Drill was the first commercial release of
English alternative rock group
Radiohead, still known then as "On A Friday". The
EP was released on 5 May 1992, debuting on the
UK charts at number 101.
Background and recording
All the tracks on the EP are
demo versions, recorded at the Courtyard Studio in
Oxon,
England and was produced and engineered by Chris Hufford and mixed by Timm Baldwin. The band were still called "On a Friday" when the songs for this EP were recorded; they changed their name to Radiohead the following month.
The track "Thinking About You" was taken from the band's
Manic Hedgehog demo tape, whilst "You" was a newer version; "Prove Yourself", "Thinking About You" and "You" were re-recorded for
Pablo Honey in 1993, the band's first full-length album.
"Prove Yourself" is notable for its
U2-esque chord changes and unvarnished emotional vocals. "Stupid Car" is a slower song, almost a ballad, and the first of many dealing with
Thom Yorke's distrust of vehicles since he and his girlfriend were involved in a car crash.
Release
"Prove Yourself" was played on
BBC Radio 1 by
Gary Davies after he received a copy of the EP. This was the band's first national radio exposure in the UK.
The EP is now available as the first four tracks on the bonus disc of the Collector's Edition of
Pablo Honey, as well as on 12", 45RPM vinyl.
Track listing
- "Thinking About You" - 2:17
Personnel
- Thom Yorke - lead vocals, rhythm guitar, piano, beats
- Jonny Greenwood - lead guitar, keyboard, other instruments
- Ed O'Brien - guitar, backing vocals
- Colin Greenwood - bass guitar, synthesizers
- Phil Selway - drums, percussion
