Rock Drill
Encyclopedia
Rock Drill is the last studio album by The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, which was released in the UK in 1978. This album did not feature the band's keyboardist Hugh McKenna, owing to an internal dispute - however three songs from the album are co-credited to him. McKenna has since recorded his regrets at the confrontation, given what lay ahead in the next five years. The album was released separately on CD, but is now more widely available on a 2-in-1 album, coupled with the album "SAHB Stories". "Rock Drill" was originally to feature a track entitled "No Complaints Department", which appeared on the German and Norwegian Vertigo releases of the album (Cat No: 6370 423) but it was later pulled before the album was released on Mountain Records (TOPS 114). It also appeared on the 1987 CD compilation "Portrait" (Start STFCD1) where it was incorrectly listed as "Mrs Blackhouse." The "Portrait" CD was also released on LP and cassette in the UK, both containing "No Complaints Department" (listed as "Mrs Blackhouse."). The French issue of this CD (pressed by MPO) contains the song "Mrs Blackhouse" as listed.
The story behind "No Complaints Department" is quite involved. The melody and structure of the song was inspired from a poem by Rudyard Kipling called "The Ladies." Jimmie Grimes (bassist with Alex's Soulband in the 50s & 60s) adapted the poem, composed music for it and retitled it "I Learned About Women" (credited to Kipling/Grimes), which Alex recorded on his 1964 solo LP "The Blues" (Polydor HI FI 46 441 [mono] & SLPHM 237 641 [stereo]). In 1977 Alex took the music from this song and wrote the lyrics of "No Complaints Department" over it. In November 1977, Mountain Records were planning to release the song as a single "No Complaints Department" b/w "Anthem" (1977 Mountain - Cat No: TOP 34). Alan Freeman played an acetate of the single on his Saturday Show and announced that it would be SAHB's 'new single.' However, Alex was afraid of upsetting his parents, Leslie and Margaret with the lyrics "My brother was killed on the stage" and phoned up Jimmie Grimes telling him NOT to sign the publishing rights clearance form. Jimmie was offered money by Mountain Records, but he stuck to his guns and refused to sign. The single had to be pulled. Unfortunately, copies of the "Rock Drill" sleeve had been printed on Mountain listing "No Complaints Department" on Side Two. The album, due for release in November 1977 in the UK was held up and had to be re-pressed with a replacement track "Mrs Blackhouse" on it. "Rock Drill" was finally released in the UK in March 1978 (Mountain - Cat No: TOPS 114). Some early UK white label test pressings of "Rock Drill" contain "No Complaints Department", but an actual finished British copy of the album on the Mountain label has never been seen containing the track to this day (although the sleeve has an amendment sticker over the Side Two listing stating "Mrs Blackhouse"). In late 1977 "Rock Drill" was released on Vertigo in Germany and Norway containing "No Complaints Department", but the album was quickly withdrawn and replaced by copies with "Mrs Blackhouse" on them. The acetate of the single played by Alan Freeman is the original mix of the song. The David Batchelor remixed version of "No Complaints Department" appears on the UK edition of "Portrait" (LP/CD/cassette), the UK white label test pressing of "Rock Drill" and the German & Norwegian pressings of the album. "No Complaints Department" never reached the pressing stage as an actual single.
"NO COMPLAINTS DEPARTMENT" - What the lyrics actually mean.
"I've seen stars disappear in a hurry, overdoses of satin and silk" - this refers to the death of Elvis Presley who died as a result of stardom and rich living.
"Some others who can't feed their children coz they don't have the money for milk" - a reference to Margaret Thatcher who, as Education Secretary, abolished free school milk to primary school children and became known as "Thatcher the milk snatcher."
"So my best friend died in a plane crash, my brother was killed on the stage, so don't be upset if I'm angry and seem in some kind of a rage" - refers to the death of Alex's manager and best friend Bill Fehilly, who was killed in a plane crash in 1976 in the Grampians. Also a reference to Alex's younger brother Leslie who was electrocuted onstage with Stone The Crows on 3rd May 1972 at the Swansea Top Rank ballroom when he touched a live microphone.
"There is no complaints department, it's only up to you..." - the chorus means that there is no point complaining about bad things that happen in your life. It's up to you to deal with it yourself.
"I've got friends who are armed with magnums, they don't get their money from me, coz it never is no kind of pleasure to see somebody suffer you see" - a reference to Alex's minder/bodyguard John Miller, who once tried to capture Ronnie Biggs and bring him to justice.
"They took my old pal to the madhouse, in horror and fear and in pain, with surgery done in a hurry to do a transplant in his brain" - refers to former Soulband guitarist Robert Nimmo, who suffered for many years with psychological problems.
"NO COMPLAINTS DEPARTMENT"' - The following is a comparison of the melody to Rudyard Kipling's "The Ladies" poem and the adapted song version "I Learned About Women."
THE LADIES: "I've taken my love where I've found it"
NCD: "I've seen stars disappear in a hurry"
THE LADIES: "I've wandered and ranged in my time"
NCD: "Overdoses of satin and silk"
THE LADIES: "I've had my pickings of sweethearts"
NCD: "Some others who can't feed their children"
THE LADIES: "And three of these were just fine"
NCD: "Coz they don't have the money for milk"
"No Complaints Department" was the last song SAHB ever recorded in the studio and Alex broke down in tears after he finished it.
The album cover shows the torso cast from Sir Jacob Epstein's challenging 1913 sculpture The Rock Drill, symbolising mankind's descent into a less than human machine hybrid. Alex Harvey found this statue deeply moving and it influenced the entire "Rock Drill Suite." Zal Cleminson rates "The Dolphins" as one of the best things SAHB ever produced next to "Faith Healer" and "Give My Compliments To The Chef." One track recorded during the "Rock Drill" session that never made it onto the finished album is "Engine Room Boogie." The track ended up as the B-side of SAHB's final single release "Mrs Blackhouse" (1977 Mountain - Cat No: TOP 32). The band performed "Mrs Blackhouse" and "Engine Room Boogie" at the 1977 Reading Festival on Sunday 28th August with Tommy Eyre on keyboards. This was the SAHB's final gig.
The story behind "No Complaints Department" is quite involved. The melody and structure of the song was inspired from a poem by Rudyard Kipling called "The Ladies." Jimmie Grimes (bassist with Alex's Soulband in the 50s & 60s) adapted the poem, composed music for it and retitled it "I Learned About Women" (credited to Kipling/Grimes), which Alex recorded on his 1964 solo LP "The Blues" (Polydor HI FI 46 441 [mono] & SLPHM 237 641 [stereo]). In 1977 Alex took the music from this song and wrote the lyrics of "No Complaints Department" over it. In November 1977, Mountain Records were planning to release the song as a single "No Complaints Department" b/w "Anthem" (1977 Mountain - Cat No: TOP 34). Alan Freeman played an acetate of the single on his Saturday Show and announced that it would be SAHB's 'new single.' However, Alex was afraid of upsetting his parents, Leslie and Margaret with the lyrics "My brother was killed on the stage" and phoned up Jimmie Grimes telling him NOT to sign the publishing rights clearance form. Jimmie was offered money by Mountain Records, but he stuck to his guns and refused to sign. The single had to be pulled. Unfortunately, copies of the "Rock Drill" sleeve had been printed on Mountain listing "No Complaints Department" on Side Two. The album, due for release in November 1977 in the UK was held up and had to be re-pressed with a replacement track "Mrs Blackhouse" on it. "Rock Drill" was finally released in the UK in March 1978 (Mountain - Cat No: TOPS 114). Some early UK white label test pressings of "Rock Drill" contain "No Complaints Department", but an actual finished British copy of the album on the Mountain label has never been seen containing the track to this day (although the sleeve has an amendment sticker over the Side Two listing stating "Mrs Blackhouse"). In late 1977 "Rock Drill" was released on Vertigo in Germany and Norway containing "No Complaints Department", but the album was quickly withdrawn and replaced by copies with "Mrs Blackhouse" on them. The acetate of the single played by Alan Freeman is the original mix of the song. The David Batchelor remixed version of "No Complaints Department" appears on the UK edition of "Portrait" (LP/CD/cassette), the UK white label test pressing of "Rock Drill" and the German & Norwegian pressings of the album. "No Complaints Department" never reached the pressing stage as an actual single.
"NO COMPLAINTS DEPARTMENT" - What the lyrics actually mean.
"I've seen stars disappear in a hurry, overdoses of satin and silk" - this refers to the death of Elvis Presley who died as a result of stardom and rich living.
"Some others who can't feed their children coz they don't have the money for milk" - a reference to Margaret Thatcher who, as Education Secretary, abolished free school milk to primary school children and became known as "Thatcher the milk snatcher."
"So my best friend died in a plane crash, my brother was killed on the stage, so don't be upset if I'm angry and seem in some kind of a rage" - refers to the death of Alex's manager and best friend Bill Fehilly, who was killed in a plane crash in 1976 in the Grampians. Also a reference to Alex's younger brother Leslie who was electrocuted onstage with Stone The Crows on 3rd May 1972 at the Swansea Top Rank ballroom when he touched a live microphone.
"There is no complaints department, it's only up to you..." - the chorus means that there is no point complaining about bad things that happen in your life. It's up to you to deal with it yourself.
"I've got friends who are armed with magnums, they don't get their money from me, coz it never is no kind of pleasure to see somebody suffer you see" - a reference to Alex's minder/bodyguard John Miller, who once tried to capture Ronnie Biggs and bring him to justice.
"They took my old pal to the madhouse, in horror and fear and in pain, with surgery done in a hurry to do a transplant in his brain" - refers to former Soulband guitarist Robert Nimmo, who suffered for many years with psychological problems.
"NO COMPLAINTS DEPARTMENT"' - The following is a comparison of the melody to Rudyard Kipling's "The Ladies" poem and the adapted song version "I Learned About Women."
THE LADIES: "I've taken my love where I've found it"
NCD: "I've seen stars disappear in a hurry"
THE LADIES: "I've wandered and ranged in my time"
NCD: "Overdoses of satin and silk"
THE LADIES: "I've had my pickings of sweethearts"
NCD: "Some others who can't feed their children"
THE LADIES: "And three of these were just fine"
NCD: "Coz they don't have the money for milk"
"No Complaints Department" was the last song SAHB ever recorded in the studio and Alex broke down in tears after he finished it.
The album cover shows the torso cast from Sir Jacob Epstein's challenging 1913 sculpture The Rock Drill, symbolising mankind's descent into a less than human machine hybrid. Alex Harvey found this statue deeply moving and it influenced the entire "Rock Drill Suite." Zal Cleminson rates "The Dolphins" as one of the best things SAHB ever produced next to "Faith Healer" and "Give My Compliments To The Chef." One track recorded during the "Rock Drill" session that never made it onto the finished album is "Engine Room Boogie." The track ended up as the B-side of SAHB's final single release "Mrs Blackhouse" (1977 Mountain - Cat No: TOP 32). The band performed "Mrs Blackhouse" and "Engine Room Boogie" at the 1977 Reading Festival on Sunday 28th August with Tommy Eyre on keyboards. This was the SAHB's final gig.
Track listings
The Rock Drill Suite- (i) "Rock Drill" (Alex Harvey/Tommy Eyre)
- (ii) "The Dolphins" (Alex Harvey/Alistair "Zal" Cleminson/Chris Glen/Hugh McKenna)
- (iii) "Rock 'n' Roll" (Alex Harvey/Alistair Cleminson/Hugh McKenna)
- (iv) "King Kong" (Max SteinerMax SteinerMax Steiner was an Austrian composer of music for theatre productions and films. He later became a naturalized citizen of the United States. Trained by the great classical music composers Brahms and Mahler, he was one of the first composers who primarily wrote music for motion pictures, and as...
) - "Booids" (Traditional: arranged by Alex Harvey/Alistair Cleminson/Chris Glen/Edward McKenna/Tommy Eyre)
- "Who Murdered Sex?" (Alex Harvey/Alistair Cleminson/Tommy Eyre)
- "Nightmare City" (Alex Harvey)
- "Water Beastie" (Alex Harvey/Chris Glen/Hugh McKenna)
- "Mrs. Blackhouse (Alex Harvey)
- "No Complaints Department" (Alex Harvey/J. Grimes; pre-release issue)
Personnel
- Alex HarveyAlex Harvey (musician)Alex Harvey was a Scottish rock musician. With The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, he built a reputation as an exciting live performer during the 1970s glam rock era.-Biography:...
- Lead vocals, guitar, trumpet - Zal CleminsonZal CleminsonAlistair "Zal" Cleminson is a Scottish guitarist, best known for his prominent role in The Sensational Alex Harvey Band during the 1970s.-Career:...
- Guitar, vocals - Tommy EyreTommy EyreTommy Eyre was a session keyboardist from Sheffield, England, who appeared on records by Joe Cocker, John Martyn, Alex Harvey, Greg Lake, Michael Schenker, Gary Moore, B.B. King, John Mayall, Tracy Chapman and Wham!...
- Keyboards, vocals - Chris GlenChris GlenChristopher 'Chris' Glen is a Scottish bass guitarist who has played in The Jade, Tear Gas, The Party Boys, The Sensational Alex Harvey Band and The Michael Schenker Group...
- Bass guitar, vocals - Ted McKennaTed McKennaEdward 'Ted' McKenna , is a Scottish drummer who has played with the bands Tear Gas, Rory Gallagher, The Party Boys, The Sensational Alex Harvey Band and The Michael Schenker Group. He also toured with Ian Gillan for a short period alongside fellow former SAHB bassist, Chris Glen...
- Drums, vocals