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Single Information

  Name Running Free
  Cover Runningfreejpg
  Artist Iron Maiden
  From Album Iron Maiden
  B-side '''1980 single''' <br /> "Burning Ambition" <br /> '''1985 live single''' <br /> " Sanctuary ", <br /> "Murders in the Rue Morgue (live)" <br />
  Released 8 February 1980 <br /> September 13 1985
  Recorded January 1980 (Running Free) December 1979 (Burning Ambition - Produced by Guy Edwards as a 4-piece band just prior to hiring Dennis Stratton & Clive Burr)
  Genre Heavy Metal
  Length 3:16 <br /> 3:28
  Label EMI
  Writer Steve Harris <br /> Paul Di'Anno
  Chart Position '''1980 single'''
  This Single "Running Free" <br /> (1980)
  Next Single " Sanctuary " <br /> (1980)
  Misc {{Extra chronology
  Background yellow
  Last Album " Aces High " <br /> (1984)
  This Album "Running Free (live)" <br /> (1985)
  Next Album " Run To The Hills (live) " <br /> (1985)


  Upper Caption 1985 live single
  Background yellow
  Cover Single1jpg
  Lower Caption 1985 live single cover




"Running Free" was the first single released by Iron Maiden . It was released on the 8th of February 1980 on the 7" 45 rpm vinyl record format. It was written by Steve Harris and Paul Di'Anno . The song appears as the third track on the band's debut album '' Iron Maiden ''.

The song is about a troubled 16-year-old boy who runs away on a pick up truck, ends up in a Los Angeles jail and picks up a woman from a bar. The song is known to be one of the band's more traditional rock numbers and is still played at Maiden gigs today with the band members individually named by the lead singer during the long bass-solo.

The single's cover art is also famously known as the first official appearance of the band's mascot Eddie . However in the cover-art his face is obscured because the band didn't want to unveil their mascot until the album's release. Also on the cover is a young metal-head resembling somewhat a young Bruce Dickinson . This should not be considered deliberate, as Dickinson had nothing to do with the band until some time after this.

The B-side "Burning Ambition" is one of Harris' earliest compositions written around the time he was in Gypsy's Kiss. The guitar solo in this song is played by Dave Murray . It is the only commercially released recording by Maiden to feature the band's former drummer Doug Sampson (he was featured in Maiden's demo '' Soundhouse Tapes '') who was replaced by Clive Burr for the band's first album. The song has never been released on any album but was featured on the '' Best Of The B'Sides '' in the '' Eddie's Archive Boxset '' as well as being featured as one of the background tunes on the '' The Early Days '' DVD documentary.

In 1985, a live version of the song was released as the first single from the album '' Live After Death (Maiden's twelfth single).


TRACK LISTING


1980 single

# "Running Free" ( Paul Di'Anno , Steve Harris ) - 3:16
# "Burning Ambition" (Harris) - 2:42


1985 live single

# "Running Free" ( Paul Di'Anno , Steve Harris ) – 3:28
# "Sanctuary (live)" ( Iron Maiden ) – 4:41
# "Murders In The Rue Morgue (live)" ( Steve Harris )- 4:33


CREDITS


1980 single



1985 live single