IRON MAIDEN recently took to the internet to pay tribute to their longtime producer Martin Birch who died on Sunday, August 9 at 71 years of age.
Birch was a British music producer who was best known for working with IRON MAIDEN for 11 years as the producer and engineer of such albums as “Killers”, “The Number Of The Beast”, “Piece Of Mind” and “Somewhere In Time”.
Earlier today, MAIDEN bassist and founder Steve Harris said about Birch: “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 humor 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.”
Added singer 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 and funny human being.
“Martin and 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.”
MAIDEN manager Rod Smallwood said: “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.”
IRON MAIDEN 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
Birch began his career in the late 60’s as an engineer and would go on to work with such bands as DEEP PURPLE (“In Rock”, “Machine Head”), RAINBOW (“Rising”, “Long Live Rock ‘N’ Roll”), WHITESNAKE (“Saints & Sinners”) and BLACK SABBATH (“Heaven And Hell”, “Mob Rules”).
He retired in 1992.