The Skopes

Growing up, high school friends Buddy Good and James Marvell would while away the hours in Brandon, Florida singing and writing songs together. Buddy & James wrote many songs during their teenage years and even had songs published by The Isley Brothers’ publishing company in New York. It was during this time that James and Buddy formed there first band together The Skopes. In 1965 Buddy happened to run into John Centinaro, the manager of a local record store, in Tampa, called Ron's Record Shop. Buddy invited Centinaro over to hear the bands garage rehearsals and he liked what he heard.Thanks to John the band started recording at an early age. John was also instrumental in getting there single "She's Got Bad Breath" & "Tears In Your Eyes", issued in the summer of 1967 on the USA label out of Chicago.The song features John and company doing a "mersey beat" spoof on the A side, with a decent mid tempo song on the B Side. Unfortunately for the band the Scope Mouthwash Company didn't see the funny side of "She's Got Bad Breath" and banned the song. It was this decision that forced the duo to change their group name to The Surprize.