User:Rockk3r/Sandbox1

Samson: 1979–1981

	In my naivety I thought people who were in rock 'n' roll bands were great artists, and it was a huge shock to the system to realise that they weren't, that they didn't even aspire to be, really. Some of them did, maybe, but some of them, like Samson, were very frightened of the idea.
-Bruce Dickinson.

In a gig by hard rock band Samson at Bishop's Stortford, Dickinson came onstage and permormed one of their songs, "Rock Me Baby". He was offered the job as the band's vocalist immediately. They released their debut album, Survivors, in 1979 on an independent label. Dickinson didn't appear on the original version, as it had ben completed two months before he joined them. During his time in Samson, he went by the name "Bruce Bruce", derived from Monty Python's Bruces sketch. The other band members knew they had imrpoved things by hiring Dickinson, but it took some time for the fans to "catch up". Dickinson was shocked after finding out that rock performers, were not as great artists as he thought. Most of them, like Samson, didn't think of popularity, but just "to have a good drink, a good shag, and take some drugs". It was very difficult for him to relate to that kind of living. He had smoked before, but in Samson it was more like a habit. Dickinson had to smoke joints in order to communicate with other band members. He called it, "the price that had to be paid", as it was a step towards his goal —being a rock n' roll singer.— They spent the rest of the year touring on support of the album. In early 1980, Samson appeared as the opening act for Robin Trower's concerts, including dates at Hammersmith Odeon. The tour finished at Newcastle City Hall, where days later the band opened for Rainbow, on their Down to Earth tour. Here, Samson started performing for bigger audiences, but after some touring differences, they were cancelled for the rest of the dates.

Later that year, a short film, Biceps of Steel, was shot at the Rainbow theatre. It featured some of their songs and was directed by Julien Temple. They went back to the studios to record the songs they had wrote during prevoius rehearsals. The band's second album, Head On, was released July 1980, and peaked at #34 in the UK charts The supporting tour was full of controversy and legal issues, due to problems with their management. They kept writing and rehearsing for a new record. Ten songs had already been composed, by October 1980, and were ready to be recorded. At the same time, the band re-issued their debut album, Survivors, now with Dickinson handling vocal duties. The tour continued until the end of the year, when Samson entered the studio to record their third album, Shock Tactics. This was the last album Dickinson recorded with the band. Samson faced an innumerable amount of problems with their management. They were always being booked on ill-matched support tours. After leaving their management in 1981 they discovered that their record company was going bankrupt. Dickinson said they "made every mistake in the business". His last performance with Samosn was at the Reading Festival in 1981. This was recorded by the BBC and released in 1990, as the live album Live at Reading 1981.

Iron Maiden: 1981–1993

	Maiden worked to a time table. A table that wasn't absolute but it had to be stuck to. "Now you'll write for six weeks, now you'll make a record for three months, now you're rehearsing for two weeks, now you'll tour for eight months." It was organized like that and that seemed to suit the style of writing of the band.
-Bruce Dickinson at Gino, Stockholm.

Dickinson auditioned for Iron Maiden in September 1981, singing a version of "Remember Tomorrow", from their self-titled debut album, to which the band members answered "Hey... you got the job". Maiden had an organized and strict routine that suited the band's writing style, and to whom Dickinson described as a "time table". After a few gigs, Maiden started writing new material for their third album, The Number of the Beast, released in 1982. It was the first time the band wrote an entire new album, as the previous efforts consisted of songs that had been played for years. In the wake of Samson's contractual problems, Dickinson couldn't be credited on the songs. He called it a "moral contribution", referring to the fact that the contribution that he had made to the songs, was equal to those of the other band members. The album topped the UK charts, and the two singles released, "Run to the Hills" and the title track, became top ten hits in many countries. The band embarked on a supporting tour around the globe. The US leg was marred by controversy among religious groups, who wrongfully labeled the band Satan worshippers, because of the title track.

On the following album, Piece of Mind, released in 1983, the band reflected lyrical interest in books and films. Steve Harris's song-writing monopoly was pushed aside in favour of other members' ideas. This resulted in "such all-time metal standards" as Dickinson's "Flight of Icarus", and the highly acclaimed "The Trooper".A year later was released Powerslave, full of epic compositions which made it "stand out as a true heavy metal achievement." During the "World Slavery Tour", Maiden introduced theatrical elements, with an Egyptian-themed stage set, and Dickinson wearing a feathered mask during "Powerslave". This was the band's longest-lasting tour to date, where Harris and Dickinson thought of going home mid-tour, due to the high number of dates. The band's "legendary" live album, Live After Death, was recorded during this tour, at the Long Beach Arena in Los Angeles. Maiden appeared among the bands who inaugurated the Rock in Rio festival in 1985. They performed in front of their largest attendance to a single concert, an estimated 350,000 audience from all over Brazil and Latin America.

The band took a six-month break, which Dickinson spent practicing fencing. Maiden started writing for a new album, Somewhere in Time. A progressive rock-influenced effort that contained synthesized bass and guitars to add textures and layers to the sound. Although it's not a concept album, it's themed loosely around the idea of time travel. Dickinson was unhappy with the effort, and has no writing credits. When the supporting tour finished, Maiden started working on the next album. Harris had written the song, "The Clairvoyant", and the band produced a concept album, Seventh Son of a Seventh Son, based around this subject. This one perfected its predecessor's approach, and became their second effort to top the UK charts. After the tour in 1988, which climaxed when Maiden headlined the Donington festival in front of 107,000 people, they decided to take a year off. During the pre-production of the next album, Adrian Smith left Iron Maiden, and was replaced by Janick Gers. The band embarked on a mini tour during the summer, to introduce the new guitarist. Maiden's eighth studio album, 1990's No Prayer for the Dying, had a raw sound that didn't "hold up well", compared to past efforts. The album featured Dickinson's "Bring Your Daughter... to the Slaughter", originally composed for a film soundtrack, which despite being receiving a Golden Raspberry Award for worst "original" song in 1989, it became the band's first single to top the UK singles chart.

Bruce Dickinson performing with Iron Maiden in Paris, France, 1 July 2008.

By 1992, Harris had set up a studio of his own and the new album, Fear of the Dark, was recorded there. This effort's over all sound received a better treatment than No Prayer for the Dying. Dickinson said this was the first time they attempted to recapture something from the past. The album's title track and "Afraid to Shoot Strangers", became fan favourites. "Wasting Love", "Fear is the Key", and "Be Quick or Be Dead" were also standouts. Dickinson left Iron Maiden after a farewell tour in 1993, to concentrate on his solo career. His last performance with the band was filmed by the BBC and released a year later as a live video, Raising Hell.

Return: 1999–present

Along with Adrian Smith, Dickinson rejoined Iron Maiden in 1999. Janick Gers remained in the band as well, and they embarked on a small tour. Afterwards they set about recording the first Iron Maiden studio album with Bruce on vocals since 1992, Brave New World. The supporting tour culminated with a performance at the Rock in Rio festival, which was released as a live album and video. That marked the first time the band performed for Clive Aid, a trust fund to help their former drummer, Clive Burr, pay mounting medical bills to treat his multiple sclerosis.

In 2003 they released Dance of Death, influenced by historical and literary passages in songs like "Paschendale" relating to a significant battle during WWI. From the tour, the band recorded their performance at Westfalenhalle in Dortmund, Germany. This was later released as video and live album, titled Death on the Road. Two years later was released the video, The Early Days, celebrating Iron Maiden's 25th anniversary of the release of their debut album. During the supporting tour, Sharon Osbourne accused Dickinson of disrespecting the Ozzfest at the band's last Ozzfest performance. Repeatedly times, she turned off the P.A. system, and chanted "Ozzy! Ozzy!". Some members of the audience threw eggs at the band, to which Dickinson replied it was a premeditated assault organized by insiders.

In 2006, Maiden released their newest effort, A Matter of Life and Death. This was not a concept album, but war and religion were recurring themes in the lyrics and album's artwork. During the tour, Maiden played in India for the first time. The band ended the tour with a performance at the Brixton Academy in aid of Burr's fund. In conjunction with their world tour at the time, the band released a best of album, Somewhere Back in Time, in early 2008, containing songs from their 1980s' efforts. Months later, Dickinson talked about Maiden's plans to compose a new album to come out in 2009.

Solo career

In early 1989, Zomba asked Dickinson to do a track for the movie A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child, with a budget, a studio, and a producer, Chris Tsangarides. Dickinson took up the opportunity and called an old friend of his, former Gillan guitarist, Janick Gers. Shortly after meeting up, they had "Bring Your Daughter to the Slaughter" ready for the studio. The song was composed with the assistance of bassist Andy Carr, and drummer Fabio del Rio. Later that year, Dickinson participed on a re-recording of Deep Purple's "Smoke on the Water", as part of the humanitarian effort Rock Aid Armenia. His intention now was to release a solo album. His solo debut, Tattooed Millionaire, was written and recorded within weeks, and released in May 1990. Backed by the band Skin, Bruce Dickinson, with Mr. Bean, made a cover version of Alice Cooper's "Elected", which was used in 1992 for Comic Relief, and five years later, on Bean Soundtrack.

For his second solo effort, Balls to Picasso, Dickinson received the collaboration of American producer, Keith Olsen. Unhappy with the results, Dickinson started working with Tribe of Gypsies guitarist Roy Z, to improve Olsen's work. The album was recorded with Tribe of Gypsies as the backing band, and was released in 1994. That same year, Dickinson recorded a cover version of "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" with the band Godspeed for Black Sabbath's tribute album Nativity in Black. Tribe of Gypsies departed to continue with their work and Dickinson tracked down another band. Now his new writing partner was Alex Dickson. After the supporting tour finished, he started working on a new album, Skunkworks. Dickinson decided the band would be called that, but abandoned the idea to keep his name on the release.

Due to musical differences, the "Skunkworks" entity ceased to be when the tour ended. After a short period of inactivity, Dickinson once again teamed up with Roy Z to record his next album, Accident of Birth. Adrian Smith was asked to guest and remained later as a full-time member. The album marked a return to heavy metal for Dickinson; being a much heavier album than Iron Maiden's, with a less progressive influence. Follow-up, The Chemical Wedding, was a semi-concept album on alchemy. It drew inspiration from William Blake's writings, with songs such as, "Book of Thel", having the same title of some of his poems, and the artwork featuring one of his paints. The record was even more successful than its predecessor, with engaging lyrics and powerful songs. Dickinson recorded a cover version of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody", with Montserrat Caballé, almost ten years after her duet album with Freddy Mercury. Scream for Me Brazil was a live album that documented a show recorded in São Paulo in 1999, during the supporting tour.

In February 1999, Dickinson, along with Smith returned to Iron Maiden. Dickinson performed vocals on the song, "Into the Black Hole", for Ayreon's Universal Migrator Part 2: Flight of the Migrator. Later that year, he collaborated with Judas Priest's front-man, Rob Halford, recording, "The One You Love to Hate", for Halford's debut, Resurrection. In late 2001, was released a compilation album, titled The Best of Bruce Dickinson. This work also included a limited edition disc of rarities and two new songs. His latest album, Tyranny of Souls was released in May 2005. This time the songwriting was all split between Roy Z and Dickinson. Many songs were composed by Roy sending recordings of riffs to Dickinson, while he was on tour with Maiden. That same year, Dickinson contributed in the song, "Beast in the Light", from Tribuzy's album, Execution, and a subsequent live album. In 2006, was released a three-DVD package, Anthology, containing concerts from his career, promo videos and footage from his work on Samson.

External links

• Bruce Dickinson's official website
• Bruce Dickinson on Myspace