The guitarist Adrian Smith first joined Iron Maiden in 1980, being part of their second studio album “Killers”, released in the following year. He was part of the group until 1990, returning in 1999. He has been an important part of the band’s sound and songwriting and in an interview with “Sonic Perspectives” (Transcribed by Ultimate Guitar), he recalled how he joined the band and revealed which is one of his favorite songs of the group.
The Iron Maiden song Adrian Smith said is one of his favorites
“One of my favorites has always been ‘Wrathchild’. That’s a great one. It’s not a great one to play, weirdly. It’s kind of awkward to play. That riff is kind of awkward. But I like the song. I do love the song,” Adrian Smith said.
“Wrathchild” is the second track of Maiden’s second album “Killers”, which was the first one with Smith. It was the last record to have Paul Di’Anno on vocals and besides the title-track, also had other famous songs like “Murders in the Rue Morgue” and Purgatory.
About joining Maiden, the musician recalled that everything started with his friendship with Dave Murray. “When I was 15 years old, back in London, I met Dave Murray. We became best buddies because no one else in our neighborhood at that time was into Deep Purple and Free. We were crazy about it. We had long hair already. All the other kids were into soul music, and all the other kids wanted to do was get cars, get married, and all that. Nothing wrong with that. But we wanted guitars, to be in a band. That was it.”
“I mean, we were just obsessed with it. Dave could play the guitar already, and I wanted to be in a band with him. I said, ‘Well, I’ll have a go at singing.’ So, that’s how I started. I sang and learned guitar as I went along, and I did that right up until I joined Maiden. I was fronting a band and singing, and I paid my dues in the pubs and clubs, singing through sh*tty PAs, no monitors, singing myself raw, and loved every minute of it,” Adrian Smith said.
