The Godfathers

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This article is about the rock band. For the article about the hip hop duo, see The Godfathers (rap duo). For the article about the movie, see The Godfather. For other uses, see Godfather.

The Godfathers
The Godfathers performing in Hamburg in 2009
The Godfathers performing in Hamburg in 2009
Background information
OriginLondon, England
Genres
Years active1985–2000; 2008–present
LabelsCorporate Image
Epic
Intercord Records
MembersPeter Coyne
Jon Priestley
Billy Duncanson
Wayne Vermaak
Richie Simpson
Past membersSteve Crittall
Alex McBain
Tim James
Darren Birch
Chris Coyne
Kris Dollimore
Mike Gibson
George Mazur
Chris Burrows
Ali Byworth
Paul-Ronney Angel
Ronnie Rocka
Del Bartle
Grant Nicholas
Dave Twigg
Mauro Venegas
Websitethegodfathersofficial.com

The Godfathers are an English rock band from London, England, with strong influences from R&B and punk.[4]

Career[edit]

The Godfathers were formed by Peter and Chris Coyne (vocals and bass, respectively) after the demise of The Sid Presley Experience in 1985,[5] joined by Mike Gibson (guitar), Kris Dollimore (guitar) and George Mazur (drums). Peter Coyne had briefly worked as a music journalist from 1980 to 1982 for ZigZag and Record Mirror.[6] Fellow TSPE member, and later Godfather, Del Bartle, went on to form The Unholy Trinity with drummer Kevin Murphy.[7]

After independent single releases produced by Vic Maile,[8] and collected on their debut album, Hit by Hit,[8] they signed to Epic Records in 1987. Extensive tours of the UK, Europe and the United States followed. Single and title track of their first album[9] "Birth, School, Work, Death" made the U.S. Billboard Top 40 in 1988[10] after college radio and MTV airplay but the band were less commercially successful in the UK.

Albums More Songs About Love and Hate (1989)[11] and Unreal World (1991)[12] followed, with Chris Burrows replacing Kris Dollimore on guitar in time for the latter, after which the Godfathers left Epic and released a live album and two studio albums on German label Intercord in the early to mid-1990s. The band ceased activity in 2000.

In 2003, Peter Coyne and Kris Dollimore played briefly in a band called the Germans with Rat Scabies, formerly of the Damned.[13]

Reformation[edit]

In 2008, the band reformed with its original line-up. In March 2009, the band announced a change with Del Bartle returning to replace Kris Dollimore. Grant Nicholas later replaced George Mazur on drums, and Mike Gibson also left the band. In 2010, a live album, Shot Live at the 100 Club, was released as a CD/DVD set on Secret Records.

2011 saw the band release two download-only singles "Back Into the Future" and "The Outsider". "Primitive Man" followed the next year and all were included on their comeback album Jukebox Fury,[14] released in 2013. Promotion for the album included a month-long UK tour supporting the Stranglers and drummer Dave Twigg stepping in for recently departed Grant Nicholas. 2014 saw another fresh line-up change, with two new guitarists, Mauro Venegas and Steve Crittall, replacing Del Bartle, and Tim James replacing (the recently returned) Grant Nicholas on drums. A new double-sided single, "Till My Heart Stops Beating" / "Rewind Time" was released in June 2015, and the band undertook several European and UK tours, also celebrating their 30th anniversary with a headline show at the 100 Club where they played 30 songs – one for each year – over the course of two sets.

In 2016, Chris Coyne left the band and was replaced by Darren Birch, formerly of Gunfire Dance, and touring bassist for both Walter Lure and Brian James (ex-the Damned). The new line-up recorded a new album, A Big Bad Beautiful Noise, in Birmingham that summer, which was released in February 2017, preceded by a single, "You Don't Love Me". Reviews hailed the album as the band's best in many years, with Vive Le Rock claiming it was "up there with the Godfathers' '80s classics".

During the A Big Bad Beautiful Noise 2017 tour through Europe, Mauro Venegas left the band and was replaced by guitarist Alex McBain.[15]

In 2019, Peter Coyne announced he had parted ways with the previous Godfathers line-up, stating that he can "no longer work, tour or perform with Steve, Tim, Alex and Darren."[16] With a new line-up consisting of bassist Jon Priestley, guitarists Richie Simpson and Wayne Vermaak, and drummer Billy Duncanson, the Godfathers released the double A-side single "I'm Not Your Slave"/"Wild and Free" on 17 June 2020,[17] followed by the album Alpha Beta Gamma Delta in September 2022.[18]

Discography[edit]

Studio albums[edit]

Live albums[edit]

  • Dope, Rock 'n' Roll and Fucking in the Streets (1992, Corporate Image)
  • Shot Live at the 100 Club (2011, Secret Records Limited) – includes live DVD
  • This Is War! The Godfathers Live! (2019, Godfathers Recordings)

Compilation albums and reissues[edit]

  • Birth, School, Work, Death: The Best of the Godfathers (1996, Epic)
  • Birth, School, Work, Death: Hits, Rarities and Gems (2007, CMG)
  • Hit By Hit [2CD edition] (2008, Corporate Image)
  • Birth, School, Work, Death [expanded edition] (2011, Lemon Recordings)
  • More Songs About Love and Hate [expanded edition] (2011, Lemon Recordings)
  • The Godfathers (aka The Orange Album) [2CD edition] (2013, Godfathers Recordings)

Extended plays[edit]

Title Year Label Tracks
Capo Di Tutti Capi 1985 Corporate Image
  • "Lonely Man"
  • "I Want You"
  • "Sticks and Stones" (recorded September 1985)
The Radio One Sessions – The Evening Show 1989
  • "If I Only Had Time"
  • "I Want Everything"
  • "I'm Unsatisfied"
  • "I Wan't You" (recorded May 1986)
Out on the Floor 1990 Epic
  • "I'm Lost and Then I'm Found" (album version)
  • "Birth, School, Work, Death" (Extended Mix)
  • "She Gives Me Love" (Keith LeBlanc Love Mix)
  • "She Gives Me Love" (Mega Dance Mix Authority)
Live in Texas E.P. Epic
  • "I'm Lost and Then I'm Found"
  • "Walking Talking Johnny Cash Blues"
  • "Blitzkrieg Bop"
  • "How Low Is Low?" (recorded live July 1989)
A Big Bad Beautiful E.P. 2017 Godfathers Recordings
  • "A Big Bad Beautiful Noise"
  • "You're So Slow"
  • "Defibrillator" (High Voltage Mix)
  • "Human Zoo"
Midnight Rider 2022 Godfathers Recordings
  • "Midnight Rider"
  • "OCD"
  • "When the Cowards Fall"
  • "Fade Away"
I Hate the 21st Century 2023 Godfathers Recordings
  • "I Hate the 21st Century"
  • "You Gotta Wait"
  • "Straight Down the Line" (acoustic version)
  • "Tonight" (acoustic version)

Singles[edit]

Year Title UK
[21] 		UK Indie Chart
[19] 		U.S. Modern Rock U.S. Mainstream Rock Album
1986 "This Damn Nation" - 37 - - Hit by Hit
"Sun Arise" - 6 - -
1987 "Love Is Dead" - 3 - - Non-album single
"Birth, School, Work, Death" 80 - - 38 Birth, School, Work, Death
1988 "Cause I Said So" - - - -
"Love Is Dead" (re-recorded version) 100 - - -
1989 "She Gives Me Love" 86 - 8 - More Songs About Love and Hate
1990 "I'm Lost and Then I'm Found" - - - -
1991 "Unreal World" 83 - 6 - Unreal World
1993 "Strange About Today" - - - - The Godfathers
1995 "That Special Feeling" - - - - Afterlife
2011 "Back Into the Future" - - - - Jukebox Fury
"The Outsider" - - - -
2012 "Primitive Man" - - - -
2015 "Rewind Time" * / "Till My Heart Stops Beating" - - - - A Big Bad Beautiful Noise
* (not on album)
2017 "You Don't Love Me" - - - -
2020 "I'm Not Your Slave" / "Wild and Free" * - - - - Alpha Beta Gamma Delta
* (not on album)
2022 "Midnight Rider" - - - -

Other appearances[edit]

  • "Cause I Said So" appeared on the soundtrack to the 1988 film Permanent Record.
  • "It's So Hard" appeared on the 7" compilation Sounds – Waves 2, which was given away with Sounds magazine's March 1988 issue.

Band members[edit]

Main article: List of the Godfathers band members

Current members[edit]

  • Peter Coyne – lead vocals (1985–2000; 2008–present)
  • Jon Priestley – bass, backing vocals (2019–present)
  • Richie Simpson – guitar, backing vocals (2019–present)
  • Wayne Vermaak – guitar, backing vocals (2019–2023)
  • Billy Duncanson – drums, backing vocals (2019–present)

References[edit]

  1. ^ Deming, Mark. "The Godfathers Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
  2. ^ Shtreis, Irina (2 August 2022). "The Godfathers detail new album". Louder Than War. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
  3. ^ Snipper, Andy (2 June 2020). "The Godfathers – Wild & Free / I'm Not Your Slave". music-news.com. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
  4. ^ "Godfathers". TrouserPress.com. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
  5. ^ Appelstein, Mike (22 February 2011). "Interview: Godfathers Vocalist Peter Coyne on Acting, Journalism and New Songs | Riverfront Times". Blogs.riverfronttimes.com. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
  6. ^ Sullivan, Damian (5 July 2020). "Q And A With: Peter Coyne, The Godfathers". Maximum Volume Music. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
  7. ^ "Godfathers : Interview Part 1". Pennyblackmusic.co.uk. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
  8. ^ a b "the dumbing of americaHistory Lesson: The Godfathers". the dumbing of america. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
  9. ^ Michael Sutton. "Birth, School, Work, Death – The Godfathers | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
  10. ^ William Ruhlmann. "The Godfathers | Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
  11. ^ Mark Deming (2 May 1989). "More Songs About Love & Hate – The Godfathers | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
  12. ^ Tom Demalon. "Unreal World – The Godfathers | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
  13. ^ "Peter Coyne, Chris Coyne & Del Bartle – The Godfathers – Uber Rock Interview Exclusive". Uberrock.co.uk. 31 October 2013. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
  14. ^ "Godfathers : Interview Part 2". Pennyblackmusic.co.uk. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
  15. ^ "The Godfathers "The Godfathers" "London based Rock'n'Roll"". The Godfathers "The Godfathers" "London based Rock'n'Roll". Retrieved 24 February 2018.
  16. ^ Vive Le Rock magazine #66
  17. ^ Ironside, Gus (12 June 2020). "Single reviews – I'm Not Your Slave / Wild and Free". Is This Music?. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  18. ^ Babey, Ged (21 August 2022). "Alpha Beta Gamma Delta – album review". Louder Than War. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  19. ^ a b Lazell, Barry (1997). Indie Hits 1980–1989'. Cherry Red Books. ISBN 0-9517206-9-4.
  20. ^ a b Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 229. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  21. ^ "Official Charts". UK Singles Chart. Retrieved 15 September 2022.

External links[edit]

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