Barry Clayton, the man behind the spoken-word introduction to « The Number Of The Beast », the title track of IRON MAIDEN‘s classic 1982 album,
has died at the age of 80.

During the recording sessions for « The Number Of The Beast », the band reportedly asked the famous horror film actor Vincent Price to read the intro text to the
title song. However, according to MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson, Price refused to do it for anything less than £25,000. The bandmembers then
heard of someone who read ghost stories at Capital Radio and got him to do it instead. The man was Clayton, who had no interest in MAIDEN, but
obliged when he was asked to put on a Vincent Price kind of voice.

« Woe to You Oh Earth and Sea
For the Devil sends the beast with wrath
Because he knows the time is short
Let him who hath understanding
Reckon the number of the beast
For it is a human number
Its number is six hundred and sixty six. »