Women in Uniform
Encyclopedia
"Women in Uniform" is a 1978 song originally recorded by the Australian band Skyhooks; it was written by the band's bass player, Greg Macainsh. It appeared on their fourth album, Guilty Until Proven Insane
, and was a top 10 single in Australia.[]
The single was released in Australia both in a 7" and 12" format with the non-LP B-sides "Don't Take Yur Lurex To The Laundromat" and "Do The Hook". The international version of the single contained "BBBBBBBBBBBBBBoogie" from the Guilty Until Proven Insane album.
's cover of the Skyhooks' song "Women in Uniform" was the third single by the band, and their last recorded work to feature guitarist Dennis Stratton
. It was released on October 17, 1980 and is not featured on any of the band's albums. The band, in particular Steve Harris
have routinely mentioned their dislike of their version of this song, stating that it was not in their style. As a result, its only appearance on CD is as part of The First Ten Years
series and a rare 1995 2CD issue of Killers, meaning that the song does not appear remastered. However its B-Side, Invasion appears remastered on the Best of the 'B' Sides
compilation. "Women in Uniform" would also be the basis of the band's first music-video, directed by Doug Smith and filmed at the Rainbow Theatre
.
"Women in Uniform" was included on an 11-track pressing of the Killers
album as track number 8. This was available at some point in the United Kingdom and Australia. The United States 11-track pressing had the single "Twilight Zone
" instead. Most copies of the album have neither song. The Iron Maiden version of this song is one of only three Iron Maiden songs to fade out
in the end, the other two songs are "Stranger in a Strange Land
" from the 1986 Somewhere in Time and "The Prophecy" from the 1988 Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
album.
"Women in Uniform" was the band's first-ever promotional video, which also introduced Eddie
in a physical form. According to an interview found on The Early Days
DVD, in the scene where Eddie gets up on the hospital bed, the man wearing the mask suffered a cut on his forehead after hitting the camera face-first. The actress Leslie Ash
can be seen in the video - she is the blonde nurse seen at 0:52 in the video.
The single cover features an image of Margaret Thatcher
with a Sterling submachine gun
, preparing to attack Eddie. This was a joke done in response to the infamous "Sanctuary
" cover, that featured Eddie killing Thatcher.
The B-Side of the single, "Invasion", is a re-recorded version of a song that originally appeared on The Soundhouse Tapes
and also features on Best of the 'B' Sides
.
Guilty Until Proven Insane
Guilty Until Proven Insane is the fourth studio album released by Skyhooks on March 13, 1978. It was the first album that featured Bob Spencer, who replaced guitarist Red Symons in early 1977...
, and was a top 10 single in Australia.[]
The single was released in Australia both in a 7" and 12" format with the non-LP B-sides "Don't Take Yur Lurex To The Laundromat" and "Do The Hook". The international version of the single contained "BBBBBBBBBBBBBBoogie" from the Guilty Until Proven Insane album.
Track listing
- "Women in Uniform" (Macainsh)
- "Don't Take Yur Lurex To The Laundromat"
- "Do The Hook"
Iron Maiden version
Iron MaidenIron 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...
's cover of the Skyhooks' song "Women in Uniform" was the third single by the band, and their last recorded work to feature guitarist Dennis Stratton
Dennis Stratton
Dennis Stratton is a guitar player who is best known as a former member of the British band Iron Maiden from October 1979 to October 1980.-Biography:...
. It was released on October 17, 1980 and is not featured on any of the band's albums. The band, in particular Steve Harris
Steve 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...
have routinely mentioned their dislike of their version of this song, stating that it was not in their style. As a result, its only appearance on CD is as part of The First Ten Years
The First Ten Years
The First Ten Years is a series of 10 CDs and double 12" singles by British heavy metal band Iron Maiden, released between 24 February and 28 April 1990, in commemoration of the band's ten year recording anniversary....
series and a rare 1995 2CD issue of Killers, meaning that the song does not appear remastered. However its B-Side, Invasion appears remastered on the Best of the 'B' Sides
Best of the 'B' Sides
Best of the 'B' Sides is a compilation of B-sides by the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden, released on 4 November 2002 as part of the Eddie's Archive box set. Each track was remastered and the set came with a running commentary from Rod Smallwood...
compilation. "Women in Uniform" would also be the basis of the band's first music-video, directed by Doug Smith and filmed at the Rainbow Theatre
Rainbow Theatre (Finsbury Park)
The Rainbow Theatre is a Grade II*-listed building, in the Finsbury Park area of North London. Built as a cinema in 1930, it later became well known as a music venue and is now a Pentecostal church.-Cinema:...
.
"Women in Uniform" was included on an 11-track pressing of the Killers
Killers (Iron Maiden album)
Killers is the second album by British heavy metal band Iron Maiden, released on 2 February 1981 in the UK, and 6 June 1981 in the US. The album was their first with guitarist Adrian Smith and their last with vocalist Paul Di'Anno, who was sacked after problems with his stage performance arose due...
album as track number 8. This was available at some point in the United Kingdom and Australia. The United States 11-track pressing had the single "Twilight Zone
Twilight Zone (Iron Maiden song)
"Twilight Zone" was the fourth single by Iron Maiden, released on 2 March 1981. The song was also released in the United States as part of the album Killers, but was not included in the British release until the album was re-released in 1998....
" instead. Most copies of the album have neither song. The Iron Maiden version of this song is one of only three Iron Maiden songs to fade out
Fade (audio engineering)
In audio engineering, a fade is a gradual increase or decrease in the level of an audio signal. The term can also be used for film cinematography or theater lighting, in much the same way ....
in the end, the other two songs are "Stranger in a Strange Land
Stranger in a Strange Land (song)
"Stranger in a Strange Land" is the second single by Iron Maiden from their 1986 album Somewhere in Time. The song is unrelated to Robert A. Heinlein's novel by the same name. The lyrics are about an Arctic explorer who dies and is frozen in the ice. After a hundred years his body is found...
" from the 1986 Somewhere in Time and "The Prophecy" from the 1988 Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
Seventh Son of a Seventh Son is the seventh studio album by British heavy metal band Iron Maiden, released in 1988 by EMI in Europe and its sister label Capitol Records in the US...
album.
"Women in Uniform" was the band's first-ever promotional video, which also introduced Eddie
Eddie the Head
Eddie, also known as Eddie The Head, is the mascot for the British heavy metal band, Iron Maiden. He is a perennial fixture of the group's artwork, appearing in all of their record covers and in their merchandise, which includes t-shirts, posters and action figures...
in a physical form. According to an interview found on The Early Days
The Early Days
The Early Days is a DVD video by Iron Maiden, released in 2004. It features the first part of "The History of iron Maiden" series, a 90 minute documentary which describes their beginnings in London's East End in 1975 through to the Piece of Mind album and tour in 1983. The second part of the series...
DVD, in the scene where Eddie gets up on the hospital bed, the man wearing the mask suffered a cut on his forehead after hitting the camera face-first. The actress Leslie Ash
Leslie Ash
Leslie Ash is an English actress, best known for her role in the sitcom Men Behaving Badly. Her book My Life Behaving Badly: The Autobiography was published in 2007....
can be seen in the video - she is the blonde nurse seen at 0:52 in the video.
The single cover features an image of Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
with a Sterling submachine gun
Sterling submachine gun
The Sterling submachine gun is a British submachine gun which was in service with the British Army from 1944 until 1994, when it was phased out with the introduction of the L85A1 assault rifle.-History:...
, preparing to attack Eddie. This was a joke done in response to the infamous "Sanctuary
Sanctuary (Iron Maiden song)
"Sanctuary" is the second single released by the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden. The single was released on 23 May 1980. The song was included in the US release of their debut album Iron Maiden but it was not included in the UK/European release...
" cover, that featured Eddie killing Thatcher.
The B-Side of the single, "Invasion", is a re-recorded version of a song that originally appeared on The Soundhouse Tapes
The Soundhouse Tapes
- Credits :*Paul Di'Anno - vocals*Dave Murray - guitar*Steve Harris - bass guitar*Doug Sampson - drums...
and also features on Best of the 'B' Sides
Best of the 'B' Sides
Best of the 'B' Sides is a compilation of B-sides by the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden, released on 4 November 2002 as part of the Eddie's Archive box set. Each track was remastered and the set came with a running commentary from Rod Smallwood...
.
Track listing
- "Women in Uniform" (Macainsh; Skyhooks cover) − 3:11
- "Invasion" (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...
) − 2:39 - "Phantom of the OperaPhantom of the Opera (song)"Phantom of the Opera" is a song from Iron Maiden's self-titled debut album. It was written by Steve Harris. It is the fourth track from the original US & UK album releases, and was the fifth track from the remastered 1998 release CD. It is based on the French novel The Phantom of the Opera by...
" Live at the MarqueeMarquee ClubThe Marquee was a music club first located at 165 Oxford Street, London, England when it opened in 1958 with a range of jazz and skiffle acts.It was also the location of the first ever live performance by The Rolling Stones on 12 July 1962....
, London 1980)" (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...
) − 7:12
Chart performance
| Year | Single | Chart | Position | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | "Women in Uniform" | 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 ... |
35 | — |
| 1990 | "Women in Uniform / Twilight Zone Twilight Zone (Iron Maiden song) "Twilight Zone" was the fourth single by Iron Maiden, released on 2 March 1981. The song was also released in the United States as part of the album Killers, but was not included in the British release until the album was re-released in 1998.... " |
UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... Re-release of both singles as part of "The First Ten Years The First Ten Years The First Ten Years is a series of 10 CDs and double 12" singles by British heavy metal band Iron Maiden, released between 24 February and 28 April 1990, in commemoration of the band's ten year recording anniversary.... " box set. Exceeded the length limit of the UK Singles chart. |
10 |
Iron Maiden Personnel
- Paul Di'AnnoPaul Di'AnnoPaul Andrews , better known as Paul Di'Anno, is an English singer best known as the first vocalist to record with the iconic heavy metal band Iron Maiden, from 1978 to 1981....
– 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... - Dennis StrattonDennis StrattonDennis Stratton is a guitar player who is best known as a former member of the British band Iron Maiden from October 1979 to October 1980.-Biography:...
– 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 - Clive BurrClive BurrClive Burr is a British drummer, best known as a member of Iron Maiden from 1979 to 1982.-Career:Previously a member of Samson, Burr joined Iron Maiden in 1979...
– 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 ....
Other cover versions
- The WhitlamsThe WhitlamsThe discography of The Whitlams consists of six studio albums, two live albums, one compilation album, and eighteen singles.-Studio albums:-Live albums:-Compilation albums:-Singles:-Videos:-Music videos:-Awards:...
performed this song at the 1998 ARIA Awards and released a limited edition single the following year, which also included "High Ground" and "1999".