Last modified: Wed Sep 9 18:28:28 1998 toka
Here's descriptions about a couple of different counterfeit/pirate versions of the Iron Maiden first ever release, The Soundhouse Tapes EP. This text describes just the differences from the real thing.
Song listing, color of vinyl, logo, pictures, titles, labels, catalogue numbers etc. are like the original, but the run-off areas differ a bit. The "main" engravings are imitated from the original:
Run-off area, side A: ROK-1-A
Run-off area, side B: ROK-1-B
...but there are no other engravings on the run-off areas. For what it's
worth, the engraving on side B is done in smaller letters than the
engraving on side A.
Another remarkable difference is that on this counterfeit the song Prowler ends with a fade-out at 3:21 (approx), but on the original the song is remarkably longer (4:23), and the end of the song does not fade out. Maybe the counterfeiter's original vinyl had a skip at 3:30?:-)
I paid arm and leg for this one ages ago, and all these years I though that it was original :-) Sheesh. Does anyone have an original for sale? If you do, please drop me a line at toka@iki.fi.
Song listing and the cover (logo, pictures, titles, catalogue numbers) are identical with the original, but the disk is completely different: the vinyl is blue, is played at 33rpm, and the labels bear no resemblance to the original. The label identifies this as HR09, by Hard Rock Music (as opposed to what the sleeve claims). Labels have black text on white background. Prowler does not fade out at end like counterfeit 1 does.
Run-off areas differ too:
Run-off area, side A: HR09-A
Run-off area, side B: HR09-B
Exactly like counterfeit 2A (labels and run-off area engravings match etc.), but on yellow vinyl.
Song listing is correct, the song Prowler doesn't fade out like on counterfeit 1, the vinyl is black, the labels are like the real thing etc, but the run-off area engravings differ:
Run-off area, side A: IM-1-A-1
Run-off area, side B: IM-1-B-1
The last "-1"'s on both sides are smaller and a bit hard to make out.
Actually I'm not convinced that including all these pictures of different fakes makes any sense. Using reasonably small (200k or so) pictures the slight differences get lost anyhow. Well, at least this one is signed, so there's some visible difference from the other pictures :-)
![[NEW!]](../icons/new-small.gif){kind=icon}
This is just a pirate/bootleg CD which contains (among other things) the Soundhouse Tapes tracks. The quality of those three tracks is good, there's only one or two slight rustles, just enough to betray that the signal has been on vinyl.
This is a 3CD box which contains lots of obscure recordings by Iron Maiden, including the three Soundhouse Tapes tracks and three more tracks (Strange World, Running Free and Transylvania) which are claimed to be recorded during the same studio session as the Soundhouse Tapes. Scam alert: This is a bit curious, as all other sources have mentioned that only four tracks were recorded. The sound on those six tracks is rather muddy, there's lots of hiss, and it sounds like the tape was rolling 10% too fast, as Paul sounds a bit like Mickey Mouse, and the running times of the three tracks which are on the Early Years CD are 9% shorter.
This is just yet another pirate/bootleg CD which contains (among other things) the Soundhouse Tapes tracks.
Yet another pirate/bootleg CD featuring Soundhouse Tapes tracks.
Pirate CD containing Soundhouse Tapes by Iron Maiden and the album Throwing Shapes by Stratus.
There's also rumours about other versions, but as I have not received descriptions or even reports about first-hand sightings, I don't feel like including those versions here. The article in alt.rock-n-roll.metal.ironmaiden (by Tapio) which started the project of putting these pages together contains some rumors about other counterfeit versions. There's some misinformation as well, so a pinch of salt is in order. Does anyone know whether the legal CD release on Reborn Classics label exists for real? Pirate 5 sounds suspiciously similar to it.
Go back to the Soundhouse Tapes page.
toka@iki.fi
