The Godz (Ohio band)

The Godz are an American hard rock band from Columbus, Ohio that formed in the 1970s.

History

Formed in 1976, the band conceived their moniker only to later learn of a band from New York City already known as The Godz. A monetary settlement allowed them to keep their name. The Godz did not even have a recording contract when they hit the road with Kiss alongside Cheap Trick in 1977. The band released its first, eponymous, album the next year on Millennium Records. In addition to being on the Kiss Love Gun Tour, they played on what was billed the Heaven and Hell Tour by embarking on the road with Angel. In 1979, band's original label, Millennium Records, changed its distribution from Casablanca Records to RCA Records and the Millennium label was subsequently folded altogether. Millennium's parent label, Casablanca Records, picked up The Godz to fulfill their contractual obligation with the band but had no particular enthusiasm for them when their second album, Nothing is Sacred, was released the same year. Whatever the group's merits, The Godz went unappreciated by elite rock critics; the 1983 Rolling Stone Record Guide described them as a "Miserable hard-rock quartet from Columbus/Deavertown, Ohio, epitomiz[ing] the most wretched excesses of Seventies rock." With little label support, the band hit the road again with the likes of Blue Oyster Cult, Kansas, Iggy Pop, and Judas Priest. By late 1980, suffering from lack of label support and general exhaustion, the original Godz split-up, although

Bob Goodwin who was once one of the top100 guitar players in the country according to guitar player magazine,and Mark Chatfield have returned at various points (Goodwin most recently did a rock on the range tour with the Godz in 2016,2017,2018), with Eric Moore remaining the constant force (see the official Godz website for more information). For a few brief times in-and-between the years since 1981, Moore attempted to do-away with the "Godz" moniker, calling it among other things, The Eric Moore Band. But it never seemed to matter to the legions of fans, who continued to call it "The Godz" regardless. So as 1982 came to a close, The Godz were all but reforming; and were fully ramped-up and back on the road the next year. The Godz 1985 album, I'll Get You Rockin', a European release on the Heavy Metal America label did quite well, spawning a hit video of the title-track in England. That year and the next they went on the road with Metallica as they supported Master of Puppets on their Damage Inc. Tour with Ozzy Osbourne. This activity was followed by Mongolians in 1987, a domestic release on Grudge Records, featuring revamped versions of several tunes from the previous record. It turned out to be one of the best-selling independent albums of the year. In 1995, three-quarters of the classic Godz lineup reunited for a live concert which was recorded and released as Greatest Hits Live. In 2003, some brand-new Godz material surfaced on the compilation, 25 Moore Years.^[1]

Discography

• The Godz [1978]
• Nothing is Sacred [1979]
• Vinyl Ecstasy [1981] (Columbus Ohio radio station WLVQ-FM96 compilation album featuring the Eric Moore single - "I Won't Be Lonely Tonight")
• I'll Get You Rockin [1985]
• Mongolians [1987]
• Greatest Hits Live [1995]
• Power Rock from USA [1997] (Compilation album consisting of the entire first album, plus eight of the ten songs from Nothing Is Sacred. "I Don't Wanna Go Home" isn't listed on the CD but plays as the hidden 15th track.)
• Eric Moore and The Godz: 25 Moore Years, [2003]

Members

• Eric Moore- (original member) – vocals, Bass guitar
• Bob Goodwin-- vocals, guitar
• Mark Carlisle- vocals, Guitar, bass guitar
• Jeff Boggs- Guitar guitar
• Bruce Collins- LEAD harmonica

References