"Sanctuary" is the second single released by the British heavy metal band

Iron Maiden Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. While fluid in the early years of the band, the lineup for most of the band's history has consisted of Harri ...

. The single was released on 23 May 1980. Although originally issued as a non-album single, the song was added to the later US release of their debut studio record, ''

'' (1980). When the album was re-released in 1998, the song was added in all territories. In 1990, it was reissued on CD and 12" vinyl in '' The First Ten Years'' box set, in which it was combined with their first single, "

Running Free Running is a method of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. Running is a type of gait characterized by an aerial phase in which all feet are above the ground (though there are exceptions). This is ...

History

The original mix of the song was recorded in November 1979 and originally appeared on the 1980 ''

Metal for Muthas ''Metal for Muthas'' is the name given to a series of heavy metal compilations made during the new wave of British heavy metal (NWOBHM). The original compilation was ''Metal for Muthas'', released in February 1980. The compilation was a sampl ...

'' compilation, featuring several other artists associated with the

new wave of British heavy metal The new wave of British heavy metal (commonly abbreviated as NWOBHM) was a nationwide musical movement that started in England in the mid-1970s and achieved international attention by the early 1980s. Journalist Geoff Barton coined the term i ...

, which the band recorded as a four-piece with

Doug Sampson Douglas William Sampson (born 30 June 1957) is a British musician. He was the drummer for Iron Maiden from 1978 to 1979. Biography Prior to joining Iron Maiden, Sampson was a member of one of Steve Harris' previous groups, Smiler, along wit ...

on drums. Although the compilation was panned in ''

Sounds In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave, through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid. In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' by the ...

'', Iron Maiden's songs were praised, with their contributions being described as "raucous heavy metal/punk crossovers and tantalising tasters for their own forthcoming album." Already a regular in the band's live set, the "Sanctuary" single was released on 7" vinyl on 16 May during the UK leg of the

Iron Maiden Tour The Iron Maiden Tour was a 1980 concert tour by Iron Maiden in support of their Iron Maiden (album), eponymous debut album. The band's first solo headlining tour, it followed the co-headlined Metal for Muthas Tour from earlier in the same year. ...

. This version of the song was recorded during the ''

'' album sessions, and, according to guitarist Dave Murray, "was ten times better than the original ''Metal for Muthas'' version." The

b-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...

includes two live songs recorded at the

Marquee Club The Marquee Club was a music venue first located at 165 Oxford Street in London, when it opened in 1958 with a range of jazz and skiffle acts. Its most famous period was from 1964 to 1988 at 90 Wardour Street in Soho, and it finally closed whe ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

on 3 April 1980 - "Drifter" (which would feature on the band's next album, '' Killers'') and a cover of Montrose's " I've Got the Fire". The live version of "Drifter" includes a crowd interaction part where the audience is invited to follow the lead singer as he chants "Yo Yo Yo", which parodies

The Police The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For most of their history the line-up consisted of primary songwriter Sting (lead vocals, bass guitar), Andy Summers (guitar) and Stewart Copeland (drums, percussion). The Police ...

's "

Walking on the Moon "Walking on the Moon" is a song by British rock band the Police, released as the second single from their second studio album, ''Reggatta de Blanc'' (1979). The song was written by the band's lead vocalist and bassist Sting. It went on to bec ...

". The single performed even better than their debut, "

", entering the UK Singles Chart at No. 33 before peaking at No. 29 a week later. Although the song is credited to Iron Maiden, according to ''

Metal Hammer ''Metal Hammer'' is a heavy metal music magazine and website founded in 1983, published in the United Kingdom by Future, with other language editions available in numerous other countries. ''Metal Hammer'' features news, reviews and long-form ...

'' contributor Dave Ling, the song was originally written by guitarist Rob Angelo, a member of the band in 1977 who was paid £300 for the song's rights. From 1998 onwards, the song was credited to Murray, bassist Steve Harris and singer

Paul Di'Anno Paul Andrews (born 17 May 1958), better known by his stage name Paul Di'Anno, is a British/Brazilian heavy metal singer who was the lead vocalist for Iron Maiden from 1978 to 1981. In his post-Maiden career, Di'Anno has issued numerous albu ...

Artwork and controversy

The cover art caused controversy for the band as it depicted their mascot,

Eddie Eddie or Eddy may refer to: Science and technology *Eddy (fluid dynamics), the swirling of a fluid and the reverse current created when the fluid flows past an obstacle * Eddie (text editor), a text editor originally for BeOS and now ported to Lin ...

, wielding a knife while crouching over the corpse of then British prime minister

Margaret Thatcher Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. S ...

. The band's manager,

Rod Smallwood Roderick Charles Smallwood (born 17 February 1950) is an English music manager, best known as the co-manager of the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden. With his business partner, Andy Taylor, whom he met while studying at Trinity College, Ca ...

, explained the artwork's concept: "The artwork is very tongue in cheek, as usual. At that time, Maggie had visited the old USSR and, following her tough stance with them, had been christened the Iron Maiden. Eddie took offence to this, and even more so when she started taking our posters." It was Smallwood himself who suggested to EMI that the cover be released with Thatcher's face censored "as this would give the tabloids an angle and draw attention to the single." The attempt to gain coverage proved successful, with the ''

Daily Mirror The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily tabloid. Founded in 1903, it is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the title on its masthead was simply ''The Mirror''. It had an average daily print ...

'' running a story about the single, as well as publishing the uncensored artwork, on 20 May under the headline: "It's murder! Maggie gets rock mugging." The '' Daily Record'' also published an article which deemed the cover "horrific", as well as included interviews with Young Scottish Conservatives who criticised the artwork of being "in very bad taste". Margaret Thatcher also appeared on the band's next single, "

Women in Uniform "Women in Uniform" is a 1978 song by the Australian band Skyhooks; it was written by the band's bass guitar player, Greg Macainsh. It was released in February 1978 as the lead single from their fourth studio album, '' Guilty Until Proven Insane' ...

", in which she is shown seeking revenge on Eddie with a machine gun.

Track listing

;7" UK single ;12" Dutch Single

Personnel

Production credits are adapted from the 7 inch vinyl cover. Iron Maiden *

–

lead vocals The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of t ...

* Dave Murray –

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...

Dennis Stratton Dennis Stratton (born 9 October 1952) is an English guitarist who is best known as a former member of the heavy metal band Iron Maiden from December 1979 to October 1980. Biography Born in Canning Town, London, Stratton showed early promise a ...

– guitar * Steve Harris –

bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...

Clive Burr Clive Ronald Burr (8 March 1957 – 13 March 2013) was an English drummer. He was a member of the heavy metal band Iron Maiden from 1979 to 1982. Career Previously a member of Samson, Burr joined Iron Maiden in 1979. Auditioning and joining ...

–

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

Production *

Wil Malone Wil Malone (born 1952, in Hornsey, North London) is a British music producer and arranger, who has worked with artists including Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Todd Rundgren, The Verve, Massive Attack, Depeche Mode and Italian rocker Gianna Nannini ...

– producer,

engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the l ...

Derek Riggs Derek Riggs (born 13 February 1958) is a contemporary British artist best known for creating the band Iron Maiden's mascot, "Eddie". Career Born in Portsmouth, England, Riggs is a self-taught artist, both in his traditional painting and in his ...

– cover illustration

Chart performance

Running Free

Running Free / Sanctuary

Notes

References

{{Authority control Iron Maiden songs 1980 singles Songs about Margaret Thatcher Songs written by Steve Harris (musician) 1980 songs EMI Records singles Obscenity controversies in music