Goddo

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Following a frustrating stint with Fludd, bassist Greg Godovitz formed the music group Goddo along with former Brutus guitarist Gino Scarpelli and drummer Marty Morin in 1975. The band made the rounds touring clubs in central Canada with occasional forays into the US as a means to perfect their stage show and original chops.

Later that year they released an Indie single of "Louie Louie" which, if nothing else, helped them secure more work in the Ontario bar scene. The band suffered a steady diet of bar circuit gigs over the next two years before finally attracting the attention of Polydor Records who signed the group and released their self-titled debut in 1977. Songs like "Under My Hat" began to set the stage for Goddo's place on Rock radio.

In true Greg Godovitz bravado, the follow-up album in 1978 was bolder, brasher and sported an attention grabbing title: 'If Indeed It's Lonely At The Top...WHO CARES...It's Lonely At The Bottom Too! The songs even reflected a rather barbed view of rock and roll lifestyles and the music industry in general with tracks like "Cock On" (a song about the censored Fludd album of the same name), "Carole (Kiss My Whip)", and "Drop Dead (That's Who)".

1979 saw momentum build on the back of the radio favourite "Sweet Thing" with the 'An Act Of Goddo' - a mixture of the tried and true power trio rock tracks and a more mature orchestrated assortment of ballads like the timeless "Chantal".

Mixed critical and commercial success put an end to the band's record deal. Gino Scarpelli began working with acts on an El Mocambo Records compilation as a side project called 'Toronto Calling' (he appeared as part of a studio act called Bongo Fury with Bill Wade from the band Moxy. The connection made a good temporary home for Goddo charity single "Fortune In Men's Eyes", an ode to Godovitz's late Fludd partner Brian Pilling.

In 1980 Goddo moved onto Attic Records for what would become their most successful commercial release with Pretty Bad Boys and the hit single title track.

With national tour support the band produced two night live in Barrie, Ontario to produce the double live album 'Lighve: Best Seat In The House'. It was not a big seller and the band fell into obscurity.

By the end of the 1980's there was a resurgence for rock bands in the Canadian bar scene again and BEI released a 'best of' package in 1990 called '12 Gauge Goddo' and was released in 1990. With the critical re-evaluation of Goddo's historical place in the CanCon pantheon, the band decided to reunite for 1992's' King Of Broken Hearts'. But the praise was short lived leaving Goddo to drift back into retirement mode only occasionally reuniting throughout the post-grunge '90s.

Godovitz would return to the spotlight in 1994 as a member of The Carpet Frogs who released one CD in 1995. Godovitz in recent years has been fronting a British Invasion cover band called the Greg Godovitz orchestra with fellow Toronto rocker Bob Segarini.

With the year 2000 marking Goddo's 25th Anniversary, there is a tour ongoing, another live album and an autobiography by Godovitz.

2005 saw Goddo play Voyageur Days Festival in Mattawa, Ontario, Canada (near North Bay) with other Canadian classic rockers Moxy ,Chilliwack , Trooper, Toronto, Killer Dwarfs & Ray Lyell for the 30th anniversary of the release of the debut album by the band Moxy.

[edit] Discography

Albums

1977 Goddo (Polydor)

1978 Who Cares (Fat Cat/Polydor)

1979 An Act Of Goddo (Polydor)

1981 Pretty Bad Boys (Attic)

1982 Lighve: Best Seat In The House (Attic)

1990 12 Gauge Goddo (BEI/MCA)

1992 King of The Broken Hearts (Justin/MCA)

Singles

1975 Louie Louie (independent)

1980 Fortune In Men's Eyes (El Mocambo)

1981 Pretty Bad Boy (Attic)