Best of the 'B' Sides is a compilation of B-sides by the English heavy metal band Iron Maiden, released on 4 November 2002 as part of the Eddie's Archive box set.[1] Each track was remastered and the set came with a running commentary from Rod Smallwood.[2] It covers all of their singles from their first (1980's "Running Free") to 2000's "Out of the Silent Planet",[3] although several of the band's original B-sides were excluded from the collection: "Total Eclipse" (from "Run to the Hills", 1982, although this has been added to the album The Number of the Beast from 1998 onwards), "Mission From 'Arry" (from "2 Minutes to Midnight", 1984); "Bayswater Ain't a Bad Place to Be" (from "Be Quick or Be Dead", 1992); and "I Live My Way" (from "Man on the Edge", 1995). Also missing are the band's cover of Thin Lizzy's "Massacre" (from "Can I Play with Madness", 1988) and a number of live B-sides.

Best of the 'B' Sides
Cover art by Mark Wilkinson
Compilation album by
Released4 November 2002
Recorded1979–1999
GenreHeavy metal
Length2:14:10
Iron Maiden compilations chronology
Ed Hunter
(1999)
Best of the 'B' Sides
(2002)
Edward the Great
(2002)

The album is described on the band's website as "a collection that not only reveals much about the band as individuals and the inherent character of the band, but also provides a real insight into who and where their influences came from."[2]

Track listing

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Disc One

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No.TitleWriter(s)Original singleLength
1."Burning Ambition"Steve Harris1980 ~ Running Free2:42
2."Drifter" (Live in London, UK 1980)Harris1980 ~ Sanctuary (1981 ~ Killers)6:03
3."Invasion"Harris1980 ~ Women in Uniform2:39
4."Remember Tomorrow" (Live in Padua, Italy 1981)Harris, Paul Di'Anno1982 ~ The Number of the Beast (1980 ~ Iron Maiden)5:28
5."I've Got the Fire" (Montrose cover)Ronnie Montrose1983 ~ Flight of Icarus2:39
6."Cross-Eyed Mary" (Jethro Tull cover)Ian Anderson1983 ~ The Trooper3:56
7."Rainbow's Gold" (Beckett cover)Terry Slesser, Kenny Mountain1984 ~ 2 Minutes to Midnight4:59
8."King of Twilight" (Nektar cover) (includes parts of "Crying in the Dark")Nektar1984 ~ Aces High4:53
9."Reach Out"Dave Colwell1986 ~ Wasted Years3:33
10."That Girl" (FM cover)Andy Barnett, Merv Goldsworthy, Pete Jupp1986 ~ Stranger in a Strange Land5:05
11."Juanita" (Marshall Fury cover)Steve Barnacle, Derek O'Neil1986 ~ Stranger in a Strange Land3:47
12."Sheriff of Huddersfield"Iron Maiden1986 ~ Wasted Years3:35
13."Black Bart Blues"Harris, Bruce Dickinson1988 ~ Can I Play With Madness6:41
14."Prowler" (1988 Version)Harris1988 ~ The Evil That Men Do (1980 ~ Iron Maiden)4:09
15."Charlotte the Harlot" (1988 Version)Dave Murray1988 ~ The Evil That Men Do (1980 ~ Iron Maiden)4:13

Disc Two

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No.TitleWriter(s)Original singleLength
1."All in Your Mind" (Stray cover)Del Bromham1990 ~ Holy Smoke4:31
2."Kill Me Ce Soir" (Golden Earring cover)George Kooymans, Barry Hay, John Fenton1990 ~ Holy Smoke6:17
3."I'm a Mover" (Free cover)Andy Fraser, Paul Rodgers1990 ~ Bring Your Daughter... to the Slaughter3:29
4."Communication Breakdown" (Led Zeppelin cover)John Bonham, John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page1990 ~ Bring Your Daughter... to the Slaughter2:42
5."Nodding Donkey Blues"Iron Maiden1992 ~ Be Quick or Be Dead3:17
6."Space Station No. 5" (Montrose cover)Ronnie Montrose, Sammy Hagar1992 ~ Be Quick or Be Dead3:47
7."I Can't See My Feelings" (Budgie cover)Tony Bourge, Burke Shelley1992 ~ From Here to Eternity3:50
8."Roll Over Vic Vella" (Cover of "Roll Over Beethoven") (with different lyrics)Chuck Berry1992 ~ From Here to Eternity4:48
9."Justice of the Peace"Murray, Harris1995 ~ Man on the Edge3:33
10."Judgement Day"Blaze Bayley, Gers1995 ~ Man on the Edge4:04
11."My Generation" (The Who cover)Pete Townshend1996 ~ Lord of the Flies3:37
12."Doctor Doctor" (UFO cover)Michael Schenker, Phil Mogg1996 ~ Lord of the Flies4:50
13."Blood on the World's Hands" (Live in Gothenburg, Sweden 1995)Harris1998 ~ The Angel and the Gambler (1995 ~ The X Factor)6:07
14."The Aftermath" (Live in Gothenburg, Sweden 1995)Harris, Bayley, Gers1998 ~ The Angel and the Gambler (1995 ~ The X Factor)6:45
15."Futureal" (Live in Helsinki, Finland 1999)Harris, Bayley2000 ~ The Wicker Man (1998 ~ Virtual XI)3:01
16."Wasted Years" (Live in Milan, Italy 1999)Smith2000 ~ Out of the Silent Planet (1986 ~ Somewhere in Time)5:00

Personnel

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Production and performance credits are adapted from the album liner notes.[4]

Iron Maiden
  • Steve Harris – bass guitar, producer (disc 2, tracks 5–7 and 9–14)
  • Dave Murray – guitar
  • Doug Sampson – drums (disc 1, track 1)
  • Paul Di'Anno – lead vocals (disc 1, tracks 1–3)
  • Dennis Stratton – guitar (disc 1, tracks 2 and 3)
  • Clive Burr – drums (disc 1, tracks 2–4)
  • Adrian Smith – guitar (disc 1, tracks 4–15; disc 2, tracks 15 and 16), lead vocals (disc 1, track 9)
  • Bruce Dickinson – lead vocals (disc 1, tracks 4–8 and 10–15; disc 2, tracks 1–8, 15 and 16), backing vocals (disc 1, track 9)
  • Nicko McBrain – drums (disc 1, tracks 5–15; disc 2)
  • Janick Gers – guitar (disc 2)
  • Blaze Bayley – lead vocals (disc 2, tracks 9–14)
Production
  • Guy Edwards – producer (disc 1, track 1)
  • Will Malone – producer (disc 1, track 2)
  • "Iron Maiden" – producer (disc 1, track 3; disc 2, tracks 15 and 16)
  • Martin Birch – producer (disc 1, tracks 4–15; disc 2, tracks 1–8)
  • Nigel Green – producer (disc 2, tracks 9–12)
  • Mark Wilkinson – cover illustration
  • Nick Watson – mastering
  • Rod Smallwood – management
  • Andy Taylor – management
  • Merck Mercuriadis – management

References

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  1. ^ Henderson, Alex. Iron Maiden – Eddie's Archive at AllMusic. Retrieved 10 December 2012.
  2. ^ a b "Best of the B-Sides". ironmaiden.com. Archived from the original on 13 July 2011. Retrieved 11 February 2012.
  3. ^ Wall, Mick (2004). Iron Maiden: Run to the Hills, the Authorised Biography (3rd ed.). Sanctuary Publishing. p. 364. ISBN 1-86074-542-3.
  4. ^ Best of the 'B' Sides (Media notes). Iron Maiden. EMI. 4 November 2002.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)