Aces High (4:28)

“Aces High” is a song written by Steve Harris. It is Iron Maiden’s eleventh single and the second from the 1984 album Powerslave. The song tells the story of a British RAF pilot fighting against the German Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain (1940), the first battle to be completely fought in the skies. The song topped at number 20 on the UK Singles Chart.

The song was a frequent concert opener and it was usually preceded by “Churchill’s speech”, a part of a famous speech that the British Prime Minister gave during World War II, on 4 June 1940, two days after the French defeat and general retreat from France’s lost battlefield with French and Belgian remaining troops gathered at Dunkerque. Despite being popular amongst fans, the song is rarely played live. It has only been played during the World Slavery Tour and The EdHuntour, Live After Death and Somewhere Back In Time World Tour.

The b-side “King of Twilight” is actually a cover of two songs by Nektar combined into one track. The two tracks are “Crying in the Dark” and “King of Twilight”. Both songs appear on their “A Tab in the Ocean” EP. The live version of “The Number of the Beast” was recorded on 18th December 1983 in Dortmund, Germany. It is the same version as the one found in 12 Wasted Years.