Warner Music, BMG, and Iron Maiden are celebrating the 40th anniversary of The Number of the Beast in style. The seminal album that really kicked off superstardom for Iron Maiden is turning 40 years old this year. It was the first to feature Bruce Dickinson on vocals and marked a change for the band. The new package includes Beast Over Hammersmith, for the first time on vinyl, the live concert recorded in March 1982 at the Hammersmith Odeon from the Beast On The Road World Tour. That live show was recorded days before The Number Of The Beast was released, so it’s an interesting look at how a live crowd reacted to hearing these songs for the very first time.

This three-vinyl collection features liner notes written by Steve Harris and restored and expanded artwork taken from the CD cover of Beast Over Hammersmith. Here’s what Steve Harris had to say about the release:

On this vinyl release we get the chance to put Total Eclipse in its rightful spot on the album for the first time. The reason it didn’t make it in the first place was that it was all a mad rush when we were finishing the record and we had to get the Run to the Hills single out before the tour and we basically had to pick a B-side and it was between Gangland and Total Eclipse and we just picked the wrong one, really! I think Total Eclipse is a stronger song and the album would have been stronger if it had been on there.

The Tracklist For Beast Over Hammersmith And The Number Of The Beast

Disc 1 – The Number Of The Beast
Side 1:

  1. Invaders
  2. Children Of The Damned
  3. The Prisoner
  4. 22 Acacia Avenue

Side 2:

  1. The Number Of The Beast
  2. Run To The Hills
  3. Total Eclipse*
  4. Hallowed Be Thy Name

*alternative tracklisting to original TNOTB vinyl release. Total Eclipse replaces Gangland

Disc 2 – Beast Over Hammersmith
Side 3:

  1. Murders In The Rue Morgue
  2. Wrathchild
  3. Run To The Hills
  4. Children of The Damned
  5. The Number Of The Beast

Side 4:

  1. Another Life
  2. Killers
  3. 22 Acacia Avenue
  4. Total Eclipse
  5. Transylvania

Disc 3 – Beast Over Hammersmith
Side 5:

  1. The Prisoner
  2. Hallowed Be Thy Name
  3. Phantom Of The Opera
  4. Iron Maiden

Side 6:

  1. Sanctuary
  2. Drifter
  3. Running Free
  4. Prowler

You can pre-order this release right now and it releases on November 18th, 2022.

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