Infinite Dreams

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"Infinite Dreams (Live in 1988)"
Single20 infinitedreams a small.jpg
Single by Iron Maiden
from the album Maiden England
B-side
  • "Killers (Live)"
  • "Still Life (Live)"
Released6 November 1989
Recorded27–28 November 1988
Genre Heavy metal
Length6:05 [1]
Label EMI
Songwriter(s) Steve Harris
Producer(s) Martin Birch
Iron Maiden singles chronology
"The Clairvoyant (Live in 1988)"
(1988)
"Infinite Dreams (Live in 1988)"
(1989)
"Holy Smoke"
(1990)

"Infinite Dreams" is a live single released in 1989 by the English heavy metal band Iron Maiden. It is the only single to be released in sync with a home video; 1989's Maiden England . The performance was recorded in Birmingham, England in 1988 towards the end of the massive world tour to support the album where the song originally appeared, being Seventh Son of a Seventh Son . It was the band's final single to feature "The Trooper"-era lineup for an entire decade until 2000's single "The Wicker Man" with guitarist Adrian Smith leaving the band in January 1990 after he did not approve of the direction the band were aiming for on their next album No Prayer for the Dying .

Contents

Synopsis

The song is about how the character of the song sees disturbing visions about afterlife and other mystic things in his dreams, but is scared about if he will ever be able to wake up again. It starts with a soft guitar solo, which is then joined by Bruce Dickinson's singing as well as the rest of the band. The song starts out quite peaceful, but gets progressively heavier towards the song's climax and the following final verse. Steve Harris has explained, “I do have nightmares, but usually only when we’re writing an album. Then your mind just gets so overactive with all these ideas flying about inside that it’s difficult to sleep. That’s what ‘Infinite Dreams’ is about.” [2]

Track listing

7" Single
Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Infinite Dreams" (Live at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, England, 27–28 November 1988) Steve Harris 6:05
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
2."Killers" (Live at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, England, 27–28 November 1988)Harris, Paul Di'Anno 5:01
12" Single
Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Infinite Dreams" (Live at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, England, 27–28 November 1988)Harris6:05
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
2."Killers" (Live at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, England, 27–28 November 1988)Harris, Di'Anno5:01
3."Still Life" (Live at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, England, 27–28 November 1988) Dave Murray, Harris4:39

Personnel

Production credits are adapted from the 7 inch vinyl cover. [1]

Iron Maiden
Production

Versions

SongsCountry & YearCatalog NumberFormat
Infinite Dreams (Live) / Killers (Live)UK 1989EMI EMS 117Black Labels Single 7"
Infinite Dreams (Live) / Killers (Live)UK 1989EMI EM 117Silver Labels Single 7"
Infinite Dreams (Live) / Killers (Live) / Still Life (Live)UK 1989EMI 12 EM 117Maxi Single 12"
Infinite Dreams (Live) / Killers (Live) / Still Life (Live)UK 1989EMI 12 EMP 117Maxi Single Poster Sleeve 12"
Infinite Dreams (Live) / Killers (Live)UK 1989EMI EMP 117Shaped Picture Disc 7"
Infinite Dreams (Live) / Killers (Live)UK 1989EMI EMP 117Uncut Picture Disc 12"
Infinite Dreams (Live) / Killers (Live) / Still Life (Live)UK 1989EMI CDEM 117CD Single
Infinite Dreams (Live) / Killers (Live)UK 1989EMI TCM 117Cassette Single

Chart performance

SingleChart (1989)Peak
position
Album
"Infinite Dreams" Irish Singles Chart 6 [3] Seventh Son of a Seventh Son / Maiden England
UK Singles Chart 6 [4]
SingleChart (1990)Peak
position
Album
"The Clairvoyant / Infinite Dreams" UK Albums Chart [note 1] 11 [5]

Cover versions

"Infinite Dreams" was covered on the album Across The Seventh Sea by the acoustic tribute project Maiden uniteD, featuring vocalist Damian Wilson and Apocalyptica cellist Perttu Kivilaakso. [6]

It is also included on Covers All by Waltari.

Notes

  1. Re-release of both singles as part of The First Ten Years box set. Exceeded the length limit of the UK Singles chart.

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References

  1. 1 2 "Infinite Dreams" 7 Inch Single (Media notes). Iron Maiden. EMI. 6 November 1989.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  2. Stenning, Paul (2006). Iron Maiden: 30 Years of the Beast – The Complete Unauthorised Biography. Chrome Dreams. ISBN   1-84240-361-3.
  3. "Irish Charts Archive". IRMA . irishcharts.ie. Archived from the original on 26 January 2010. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
  4. "Top 40 Official Singles Chart UK Archive 25 November 1989". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 1 October 2011.
  5. "Top 40 Official Albums Chart UK Archive 28 April 1990". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 1 October 2011.
  6. "Apocalyptica's Perttu Kivilaakso To Guest On Maiden United Album". Blabbermouth.net . 13 August 2012.