In this week's Wikimetal poll, Iron Maiden's bassist, leader, and founder, Steve Harris, was voted the band's best instrumentalist, with 47% of the votes. Guitarists Dave Murray (23%) and Adrian Smith (12%) came in second and third place, respectively.
Harris originally wanted to be a drummer; since there was no room for a drum set in his house, he bought a bass guitar. Self-taught, Harris now plays a Fender Precision Bass.
The bassist cites John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin), Chris Squire (Yes), John Entwistle (The Who), and Pete Way (UFO) as influences.
Janick Gers, guitarist for Iron Maiden, comments on Harris' technique: "Steve learned on his own and nobody can copy him. He has a way of listening to things and a tone that isn't normally associated with bass, it's almost like a rhythm guitar .
In addition to playing bass, Harris also provides backing vocals for Iron Maiden and plays keyboards on studio recordings.
Watch the performance of Rime Of The Ancient Mariner , from the Flight 666 DVD:
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