Man on the Edge
Encyclopedia
"Man on the Edge" is a single
from the Iron Maiden
album
The X Factor
. It was released in 1995. The song
is based on the film
Falling Down
, starring Michael Douglas
. It was the first single the band released with Blaze Bayley
on vocals.
In addition to an interview
with Bayley and another track from The X Factor
, the single features three originals that did not make the album's final cut. It is one of two Blaze Bayley era
songs to make it onto the Edward the Great
compilation, along with Futureal
, as well as one of three to make it onto Best of the Beast
along with Sign of the Cross and Virus.
Iron Maiden frequently played this song during the Ed Hunter
tour in 1999, making it one of 5 Bayley era songs to survive in concerts after his departure (The others being Lord of the Flies
, Sign of the Cross, Futureal
, and The Clansman
).
A live version of this song from 1999 is featured on the 2000 single release of The Wicker Man
, with Bruce Dickinson
on vocals.
There were three videos made for this song. One is filmed on location at Masada
, Israel
, the second is a more cinematic video of the band performing as a man throws himself off a building, and the third is a 'sneak-peek' promo video consisting only of clips of 'pratfalls' from black and white silent movie
s was used for promotional purposes prior to release. This third version appears as an 'Easter Egg
' on the 'Visions of the Beast' DVD.
The song was featured in the video game Carmageddon 2.
A live version (with Dickinson) of this song is featured on the From Fear to Eternity
compilation album.
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
from the Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
The X Factor
The X Factor (album)
Initially, The X Factor was met with lukewarm responses from critics. Allmusic rated the album two stars out of five, stating that "suffering from a lack of powerful riffs and tightly written songs, The X Factor is a lackluster latter-day album from Iron Maiden...
. It was released in 1995. The song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
is based on the film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
Falling Down
Falling Down
Falling Down is a 1993 crime-drama film directed by Joel Schumacher. The film stars Michael Douglas in the lead role of William Foster , a divorcee and unemployed former defense engineer...
, starring Michael Douglas
Michael Douglas
Michael Kirk Douglas is an American actor and producer, primarily in movies and television. He has won three Golden Globes and two Academy Awards; first as producer of 1975's Best Picture, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and as Best Actor in 1987 for his role in Wall Street. Douglas received the...
. It was the first single the band released with Blaze Bayley
Blaze Bayley
Blaze Bayley is an English singer and songwriter. He has been the lead singer of Wolfsbane from 1984 to 1994, and nowadays since their recent reunion. Blaze is however world-known for having been the lead singer of British metal band Iron Maiden from 1994 to 1999...
on vocals.
In addition to an interview
Interview
An interview is a conversation between two people where questions are asked by the interviewer to obtain information from the interviewee.- Interview as a Method for Qualitative Research:"Definition" -...
with Bayley and another track from The X Factor
The X Factor (album)
Initially, The X Factor was met with lukewarm responses from critics. Allmusic rated the album two stars out of five, stating that "suffering from a lack of powerful riffs and tightly written songs, The X Factor is a lackluster latter-day album from Iron Maiden...
, the single features three originals that did not make the album's final cut. It is one of two Blaze Bayley era
Era
An era is a commonly used word for long period of time. When used in science, for example geology, eras denote clearly defined periods of time of arbitrary but well defined length, such as for example the Mesozoic era from 252 Ma–66 Ma, delimited by a start event and an end event. When used in...
songs to make it onto the Edward the Great
Edward the Great
Edward the Great is Iron Maiden's third "best-of album", originally released on 5 November 2002.In 2005, a revised edition was released in Europe, Asia and South-America with an updated track-listing...
compilation, along with Futureal
Futureal
"Futureal" is a single from the Iron Maiden album Virtual XI, released in 1998. Just months after this single was released, vocalist Blaze Bayley would part ways with Iron Maiden. The song was voted as one of the most popular Iron Maiden songs of all time in a fan poll taken during the making of...
, as well as one of three to make it onto Best of the Beast
Best of the Beast
Best of the Beast was Iron Maiden's first "best of" album, released in 1996 in three formats: a 34 track vinyl, a 27 track CD, a 16 track CD and MiniDisc .-Background:...
along with Sign of the Cross and Virus.
Iron Maiden frequently played this song during the Ed Hunter
Ed Hunter
Ed Hunter, a rail shooter video game, was released in 1999, and is based on and accompanied by Iron Maiden's music. The game objective consists of rescuing the mascot of Iron Maiden, Eddie, from a prison while passing through game settings evocative of the albums...
tour in 1999, making it one of 5 Bayley era songs to survive in concerts after his departure (The others being Lord of the Flies
Lord of the Flies (song)
"Lord of the Flies" is an Iron Maiden single and second track on their 1995 album The X Factor. The song is based on the book and film of the same name.The single was only released outside of the UK...
, Sign of the Cross, Futureal
Futureal
"Futureal" is a single from the Iron Maiden album Virtual XI, released in 1998. Just months after this single was released, vocalist Blaze Bayley would part ways with Iron Maiden. The song was voted as one of the most popular Iron Maiden songs of all time in a fan poll taken during the making of...
, and The Clansman
Virtual XI
Virtual XI was met with mixed reviews from critics. Allmusic commented that "on the surface, there's nothing terribly wrong with the record, as it delivers all the crunching riffs and demonic horror of their best records. The problem is that there's nothing memorable about the hooks, riffs, or...
).
A live version of this song from 1999 is featured on the 2000 single release of The Wicker Man
The Wicker Man (song)
"The Wicker Man" is a song by Iron Maiden, released as the first single from their album Brave New World in April 2000. It was co-written by Adrian Smith, Bruce Dickinson and Steve Harris. It was co-produced by Kevin Shirley and Harris. The title is inspired by the British cult film of the same name...
, with Bruce Dickinson
Bruce Dickinson
Paul Bruce Dickinson is an English singer, songwriter, airline pilot, fencer, broadcaster, author, screenwriter, actor and marketing director, best known as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Iron Maiden....
on vocals.
There were three videos made for this song. One is filmed on location at Masada
Masada
Masada is the name for a site of ancient palaces and fortifications in the South District of Israel, on top of an isolated rock plateau, or horst, on the eastern edge of the Judean Desert, overlooking the Dead Sea. Masada is best known for the violence that occurred there in the first century CE...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, the second is a more cinematic video of the band performing as a man throws himself off a building, and the third is a 'sneak-peek' promo video consisting only of clips of 'pratfalls' from black and white silent movie
Silent Movie
Silent Movie is a 1976 satirical comedy film co-written, directed by, and starring Mel Brooks, and released by 20th Century Fox on June 17, 1976...
s was used for promotional purposes prior to release. This third version appears as an 'Easter Egg
Easter egg
Easter eggs are special eggs that are often given to celebrate Easter or springtime.The oldest tradition is to use dyed or painted chicken eggs, but a modern custom is to substitute chocolate eggs, or plastic eggs filled with confectionery such as jelly beans...
' on the 'Visions of the Beast' DVD.
The song was featured in the video game Carmageddon 2.
A live version (with Dickinson) of this song is featured on the From Fear to Eternity
From Fear to Eternity (album)
From Fear to Eternity: The Best of 1990 - 2010 is a compilation album by British heavy metal band Iron Maiden, containing a selection of songs originally released on their last eight studio efforts to date...
compilation album.
CD 1
- "Man on the Edge" (Blaze BayleyBlaze BayleyBlaze Bayley is an English singer and songwriter. He has been the lead singer of Wolfsbane from 1984 to 1994, and nowadays since their recent reunion. Blaze is however world-known for having been the lead singer of British metal band Iron Maiden from 1994 to 1999...
, Janick GersJanick GersJanick Robert Gers is an English musician, best known for being one of the three current guitarists in Iron Maiden, along with Dave Murray and Adrian Smith, as well as his earlier work with Gillan and White Spirit.-Career and Personal Life:...
) – 4:13 - "The Edge of Darkness" (Steve HarrisSteve Harris (musician)Stephen Percy "Steve" Harris is an English musician and songwriter, known as the bassist, occasional keyboardist, backing vocalist and primary songwriter of the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden, which he founded in 1975...
, Bayley, Gers) – 6:39 - "Judgement Day" (Bayley, Gers) – 4:06
- "Blaze Bayley Interview, Part I" – 5:41
CD 2
- "Man on the Edge" (Blaze BayleyBlaze BayleyBlaze Bayley is an English singer and songwriter. He has been the lead singer of Wolfsbane from 1984 to 1994, and nowadays since their recent reunion. Blaze is however world-known for having been the lead singer of British metal band Iron Maiden from 1994 to 1999...
, Janick GersJanick GersJanick Robert Gers is an English musician, best known for being one of the three current guitarists in Iron Maiden, along with Dave Murray and Adrian Smith, as well as his earlier work with Gillan and White Spirit.-Career and Personal Life:...
) – 4:13 - "The Edge of Darkness" (Steve HarrisSteve Harris (musician)Stephen Percy "Steve" Harris is an English musician and songwriter, known as the bassist, occasional keyboardist, backing vocalist and primary songwriter of the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden, which he founded in 1975...
, Bayley, Gers) – 6:39 - "Justice of the Peace" (Harris, Dave MurrayDave Murray (musician)David Michael Murray is an English guitarist and songwriter best known as one of the earliest members of the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden.-Biography:...
) – 3:33 - "Blaze Bayley Interview, Part II" – 5:56
12" disc
- "Man on the Edge" (Blaze BayleyBlaze BayleyBlaze Bayley is an English singer and songwriter. He has been the lead singer of Wolfsbane from 1984 to 1994, and nowadays since their recent reunion. Blaze is however world-known for having been the lead singer of British metal band Iron Maiden from 1994 to 1999...
, Janick GersJanick GersJanick Robert Gers is an English musician, best known for being one of the three current guitarists in Iron Maiden, along with Dave Murray and Adrian Smith, as well as his earlier work with Gillan and White Spirit.-Career and Personal Life:...
) – 4:13 - "The Edge of Darkness" (Steve HarrisSteve Harris (musician)Stephen Percy "Steve" Harris is an English musician and songwriter, known as the bassist, occasional keyboardist, backing vocalist and primary songwriter of the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden, which he founded in 1975...
, Bayley, Gers) – 6:39 - "I Live My Way" (Harris, Bayley, Gers) - 3:48
Personnel
- Blaze BayleyBlaze BayleyBlaze Bayley is an English singer and songwriter. He has been the lead singer of Wolfsbane from 1984 to 1994, and nowadays since their recent reunion. Blaze is however world-known for having been the lead singer of British metal band Iron Maiden from 1994 to 1999...
– vocals - Dave MurrayDave Murray (musician)David Michael Murray is an English guitarist and songwriter best known as one of the earliest members of the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden.-Biography:...
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Janick GersJanick GersJanick Robert Gers is an English musician, best known for being one of the three current guitarists in Iron Maiden, along with Dave Murray and Adrian Smith, as well as his earlier work with Gillan and White Spirit.-Career and Personal Life:...
– guitar, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists... - Steve HarrisSteve Harris (musician)Stephen Percy "Steve" Harris is an English musician and songwriter, known as the bassist, occasional keyboardist, backing vocalist and primary songwriter of the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden, which he founded in 1975...
– bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocals - Nicko McBrainNicko McBrainMichael Henry "Nicko" McBrain is an English musician, best known as the drummer for Iron Maiden, which he joined in 1982, prior to which he had played for Streetwalkers, Pat Travers, and the French political band, Trust.-Biography:...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Chart performance
| Year | Single | Chart | Position | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | "Man on the Edge" | Finnish Singles Chart | 1 | The X Factor The X Factor (album) Initially, The X Factor was met with lukewarm responses from critics. Allmusic rated the album two stars out of five, stating that "suffering from a lack of powerful riffs and tightly written songs, The X Factor is a lackluster latter-day album from Iron Maiden... |
| French Singles Chart Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
33 | |||
| Norwegian Singles Chart VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by... |
18 | |||
| Swedish Singles Chart Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
23 | |||
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
10 |