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Maiden Japan
Maiden Japan
EP by Iron Maiden
Released	14 September 1981
Recorded	23 May 1981
Venue	Aichi Kōsei Nenkin Kaikan, Nagoya, Japan
Genre	Heavy metal
Length	16:38
Label	EMI
Producer	Iron Maiden; Doug Hall;
Iron Maiden EPs chronology
Alternative cover
	Brazilian and Venezuelan alternate cover

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[1]
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal	6/10^[2]

Maiden Japan, released as Heavy Metal Army in Japan, is a live EP by the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden. The title is a pun of Deep Purple's live album Made in Japan.

Release

There are at least two different versions of this EP; all tracks were recorded at the Aichi Kosei Nenkin Kaikan in Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan on 23 May 1981. It was lead singer Paul Di'Anno's final recording with the band. The original Japanese pressing features only 4 tracks and the record speed is 45RPM, but the other version has 5 tracks. It was never the band's intention to release this album, but Toshiba-EMI wanted a live album.

The EP has been officially reissued on CD twice — the four-track version was included as part of the singles box set The First Ten Years, released in 1990, while the five-track version was included on the bonus disc that came with the 1995 reissue of Killers in the US (the European release did not include the Maiden Japan tracks).

Cover art

The original cover depicted the band's mascot, Eddie, holding the severed head of singer Paul Di'Anno.^[3] The replacement cover was done on very short notice after Iron Maiden's manager, Rod Smallwood, received a proof for review, and became agitated at Di'Anno's depiction because the band was looking to replace him. Maiden Japan was released in Brazil (in 1981 & a 1985 re-issue) & Venezuela (in 1987) with the original cover and have become collector's items.^{[citation needed]}

Accolades

The Rolling Stone Italia named Maiden Japan EP as "The most important and the best metal's live EPs ever".^[4] Ultimate Classic Rock placed Maiden Japan on Top 40 Best 1981 Albums List.^[5] Maiden Japan EP went platinum in Canada and made it to the charts in many other countries around the world.

Track listing

Production and performance credits are adapted from the EP liner notes.^[6]^[7]

European and Japanese edition

All tracks are written by Steve Harris and Paul Di'Anno, except where noted

Side one
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Running Free"	2:48
2.	"Remember Tomorrow"	5:27

Side two
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
3.	"Killers"		4:39
4.	"Innocent Exile"	Harris	3:44
Total length:			16:38

International edition

Side one
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Running Free"	2:48
2.	"Remember Tomorrow"	5:27

Side two
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
3.	"Wrathchild"	Harris	2:52
4.	"Killers"		4:39
5.	"Innocent Exile"	Harris	3:44
Total length:			19:30

Personnel

Paul Di'Anno – lead vocals
Dave Murray – guitar
Adrian Smith – guitar, backing vocals
Steve Harris – bass, backing vocals
Clive Burr – drums

Production

Doug Hall – producer, engineer
Hiro Ohno – photography
Rod Smallwood – management, photography

Chart performance

Title	Chart (1981)	Peak position
"Maiden Japan"	UK Singles Chart	43^[8]
"Maiden Japan"	Billboard 200	89^[9]
Title	Chart (1990)	Peak position
"Purgatory / Maiden Japan"	UK Albums Chart^{[note 1]}	5^[10]