The Godfathers
| The Godfathers | |
|---|---|
 The Godfathers performing in Hamburg | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | London, England |
| Genres | Alternative rock |
| Years active | 1985–2000; 2008–present |
| Labels |
Corporate Image Epic |
| Members |
Peter Coyne Chris Coyne Del Bartle Grant Nicholas |
| Past members |
Kris Dollimore Mike Gibson George Mazur |
The Godfathers are an alternative rock band from London, England.
Career
The Godfathers were formed by Peter and Chris Coyne after the demise of The Sid Presley Experience in 1985. Fellow Sid Presley member, and current Godfather, Del Bartle went on to form The Unholy Trinity with drummer Kevin Murphy.
After independent single releases produced by Vic Maile, and collected on their debut album, Hit By Hit, they signed to Epic Records in 1987. Extensive tours of the UK, Europe and the United States followed. Their guitar-driven alternative rock sound foreshadowed the Britpop movement of the 1990s. The single "Birth, School, Work, Death" made the U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Top 40 in the late 1980s after heavy college radio airplay but they were only marginally recognised in the UK.
After the split of the original line-up the band briefly resurfaced in the 1990s and toured Europe and Australia. In 2003 Peter Coyne and Kris Dollimore contributed to an outfit called The Germans with Rat Scabies, formerly of The Damned. In 2008, the band began touring with its original line-up. In March 2009, the band announced a change - Del Bartle former Sid Presley Experience guitarist, replacing Kris Dollimore and Grant Nicholas replacing drummer George Mazur. In 2010 a live album 'Shot Live At The 100 Club' was released as a DVD/CD set on Secret records. 2011 saw the band release two download only singles 'Back Into The Future' and 'The Outsider' ..... both are also expected to form part of the studio album scheduled for early 2013 release. The band has continued touring extensively; after a relatively quiet 2012 on the gig front, drummer Dave Twigg replaced Grant Nicholas & the 'Jukebox Fury' album got finished with its release early 2013, a new album for a new year which already has a number of tours and festivals in the pipeline, including a month long UK tour supporting The Stranglers.
Line-up
- Peter Coyne - vocals
- Chris Coyne - bass, vocals
- Del Bartle - guitar, vocals
- Grant Nicholas - drums, percussion, vocals
Discography
Albums
- Hit by Hit - 1986
- Birth, School, Work, Death - 1988[1]
- More Songs About Love and Hate - 1989[1]
- Unreal World - 1991
- Dope, Rock 'n' Roll, and Fucking in the Streets (Live) - 1992
- The Godfathers - 1993
- Afterlife - 1995
- Birth, School, Work, Death: The Best of the Godfathers - 1996
- Jukebox Fury - 2013
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Modern Rock | U.S. Mainstream Rock | |||
| 1985 | "Capo Di Tuti Capi EP" | Hit by Hit | ||
| 1986 | "This Damn Nation" | |||
| "Sun Arise" | ||||
| 1987 | "Love Is Dead" | Birth, School, Work, Death | ||
| 1988 | "Birth, School, Work, Death" | 38 | ||
| "Cause I Said So" | ||||
| 1989 | "She Gives Me Love" | 8 | More Songs About Love and Hate | |
| 1990 | "I'm Lost and Then I'm Found " | |||
| 1991 | "Unreal World" | 6 | Unreal World | |
| 1993 | "Strange About Today" | The Godfathers | ||
| 1995 | "That Special Feeling" | Afterlife | ||
| 2011 | "Back Into The Future" | download single | ||
| 2011 | "The Outsider" | download single | ||
| 2012 | "Primitive Man" | download single | ||