2 Minutes to Midnight

Infobox Single
Name = 2 Minutes to Midnight


Artist = Iron Maiden
from Album = Powerslave
B-side = "Rainbow's Gold"
"Mission from 'Arry"
Released = 6 August 1984
Format =
Recorded = 1984
Genre = Heavy metal
Length = 5:59
Label = EMI
Writer = Adrian Smith
Bruce Dickinson
Producer = Martin Birch
Certification =
Last single = "The Trooper"
(1983)
This single = "Two Minutes to Midnight"
(1984)
Next single = "Aces High"
(1984)

"2 Minutes to Midnight" is the tenth single released by Iron Maiden and the second track from their 1984 album "Powerslave". The single was released on August 6 1984 and rose to number 11 in the UK Singles Chart. The song was written by Adrian Smith and Bruce Dickinson.

The song has references to the Doomsday Clock, the symbolic clock used by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. In September 1953 the clock reached 11:58, the closest the clock ever got to midnight. This occurred when the United States and Soviet Union tested H-bombs within nine months of one another. This song is clearly presenting an anti-war view. The first guitar solo is played by Dave Murray followed by a guitar solo played by Adrian Smith.

The first B-side is a cover of British progressive rock band Beckett's "Rainbow's Gold".

Another B-side, entitled "Mission from 'Arry", is a recording of an argument between bassist Steve Harris and drummer Nicko McBrain. The argument happened after a show in Allentown, Pennsylvania during the band's "World Piece Tour", and occurred due to a misunderstanding on stage between the two due to technical issues with Harris' bass, which had led to McBrain's drum solo going wrong. Vocalist Bruce Dickinson was recording the argument with a concealed tape recorder.

The video of the song is featured on the 2003 video collection "Visions of the Beast".

The song was included in the soundtrack of "" in the radio station in-game.

United States Ambassador Ryan Crocker has a poster of the single sleeve in his office. [ [http://www.lebanonwire.com/0706MLN/07061001NW.asp Lebanonwire.com Iraq: New U.S. ambassador may be best hope] ]

The song was covered by the all-female tribute band The Iron Maidens on their . It was also covered in 2008 by Glamour Of The Kill on the tribute CD "" released by "Kerrang!" magazine. [ [http://www2.kerrang.com/2008/06/maiden_heaven_track_listing_re.html Kerrang! Maiden Heaven Track Listing Revealed!] ]

Track listing

# "2 Minutes to Midnight" (Adrian Smith, Bruce Dickinson): 6:04
# "Rainbow's Gold" (Beckett cover): 4:57
# "Mission from 'Arry": 6:43

Credits

*Bruce Dickinson - vocals
*Dave Murray - guitar
*Adrian Smith - guitar, backing vocals
*Steve Harris - bass guitar, backing vocals
*Nicko McBrain - drums

Charts

Flagicon|UK UK Singles Chart #11

Trivia

*The song is 5 minutes and 59 seconds long, which when doubled yields 11:58, just as the time the song describes.
*The song's opening riff is near identical to that of "Stand Up and Shout" from Dio's Holy Diver album.

References