Couchois
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1979 |
| Defunct | 1981 |
| Headquarters | Huntsville, Alabama , United States |
| Products | Music albums |
| Parent | Warner Bros. Records |
Couchois was a rock ensemble from the United States, comprised of the Couchois siblings—Chris (lead vocals), Pat (guitar), and Mike (drums)—together with Chas Carlson on keyboards and Howard Messer handling bass duties. The group was active between 1979 and 1981, issuing two records under the Warner Bros. Records label: their self-titled debut Couchois in 1979 and the follow-up Nasty Hardware in 1980.
History
Musical collaboration among the Couchois brothers originated in Huntsville, Alabama during the 1960s. By 1971, Chris and Pat became members of Ratchell, alongside bassist Howard Messer and Larry Byrom, formerly of Steppenwolf. This lineup produced two albums released through Decca Records prior to the group's dissolution.
Subsequently, Mike Couchois joined forces with his brothers, Messer, and Chas Carlson to establish Couchois. Their initial album reached number 170 on the Billboard 200 chart in 1979 and featured contributions from guest musician Chuck Findley. The Billboard publication commended it as a "strong debut LP," highlighting its melodic rock elements and prominent keyboard arrangements. Critics noted similarities between their sound and that of Creedence Clearwater Revival and Orleans. The second album, Nasty Hardware (1980), contained the track "Roll The Dice," which was subsequently covered by artists including Rage, Charlie, and John Verity. Despite this, Rolling Stone rated the album with a single star, criticizing the band for a perceived lack of skill.
Following the breakup of Couchois, Chris contributed as both songwriter and drummer on Eric Burdon's 1982 track "Heart Attack," featured in the film Comeback and included on several Burdon compilations as well as his album Power Company. Moreover, Couchois’ song "Visibility Zero" appeared on the 2006 compilation titled Munich Rock Disco.
Discography
| Title | Album details | Highest chart rankings | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US | |||
| Couchois |
|
170 | |
| Nasty Hardware |
|
— | |