IRON MAIDEN - HARRIS: 'IRON MAIDEN CAME CLOSE TO SPLITTING'

HARRIS: 'IRON MAIDEN CAME CLOSE TO SPLITTING'

IRON MAIDEN rocker STEVE HARRIS admits the legendary heavy metal band came close to splitting up a few years ago. After vocalist BRUCE DICKINSON left in 1993 to pursue a solo career, Iron Maiden recorded two albums with his replacement BLAZE BAYLEY. And, before DICkinson and guitarist ADRIAN SMITH returned to reform the band's classic line-up in 2000, bassist and founder member Harris was planning to end Iron Maiden. He says, "There was a point when we were thinking about retiring, but now we're at this stage there's no way we'd do that. "Why should we? We're making great records. There's all these great new bands coming out saying that they're Maiden fans. We'd be crazy to stop now."