This demo was originally recorded as a solo song by Bruce Dickinson, produced in 2014 in Roy Z's living room. This song would be re-recorded for Iron Maiden on the album The Book of Souls (2015). As can hear in the demo, the beginning with the keyboards and vocal lines are technically the same as those used in the Iron Maiden version. This version is found exclusively on the 7" vinyl version of the single Afterglow of Ragnarok (2023) from the album The Mandrake Project (2024). Note: BMG claimed the video I uploaded to YouTube and they deleted it. So I'll upload the video here. — Listen: — Lyrics: Here is the soul of a man Here in this place for the taking Clothed in white, stand in the light Here is the soul of a man Time to speak with the shaman again Conjure the jester again Black dog in the ruins is howling my name So here is the soul of a man When the world was virgin Before the coming of man Just a solar witness The beginning of the end From a world of magma To ...
Total Eclipse is a song that had been recorded in the sessions for the album The Number of the Beast (1982) and that first appeared on the single Run to the Hills as a b-side. When the band recorded the 9 songs on the album, one of them had to be left out. For the release of the single Run to the Hills , they were between 2 songs to use as a b-side: Gangland and Total Eclipse . They finally chose to use the latter. Steve Harris has stated that he regrets leaving this song out, despite the fact that he feels that the lyrics of said song did not fit the theme of the album (and without necessarily being a concept album). For some reason, it doesn't appear in Best of the B'Sides in Eddie's Archive (2002). Most likely, this song had already been played live before, and that's why it was already known. The song was performed live on tour for The Number of the Beast album in 1982, and appears on the live album Beast over Hammersmith of the Eddie's Archive (2002). ...