A native Englishman, Martin Birch became one of the most successful hard rock and heavy metal producers in the history of the genre. Birch began as an engineer, working with the likes of Jeff Beck, Fleetwood Mac and Deep Purple, until he got an opportunity to move into the production role. As a producer, he continued to work with both Deep Purple and with Ritchie Blackmore's band Rainbow, eventually moving on to produce Black Sabbath (during the Dio era), Whitesnake, Blue Oyster Cult and Iron Maiden. Birch retired from production after Maiden's 1992 album Fear Of The Dark, but had guaranteed himself a place in rock history, having been involved in so many classics of the genre. His role in Iron Maiden's ascent to becoming one of the biggest metal bands in history is particularly noteworthy, as he was there from the very early stages of the band's recording career and should be credited with a major role in helping them shape their recorded sound.