solo on Real Live Tour due to Smith leaving Iron Maiden in 1990. He also played all Smith's guitar parts on few dates of Ed Hunter Tour, while Smith was absent. In current Iron Maiden line-up shows (since 1999), Smith's trademark intro riff is doubled by Gers.
Apart from singing backing vocals, Adrian Smith also sang lead vocals on chorus, on at least one Somewhere Back in Time Tour date.[4]
During Somewhere On Tour years, band used to lip-sync the track on various TV shows. The most famous recording comes from Germany, where Maiden swapped instruments on stage while the song was "performed", as a humorous protest to lip-syncing.[5]
[edit] Track listing
- "Wasted Years" (Adrian Smith) – 5:06
- "Reach Out" (Dave Colwell) – 3:31
- "Sheriff of Huddersfield" (Iron Maiden) – 3:35
[edit] Chart performance
| Single | Chart (1986) | Peak position |
Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Wasted Years" | Irish Singles Chart | 11[6] | Somewhere in Time |
| UK Singles Chart | 18[7] | ||
| Single | Chart (1990) | Peak position |
Album |
| "Wasted Years/ Stranger in a Strange Land" | UK Albums Chart[note 1] | 9[8] | — |
[edit] Notes
- ^ Re-release of both singles as part of The First Ten Years box set. Exceeded the length limit of the UK Singles chart.
[edit] Personnel
- Bruce Dickinson – vocals
- Adrian Smith – lead guitar, synthesized guitars, backing vocals (Lead vocals on "Reach Out")
- Dave Murray – rhythm guitar, synthesized guitars
- Steve Harris – bass guitar
- Nicko McBrain – drums
[edit] References
- ^ Iron Maiden - Wasted Years Live Sheffield 1986 on YouTube
- ^ Iron Maiden - Flight 666 DVD, History Of Iron Maiden pt 2
- ^ http://www.ironmaidencommentary.com/?link=tours&url=index&lang=eng
- ^ Iron Maiden - Flight 666 DVD
- ^ Iron Maiden Playback on YouTube
- ^ "Irish singles archive". http://www.irishcharts.ie/search/placement. Retrieved 2011-10-14.
- ^ "UK Singles chart archive- 13th September 1986". http://www.theofficialcharts.com/archive-chart/_/1/1986-09-13/. Retrieved 2011-09-19.
- ^ "UK Albums chart archive- 14th April 1990". http://www.theofficialcharts.com/archive-chart/_/3/1990-04-14/. Retrieved 2011-09-19.
