Couchois

Last updated
Couchois
OriginHuntsville, Alabama
Genres Album-oriented rock, pop rock, soft rock
Years active1979 - 1981
Labels Warner Bros.
Past membersChris Couchois
Pat Couchois
Mike Couchois
Chas Carlson
Howard Messer

Couchois was an American rock band consisting of the Couchois brothers - Chris (vocals), Pat (guitar), and Mike (drums) - along with Chas Carlson (keyboards) and Howard Messer (bass). Formed in 1979, the band released two albums on Warner Bros. Records: Couchois in 1979, and Nasty Hardware in 1980.

Contents

History

The Couchois brothers began playing in bands together while in junior high school in Huntsville, Alabama during the 1960s. [1] In 1971, Chris and Pat joined Ratchell with bassist Howard Messer and former Steppenwolf guitarist Larry Byrom. The group released two albums for Decca Records before splitting up. [2]

A few years later, Mike Couchois joined his brothers and Messer and Chas Carlson to form the group Couchois. The band signed with Warner Bros. Records and released their self-titled debut album, which peaked at #170 on the Billboard 200 in 1979. [3] The album featured a guest appearance by Chuck Findley. A review of the album in a 1979 issue of Billboard called Couchois a "solid debut LP" with a "very melodic rock sound" and "noteworthy" keyboard work. [4] Pete Bishop of Pittsburgh Press said it was an "enjoyable and promising debut album" and compared the band's style to that of Creedence Clearwater Revival and Orleans. [1] In 1980, Couchois released their second album, Nasty Hardware, [5] which included their song "Roll The Dice", which was later covered by such bands as Rage, Charlie and John Verity. [6] Rolling Stone gave the album a one-star rating and characterized Couchois as an "aggravatingly lame soft-rock quintet that sports three brothers and zero talent." [7]

After the band dissolved, Chris wrote and played drums on the Eric Burdon song "Heart Attack" for the 1982 film Comeback . The song later featured on many of Burdon's compilations, such as The Best of Eric Burdon , Soldier of Fortune , as well as on the original album Power Company , which also featured Snuffy Walden, Ronnie Barron and Terry Wilson. [8] Couchois' "Visibility Zero" is also featured on the 2006 compilation Munich Rock Disco. [9]

Discography

TitleAlbum detailsPeak chart positions [3]
US
Couchois170
Nasty Hardware
  • Released: 1980
  • Label: Warner Bros.
  • Format: LP

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Animals</span> English rock band

The Animals (currently billed as Eric Burdon & The Animals and Animals & Friends are an English rock band formed in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1963.

<i>Uncle Jam Wants You</i> 1979 studio album by Funkadelic

Uncle Jam Wants You is a concept album by American funk rock band Funkadelic. It was released by Warner Bros. Records on September 21, 1979, and was later reissued on CD by Priority Records. It was produced by George Clinton under the alias Dr. Funkenstein. It is the first Funkadelic album since America Eats Its Young in 1972 not to sport a cover illustrated by Funkadelic artist Pedro Bell, though Bell did provide artwork for the album’s back cover and interior. Uncle Jam Wants You was the second Funkadelic album to be certified gold. The album peaked at No. 18 on the Billboard 200 and No. 2 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Pretenders</span> British rock band

The Pretenders are a British-American rock band formed in March 1978. The original band consisted of founder and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde, James Honeyman-Scott, Pete Farndon and Martin Chambers. Following the deaths of Honeyman-Scott in 1982 and Farndon in 1983, the band experienced numerous personnel changes; Hynde has been the band's only continuous member.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Al Perkins</span> American guitarist

Al Perkins is an American guitarist known primarily for his steel guitar work. The Gibson guitar company called Perkins "the world's most influential Dobro player" and began producing an "Al Perkins Signature" Dobro in 2001—designed and autographed by Perkins.

<i>Nothings Shocking</i> 1988 studio album by Janes Addiction

Nothing's Shocking is the debut studio album by American rock band Jane's Addiction, released on August 23, 1988 through Warner Bros. Records. Nothing's Shocking was well received by critics and peaked at number 103 on the Billboard 200. The single "Jane Says" reached number six on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks in 1988. Rolling Stone ranked Nothing's Shocking at number 312 on its "500 Greatest Albums of All Time". It received a nomination for the 31st Grammy Awards in the category for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance Vocal or Instrumental.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eric Burdon</span> English singer (born 1941)

Eric Victor Burdon is an English singer and songwriter. He was previously the lead vocalist of the R&B and rock band the Animals and the funk band War. He is regarded as one of the British Invasion's most distinctive singers with his deep, powerful blues-rock voice. Burdon is also known for his intense stage performances.

<i>Its Hard</i> 1982 studio album by the Who

It's Hard is the tenth studio album by English rock band the Who. Released in September 1982, it was the final Who album to feature bassist John Entwistle, who died in 2002. It was also the second and final Who studio album with drummer Kenney Jones, as well as the last to be released on Warner Bros. Records in the US. It was released on Polydor Records in the UK, peaking at No. 11, and on Warner Bros. in the US where it peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart. The US rights to both this album and Face Dances subsequently reverted to the band, who then licensed them to MCA Records for reissue. The album achieved gold status by the RIAA in the US in November 1982. It was their last album for over two decades until Endless Wire in 2006.

<i>What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits</i> 1974 studio album by The Doobie Brothers

What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits is the fourth studio album by American rock band the Doobie Brothers. The album was released on February 1, 1974, by Warner Bros. Records.

<i>Fair Warning</i> (Van Halen album) 1981 studio album by Van Halen

Fair Warning is the fourth studio album by American rock band Van Halen. Released on April 29, 1981, by Warner Bros. Records, the album peaked at number 5 on the Billboard 200, while the single "So This Is Love?" failed to reach Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 110 on the Bubbling-Under list. The album sold more than two million copies in the United States, but was still the band's slowest-selling album of the David Lee Roth era. Despite the album's commercially disappointing sales, Fair Warning was met with mostly positive reviews from critics. It was listed by Esquire as one of the "75 Albums Every Man Should Own".

Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band was a big band- and swing-influenced disco band that was formed in the Bronx, New York. The band is best known for its number-one US dance hit "Cherchez La Femme/C'est si bon", from its self-titled debut album.

<i>Party Mix!</i> 1981 remix album by the B-52s

Party Mix! is a remix album by American new wave band the B-52's, released in 1981 by Warner Bros. Records.

<i>A Fever You Cant Sweat Out</i> 2005 studio album by Panic! at the Disco

A Fever You Can't Sweat Out is the debut studio album by American pop rock band Panic! at the Disco. Produced by Matt Squire, the album was released on September 27, 2005, through Decaydance and Fueled by Ramen. The group formed in Las Vegas in 2004 and began posting demos online, which caught the attention of Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz. Wentz signed the group to his own imprint label, Decaydance, without them having ever performed live. It is the only album released during original bassist Brent Wilson's time in the band, but the exact nature of his involvement in the writing and recording process became a source of contention upon his dismissal from the group in mid-2006.

<i>Wish You Were Here</i> (Badfinger album) 1974 studio album by Badfinger

Wish You Were Here is the seventh studio album by rock band Badfinger and their third consecutive album produced by Chris Thomas. It was recorded in the spring of 1974 at Colorado's Caribou Ranch and released in November of that year on Warner Bros. Records. Wish You Were Here was the second and last album the band released on the Warner Bros. label.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miss Jackson</span> 2013 single by Panic! at the Disco featuring Lolo

"Miss Jackson" is a song by American rock band Panic! at the Disco, released on July 15, 2013, as the first single for the band's fourth studio album, Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die! (2013). The song features vocals from Lolo. A music video directed by Jordan Bahat accompanied the song's announcement as well as the album's title and release date, and headlining tour dates. It was the band's first release since 2011, and the first release to feature Dallon Weekes on bass. The Butch Walker-produced track has been described as "darkly anthemic". It reached the top 10 on iTunes on its release and sold 56,000 digital downloads in its first week to debut at No. 68 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 27 on Digital Songs. It also became Panic! at the Disco's first top ten hit on the Alternative Songs chart since "Nine in the Afternoon" in 2008. In January 2015, it was certified Gold by the RIAA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">What a Fool Believes</span> 1978 song by Kenny Loggins

"What a Fool Believes" is a song written by Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins. The best-known version was recorded by The Doobie Brothers for their 1978 album Minute by Minute. Debuting at number 73 on January 20, 1979, the single reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on April 14, 1979, for one week. The song received Grammy Awards in 1980 for both Song of the Year and Record of the Year. In 2024, the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

<i>Muse</i> (Grace Jones album) 1979 studio album by Grace Jones

Muse is the third studio album by Jamaican singer and songwriter Grace Jones, released on September 4, 1979, by Island Records.

<i>Before We Were So Rudely Interrupted</i> 1977 studio album by the Original Animals

Before We Were So Rudely Interrupted is a 1977 reunion album by the Animals. They are billed on the cover as the Original Animals.

Ratchell was an American rock band formed by former Steppenwolf guitarist Larry Byrom. The lineup also included bassist Howard Messer, guitarist Pat Couchois, and drummer Chris Couchois. The band released two albums on Decca Records: Ratchell in 1971 and Ratchell II in 1972.

<i>Hot Mess</i> (album) 2009 album by Cobra Starship

Hot Mess is the third studio album by the American musical ensemble Cobra Starship, released through Fueled by Ramen and Decaydance Records on August 11, 2009. The album is the follow-up to 2007's ¡Viva la Cobra!. It debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 albums chart on sales of more than 42,000, by far their best chart performance ever.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pete Carr</span> American guitarist and record producer (1950–2020)

Jesse Willard "Pete" Carr was an American guitarist. Carr contributed session work to recordings by Joan Baez, Luther Ingram, Bob Seger, Paul Simon, Willie Nelson, Joe Cocker, Boz Scaggs, Percy Sledge, The Staple Singers, Rod Stewart, Barbra Streisand, Wilson Pickett, Hank Williams, Jr., and many others, from the 1970s onward.

References

  1. 1 2 Bishop, Pete (April 1, 1979). "Suzi Quatro Has 'Chart-Climber'". Pittsburgh Press . p. N-6. Retrieved April 30, 2014.
  2. Marchetti, Ronald (February 24, 1972). "The Current Music Scene: Ratchett". The Morning Record . Meriden, CT. p. 4. Retrieved July 5, 2013.
  3. 1 2 "Artist Search for "couchois"". AllMusic .
  4. "Billboard's Top Album Picks". Billboard . Vol. 91, no. 9. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. March 3, 1979. p. 124. ISSN   0006-2510 . Retrieved April 30, 2014.
  5. "Couchois - Nasty Hardware". Discogs.com.
  6. "Couchois | Biography & History". AllMusic .
  7. Marsh, Dave; Swenson, John (1983). The New Rolling Stone Record Guide (Revised ed.). New York: Rolling Stone Press. p.  117. ISBN   978-0394721071.
  8. "Chris Couchois | Credits". AllMusic .
  9. "Munich Rock Disco - Various Artists | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic .