Casablanca was a seriously weird record label. Neil Bogart’s brainchild was primarily a disco label (it was the home of Donna Summer, after all), yet it made its fortune on the backs of KISS. True story: the label almost lost that same fortune on a compilation album of Johnny Carson clips. And they were Parliament’s label.
Bogart was an old-school huckster who’d try anything for a buck, and the brings us to Ohio’s The Godz. The band sounded a bit like Grand Funk Railroad and looked like a mix of Twisted Sister and The Ramones. The unsigned Godz picked up a support slot opening for a Cheap Trick/KISS bill, and I guess the rest is history.
They filled a lot of opener slots over the next few years, most notably for Metallica in 1985 when they were touring the legendary Master of Puppets. And though over the years they built something of a cult following, the band never really made it big.
Remarkably, a version of The Godz is still out there. You can visit them here: http://www.thegodzofficial.com. As for 1979’s Nothing is Sacred, it regularly trades in the 5-10 dollar range, but I’ve seen it for as low as a buck. Happy hunting.
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Categories: From the Stacks, Music
Those were the days – bikes, long hair and adoring girls. Not the image of 2013 man…
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Wow – I am timidly voting that this deserves a slot in the BACHOF, I am not sure why. There is nothing particularly horrifying about it, but I find it mildly repulsive and I cannot stop staring at it. Doesn’t that fit the criteria? Or maybe something has suddenly gone haywire in my brain, you be the judge.
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It’s a strong candidate for sure.
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I am rather disturbed by the fact that blonde guy on the back cover appears to have a camel toe going on.
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We all are, Laura. We all are.
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Does anyone know who the girls are?
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The girls were local NYC models that I worked with. No one famous. (I was the photographer)
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You’re Len Kaltman? Cool! I would love to know what other albums/bands on which you were the photographer 😻
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