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discography with album jackets & lyrics 20 Q & A with Greg
from left; gino scarpelli, greg godovitz, doug inglisFrustrated with the direction Fludd was going, Toronto native and local bass wiz Greg Godovitz formed Goddo along with guitarist Gino Scarpelli (ex of Brutus) and drummer Marty Morin in 1975. The band toured central Canada and dipped into the States occasionally while honing their chops.

They put out an independant 45 which featured a copy of The Kingsmen's "Louie Louie" later that year. The trio continued to pay their dues in dimly-lit bars the next couple of years until they were signed to a deal with Polydor, releasing their self-titled debut in '77. No hits were spawned from the record but tracks like "Sweet Thing" let it be known they were a talented trio with a fresh, straight-forward approach to recording, utilizing few overdubs which helped create the 'raw sound' they would later become known for in a near-unprecendented fashion.

They released WHO CARES? in '78 and picked up where the debut record left off. Clean cut riffs mixed with delicate harmonies showed Goddo was not a one-dimensional act, but took on a brasher approach than its predecessor. Tracks like "Oh Carole" - the ode to Rough Trade's Carole Pope, "Cock On" - his spin on the controversial Fludd album of the same name and "Drop Dead (That's Who)" all made Goddo one of the most original groups of the time.

AN ACT OF GODDO hit the shelves a year later and served up a fine assortment of heavy hitters like "So Walk On" to the tender ballad "Chantal". Their studio maturity and experimentation also shone through with the classical prelude with full orchestration in "Anacanapanacana" - though Godovitz was experimenting with that sort of thing long before with Fludd. Another series of regional tours followed but the group was still being met with mixed reviews. Fans were rabid, critics weren't sure what to make of them. No longer willing to wait for the break-out single, record execs at Polydor parted ways with the band.

Scarpelli began working with El Mocambo Records and a side project Bongo Fury, releasing one album. A charity compilation album also saw the new single "Fortune In Men's Eyes" - Goddo's ode to Brian Pilling, singer of Fludd who'd succumbed to cancer just prior. Not on the streets for long tho, Godovitz signed with Attic, releasing PRETTY BAD BOYS barely a year later with new drummer Doug Inglis. The record contained the title-track, which would turnout to be their most successful single ever. The group recorded two nights' in Barrie, Ontario and released LIGHVE - BEST SEAT IN THE HOUSE that same year. The 2-record set captured their electricity on stage, particularly during "So Walk On" and "O Carol, Kiss My Whip". Noteable is on the first night, Goddo had a comedian for warm-up, who, though putting the guys backstage in stitches, was nearly booed off the stage, until Greg came out and pleaded with the audience to give the kid a chance ... that kid was Jim Carrie.

By this time tho Attic was having financial problems and the band was dropped. from left; doug inglis, greg godovitz, steve shelski, brad lovatt Now without a record deal, Goddo went through several personnel changes, still doing gigs in and around the central Canada area for the next couple of years until their unofficial breakup. BEI Records issued 12 GAUGE GODDO in 1990, sparking a mini-reunion for select dates in Ontario and the region. The response given them prompted the release of THE KING OF THE BROKEN HEARTS in '92, which featured arguably some of the group's strongest material ever, including the title-track, the edgey "Dreams of New York City" and the tender "Lost Without Your Love".

Godovitz spent the end of the 90's on a variety of outside projects, including getting together with guitarists & long-time friends David Henman (ex-April Wine and Dudes) and Bob Segarini (Dudes, Wackers) for Carpet Frogs, Cats & Dogs, The Anger Brothers and The Greg Godovitz Orchestra - where he pays tribute to the British invasion of the 60's one of his personal 'musical-mentors'.

Godovitz's memoirs of the Canadian music scene were translated to book entitled TRAVELS WITH MY AMP in '99, the same year he signed with Canadian indie label Bullseye Records in 1999 in time for Goddo's silver anniversary, marked by a 2 concert date in Toronto which found its way to disc in 2001 called LIGHVE - SECOND BEST SEAT IN THE HOUSE, where they revive the old classics and cover some of the band's early influences, including "Little Red Rooster". In 2004 he released his first DVD, UP CLOSE AND UNCOMFORTABLE, a live set that also included personal, backstage and behind the scenes footage.

  • With notes from Greg Godovitz

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