December 2 nd 1985
1. Run To The Hills (live) (Harris)
2. Phantom Of The Opera (live) (Harris)
3. Losfer Words (Big 'Orra) (live) (Harris)
Like the Running Free (live) single, this single contains material that was recorded at the Long Beach Arena and Hammersmith Odeon, the same concerts from which the Live After Death album was recorded. It only rose to number 26 in the U.K. charts, which it quite surprising because it contains perhaps the best live version of 'Phantom Of The Opera' ever recorded. The early release of the 7’’ vinyl single also included a fully autographed Iron Maiden x-mas card which has now become a collector's item.
Run To The Hills (live) (Harris)
This is the same version of 'Run To The Hills' as the one that appears on Live After Death , recorded at Long Beach Arena in March of 1985.
Phantom Of The Opera (live) (Harris, Di'Anno, Murray)
This is the same version of 'Phantom Of The Opera' which appeared on the vinyl release of Live After Death. However, it was not included on the original CD release, which made the First Ten Years box set the first place where this version was available on CD. This has been changed with the 1998 re-release of the album, which includes all the tracks previously only available on vinyl. This song was therefore one of the highlights of the First Ten Years box set, recorded at the Hammersmith Odeon in October of 1984. It's one of the best Maiden songs ever written, and this live version is without a doubt the highest quality live recording of the song.
Losfer Words (Big 'Orra) (live) (Harris)
Also recorded at the Hammersmith Odeon in October of 1984, this is the only officially released live version of 'Losfer Words'. Previously, live recordings of this song were only available on a few rare bootlegs. This may not be Iron Maiden's best instrumental song, but it's still great to have more of these high quality recordings from the Long Beach and Hammersmith shows.
September 23 rd 1985
1. Running Free (live) (Harris)
2. Sanctuary (live) (Harris, Di'Anno, Murray)
3. Murders In The Rue Morgue (live) (Harris)
The first thing one notices about this single is the cover picture, which is a live photograph rather than the traditional Derek Riggs artwork. The picture was taken by Ross Halfin and is the first single in Maiden history with a live photograph on the front sleeve. This single contains songs which were recorded at the five consecutive sold-out shows at the Long Beach Arena in March 1985 and at the Hammersmith Odeon in October 1984. These were the same shows where part of the legendary Live After Death album was recorded. The single did fairly well, making it to Number 19 in the U.K. charts.
Running Free (live) (Harris)
This is the same version of 'Running Free' as the one that appeared on the Live After Death album, recorded at the Long Beach Arena in March of 1985. However, this is the short edited version that appears on the CD, which is missing the crowd-interaction part of the song. Because 'Running Free' is a live concert classic, many live versions are available. However, this might be one of the highest quality live recordings of the song. And although in general the crowd-interaction doesn't sound as good on a recording than it does when you attend a gig, it is a bit of a shame that this song was edited. It should have been the full song.
Sanctuary (live) (Harris, Di'Anno, Murray)
This version of 'Sanctuary' was an excellent bonus at the time because it was not included on the original CD release of Live After Death. It was recorded at the Long Beach Arena in 1985. The recording and mixing quality of these sessions is so unusually excellent that every song from those shows is a special treat. 'Sanctuary' has always been a live concert favourite and although many live versions are available, this one might be the highest quality.
Murders In The Rue Morgue (live) (Harris)
This live version of 'Murders In The Rue Morgue' was recorded at the Hammersmith Odeon in October 1984. Like 'Sanctuary', it was not included on the first CD release of the Live After Death album. But, unlike 'Sanctuary', live versions of 'Murders In The Rue Morgue' are much more rare. Since it was previously available only on a few bootlegs, this high quality live recording is extra special.
