Biography
Goddo captured its jaded outlook with a memorable remark on the follow-up record: "If indeed it is lonely at the top, who cares." The same record added the weary punchline, "It's lonely at the bottom, too." That sardonic motto captured both the Canadian power trio's long, bumpy path and the dark humor the members applied to every setback. Their vision of worldwide success stayed out of reach, yet the musicians kept riding the ups and downs of the domestic music business for decades without losing their appetite for the ride.
The long climb from the bottom started in 1975 after bassist Greg Godovitz exited the Toronto pop band Fludd. Determined to pursue heavier material, he enlisted guitarist Gino Scarpelli, a Hendrix disciple previously active in the glitter-rock group Brutus, and longtime friend Marty Morin on drums. To avoid mispronunciations of Godovitz's nickname, the trio inserted an extra consonant and became Goddo. They endured the relentless Canadian club circuit, performing three sets nightly, six nights a week, and driving long distances between shows. After a year Morin stepped away to drive a school bus, opening the drum chair for Ottawa's Doug Inglis. The new timekeeper's solid playing and physical resemblance to Morin also spared the band the expense of fresh promotional photos.
With the lineup stabilized, momentum built. The self-titled debut arrived in 1977 and included "Bus Driver Blues," Godovitz's pointed farewell to Morin. The album showcased the band's blend of straightforward rock, emotional ballads, and risqué lyrics. A year later came Who Cares, an album Godovitz produced under the alias Thomas Morley-Turner, reportedly to satisfy label demands for an outside producer. The record stood as the group's peak achievement, mixing stronger pop hooks, classical passages, and humorous interludes with lust-driven rock tracks such as the signature groupie tribute "Sweet Thing." Its reception lifted the band's profile, yet rising income and heavier touring also fueled increased drug use and internal friction.
While tracking the third album, 1979's An Act of Goddo, at the Bee Gees' studio, Godovitz reportedly dismissed Maurice Gibb's suggestion of collaboration by labeling the Bee Gees' music "disco crap." He further strained relations with the industry by placing the anti-contract rant "Sign on the Line" on the finished record. The album received scant notice, and Goddo soon found itself without a label. A short stay at Attic Records yielded the 1981 live set Lighve: Best Seat in the House and the studio follow-up Pretty Bad Boys later that year. Its title track supplied the band's sole hit single and earned a 1982 Juno Award nomination for Most Promising New Group, an honor that arrived well after the members had already logged years on the road.
Financial strain and personal tensions finally dissolved the original lineup in 1983. Scarpelli and Inglis pursued other projects while Godovitz attempted to revive the name as Godo with replacement musicians. Relations eventually thawed, leading to a 1989 reunion that brought Morin back on percussion. The best-of collection 12 Gauge Goddo appeared in 1990, followed in 1992 by the studio album King of Broken Hearts. After that release underperformed, the band again went separate ways. Another regrouping occurred in the late 1990s, culminating in the 2001 Bullseye Records disc 2nd Best Seat in the House: 25th Anniversary Lighve, the first Goddo album in ten years. In the wake of that year's terrorist attacks in the U.S., the group recorded and issued the charity single "New York City's Burning" to benefit the Red Cross.
The long climb from the bottom started in 1975 after bassist Greg Godovitz exited the Toronto pop band Fludd. Determined to pursue heavier material, he enlisted guitarist Gino Scarpelli, a Hendrix disciple previously active in the glitter-rock group Brutus, and longtime friend Marty Morin on drums. To avoid mispronunciations of Godovitz's nickname, the trio inserted an extra consonant and became Goddo. They endured the relentless Canadian club circuit, performing three sets nightly, six nights a week, and driving long distances between shows. After a year Morin stepped away to drive a school bus, opening the drum chair for Ottawa's Doug Inglis. The new timekeeper's solid playing and physical resemblance to Morin also spared the band the expense of fresh promotional photos.
With the lineup stabilized, momentum built. The self-titled debut arrived in 1977 and included "Bus Driver Blues," Godovitz's pointed farewell to Morin. The album showcased the band's blend of straightforward rock, emotional ballads, and risqué lyrics. A year later came Who Cares, an album Godovitz produced under the alias Thomas Morley-Turner, reportedly to satisfy label demands for an outside producer. The record stood as the group's peak achievement, mixing stronger pop hooks, classical passages, and humorous interludes with lust-driven rock tracks such as the signature groupie tribute "Sweet Thing." Its reception lifted the band's profile, yet rising income and heavier touring also fueled increased drug use and internal friction.
While tracking the third album, 1979's An Act of Goddo, at the Bee Gees' studio, Godovitz reportedly dismissed Maurice Gibb's suggestion of collaboration by labeling the Bee Gees' music "disco crap." He further strained relations with the industry by placing the anti-contract rant "Sign on the Line" on the finished record. The album received scant notice, and Goddo soon found itself without a label. A short stay at Attic Records yielded the 1981 live set Lighve: Best Seat in the House and the studio follow-up Pretty Bad Boys later that year. Its title track supplied the band's sole hit single and earned a 1982 Juno Award nomination for Most Promising New Group, an honor that arrived well after the members had already logged years on the road.
Financial strain and personal tensions finally dissolved the original lineup in 1983. Scarpelli and Inglis pursued other projects while Godovitz attempted to revive the name as Godo with replacement musicians. Relations eventually thawed, leading to a 1989 reunion that brought Morin back on percussion. The best-of collection 12 Gauge Goddo appeared in 1990, followed in 1992 by the studio album King of Broken Hearts. After that release underperformed, the band again went separate ways. Another regrouping occurred in the late 1990s, culminating in the 2001 Bullseye Records disc 2nd Best Seat in the House: 25th Anniversary Lighve, the first Goddo album in ten years. In the wake of that year's terrorist attacks in the U.S., the group recorded and issued the charity single "New York City's Burning" to benefit the Red Cross.
Albums
