Женщины в форме: История одной песни

1978 single by Skyhooks

"Women in Uniform" is a 1978 song by the Australian band Skyhooks; it was written by the band's bass guitar player, Greg Macainsh. It was released in February 1978 as the lead single from their fourth studio album, Guilty Until Proven Insane and peaked at number 8 in Australian and number 73 in the UK.

Sounds said, "Australian pre New Wavers try to stay up to date and succeed far enough. So far, so neat, but the beat is matched only by the girl(?) vocalist and not by any traces of lyrical/tuneful dexterity." Rip It Up claimed the song benefited from the "hard rock" production from new producer Leonetti and, "would almost certainly have been a hit single if radio land could have heard it through 18 inch speakers." The Sydney Morning Herald described it as, "a number which has already made an impact as a twelve inch single. It's a good lyric. Perhaps it is a prophetic comment on woman power."

Iron Maiden's cover version of the song was the band's third single and their last recorded work with the guitarist Dennis Stratton. It was released on 27 October 1980 in order to promote the second British leg of their Iron Maiden Tour. The song was also included on the Australian edition of their second album, Killers, as it was originally a number eight hit in Australia for Skyhooks in 1978. In 1990, the 12" version was reissued on CD and 12" vinyl as part of The First Ten Years box set, in which it was combined with their following single, "Twilight Zone". The idea to cover the song was suggested by the band's publishing company, Zomba, who arranged studio time at Battery Studios with AC/DC producer Tony Platt. Although sceptical at first about recording a song that was so different from the band's style, the bass guitarist, Steve Harris, conceded when Platt was hired, surmising that "as he worked with AC/DC and that, I thought, 'Oh, you know, fine. He's not gonna pull us in any commercial direction.'" Although the intended mix was restored, the band has routinely mentioned their dislike of the single, with Harris vowing "never, ever, ever to allow anyone outside to fuck around with our music again". As a result, its only appearance on CD is as part of The First Ten Years series and a rare 1995 2CD issue of Killers, meaning that the song does not appear remastered. However, its B Side, "Invasion", appears remastered on the Best of the 'B' Sides compilation. "Women in Uniform" was also the basis of the band's first music video, directed by Brian Grant and filmed at the Rainbow Theatre. Considered an unusual project for a band to undertake in the years before MTV, the filming was Stratton's last contribution for the band.

The Whitlams performed this song at the 1998 ARIA Awards and released a limited edition single the following year, which also included "High Ground" and "1999". Paul Di'Anno who sang for Iron Maiden when they recorded their version recorded a version for his album, The Classics The Maiden Years, in 2006.