Iron Maiden Bruce Dickenson Speed Uber Rare First ever single 7" Collectors item

	£		108
	$		143

Up for grabs is this Uber Rare 7" from a little known band called SPEED who's singer was one Bruce Dickenson. This is the first ever vinyl release that Bruce Dickenson ever sang on. Recorded in 1978 it wasn't released until 1980. If you look on the Internet you can find out more about this band and see how incredibly rare this record is. Less than a thousand were released, the most consistent number I can find is 800 copies. This copy is in absolutely mint condition with no visible scratches or marks. Tracks are "Down the Road" and "Man in the Street". Side a matrix run off is Lyn8460-15 EJSP-9409-17 max side aa matrix run off is Lyn8461-15 EJSP-9409-13 max. Unfortunately the original picture sleeve is missing but I will include a photo copy of the original sleeve. This really is the holy grail of Iron Maiden collectors and I have only ever seen 4 copies come up for sale on the open market. There is no reserve on this auction as I have been inundated with offers and requests to sell this item, so good luck and I hope this record finds a great home...

At university, Dickinson got involved in the Entertainments Committee: "one day you'd be a roadie for The Jam, the next you'd be putting up the Stonehenge backdrop for Hawkwind or whatever."[18] In 1977, Dickinson met Paul "Noddy" White, a multi-instrumentalist who owned a PA and other equipment, with whom Dickinson, along with drummer Steve Jones, would form a band together called Speed.[18] According to Dickinson, the band was called Speed because of the way in which they played, rather than a reference to drug-taking. [18] In Speed, Dickinson began writing his own material after White taught him how to play three chords on the guitar.[18]

Although Speed would play several gigs at the Green Man pub in Plumstead, the band did not last long, but it encouraged Dickinson to continue to work towards being a musician.[18] Dickinson spotted an advertisement in Melody Maker with the caption "Singer wanted for recording project" and replied immediately.[18] He recorded a demo tape and sent it with a note which read: "By the way, if you think the singing's crap, there's some John Cleese stuff recorded on the other side you might find amusing."[18] They liked what they heard and invited Dickinson down to the studio to make "Dracula", the first song he would ever record, with a band called "Shots",[18] formed by two brothers, Phil and Doug Siviter.[19] The song would later appear on the second disc of The Best of Bruce Dickinson compilation. The brothers were impressed with Dickinson's vocal abilities and asked him to join their group.[20]

Dickinson played pubs with Shots on a regular basis to small audiences.[20] One particular night, Dickinson suddenly stopped in the middle of a song and started interviewing a man in the audience, heckling for not paying enough attention.[20] He got such a good response he started doing it every night until it became a regular routine used to catch the audience's attention. Dickinson states that this experience taught him how to be a frontman.[20]

The next step in Dickinson's career was taken in a pub called the Prince of Wales in Gravesend, Kent, where Shots were playing regularly, when Barry Graham ("Thunderstick") and Paul Samson paid a visit.[21] Impressed with his stage-act, they talked with Dickinson afterwards and invited him to be their new singer.[22] Dickinson agreed to join their band, Samson, but only once he'd finished taking his History finals two weeks later.[22] Until that point, he had been neglecting his University education.[22] As a result, the University had tried to kick him out for failing his Second Year exams and not paying his accommodation fees, but was saved because of his role as Entertainments Officer.[22] After writing 6 months worth of essays in the space of two weeks and some last minute cramming for his exams, Dickinson achieved a 2:2.[22]

There are two tracks that are said to be from Speed in circulation; "Down the road" and "Man in the street" taken from a 7" single. However, these are NOT demos of songs of the actual band Speed, but recordings that Paul White, the keyboardplayer of Speed, made for educational purposes and has Bruce on vocals. White apparently used the Speed name for this project but him and Bruce are the only original Speed-members to play on the recording. The tracks were written by White and other musicians are Steve Adams (lead & rhythm guitar), Gary Edwards (keyboards) and Jeff Moody on Drums. The single comes with an info-sheet which has a pic of Bruce from the Samson days on it which places the release nicely in time, around 1979-1980.

According to Bruce the two songs are not really representative of Speed's sound and with the circumstances of the conception of the recordings in mind he's probably right.

So there is a picture of the original sleeve and a little info that you can dig up on the internet, also I have been searching for previous sales of this record and I have infact found eleven instance's of this record for sale with prices soaring above £800 for a copy in the original sleeve. Being a collector of records myself I hope this record finds the home it deserves, this record came to me through a family member who was clearing out and gave me a box full of records, this is not my genre of collecting although I was a maiden head when I was younger, I just know that some of you may have been on the hunt for this record for some time, with the starting price and reserves people put on some auctions I know it seems out of reach so there is no reserve price and I will let the auction the run it's full course so no more messages about buy it now options please!!! any other help I can be please don't hesitate to ask>>>