The Perfect Crime

Today's selection recorded sometime in the summer of 1990 features London rabble rousers The Godfathers.  My first exposure to them came via an appearance on ITV's The Chart Show, albeit the Indie Top 10 countdown, with their cover of Sun Arise by then-kids' TV favourite, now convicted paedophile Rolf Harris. 

Eight of the fourteen songs featured here appeared on their 1987 album Birth, School, Work, Death, officially their debut (and, by then, on a major label, Epic) although their former label Corporate Image had issued an album in 1986, Hit By Hit, compiling the first three 12" singles.

 

At the time of recording this compilation, I had the Birth, School, Work, Death album, plus a handful of 12" singles. The Godfathers were a band that I never saw live, but wished I had. They disbanded in 2000, reformed in 2008 and appear to have been going strong ever since, particularly on the live circuit. 

 

Only lead singer Peter Coyne remains from the line up featured in today's selection. Whilst putting this post together, I listened to The Godfathers live at Rockpalast in 2020. The band sound brilliant, pumped up and capturing the energy of songs that are now over three decades old. Unfortunately, Coyne's performing voice seems to have gone the way of Ian McCulloch. Given his limited range to begin with, some of the songs do seem a bit beyond his reach now and at times painful to listen to. A real shame.

 

I've no idea how I managed to cram all of these songs onto a side of a C90 cassette, I can only assume my turntable was running a bit fast at the time. Still, here's (a bit over) three quarters of an hour of The Godfathers at the peak of their powers..

1) Birth, School, Work, Death (Album Version By Vic Maile & Steve Brown) (1987)

2) If I Only Had Time (1988) 

3) Angela (1987)

4) It's So Hard (1988)

5) 'Cause I Said So (1988)

6) I'm Unsatisfied (1986)

7) The Strangest Boy (1988)

8) Love Is Dead (Valentine Day Massacre Mix By Vic Maile) (1987)

9) Gone To Texas (1987)

10) Obsession (1988)

11) Tell Me Why (1988)

12) Miss That Girl (1987)

13) I Want Everything (1986)

14) When Am I Coming Down (Album Version By Vic Maile & Steve Brown) (1988)

 

1986: Sun Arise / I Want Everything EP: 6, 13

1987: Birth, School, Work, Death EP: 1, 12

1987: Love Is Dead EP: 3, 8, 9

1988: Birth, School, Work, Death: 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 10, 11, 14

The Perfect Crime (46:48)