Goddo

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After leaving Fludd, Toronto native and local bass wiz Greg Godovitz formed Goddo along with guitarist Gino Scarpelli 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 independent 45 which featured a copy of The Kingsmen's "Louie Louie" later that year. Saying it didn't set the world on fire is an understatement and the trio continued to pay their dues in dimly-lit bars the next couple of years until they were signed to a deal and released 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.

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 second-rate act.

AN ACT OF GODDO hit the shelves a year later and again, though honestly nothing special, served up a fine assortment of heavy hitters like "So Walk On" to the tender ballad "Chantal". Their studio maturity was also beginning to shine through by including a classical prelude with full orchestration in "Anacanapanacana", though Godovitz was experimenting with that sort of thing long before, while still with Fludd. Another series of regional tours followed but the group was still being met with mixed reviews.

The group's fourth effort came in '79 in the form of PRETTY BAD BOYS. Though the record company was finally showing a little enthusiasm for them by releasing two singles, neither the title track nor "Fortune In Men's Eyes" achieved any real great success for them.

The group recorded two nights in Barrie, Ontario and released the result as BEST SEAT IN THE HOUSE that same year. Though honestly nothing ground breaking, the 2-record set did capture their electricity on stage, particularly during "So Walk On" and "O Carol, Kiss My Whip", a tongue in cheek tribute to Carol Pope of Rough Trade (rumoured at the time to have been a man at one time - may be true, you'd have to see her). Notable is on the first night, Goddo had a comedian for backup 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 Carrey.

Now without a record deal, Goddo went through several personnel changes, still doing bars and small gigs in and around the central Canada area for the next couple of years until their breakup. Their reunion album was called 12 GAUGE GODDO and was released in 1990. Staying true to Goddo-form, the record was nothing particularly captivating, yet wasn't that hard to listen to either. A series of dates met with a relatively kind response and convinced Godovitz to keep the band going and then released KING OF THE BROKEN HEARTS in 1992. By this time however what renewed interest there was in Goddo had died out and the band again disbanded in '93.

Like many other groups, Goddo failed to crack the big markets and was unable to even build a substantial loyal following on their native soil. It should however be noted that Goddo was a great act caught in the wrong time. Anything other than what was "in" during the cross-over between disco and new wave was usually destined to limited, if any, success ... no matter how well-written the music. And Canadian radio has also always been criticized (and rightfully so) for not supporting its own. The group did however enjoy a great deal of success in small pockets across the globe, including Australia and certain parts of Europe. Greg Godovitz may be on the list of most under-appreciated musicians in Canadian history. With intricate but simple guitar-work, classical preludes, delicate harmonies and pounding thunder when they wanted ... Goddo was truly multi-dimensional. All in all, Godovitz and company served up a mean dish of rock and roll, that always had their fans coming back for seconds, proving that Goddo fans are usually DIE-HARD

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