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John “The Baptist” Gosling
Keyboards, vocals
John was classically trained as an organist and pianist.
Baptist joined The Kinks in 1970. His audition was the recording session for Lola. He appeared on Top Of The Pops, and in the video for Apeman dressed in a gorilla suit.
John had joined the Kinks in time for their first United States tour since their notorious ban. He stayed with the band through most of the 1970s, keyboards playing an ever more prominent role in their output, on the classic album Muswell Hillbillies, Everybody’s in Showbiz (which included the wonderful Celluloid Heroes and Sitting In My Hotel), through the concept albums period and into the return to rock Arista period, which proved so successful in the USA.
Baptist left the Kinks with replacement bassist Andy Pyle, after completing the Misfits album in 1978 to form his own band Network, who recorded an (unreleased) album for Phonogram, at the famed Morgan studios in Willesden,
In the 80s John formed Rough Diamond with his son and his friends (the set list included a Where Have All The Good Times Gone and You Really Got Me medley). At that time he was also a member of The Hill o' Beans Theatre Company in Hemel Hempstead - they staged Casablanca in black and white at the Edinburgh Festival and sold out every show! John played the character Sam (wrong size and colour, but he could play the piano.)
Also in the 80s John and Nobby Dalton had a rock and roll band called The Bullettes, and played occasionally in a band called Warm Gloves with the late Chris Townson, who was the drummer for the 60's cult band John's Children.
John also formed a production company with Dave Davies at Konk Records, for which they produced three albums.
In the 90's Baptist had his own music shop in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, and taught at a school in St Albans. He was also on the staff of the Rudolph Steiner School in Kings Langley.
John was a founder member of the Kast Off Kinks and remained with them until he retired in 2008. He has since made guest appearances with them at Hook Norton and the Boston.
Sadly John died on 03 Augusr 2023.
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