R.I.P. John Goodsall

The great John Goodsall died today, aged just 68, and one of the highly distinctive guitar sounds in the world drowned in silence. This artist had attitude, and that’s whence Goods’ tone came to fuel his licks first and foremost with BRAND X, although there were prominent stints with THE ALAN BOWN SET and ATOMIC ROOSTER, on whose "Nice 'n' Greasy" he played and contributed a piece titled “Goodbye Planet Earth” under the “Johnny Mandala” moniker.

Yet, of course, it was in the company of Percy Jones, Robin Lumley and Phil Collins that Goodsall found his spiritual home in 1975 and delivered such classics as “Nuclear Burn” before collaborating with a wide variety of musicians – including Bill Bruford and Michael Des Barres to name but a few from different walks of life – credited and uncredited as it happened when the guitarist recorded the famous solo on “Rebel Yell” for Billy Idol.

John’s six strings also directed the course of ZOO DRIVE and FIRE MERCHANTS in the ’80s and later on until the return of BRAND X in 1992 and another comeback in 2016. They toured actively in the recent years and put out live albums – all bearing Goodsall’s indelible stamp. He will be sorely missed by myriads of aficionados.