The Coyne brothers (Peter and Chris), who founded The Godfathers, grew up in South London in a large close-knit Irish family.Β Although they drew early inspiration fromΒ The BeatlesΒ andΒ Elvis Presley, the Coynes became standard-bearers in the late-70s punk revolution.
Following a string of mostly unremarkable jobs broken by Peter’s three-year stint as a rock journalist, the brothers formed their own band, the ironically titled Sid Presley Experience in 1982.
The four-man group went on to enjoy some renown, releasing a near hit titledΒ Public Enemy Number OneΒ and appearing onΒ The Tube.Β Sadly, escalating tensions within the band led to onstage punch-ups, and the Coynes finally dismissed the offending members.
Subsequent auditions turned up Yorkshire natives Mike Gibson (guitar/vocals) and George Mazur (drums/vocals), and lead guitarist Kris Dollimore, from the island of Sheppey.
The reconstructed Sid Presley Experience played two British shows before hitting the US for a handful of dates in August 1985.
Upon their return, they dumped the name and became The Godfathers. Eager to get their fresh line-up on vinyl, the newly-named group scoured for a producer, finding a mentor in veteran engineer-producer Vic Maile, who had twiddled knobs on vintage sides byΒ The WhoΒ andΒ The KinksΒ and produced forΒ MotΓΆrhead.
A string of singles followed on The Godfathers’ own Corporate Image label, includingΒ This Damn Nation, their vitriolic depiction of dole queue desperation, and their defiant anthemΒ I Want Everything, which made strong inroads on the UK independent charts.
Encouraged by import sales in America, The Godfathers compiled their singles and B-sides, plus a version ofΒ John Lennon‘sΒ Cold Turkey, for their first US album,Β Hit By HitΒ (1987).
Their major label breakthrough came not from the British record industry but from Epic Records in America who signed them to a global deal. The singleΒ Birth, School, Work, DeathΒ – an aggressively scathing indictment of the circumscribed futures faced by ordinary folk inΒ Margaret Thatcher‘s Britain – was first released in England in October 1987 but failed to make a splash until it was re-released with the similarly named album in February 1988.
Eighteen years after their final studio album,Β AfterlifeΒ (1995), The Godfathers returned in 2013, battle-scarred but unrepentant withΒ Jukebox Fury.
Peter CoyneΒ
Vocals
Kris DollimoreΒ
Guitar, vocals
Mike GibsonΒ
Guitar, vocals
Chris CoyneΒ
Bass, vocals
George MazurΒ
Drums, vocals
Chris Burrows
Lead guitar