Be Quick or Be Dead

"Be Quick or Be Dead"
"Be Quick or Be Dead"
Single by Iron Maiden
from the album Fear of the Dark
B-side	"Nodding Donkey Blues"; "Space Station #5"; "Bayswater Ain't a Bad Place to Be";
Released	13 April 1992
Genre	Heavy metal
Length	3:24
Label	EMI
Songwriter(s)	Bruce Dickinson, Janick Gers
Producer(s)	Martin Birch, Steve Harris
Iron Maiden singles chronology

"Be Quick or Be Dead" is a song by English heavy metal band Iron Maiden, released as the first single from their ninth studio album, Fear of the Dark, on 13 April 1992. The single peaked at No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart and in Finland while reaching the top 10 in Denmark, Ireland, and Norway.

Synopsis[]

The song is about several political scandals taking place at the time of its release, including the Robert Maxwell banking scandal, European stock market crashes, and the BCCI case. It was released a month prior to the album and reached No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart. The song is faster and heavier than most Iron Maiden songs, and is the band's first single co-written by Janick Gers.

The B-side features two official songs and one hidden track, including an original blues number ("Nodding Donkey Blues") and Montrose cover ("Space Station No. 5"), and the unlisted "Bayswater Ain't a Bad Place to Be". The last is a spoken word comedy piece by Bruce Dickinson (along with acoustic guitar accompaniment from Janick Gers) in which he imitates and makes fun of Maiden manager Rod Smallwood. A similar mockery of Smallwood was released before, as a B-side titled "Sheriff of Huddersfield", which was available on the "Wasted Years" single.

Track listings[]

7-inch single

Side One
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Be Quick or Be Dead"	Bruce Dickinson, Janick Gers	3:24

Side Two
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
2.	"Nodding Donkey Blues"	Steve Harris, Dickinson, Gers, Dave Murray, Nicko McBrain	3:11

12-inch single

Side One
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Be Quick or Be Dead"	Dickinson, Gers	3:24

Side Two
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
2.	"Nodding Donkey Blues"	Harris, Dickinson, Gers, Murray, McBrain	3:11
3.	"Space Station No. 5" (Montrose Cover)	Ronnie Montrose, Sammy Hagar	3:47

UK 12-inch single

Side One
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Be Quick or Be Dead"	Dickinson, Gers	3:24
2.	"Bayswater Ain't a Bad Place to Be" (Hidden Track)	Dickinson, Gers	8:05

Side Two
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
3.	"Nodding Donkey Blues"	Harris, Dickinson, Gers, Murray, McBrain	3:11
4.	"Space Station No. 5" (Montrose Cover)	Montrose, Hagar	3:47

CD single

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Be Quick or Be Dead"	Dickinson, Gers	3:24
2.	"Nodding Donkey Blues"	Harris, Dickinson, Gers, Murray, McBrain	3:11
3.	"Space Station No. 5" (Montrose Cover)	Montrose, Hagar	3:47

UK CD single

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Be Quick or Be Dead"	Dickinson, Gers	3:24
2.	"Nodding Donkey Blues"	Harris, Dickinson, Gers, Murray, McBrain	3:11
3.	"Space Station No. 5" (Montrose Cover; includes hidden track "Bayswater Ain't a Bad Place to Be")	Montrose, Hagar	11:57

French CD maxi-single

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Be Quick or Be Dead"	Dickinson, Gers	3:24
2.	"Nodding Donkey Blues"	Harris, Dickinson, Gers, Murray, McBrain	3:11
3.	"Space Station No. 5" (Montrose Cover)	Montrose, Hagar	3:47
4.	"The French Message From Bruce Dickinson"	Dickinson	1:02

Personnel[]

Production credits are adapted from the 7 inch single,^[2] and picture disc covers.^[3] Iron Maiden

Production

Martin Birch – producer
Derek Riggs – sleeve illustration
Mike Prior – photography
George Chin – photography

Charts[]

Chart (1992)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)^[4]	47
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)^[5]	47
Denmark (IFPI)^[6]	5
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)^[7]	12
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)^[8]	2
Germany (Official German Charts)^[9]	32
Ireland (IRMA)^[10]	10
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)^[11]	27
Netherlands (Single Top 100)^[12]	26
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)^[13]	12
Norway (VG-lista)^[14]	3
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)^[15]	15
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)^[16]	15
UK Singles (OCC)^[17]	2

References[]

^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 11 April 1992. p. 19. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b "Be Quick or Be Dead" 7 Inch Single (Media notes). Iron Maiden. EMI. 13 April 1992.CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ "Be Quick or Be Dead" Picture Disc Single (Media notes). Iron Maiden. EMI. 13 April 1992.CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ "Australian-charts.com – Iron Maiden – Be Quick or Be Dead". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
^ "Ultratop.be – Iron Maiden – Be Quick or Be Dead" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
^ "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9 no. 24. 13 June 1992. p. 18. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9 no. 18. 2 May 1992. p. 37. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
^ Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 951-31-2503-3.
^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Iron Maiden – Be Quick or Be Dead" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Be Quick or Be Dead". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 21, 1992" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 Retrieved 8 April 2020.
^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Iron Maiden – Be Quick or Be Dead" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
^ "Charts.nz – Iron Maiden – Be Quick or Be Dead". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Iron Maiden – Be Quick or Be Dead". VG-lista. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
^ "Swedishcharts.com – Iron Maiden – Be Quick or Be Dead". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
^ "Swisscharts.com – Iron Maiden – Be Quick or Be Dead". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 April 2020.

[1] "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 11 April 1992. p. 19. Retrieved 14 July 2021.

[liner-2] Jump up to: ^a ^b "Be Quick or Be Dead" 7 Inch Single (Media notes). Iron Maiden. EMI. 13 April 1992.CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)

[3] "Be Quick or Be Dead" Picture Disc Single (Media notes). Iron Maiden. EMI. 13 April 1992.CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)

[sc_Australia_Iron_Maiden-4] "Australian-charts.com – Iron Maiden – Be Quick or Be Dead". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 8 April 2020.

[sc_Flanders_Iron_Maiden-5] "Ultratop.be – Iron Maiden – Be Quick or Be Dead" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 8 April 2020.

[6] "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9 no. 24. 13 June 1992. p. 18. Retrieved 8 April 2020.

[7] "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9 no. 18. 2 May 1992. p. 37. Retrieved 8 April 2020.

[8] Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 951-31-2503-3.

[sc_Germany_Iron_Maiden-9] "Offiziellecharts.de – Iron Maiden – Be Quick or Be Dead" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 8 April 2020.

[sc_Ireland2_-10] "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Be Quick or Be Dead". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 8 April 2020.

[sc_Dutch40_-11] "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 21, 1992" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 Retrieved 8 April 2020.

[sc_Dutch100_Iron_Maiden-12] "Dutchcharts.nl – Iron Maiden – Be Quick or Be Dead" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 8 April 2020.

[sc_New_Zealand_Iron_Maiden-13] "Charts.nz – Iron Maiden – Be Quick or Be Dead". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 8 April 2020.

[sc_Norway_Iron_Maiden-14] "Norwegiancharts.com – Iron Maiden – Be Quick or Be Dead". VG-lista. Retrieved 8 April 2020.

[sc_Sweden_Iron_Maiden-15] "Swedishcharts.com – Iron Maiden – Be Quick or Be Dead". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 8 April 2020.

[sc_Switzerland_Iron_Maiden-16] "Swisscharts.com – Iron Maiden – Be Quick or Be Dead". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 8 April 2020.

[sc_UK_-17] "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 April 2020.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

show v t Iron Maiden
Steve Harris Dave Murray Adrian Smith Bruce Dickinson Nicko McBrain Janick Gers Doug Sampson Paul Di'Anno Dennis Stratton Clive Burr Blaze Bayley
Studio albums	Iron Maiden Killers The Number of the Beast Piece of Mind Powerslave Somewhere in Time Seventh Son of a Seventh Son No Prayer for the Dying Fear of the Dark The X Factor Virtual XI Brave New World Dance of Death A Matter of Life and Death The Final Frontier The Book of Souls Senjutsu
Live albums	Live After Death A Real Live One A Real Dead One Live at Donington Maiden England A Real Live Dead One Rock in Rio BBC Archives Beast Over Hammersmith Death on the Road Flight 666 En Vivo! The Book of Souls: Live Chapter Nights of the Dead: Live in Mexico City
Compilations	Best of the Beast Ed Hunter Best of the 'B' Sides Edward the Great The Essential Iron Maiden Somewhere Back in Time From Fear to Eternity
Box sets	The First Ten Years Eddie's Head Eddie's Archive
Extended plays	The Soundhouse Tapes Live!! +one Maiden Japan No More Lies
Singles	"Running Free" "Sanctuary" "Women in Uniform" "Twilight Zone" "Purgatory" "Run to the Hills" "The Number of the Beast" "Flight of Icarus" "The Trooper" "2 Minutes to Midnight" "Aces High" "Wasted Years" "Stranger in a Strange Land" "Can I Play With Madness" "The Evil That Men Do" "The Clairvoyant" "Infinite Dreams" "Holy Smoke" "Bring Your Daughter... to the Slaughter" "Be Quick or Be Dead" "From Here to Eternity" "Wasting Love" "Fear of the Dark" "Hallowed Be Thy Name" "Man on the Edge" "Lord of the Flies" "Virus" "The Angel and the Gambler" "Futureal" "The Wicker Man" "Out of the Silent Planet" "Wildest Dreams" "Rainmaker" "The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg" "Different World" "El Dorado" "Satellite 15... The Final Frontier" "Speed of Light" "Empire of the Clouds" "The Writing On The Wall"
Video albums	Live at the Rainbow Video Pieces Behind the Iron Curtain Live After Death 12 Wasted Years Maiden England The First Ten Years (From There to Eternity) Donington Live 1992 Raising Hell Classic Albums: Iron Maiden – The Number of the Beast Rock in Rio Visions of the Beast The History of Iron Maiden – Part 1: The Early Days Death on the Road Flight 666 En Vivo! The Book of Souls: Live Chapter
Tours	Metal for Muthas Tour Iron Maiden Tour Killer World Tour The Beast on the Road World Piece Tour World Slavery Tour Somewhere on Tour Seventh Tour of a Seventh Tour No Prayer on the Road Fear of the Dark Tour Real Live Tour The X Factour Virtual XI World Tour The Ed Hunter Tour Brave New World Tour Give Me Ed... 'Til I'm Dead Tour Dance of Death World Tour Eddie Rips Up the World Tour A Matter of Life and Death Tour Somewhere Back in Time World Tour The Final Frontier World Tour Maiden England World Tour The Book of Souls World Tour Legacy of the Beast World Tour
Related articles	Discography Songs Awards and nominations Band members Eddie Tribute albums Urchin Psycho Motel Samson The Entire Population of Hackney The Iron Maidens Derek Riggs Rod Smallwood Andy Taylor
Category