“We just told them to get out!” Why Iron Maiden have banned record label staff from the studio since 1982

Iron Maiden’s label representatives haven’t been allowed to hear what the metal legends are recording since as far back as The Number Of The Beast

Iron Maiden’s record label team haven’t been allowed to visit the metal institution in the recording studio since 1982.

Bassist and founding member Steve Harris makes the revelation in a recent interview with Bass Player. During the conversation, he says the most satisfying thing about being in the band, who will soon start celebrating their 50th anniversary on the Run For Your Lives tour, is the creative freedom they’ve long enjoyed.

“We’ve had success on our own terms,” he explains. “We’ve kept outside the music business a lot of the time. We’ve been stubborn and not let record company people bully us about.”

To prove his point, Harris adds that staff at Maiden’s label have been banned from entering the studio while the band are recording ever since their third album The Number Of The Beast, released in 1982 through EMI.

“As far back as the third album we banned the record company people from the studio,” he continues. “They were freaking out because the single was so different to the last one, which had been a success. We just told them to get out!”

Though it’s unclear which songs Harris is referring to, the suits needn’t have worried, as both of The Number Of The Beast’s singles, Run To The Hills and the title track, were successes that hit the top 20 of the UK charts. The album itself was the band’s first UK number one, up from the number 12 position reached by 1981 predecessor Killers.

Maiden’s Run For Your Lives shows will kick off on May 27 in Budapest, Hungary. The band will play across Europe until August, including a blockbuster show at the UK’s 80,000-capacity London Stadium on June 28. Further legs are expected to be announced, with the tour set to extend into 2026. See all dates and details below.