The Baptists

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 The Baptists

Gig 15.2.1987

BAND INDEX

c1987 but revived with new line up more recently.

The BAPTISTS – Ellie (Elisbeth Dick) on lead vocals a cracking rocky blues band fronted by Jason Toynbee ( brother of Poly Toynbee the TV newsreader and journalist) with Neil Hunter and some other good Coventry musicians at the time. (Info via Jim Pryal). The Baptists are also mention on Peter Every’s Neophyte site.

It seems the Baptists are back with a new line up – according to this Facebook page with Jason Toynbee.


“In the last month, I’ve seen Coventry’s finest set blues and soul practitioners The Baptists on two occasions and in both instances they were quite different performances. The first one was electric at the Albany Pub. The second was part of the excellent “Parkers” evening run by Neil Hunter from the band and excellent local singer Ruth Roberts at The Jacobean Hotel on the Holyhead Road.

Both incarnations of this band are extremely powerful. Not least due to the very soulful strong voice and excellent harmonica playing of front man Jason Toynbee. This is complimented by the imaginative songwriting of Neil Hunter and the always first rate slide guitar playing of the Reverend Ryan Every (because of his grasp of first rate blues playing of the pre-war variant. He’s not a man of the cloth).


Set highlights for me are their slowed down version of Eddie Cochran’s “Summertime Blues” and their version of the Little Willie John classic “Fever”, made famous by Peggy Lee. A particular highlight of the aforementioned “Parkers” evening was Ruth and Neil’s duet covering Gillian Welch’s “Dark Turn of Mind.”


The Baptists Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/Baptistry



Baptists cover of Bob Dylan’s Everything is Broken.

Baptists cover of Eddie Cochran Summertime Blues

Summertime Blues Eddie Cochran cover Summertime Blues.

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