Iron Maiden β 2 Minutes to Midnight
- intothewellsabyss
- Aug 6, 2023
- 3 min read
π πππ πππ ππππππ - πππππππππππ ππππ πππππ ππππππππ π’π§ ππ‘π πππππππ π¨πΒ ππππ ππππ & πππππ πππππβ¦
August 6, 1984 β Iron Maiden released 2 Minutes to Midnight. The first single to be released from Powerslave, their fifth studio album, it was the band's tenth single released overall. (Apple Music or Spotify)
2 Minutes to Midnight rose to No. 11 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 25 on Billboard Top Album Tracks.
The band's first single to exceed five minutes in length, it remained their longest until the release of Infinite Dreams in November 1989.
Background:
A protest song about nuclear war, "2 Minutes to Midnight" was written by Adrian Smith and Bruce Dickinson.
The song attacks the commercialisation of war and how it is used to fuel the global economy (βπππ ππππππ πππππ ππ ππ πππ πππππ πππ πππππ πππ ππ ππππππβ), how rich politicians profit directly from it (βππ πππ πππππππ πππ πππ πππππππ πππ πππππ ππππ πππ ππππ πππ πππππ’β) and how after a war concludes, the world is left in a far worse condition than before the war began, resulting in future wars (βππ πππ ππππ ππ ππππππππ ππππππππ ππ ππππ π ππππππ ππππ ππ πππβ).
The song title references the Doomsday Clock, the symbolic clock used by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, which represents a countdown to potential global catastrophe.
In September 1953 the clock reached two minutes to midnight, the closest it ever got to midnight in the 20th Century, when the United States and Soviet Union tested H-bombs within nine months of one another.
The atomic clock, set at 12 minutes to midnight in 1972, regressed thereafter among USβSoviet tensions, reaching three minutes to midnight in 1984 β the year this track was released β and at that time the most dangerous clock reading since 1953.
According to Dickinson, the song critically addresses "πππ πππππππ ππ π ππ" in general rather than the Cold War in particular.
A promotional video was made for 2 Minutes to Midnight. (Watch video)
B-Sides:
Rainbow's Gold:
The first B-side is a cover of British progressive rock band Beckett's Rainbow's Gold, which was featured on their self-titled album released in 1974. The song was written by Terry Slesser and Kenny Mountain, respectively the band's vocalist and guitarist. On the original release, it is titled A Rainbow's Gold.
According to Nicko McBrain, commenting on the single in Listen With Nicko Part VI (as part of The First Ten Years series), the members of Iron Maiden were friends with members of Beckett. The band's manager, Rod Smallwood, commented this version:
"ππππ π ππ ππππππππππ’ ππππ ππ’ π ππππ ππππππ π±ππππππ π ππ πππ ππππ πππππ π πππ. π°πππππ ππππ ππ ππ π πππππ ππ πππππππ ππ πππππ πππππ ππππππππππ ππ πππ ππππ π΄πππ πππ’π. π±ππππππ π πππ ππππ π½ππ ππππππ πππ πππ π πππππ ππππππ ππππππ πππππ’ ππππππ πππππππ (ππππππππππππ’ πΈ π ππ π±ππππππβπ πππππ πππππ ππ πππππππ πΌπππππ)."
Mission From 'Arry:
Another B-side, entitled Mission from 'Arry, is a recording of an argument between bassist Steve Harris and drummer Nicko McBrain, which took place after a show in Allentown, Pennsylvania, during the band's World Piece Tour. During the concert, Harris' bass gear broke down, so he asked the nearest roadie to tell McBrain to extend his drum solo. The crew member was unable to communicate the message effectively, which unfortunately distracted McBrain and had a negative impact on his solo, causing him to yell at the roadie afterwards. Vocalist Bruce Dickinson states that he found the ensuing argument so amusing that he decided to record it with a concealed tape recorder.
Notice: Any reviews shared here are for historical reference. The views and opinions expressed within are not always supported (in full or in part) by Into the Wells. β E.N. Wells
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