The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg
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| "The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| B-side | "Hallowed Be Thy Name (CD)" |
"The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg" is a song by Iron Maiden on their 14th studio album, A Matter of Life and Death. The song is the leading single from the album, released on 14 August 2006.
The CD single comes with a B-side of "Hallowed Be Thy Name" from the BBC Radio 1 Legends Session. Due to the overall length of the two songs, the single was not eligible for chart inclusion in the UK. The single was also released on 10" clear vinyl single, which includes BBC Sessions versions of "The Trooper" and "Run to the Hills" on the B-side.[1]
Although both the sleeve, and labels, of the 10" vinyl state that it should be played at 33.3 RPM, this is actually incorrect. The correct playing speed is 45 RPM.
A promotional version of the single was released on 14 August 2006, featuring the full version and a shorter version called "edited version" in the US promo CD and "rock club mix" in the UK promo CD (both versions are identical).[2]
On 17 July 2006, a music video for the song was put up on the band's official website for public viewing. The video was first released only for paid fan club members but it instantly leaked within minutes and was viewed by many fans who posted the link on various Iron Maiden discussion forums. The video displays them currently performing in the studio along with classic photos and clips of the band over their lengthy career.
The character
The single's promotional image shows Eddie (the band's mascot) digging out the grave of Benjamin Breeg, whose tombstone states "Aici zace un om despre care nu se ştie prea mult". This is a sentence in Romanian, which roughly translates into "here lies a man about whom little is known." The identity of the character is being held secret by band members. Steve Harris, in an interview given to Kerrang! was quoted as saying: "Who is Benjamin Breeg? Ha ha. I'm not telling you."
The fictional character has become a great marketing tool for the band. This is because of the band's use of the viral marketing technique. A website was also made that tells a fictional story about a man of mystery.
Theories
One theory is that Eddie is or was Benjamin Breeg. The clues for this are that he was born in London (where the band was formed) and was born on the date of Britain and France's declaration of war on Germany in World War II. This hints at a reference to the overall war thematic of "A Matter Of Life And Death". Benjamin Breeg might be a metaphor for world war and the "reincarnation" is the possible onset of World War III. Breeg is said to have painted a picture of what he sees in his head (a picture of an Eddie-like figure emerging).
You can also find information about a man who is seeking his cousin Benjamin Breeg on a British web site. A lot of coincidences can be found with the character from the Iron Maiden song, such as the dates given, or the Romanian sentence Aici zace un om despre care nu se ştie prea mult which you can find on both the website and the tombstone.
Suggestions as to who Benjamin Breeg actually is include Steve Harris, the founding member of the band and bassist, Iron Maiden itself or most probably Eddie, the band's mascot. However, if Eddie was Benjamin Breeg, why would he be digging up Breeg's grave in the artwork for the single? Another criticism of this theory is that Eddie is seen in the artwork for the album Live After Death as climbing out of a grave marked "Edward T. H–", with the rest of the last name obscured by dirt. The "T. H.-" stands for "The Head", as in "Eddie The Head".
The Benjamin Breeg website provides evidence for the existence of Breeg, such as a painting depicting a figure who looks identical to Eddie, supposedly painted by Benjamin Breeg. This painting however appears as the inside cover artwork to the single "The Reincarnation Of Benjamin Breeg" and also in the video to the same song around the 5.14 minute mark, heightening suspicions of a marketing ploy even further. The website also claims "The man is due to arrive in this country on 18th August" when referring to a man with information about Benjamin Breeg. The new Iron Maiden album was released in the UK on the 28th August, some ten days after this mysterious arrival which might imply that the new album would reveal more information about Benjamin Breeg. As of yet, no further information has been divulged.
The song itself (the reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg) suggests an alternate theory (not in the specifics of who it is, but the idea behind the character). The idea is that the character is doomed to be re-incarnated ad infinitum until the point where he has achieved a good enough existence to pass on to some form of afterlife (lyrics such as "my sins are too heavy" and "...till I can break free" would seem to add weight to this).
Benjamin Breeg is purported to be a Romanian artist whose only remaining painting looks remarkably like Iron Maiden's mascot Eddie. Benjamin Breeg's Painting
Another character, Benjamin Bathurst (see The Disappearance of Benjamin Bathurst) was a Napoleonic War soldier who mysteriously disappeared and has been the subject of numerous conspiracy theories regarding time travel and reincarnation.
It is also a theory that Benjamin Breeg was a WWII soldier, which would go with the album's WWII theme. If this theory is correct then he was probably a British soldier who died in WWII that Iron Maiden found out about, and then used his name as a marketing ploy.
Another possible reference is to Benjamin Briggs, captain of the ship Mary Celeste, who disapperared in 1872 with all his crew and was never found. It may be coincidence that one of the crew of the Mary Celeste was the Steward/Cook, Edward Head - another link to Iron Maiden's mascot. This also ties in with the statement on The Benjamin Breeg website saying that Benjamin:
"...travelled widely between 1960 and 1970, visiting many different countries. Living for two years in Haiti before travelling to Eastern Europe where he lived between 1966 and 1969."
The Mary Celeste was wrecked by a subsequent captain and was discovered in 2001 off Haiti.
Also on the internet is a person looking for a man who's name was Benjamin Stove. He was a farmer that apparently vanished in 1988, and all that was left behind by him was a painting of a crop circle.
Another theory would be that the design of Eddie himself originated from a painting by Benjamin Breeg as found on The Benjamin Breeg website. This would also explain why the video clip shows images of Iron Maiden performances with the lyrics, "Let me tell you 'bout my life, let me tell you 'bout my dreams. Let me tell you 'bout the things that happened.".
However, there is one theory that says that the Eddie-like man on the picture is not Eddie, but Benjamin himself, with a mining pick, the theory says that he is not digging anything up, because that is rather impossible with a mining pick, but he is destroying the tombstone so that no one can see that he has ever lived, although, we dont know why he would want to hide that he had existed, and was destroying the remains of his grave. This is yet just another theory, but still a theory to have in mind.
In an interview with drummer magizine Nicko McBrian, when asked about Benjamin Breeg said that Steve Harris hadn't told him, but thinks that Breeg is either Eddie's long-lost brother or rival
Track listing
2 track CD
- "The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg" (Dave Murray, Steve Harris) – 7:21
- "Hallowed Be Thy Name (Radio 1 'Legends' Session)" (Harris) – 7:13
10" clear vinyl disc
- "The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg" (Murray, Harris) – 7:21
- "The Trooper (Radio 1 'Legends' Session)" (Harris) – 3:59
- "Run to the Hills (Radio 1 'Legends' Session)" (Harris) – 3:56
Credits
- Bruce Dickinson – vocals
- Dave Murray – guitar
- Janick Gers – guitar, backing vocals
- Adrian Smith – guitar, backing vocals
- Steve Harris – bass guitar, backing vocals
- Nicko McBrain – drums
Sources
External links
- Music video (stream)
- A website about Benjamin Breeg, the contents of which are as-yet unknown to be real or fictional
