Formed in Melbourne in 1986, the members of God were all 15 or 16 at the time[1][2] Bruce Milne of Au Go Go Records signed the band and released "My Pal" as their debut single in January 1988.
"[5] Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, observed, "[they] had an alternative #1 hit on their hands before they were even old enough to get beer riders at their gigs!
"[1] Junkee described it as, "a frenetic ballad that contains one of the most iconic riffs in modern Australian rock — famously, they were often turned away from the venues that they were booked to play on account of being underage.
The resounding charm of My Pal lies in the fact that it sounds like the same was true of the people who made it.
[3] Andrew Stafford, writer of Pig City: from the Saints to Savage Garden, listed "My Pal" at 24 in his "Australian Songbook", saying, "it was such a towering feat that, unfortunately, it overshadowed everything else they ever did".