Dennis Stratton , who played guitar for Iron Maiden for less than a year early in the band's career, recently spoke about his time in the group.
When asked if he knew how revolutionary Iron Maiden's debut album would be for heavy metal, Stratton admitted: “Not at all. In 1979, when they signed with EMI in London, they basically transformed overnight from a pub band into a big band. When I met them there were only three of them – Steve Harris , Dave Murray and Paul Di'Anno . They didn't have a permanent drummer or a second guitarist.”
The guitarist also said he considers himself responsible for Maiden's musical style, which uses guitar techniques to create harmonies, something he believes has "dramatically transformed the band's sound.".
“I’m proud to say that I was the one who introduced this way of playing to Maiden and they’ve kept it,” he stated. “I did all the pre-production for Killers and you can tell that when Adrian Smith came in [to record the album] you can hear a lot of my playing style in the harmonies that Adrian had to learn. Then he recorded the album and it was only after that that I heard other Maiden albums as they continued their career and when they had three guitarists they maintained this style of playing with the guitars forming harmonies. So, yes, it’s a big bonus for me to say that it was my idea. I was the one who started this sound in the band.”
Currently, Dennis Stratton's guitar, responsible for classics like "Phantom of the Opera," is being sold for the equivalent of 192,000 reais. More information at this link.
