The Graham Bond Organization - There's A Bond Between Us (1965)

The Graham Bond Organization were a 60s British R&B group led by organist Graham Bond.

The Graham Bond Organization's second and final album came out in 1965, not long after their debut. Featuring the same lineup of Graham Bond (vocals/organ/mellotron/sax), Dick Heckstall-Smith (sax), Jack Bruce (bass/harmonica/vocals) and Ginger Baker (drums), it continued to explore their distinctive dark, jazzy R&B sound. The songs featured two Ray Charles numbers ("The Night Time Is The Right Time" and "What'd I Say") and the Freddie King blues classic "Have You Ever Loved A Woman?". It also notably featured some originals from all band members, including Heckstall-Smith's "Dick's Intrumental", Bruce's "Hear Me Calling Your Name" (which he sang lead on) and Baker's "Camels And Elephants". Also interesting was Bond's use of the mellotron - he was perhaps the first rock musician to make use of this new keyboard instrument.

However despite having two great albums under their belt, the Organization's days were numbered. By the time of the second album's release, Jack Bruce had been fired. Baker was the next to go in 1966. Bruce served short stints in John Mayall's Bluesbreakers and Manfred Mann before reuniting with Baker to form Cream with Eric Clapton. Bond found a new drummer in Jon Hiseman, and as a trio the group went on for a little longer, releasing one single before breaking up in early 1967. Hiseman and Heckstall-Smith then went to join the Bluesbreakers themselves for one album, before forming their own group, Colosseum.

Graham Bond himself moved to America. By this time he was suffering from mental disorders and was using drugs heavily. He was also becoming increasing interested in the occult.

The Sound Of '65 (1965) <|
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The Graham Bond Organization - The Sound Of '65 (1965)

The Graham Bond Organization were a 60s British R&B band led by organist Graham Bond.

Graham Bond started out playing R&B with British blues authority Alexis Korner in his Blues Incoportated group. It was there that he met bassist Jack Bruce and drummer Ginger Baker (who of course would later find fame in Cream), though the three of them never appeared on any Blues Incorporated albums. They formed the Organization together, briefly with guitarist John McLaughlin, then with sax-player Dick Heckstall-Smith (also ex-Blues Incorporated). Bond played the Hammond organ, and was actually one of the first English musician to use the Hammond/Leslie combination in an R&B/rock context. He was also the group's singer and principle songwriter.
The Organization had a very unique sound, driven by Bond's growling vocals. The organ/sax/bass/drums lineup was also unusual when compared to most other British blues bands of the time, which were guitar-based. The resultant sound was very dark, aggressive and heavy, as can be heard on their debut LP The Sound Of '65.
The band was never a commercial success, but were highly influential, and can be considered a truly underrated part of the British blues revival.

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