Alex Harvey Band: "Mrs. Blackhouse" Single (1977)

The Sensational Alex Harvey Band’s "Mrs. Blackhouse" backed with "Engine Room Boogie", was released as a 7-inch vinyl single in the UK by Mountain Records (catalog number TOP 32) on August 26, 1977.

It was not directly tied to an album at the time of release, as SAHB Stories came out a year earlier (1976), and Rock Drill, the album that later included "Mrs. Blackhouse," was released in Europe in 1977 and the UK in 1978.

"Mrs. Blackhouse" is a satirical track aimed at Mary Whitehouse, a conservative British campaigner known for her moral crusades against perceived immorality in media. The song’s title is a deliberate play on her name, and its lyrics critique her puritanical views with biting humor, accusing her of hypocrisy and questioning her moral authority.

The song is part of SAHB’s Rock Drill album, their eighth studio release, recorded during a turbulent period for the band. Alex Harvey had rejoined SAHB after a brief split in 1976, and keyboardist Hugh McKenna was absent due to an internal dispute, replaced by Tommy Eyre.

"Engine Room Boogie," a rare track not included on Rock Drill, was performed live at the 1977 Reading Festival alongside "Mrs. Blackhouse."

Rock Drill was initially set to include a track called "No Complaints Department," a deeply personal song tied to the deaths of Harvey’s manager Bill Fehilly (plane crash, 1976) and brother Leslie (electrocuted on stage, 1972). This track was pulled from the UK release of Rock Drill and replaced with "Mrs. Blackhouse" due to its emotional weight. Some early pressings and international versions (e.g., Germany, Norway) included "No Complaints Department," leading to confusion, with some CD releases like Portrait (1987) mistakenly listing it as "Mrs. Blackhouse."