Ten Inch Men
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1983 |
| Founder | Dana M Allen |
| Headquarters | Long Beach, California , United States |
| Products | Rock music recordings, live performances |
Ten Inch Men emerged as a rock ensemble from Long Beach, California in 1983, initiated by record producer Dana M Allen under his label, Obelisk Records. The founding lineup featured Dave Coutts (vocals and guitar), Jim Schumacher (keyboards and vocals), Mark Templin (guitar), Rusty Riopelle (bass), and Steve Coutts (drums).
While they never secured a contract with a major record company, their sound found popularity within college radio circuits. Their 12-inch single "Good for the Soul," released in 1984, climbed to No. 3 on the playlist of Long Beach's KNAC radio station. In March of that year, they served as the opening act for punk group X at the Long Beach State stadium. Throughout 1984 and 1985, the band produced multiple live and studio recordings; promotional videos for tracks like "Eyes Of Blue," "High Society," and "Pink Champagne" were broadcast on local cable channels. The 1986 four-track EP Hours in Pain included the standout song "Flower Power," which became emblematic of the band’s style, reaching No. 1 in New York City and enjoying moderate airplay on college radio stations nationwide.
Towards the end of 1986, the original lineup dissolved until Dave Coutts, Mark Templin, and Steve Coutts brought in Danny Keough—known as Lisa Marie Presley’s first spouse—to play bass. This formation remained active until the release of Pretty Vultures under Victory Records in 1993, with John McCloy taking over bass duties for both the album recording and subsequent touring.
After disbanding permanently in 1993, Mark Templin wed Carrie Hamilton, daughter of producer Joe Hamilton and entertainer Carol Burnett. Meanwhile, Dave Coutts collaborated with members of Stone Temple Pilots to establish Talk Show, which issued a self-titled album in 1997. Despite favorable critiques and Coutts’ compelling vocal performance, the album failed to achieve commercial success, resulting in Talk Show dissolving by early 1998.
Albums
- Hours in Pain (1991)
- Pretty Vultures (1993)
- This Wasn't Supposed to Happen (2004)
- Mighty Joe Young (2006)
- Ten Inch Men (TBA)
Singles
- "My Arms Are Wide Open" (1984)
- "Good for the Soul" (1984)
- "Flower Power" (1986)
- "Mellow Yellow" (1986)
- "Crazy Day Dream" (1993)
- "Never Say Hello" (1993)
- "Beautiful" (1994)
- "Go With Me" (1994)
- "It Doesn't Seem to Matter" (2004)
- "Non Stop" (2004)
- "This Wasn't Supposed to Happen" (2005)
- "Only Dying" (2006)
- "Goodbye" (2006)
- "You Can Drive Me Away" (2007)
- "To the Ocean" (2018)
- "Saturday" (2019)
- "Teargas in August" (2020)
- "Needles, Pins and Thread" (2021)
- "Out for a Cigarette" (2021)