Paul Mario Day, Dave Sullivan and Terry Rance — not exactly the first three names that come to mind when you think of Iron Maiden. They were, however, three of the band's very first members and they all took a picture with founder Steve Harris, reuniting four-fifths of Maiden's debut lineup in a new photo. Only drummer Ron "Rebel" Matthews was absent.

Steve Harris formed Iron Maiden on Christmas Day in 1975 and it is said that Matthews was the first member to receive a call from the bassist about starting a new band. Harris had just exited his second band, Smiler, and was pursuing his desire to express himself more as a songwriter.

Here's what Iron Maiden would look like today had the original lineup remained intact.

Day (vocals), Rance (guitar) and Sullivan (guitar) did not make it through the end of '76 with Day being the first to go as he lacked stage presence, per Harris. The group temporarily disbanded in '76, reforming without Rance and Sullivan allowing axeman Dave Murray entered the fold as the lone guitarist at the time; he'd become the band's longest tenured member, second to Harris. It would be another couple years of experimentation (including a short-lived keyboard phase) and some more lineup changes before landing a record deal on the strength of the 1979 demo The Soundhouse Tapes.

Fun fact: both Rance and Sullivan helped operate Eddie's Bar in Portugal. It originally opened in 1989 and was managed by ex-Maiden roadie Manu Da Silva. After his death in 2005, the bar was re-opened in 2006 with Rance and Sullivan helping to oversee things, but Harris closed it for good in 2009.

Iron Maiden Songs Ranked

 

More From Sasquatch 92.1 FM