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Killers
Studio album by Iron Maiden
Released	February 9, 1981 (UK) June, 1981 (U.S.)
Recorded	Battery Studios, November 1980 – January 1981
Genre	Heavy metal, NWOBHM
Length	43:53
Label	EMI
Producer	Martin "Headmaster" Birch
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link
Iron Maiden chronology
Live!! +one (1980) Killers (1981) Maiden Japan (1981)

Killers, released on February 9, 1981 on EMI in the UK, was the second album by Iron Maiden. It was the first of their albums to feature guitarist Adrian Smith, and the last to feature vocalist Paul Di'Anno, who left the band mid-tour due to problems with alcohol and cocaine. This was also the first album produced by veteran producer Martin Birch who went on to produce their next eight albums before retiring after Fear of the Dark in 1992.

The album is an unusual one in it that it features two instrumentals and was written almost exclusively by Steve Harris with only minor assistance from the rest of the band. All of the songs, with the exception of "Murders in the Rue Morgue" and "Prodigal Son," were written before the release of their debut album (they could not fit all of them on one album, and the songs were later re-recorded anyway to feature Adrian Smith); an early version of "Wrathchild" was featured on the Metal for Muthas compilation.

The U.S. edition, which came out a few months after its UK release, was initially released on Harvest Records/Capitol Records and subsequently on Sanctuary Records/Columbia Records. "Twilight Zone" was also added to the album.

The song "Murders in the Rue Morgue" is based on the story of the same name by Edgar Allan Poe. "Rue Morgue" is the name of a fictitious street in Paris, it translates in English as "Mortuary Street". However, the only reference to the story in the song is when two girls are found dead.

The song "Wrathchild" was redone on the Iron Maiden all-star tribute album Numbers from the Beast featuring Di'anno on vocals, Alex Skolnick on lead guitar, Chris Traynor on rhythm guitar, Frank Bello on bass, and John Tempesta on drums. A cover of the song also appears in the video game Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s.

Contents 1 Track listing 1.1 Original UK release 1.2 Original U.S. release 1.3 Remastered release 1.4 1995 reissue bonus disc 2 Personnel 2.1 Additional personnel

All songs written by Steve Harris, unless indicated otherwise.

1. "The Ides of March" – 1:46
2. "Wrathchild" – 2:54
3. "Murders in the Rue Morgue" – 4:18
4. "Another Life" – 3:22
5. "Genghis Khan" – 3:06
6. "Innocent Exile" – 3:53
7. "Killers" (Paul Di'Anno, Harris) – 5:01
8. "Prodigal Son" – 6:11
9. "Purgatory – 3:20
10. "Drifter" – 4:48

1. "The Ides of March" – 1:45
2. "Wrathchild" – 2:54
3. "Murders in the Rue Morgue" – 4:19
4. "Another Life" – 3:22
5. "Genghis Khan" – 3:06
6. "Innocent Exile" – 3:53
7. "Killers" (Di'Anno, Harris) – 5:01
8. "Twilight Zone" (Dave Murray, Harris) – 2:34
9. "Prodigal Son" – 6:11
10. "Purgatory" – 3:21
11. "Drifter" – 4:48

1. "The Ides of March" – 1:45
2. "Wrathchild" – 2:54
3. "Murders in the Rue Morgue" – 4:19
4. "Another Life" – 3:22
5. "Genghis Khan" – 3:06
6. "Innocent Exile" – 3:53
7. "Killers" (Di'Anno, Harris) – 5:01
8. "Prodigal Son" – 6:11
9. "Purgatory" – 3:21
10. "Twilight Zone" (Murray, Harris) – 2:34
11. "Drifter" – 4:48

1. "Women in Uniform" (Skyhooks cover)
2. "Invasion"
3. "Phantom of the Opera (live)"
4. "Running Free (live)" (Di'Anno, Harris)
5. "Remember Tomorrow (live)" (Di'Anno, Harris)
6. "Wrathchild (live)"
7. "Killers (live)" (Di'Anno, Harris)
8. "Innocent Exile (live)"

An older cassette version was also released which contained "Women in Uniform" on side two.

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

• Martin "Headmaster" Birch – producer, engineer, bullier as stated on back of Killers album.
• Nigel Hewitt – second engineer
• Rod Smallwood – band manager
• Derek Riggs – cover illustration

v • d • e Iron Maiden
Bruce Dickinson · Dave Murray · Adrian Smith · Janick Gers · Steve Harris · Nicko McBrain Blaze Bayley · Clive Burr · Paul Di'Anno · Dennis Stratton · Doug Sampson · Tony Parsons · Dave Mac · Paul Todd · Paul Cairns · Dennis Wilcock · Terry Wapram · Tony Moore · Thunderstick · Ron Matthews · Bob Sawyer · Paul Day · Terry Rance · Dave Sullivan
Studio albums	Iron Maiden · Killers · The Number of the Beast · Piece of Mind · Powerslave · Somewhere in Time · Seventh Son of a Seventh Son · No Prayer for the Dying · Fear of the Dark · The X Factor · Virtual XI · Brave New World · Dance of Death · A Matter of Life and Death
Live albums	Live After Death · A Real Live One · A Real Dead One · Live at Donington · A Real Live Dead One · Rock in Rio · The BBC Archives · Beast over Hammersmith · Death on the Road
EPs	The Soundhouse Tapes · Live!! +one · Maiden Japan · No More Lies
Compilations	The First Ten Years · Best of the Beast · Ed Hunter · Edward the Great · Eddie's Archive · Best of the B'Sides · The Essential Iron Maiden
Videos	Live at the Rainbow · Video Pieces · Behind the Iron Curtain · Live After Death · 12 Wasted Years · Maiden England · The First Ten Years: The Videos · From There to Eternity · Donington Live 1992 · Raising Hell · Classic Albums: The Number of the Beast · Rock in Rio · Visions of the Beast · The Early Days · Death on the Road
Singles	"Running Free" · "Sanctuary" · "Women in Uniform" · "Twilight Zone" · "Purgatory" · "Run to the Hills" · "The Number of the Beast" · "Flight of Icarus" · "The Trooper" · "2 Minutes to Midnight" · "Aces High" · "Running Free (live)" · "Run to the Hills (live '85)" · "Wasted Years" · "Stranger in a Strange Land" · "Can I Play with Madness" · "The Evil That Men Do" · "The Clairvoyant (live)" · "Infinite Dreams" · "Holy Smoke" · "Bring Your Daughter...To the Slaughter" · "Be Quick or Be Dead" · "From Here to Eternity" · "Wasting Love" · "Fear of the Dark (live)" · "Hallowed Be Thy Name (live)" · "Man on the Edge" · "Lord of the Flies" · "Virus" · "The Angel and the Gambler" · "Futureal" · "The Wicker Man"  · "Out of the Silent Planet" · "Run to the Hills (live '01)" · "Wildest Dreams" · "Rainmaker" · "The Number of the Beast (2005)" · "The Trooper (live)" · "The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg" · "Different World"
Related articles	Discography · List of Iron Maiden band members · Eddie · Rod Smallwood · Andy Taylor · Michael Kenney · Kevin Shirley · Martin Birch · Howie Weinberg · Ross Halfin · Denis O'Regan · Derek Riggs · Melvyn Grant · Mark Wilkinson · Simon Drake