View source for Dennis Stratton

{{Short description|British guitarist}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name              = Dennis Stratton
| image             = Maiden United (46917570455).jpg
| landscape         = yes
| caption           = Stratton performing with [[Maiden uniteD]] in 2019
| birth_name        = 
| alias             = Den
| birth_date        = {{birth date and age|1952|10|9|df=yes}}
| birth_place       = London, England
| death_date        = {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}}
| genre             = {{hlist|[[Heavy metal music|Heavy metal]]|[[hard rock]]|[[progressive rock]]}}
| occupation        = Musician
| instruments       = {{hlist|Guitar|vocals}}
| years_active      = 1969–present
| label             = 
| associated_acts   = [[Iron Maiden]], [[Praying Mantis (band)|Praying Mantis]], [[Lionheart (UK band)|Lionheart]]
| website           = 
}}

'''Dennis Stratton''' (born 9 October 1952<ref>{{cite book|author=Mick Wall|title=Iron Maiden: run to the hills: the official biography|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=drufAAAAMAAJ&q=%229+october+1952%22|year=1998|location=London|publisher=Sanctuary Publishing|page=127|isbn=978-1-86074-666-6}}</ref>) is an English guitarist best known as a member of the heavy metal band [[Iron Maiden]]<ref>{{cite web|url={{Allmusic|class=artist|id=p4560/biography|pure_url=yes}}|title=Biography: Iron Maiden|last=Weber|first=Barry|publisher=[[All Media Guide|AMG]]|access-date=7 May 2010}}</ref> from December 1979 to October 1980. He was also the lead guitarist and occasional lead vocalist of [[Praying Mantis (band)|Praying Mantis]] from 1990 to 2006,<ref>{{cite web|url={{Allmusic|class=artist|id=p4560/biography|pure_url=yes}}|title=Biography: Iron Maiden|last=Weber|first=Barry|publisher=[[All Media Guide|AMG]]|access-date=7 May 2010}}</ref> recording six studio albums with the band.

==Career==
Born in [[Canning Town]], London, Stratton showed early promise as a footballer and was briefly on the books at [[West Ham United F.C.|West Ham United]] until age 16,{{Citation needed|date=August 2023}} when he took up guitar. He joined his first band Harvest (later known as Wedgewood) in 1973. Two years later, Stratton formed the band Remus Down Boulevard, which toured in support of [[Rory Gallagher]] and [[Status Quo (band)|Status Quo]], and recorded a live album with music producer [[Jonathan King]].{{Citation needed|date=August 2023}}

In December 1979, [[Steve Harris (musician)|Steve Harris]] invited Stratton to join [[Iron Maiden]] after witnessing a Remus Down Boulevard performance. The band was also in need of a new drummer, and recruited [[Clive Burr]] on Stratton's recommendation.<ref name="Wall">{{cite book |last1=Wall |first1=Mick |title=Iron Maiden: Run to the Hills, the Authorised Biography |date=2004 |publisher=Sanctuary Publishing |isbn=1-86074-542-3 |pages=121–123}}</ref> Stratton played on the group's first studio album, ''[[Iron Maiden (album)|Iron Maiden]]'', which was released in April 1980, and on the non-album single "[[Women in Uniform]]". Stratton also appeared in the home video recording "Live at the Ruskin" (recorded in 1980 and released in 2004 as part of ''[[The History of Iron Maiden – Part 1: The Early Days]]'' DVD set), and in the band's first British television appearance, when they performed "[[Running Free]]" on ''[[Top of the Pops]]''. Stratton was with the band during their first European tour, supporting [[Kiss (band)|Kiss]].{{fact|date=September 2023}}

Dennis Stratton left Iron Maiden in October 1980, and has stated that he left due to conflicts with Steve Harris and band manager [[Rod Smallwood]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.praying-mantis.com/mantis/dennis99.shtml|title=Dennis Stratton Interview - Oct 1999|publisher=Praying-mantis.com|access-date=30 September 2011}}</ref> Officially, the band stated "musical differences" as the reason for Stratton's departure.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.guitarworld.com/iron-maiden-maiden-voyage?page=0%252C2,1|title=Iron Maiden: Maiden Voyage|publisher=Guitar World|date=7 March 2011 |access-date=2 June 2011}}</ref> He was replaced by [[Adrian Smith (musician)  |Adrian Smith]]. After his departure from Iron Maiden, Stratton played with bands such as [[Lionheart (UK band)|Lionheart]] and [[Praying Mantis (band)|Praying Mantis]], with which he recorded six studio albums from 1990 to 2003. He officially left Praying Mantis in 2006. In 1995 he formed a project called The Original Iron Men with another former Iron Maiden member, singer [[Paul Di'Anno]]. The duo released three albums. More recently, Stratton still performs locally in the East London area, sometimes with a reformed version of Remus Down Boulevard, and occasionally tours Europe with various cover bands that play classic Iron Maiden songs.<ref>[https://www.facebook.com/#!/dennis.stratton.5]  {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120801063513/https://www.facebook.com/#!/dennis.stratton.5|date=1 August 2012}}</ref>{{better source|date=July 2018}} 
Stratton is endorsed by [[Caparison guitars|Caparison Guitars]], from his tenure with Praying Mantis.{{fact|date=September 2023}}

==Discography==
===Remus Down Boulevard===
*''Live - A Week at the Bridge E16'' (Sampler, 1978)
*''Live EP at the Bridge E16'' (Sampler, 2002)
*''The Bridge House - Book Launch & Reunion'' (DVD, 2007)
*''Live - Worth the Wait (4th Time Lucky)'' (CD/DVD, 2011)

===Iron Maiden===
*''[[Iron Maiden (album)|Iron Maiden]]'' (1980)
*''[[Live!! +one]]'' (1980)
*''[[12 Wasted Years]]'' (1987)
*''[[The First Ten Years: The Videos|The First Ten Years (From There to Eternity)]]'' (1990)
*''[[Best of the Beast]]'' (1996)
*''[[Ed Hunter]]'' (1999)
*''[[BBC Archives (album)|BBC Archives]]'' (2002)
*''[[Best of the 'B' Sides]]'' (2002)
*''[[The History of Iron Maiden – Part 1: The Early Days]]'' (2004)
*''[[The Essential Iron Maiden]]'' (2005)

===Lionheart===
*''Hot Tonight'' (1984)
*''Second Nature'' (2017)

===Praying Mantis===
*''Live at Last'' (live) (1990)
*''Predator in Disguise'' (1991)
*''A Cry for the New World'' (1993)
*''Only the Children Cry'' (EP) (1993)
*''Play in the East'' (live) (1994)
*''To the Power of Ten'' (1995)
*''Captured Alive in Tokyo City'' (live) (1996)
*''Forever in Time'' (1998)
*''Nowhere to Hide'' (2000)
*''The Journey Goes On'' (2003)
*''Captured alive in Tokyo City'' (Live-DVD)
*''The Best of Praying Mantis'' (2004) (Best-of Compilation)

===Paul Di'Anno & Dennis Stratton===
*''The Original Iron Men'' (1995)
*''The Original Iron Men 2'' (1996)
*''As Hard As Iron'' (1996)
*''Made In Iron'' (1997)

===Collaborations===
*''Kaizoku'' (1989) - Various Authors
*''All Stars'' (1990) - Various Authors
*''Trapped'' (1990) - Lea Hart
*''Start 'em Young'' (1992) - English Steel
*''Ready to rumble'' (1992) - True Brits

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://www.dennisstratton.com/ Dennisstratton.com]
*[http://www.lionheart-music.com/dennis-stratton.html Lionheart-music.com site] 
*[http://www.getreadytorock.com/10questions/dennis_stratton.htm Interview With Dennis Stratton (2003)], Accessed 10 July 2005.
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20051029195127/http://leatherwarriors.web.infoseek.co.jp/Lionheart/dg1_j.html Dennis Stratton Discography], Accessed 10 July 2005.
*[http://www.praying-mantis.com/ Praying Mantis fan site]

{{IronMaiden}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stratton, Dennis}}
[[Category:1952 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:English heavy metal guitarists]]
[[Category:English heavy metal singers]]
[[Category:English male singers]]
[[Category:English rock guitarists]]
[[Category:Iron Maiden members]]
[[Category:People from Canning Town]]
[[Category:English male guitarists]]