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Following a frustrating stint with Fludd, bassist Greg Godovitz formed 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). The
connection made a good temporary home for the 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 recorded two nights live in Barrie, Ontario, to produce
the double live album Live: 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 resurrgence for rock bands on the Canadian bar scene
again and BEI released a "best of" package in 1990 called 12 Gauge Goddo. 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 Anger Brothers (previously called the Greg
Godovitz Orchestra & Chorus) with fellow Toronto rocker Bob Segarini, was a member of No Flies On Frank with former Fludd member Ed Pilling for quite some time, is the music director for Ronnie Hawkins'
band (in which he also plays bass) and he was a guitar player in the Blues On Bellair All-Stars - simultaneously.
2001 saw Bullseye release the newly-recorded second live album, appropriately titled
2nd Best Seat In The House. This CD has become one of Goddo's best sellers as the band toured Canada extensively in support of it and in conjunction with Greg's new book, "Travels With My Amp".
2003 saw Goddo back in the studio recording their first new studio album for the masses since 1993 called 'Kings Of The Stoned Age'. The songs "Rock Star" and "Such A Fool" were
released as radio singles.
2005 marks the band's 30th Anniversary and new, invigorated version of the band now features Greg Godovitz, Doug Inglis, Brad Lovatt (formerly of The Anger Brothers) and
Steve Shelski (of Coney Hatch). |
