Purgatory (song)

This article is about the Iron Maiden song. For the Kim Petras song, see Turn Off the Light (mixtape).

1981 single by Iron Maiden

"Purgatory"

Single by Iron Maiden
from the album  Killers
B-side| "Genghis Khan"
Released| 15 June 1981 (1981-06-15)
Recorded| 1980
Genre| Heavy metal
Length| 3:22
Label| EMI
Songwriter(s)| Steve Harris
Producer(s)| Martin Birch
Iron Maiden singles chronology
| "Twilight Zone" / "Wrathchild"
(1981)  | "Purgatory"
(1981)  | "Run to the Hills"
(1982)

|
|

"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

[edit]

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Most notably, the single's original cover artwork was withdrawn for use on the band's next studio album, The Number of the Beast.[2] Smallwood recalls that, on being presented with the original cover, "we said, 'No, that's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

[edit]

7" single

Side oneNo.| Title| Writer(s)| Length

|
|
|

1.| "Purgatory"| Steve Harris| 3:22

Side twoNo.| Title| Writer(s)| Length

|
|
|

2.| "Genghis Khan"| Harris| 3:10

## Personnel

[edit]

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

Iron Maiden

* Paul Di'Anno – vocals
* Dave Murray – guitar
* Adrian Smith – guitar
* Steve Harris – bass guitar
* Clive Burr – drums

Production

* Martin Birch – producer
* Derek Riggs – cover illustration

## Charts

[edit]

### Purgatory

[edit]

Chart (1981)  | Peak
position

|

UK Singles (OCC)[6] | 52

### Purgatory / Maiden Japan

[edit]

Chart (1990)  | Peak
position

|

UK Singles (OCC)[7] | 5

## References

[edit]

1. ^ McBrain, Nicko; Iron Maiden. "Listen with Nicko! Part III". The First Ten Years: Part 3.
2. ^ 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.
3. ^ Wall, Mick (2004). Iron Maiden: Run to the Hills, the Authorised Biography (3rd ed.). Sanctuary Publishing. p. 190\. ISBN 1-86074-542-3.
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)
6. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
7. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 February 2021.

* v
* t
* e

Iron Maiden

* Steve Harris
* Dave Murray
* Adrian Smith
* Bruce Dickinson
* Nicko McBrain
* Janick Gers

* Paul Mario Day
* Thunderstick
* Tony Moore
* Doug Sampson
* Paul Di'Anno
* Dennis Stratton
* Clive Burr
* Blaze Bayley

Studio albums|

* Iron Maiden
* Killers
* The Number of the Beast
* Piece of Mind
* Powerslave
* Somewhere in Time
* Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
* No Prayer for the Dying
* Fear of the Dark
* The X Factor
* Virtual XI
* Brave New World
* Dance of Death
* A Matter of Life and Death
* The Final Frontier
* The Book of Souls
* Senjutsu

Live albums|

* Live After Death
* A Real Live One
* A Real Dead One
* Live at Donington
* Maiden England
* A Real Live Dead One
* Rock in Rio
* BBC Archives
* Beast over Hammersmith
* Death on the Road
* Flight 666
* En Vivo!
* The Book of Souls: Live Chapter
* Nights of the Dead: Live in Mexico City

Compilations|

* Best of the Beast
* A Real Live Dead One
* Ed Hunter
* Best of the 'B' Sides
* Edward the Great
* The Essential Iron Maiden
* Somewhere Back in Time
* From Fear to Eternity

Box sets|

* The First Ten Years
* Eddie's Head
* Eddie's Archive

Extended plays|

* The Soundhouse Tapes
* Live!! +one
* Maiden Japan
* No More Lies

Singles|

* "Running Free"
* "Sanctuary"
* "Women in Uniform"
* "Twilight Zone"
* "Purgatory"
* "Run to the Hills"
* "The Number of the Beast"
* "Flight of Icarus"
* "The Trooper"
* "2 Minutes to Midnight"
* "Aces High"
* "Wasted Years"
* "Stranger in a Strange Land"
* "Can I Play with Madness"
* "The Evil That Men Do"
* "The Clairvoyant"
* "Infinite Dreams"
* "Holy Smoke"
* "Bring Your Daughter... to the Slaughter"
* "Be Quick or Be Dead"
* "From Here to Eternity"
* "Wasting Love"
* "Fear of the Dark"
* "Hallowed Be Thy Name"
* "Man on the Edge"
* "Lord of the Flies"
* "Virus"
* "The Angel and the Gambler"
* "Futureal"
* "The Wicker Man"
* "Out of the Silent Planet"
* "Wildest Dreams"
* "Rainmaker"
* "The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg"
* "Different World"
* "El Dorado"
* "Satellite 15... The Final Frontier"
* "Speed of Light"
* "Empire of the Clouds"
* "The Writing on the Wall"

Video albums|

* Live at the Rainbow
* Video Pieces
* Behind the Iron Curtain
* Live After Death
* 12 Wasted Years
* Maiden England
* The First Ten Years (From There to Eternity)
* Donington Live 1992
* Raising Hell
* Classic Albums: Iron Maiden – The Number of the Beast
* Rock in Rio
* Visions of the Beast
* The History of Iron Maiden – Part 1: The Early Days
* Death on the Road
* Flight 666
* En Vivo!
* The Book of Souls: Live Chapter

Tours|

* Metal for Muthas Tour
* Iron Maiden Tour
* Killer World Tour
* World Slavery Tour
* Somewhere on Tour
* Seventh Tour of a Seventh Tour
* Fear of the Dark Tour
* Real Live Tour
* Virtual XI World Tour
* Brave New World Tour
* Dance of Death World Tour
* Eddie Rips Up the World Tour
* A Matter of Life and Death Tour
* Somewhere Back in Time World Tour
* The Final Frontier World Tour
* Maiden England World Tour
* The Book of Souls World Tour
* Legacy of the Beast World Tour
* The Future Past World Tour
* Run for Your Lives World Tour

Related articles|

* Discography
* Songs
* Awards and nominations
* Band members
* Eddie
* Metal for Muthas
* Tribute albums
* Urchin
* Gogmagog
* Psycho Motel
* Samson
* The Entire Population of Hackney
* The Iron Maidens
* Maiden uniteD
* Derek Riggs
* Rod Smallwood

* Category

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz work

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