The Godz. Long Promised. Here It Is. Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. The Godz were a four piece band. Three of the members were Jim McCarthy, Larry Kessler and Paul Thornton. Who is the missing member? Hint: he played autoharp on the first two albums "Contact High With The Godz" and "Godz 2", left the band and apparently rejoined them briefly for some of their fourth and final album "Godzundheit".

Answer: Jay Dillon

Jay Dillon. In late 2005 it was established that Jay had died a few years prior (no I do not know what he died of or the exact date). He left the band after their second album and had no contact with the band again (the remaining members themselves as well as the label boss of ESP Disk did not know about his passing until years afterwards). Prior to the Godz he was an art director for ESP. Afterwards he supposedly was living a quiet life in New Jersey as a painter.

Tom Rapp? Leader and founder of Pearls Before Swine. Armand Schaubroeck? Former felon who released a triple LP rock opera about life in the big house after he was released from jail in the seventies. Brian Elliot? Part of fellow ESP label mates band Cro-Magnum (completely different yet not wholly dissimilar to the Godz in case you are curious).

2. The Godz released five albums (all for ESP Disk), three of them with four (or more) members: "Contact High With The Godz", Godz 2", "Godzundheit" and "Godz Bless California" (some might argue there was a sixth Godz album, but that, for now, unnamed record is generally considered to be a Jim McCarthy solo album). Their third album (recorded mostly as a trio) is missing here. What was it called?

Answer: The Third Testament

Released in 1968 "The Third Testament" was actually the second Godz album I ever heard (I lived in Germany from 1971-1976 and had only found their first album as a severely marked down Dutch pressing. I never even saw any other albums by them in Europe and getting their other three LPs was via somebody that I was at a boarding school with who was able to mail order records directly from New York). In some ways it might well be their most musically accessible album (I use that phrase very loosely here). Oddly enough all of the Godz albums were eventually reissued on CD. In Germany!

If the other three choices listed here are actual albums by anybody ever, well... that's news to me.

3. What is the name of the Godz tribute album released in 1996? Yes there actually IS a Godz tribute album. I am not putting you on. Hint: the title was one of ESP's slogans used to advertise the Godz.

Answer: Godz Is Not A Put-On

In 1886 Lissy's Records actually released a Godz tribute album which included a seven inch single containing two new tracks by Larry Kessler! Realistically this tribute album must have sold fifty to a hundred times as many copies as even the best selling Godz album ever did (note: originally the first vinyl pressing was limited to 500 copies). Bands included on the tribute are: Stereolab, Royal Trux and Male Slut.

4. In 1973 Jim McCarthy released a solo album (and yes: this is a solo album. Only one other regular member of The Godz, Paul Thornton - playing maracas, appears on a few tracks). What was the name of that record?

Answer: Alien

Often lumped in with the general Godz discography, 'Alien' is in fact a Jim McCarthy solo album. Not that the vibe is much different from a Godz album (it certainly sounds more like a Godz album than the Godz' final album 'Godz Bless California' album released in 1974 does). Additional collector trivia: Due to some serious (and visible) pressing flaws that appear on most copies out there, this is easily the hardest to find Godz related album in mint condition.

5. As far as their studio recordings are concerned The Godz recorded exactly two cover songs. What two songs by which two bands did they cover?

Answer: The Beatles-"You Won't See Me" and The Rolling Stones-"Jumping Jack Flash"

On their 1967 album 'Godz Two' they covered "You Won't See Me" and on 1973's 'Godzundheit' album they covered "Jumping Jack Flash". Note: their single of "The Whiffenpoof Song" purports to be the theme song of The Whiffenpoofs, Yale University's traditional a capella group. Having heard the "original" version of this I have some very serious doubts as to if THAT is the same song they are actually covering per se, hence I am not counting it as a 'Godz cover version'. Speaking of which...

6. In 1967 the Godz released a single (Yes. This band actually had aspirations of having a hit and they released a few singles!) entitled "The Whiffenpoof Song". One of their finest moments in my opinion. Oddly this song was not released on LP until their 1973 release 'Godzundheit'. This track has some of my all time favorite lyrics as its chorus - if you have taken one of my other 'one liners' quizzes here you already know the answer to this. What is the chorus to "The Wiffenpoof Song"?

Answer: BAAH BAAH BAH BAAAAAHH BAAH BAAH BAH BAAAAHH! BAAH BAAH BAH BAAAHH BAAAHH BAAAHH

I don't know about you but I genuinely wish this song had made it to the toppermost of the poppermost and stayed there for a few weeks. If for no other reason than to hear an entire nation of kids singing 'BAAH BAAH BAH BAAAAAHH BAAH BAAH BAH BAAAAHH! BAAH BAAH BAH BAAAHH BAAAHH BAAAHH' along with it and driving their parents crazy. I shan't even get into karaoke fantasies with regards to this track.

7. In this quiz I have listed what are official recordings released as 'The Godz' and mentioned some peripheral albums which some people consider to be actual Godz releases and which some (such as myself) do not consider to be proper Godz (as a band) releases per se. This question is with regards to one release not yet covered. On the spine of the original release it is credited to: Thornton, Fradkin & Unger And Big Band. The album was issued in 1974 on the ESP label at right around the same time as the final Godz album 'Godz Bless California'. BOTH albums feature essentially the same recordings and the cover claims to have Paul and Linda McCartney as featured guest musicians (a claim that Paul has never denied, so for all I know they might actually be playing on it somewhere). Due to the 'Paul & Linda' claim this might well be the most well known Godz (related) release. What is the title of this album?

Answer: Pass On This Side

Um... I've told you pretty much everything you might want to know about this release in the question. The original issue of 'Pass On This Side' came with a sheet of stickers so you could make the cover you wanted for the record to be packaged. Noted pothead (and recording 'artist' for both the Elektra and Apple record labels) David Peel also guested on the record (and he is MUCH easier to pick out than Paul or Linda are).

A German reviewer said the following (among a few other things) about the track "To Err Is Human" (albeit said with regards to discussing the track on the 'Godz Bless California' album. Same difference...): 'The worst song on the album is "To Err Is Human". I hope I shall never have to hear this song again. Imagine an incontinent child screaming and roaring for five minutes. Well this song is not that good'. So what else do you want to know about the record?

8. In the eighties an Italian record label issued vinyl and compact disc pirate (unauthorized, pirate) issues of just about everything ever released on the ESP Disk label (including the Godz records). What was the name of the Italian label that did this?

Answer: Base Records

Base Records might actually be a legit record label. But apparently they also were rather loose when it came to asking for (or actually obtaining) permission to release many albums, the ESP Disk catalogue for example. Over the intervening years original ESP founder Bernard Stollman had been reissuing everything on the label (although it would appear he still did not believe in actually paying the artists their due royalties). Bernard passed away in 2015. ESP's website is REAL easy to google and there is a TON of amazing stuff on that label if you are so inclined. Fontana actually did press up a legit issue of the first Godz LP (as well as a number of other releases on the ESP label in the late sixties/very early seventies.)

9. Godz member Jim McCarthy, after leaving the band, eventually went to work for Visa, where he eventually became a top Visa executive who was the company's key decision-maker on deals with big tech companies for quite a while. Eventually he was fired for behavior that "violated" company policy.

Answer: False

Sure. While there IS a former key employee that was fired from Visa for the reasons listed it is a different Jim McCarthy. OUR Jim McCarthy became a noted photographer and runs the School of the International Center of Photography in New York. He photographs musicians and his prints are widely collected internationally and he is in the permanent collection of The Museum of Modern Art. Way to go Jim!

10. Which member of the Godz did the very occasional and very infrequent live performance using 'The Godz' moniker, into the second decade of the 21st century?

Answer: Larry Kessler

He appeared at the SOWEBO Festival in Baltimore in 2017.

Speaking for myself: I would LOVE to see an actual Godz reunion (and have it come to Los Angeles). Heck I'd even settle for it just with Larry if that's all I can get. Just BRING IT TO LOS ANGELES! One of your biggest fans is waiting Lars! Do me a solid! I've been waiting for 45+ years to see you guys!

Source: Author UglyPancake

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor agony before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Haven't been around in a while (health issues). I figured I might as well at least TRY to get a Godz quiz completed & posted before I die (especially as I doubt anybody else ever will). I've been promising this quiz ever since starting here.

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