Heavy Cruiser was a hard rock band from Los Angeles, United States. Founded in 1972 by Neil Merryweather, the group initially consisted of Rick Gaxiola on guitar, Coffi Hall on drums and percussion, and James Newton Howard on keyboards. The band's formation came after Merryweather recorded a demo with these musicians during a jam session at a studio. Their debut album, Heavy Cruiser, was released in 1972 under Family Productions, which featured a cover of "Louie Louie" by Richard Berry and included a French single with Eddie Cochran's "C’mon Everybody". In 1973, Heavy Cruiser released their second album, Lucky Dog. Heavy Cruiser disbanded in 1974.
