The Godfathers

The Godfathers surfaced from London almost a decade after U.K. punk's initial wave, fusing that movement's raw attack and attitude with hard rock, R&B, and pop ingredients. The resulting sound gained enough refinement and accessibility to reach wider audiences while retaining the fury that defined their strongest material.

Peter Coyne and his brother Chris Coyne, both veterans of the Sid Presley Experience, launched the Godfathers in 1985 after their previous group dissolved. They recruited guitarists Kris Dollimore and Mike Gibson alongside drummer George Mazur, then issued the four-track EP Capo di Tutti Capi on their own Corporate Image label before the year closed. Their swift output pace enabled the 1986 compilation Hit by Hit, drawn from prior EPs and singles. Steady U.K., European, and U.S. touring soon attracted Epic Records, which signed the band.

Birth, School, Work, Death, their 1988 Epic debut, performed well commercially and generated the title track plus "'Cause I Said So," both of which received MTV and modern-rock airplay. The title song also reached number 38 on the Mainstream Rock chart. More Songs About Love & Hate followed in 1989, spawning the Modern Rock hit "She Gives Me Love" that peaked at number eight. The title song of 1991's Unreal World climbed to number six on the same chart, yet neither album translated single success into broad sales, ending the group's Epic tenure. They reactivated Corporate Image for the 1992 live album Dope, Rock 'n' Roll & Fucking in the Streets. The Godfathers, known to fans as "The Orange Album" for its cover imagery, appeared in Europe in 1993, followed by the 1995 European release Afterlife. Diminishing interest led to a breakup in 2000.

The original lineup reconvened for a 2008 reunion tour, though Kris Dollimore exited the following year and was replaced by guitarist Del Bartle. George Mazur departed soon afterward, with Grant Nicholas assuming the drum chair. This configuration documented its first 25 years on the 2010 live album Shot Live at the 100 Club. Returning to the studio after an 18-year gap, the band released Jukebox Fury in 2013. Its current members—lead vocalist Peter Coyne, guitarists Steve Crittal and Mauro Venegas, bassist Darren Birch, and drummer Tim James—delivered the new studio album A Big Bad Beautiful Noise in 2017.