Martin Birch, producer for Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath and more, dies aged 71

Hard rock genius' helmed nine classic Iron Maiden albums and worked with Deep Purple, Fleetwood Mac and others

Martin Birch, the producer whose bright but heavy sound was applied to classic albums by Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple and more, has died aged 71. No cause of death has been announced.

Whitesnake frontman David Coverdale tweeted: It is with a very heavy heart I've just had verified my very dear friend & producer Martin Birch has passed away ... Martin was a huge part of my life ... helping me from the first time we met through until Slide It In ... My thoughts & prayers to his family, friends & fans."