Iron Maiden have paid tribute to legendary producer Martin Birch, who died on Sunday (9th). Birch had an extensive history with the British metal icons as he worked on 1981’s Killers up until 1992’s Fear of the Dark.
Read the band’s message below:
“RIP Martin Birch (1948 – 2020)
A man of many nicknames… and simply one of the greatest people we have ever worked with.
Steve Harris:
“He was just absolutely brilliant. He wasn’t just a producer, he was a hands-on engineer too, so he knew how to get a great sound. He was also fantastic at motivating people; he just had a knack of getting the best out of you. He was also a really nice man, great fun with a terrific sense of humour and that made him easy to work with. We all got along with him really well and the whole band is very saddened by today’s news.”
Bruce Dickinson:
“To me, Martin was a mentor who completely transformed my singing: he was a psychotherapist and in his own words a juggler who could mirror exactly what a band was. That was his special talent as a producer. He was not a puppeteer, he did not manipulate the sound of the band, he just reflected it in the best possible way. Apart from all of that he was a wonderful, warm & funny human being. Martin & I shared a passion for martial arts – he for karate and me for fencing which gave us another bond too. I’m so very sad to hear this news, it’s incredible that he has passed away at such a young age for a man who was so full of life.”
Rod Smallwood:
“He was a fantastic guy who always shared a mutual respect with the band. He never, ever, let us down in the studio. He was a true gentleman and he will be hugely missed by everyone in the Maiden Family.”
Albums produced by Martin Birch:
1981 – Killers
1982 – The Number of the Beast
1983 – Piece of Mind
1984 – Powerslave
1985 – Live After Death
1986 – Somewhere in Time
1988 – Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
1990 – No Prayer for the Dying
1992 – Fear of the Dark
1994 – Maiden England ’88
