Heavy cruiser
| Heavy cruiser | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| origin |
Los Angeles United States
|
| Genre (s) | Hard rock |
| founding | 1972 |
| resolution | 1974 |
| Founding members | |
| Neil Merryweather | |
guitar |
Rick Gaxiola (1972) |
Keyboard |
James Newton Howard |
Drums |
Coffi Hall |
| Last occupation | |
| Neil Merryweather | |
guitar |
Alan Hurtz (since 1973) |
Keyboard |
James Newton Howard |
Drums |
Coffi Hall |
Heavy Cruiser was an American hard rock band.
Band history
Heavy Cruiser was founded by Neil Merryweather in Los Angeles in 1972. Merryweather snatched up with Rick Gaxiola (guitar), Coffi Hall (drums, percussion) and James Newton Howard (keyboard) the band members of Mama Lion without singer Lynn Carey and played a demo with them at a jam in a studio . While they were on tour with Billy Preston , engineer Bruce Albertine had an acetate pressed and sent it to Merryweather.
He played this at a party to Artie Ripp, the A&R of Famous Music , who signed the band on the spot. Merryweather named the band Heavy Cruiser. The album was released in 1972 through Family Productions, where Mama Lion were also under contract. Therefore, the line-up was omitted so that Mama Lion could continue to function as the main band. The cover artwork was created by Merryweather himself and shows the band logo in metal. At the back, the band is fully armed in a rowboat. Louie Louie , a cover by Richard Berry, was released from the album . A single was also released in France with the Eddie Cochran classic C'mon Everybody.
The following year the procedure was repeated. The second album was called Lucky Dog and featured a poster of dogs playing poker. On the album, Alan Hurtz had replaced Gaxiola.
Shortly afterwards Mama Lion broke up and Heavy Cruisers were not continued either.
Music genre
Heavy Cruiser's music was essentially the same as the main band Mama Lion at the time, with the exception of the absence of the singer. It was classic hard rock with blues influences, as it was common at the time and was considered the predecessor of metal at the time .
Discography
Albums
- 1972: Heavy Cruiser (Family Productions)
- 1973: Lucky Dog (Family Productions)
Singles
- 1972: Louie Louie / Outlaw (Family Productions)
- 1972: C'mon Everybody / Louie Louie ( Philips )
Web links
- Heavy cruiser at Spirit of Metal
- Heavy Cruiser at Discogs (English)
Individual evidence
- ^ A b c Ruth McCartney interviews Neil Merryweather. In: Neil Merryweather. Retrieved May 24, 2019 .
- ↑ a b Heavy Cruiser Family Productions. Accessed May 24, 2019
- ↑ a b Heavy Cruiser. In: badcatrecords.com. Retrieved May 24, 2019 .