The Graham Bond Organization - The Sound of 65 and There's a Bond Between Us

The Graham Bond ORGANization is today best known for their astounding rhythm section of Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker, who, of course, went on to fame'n'fortune with Cream. Here the group, led by keyboardist/singer Bond (who ironically looks a bit like a 007 villain - actually the guru from Get Smart - certainly not like a 60's pop star) along with Dick Heckstall-Smith on sax and John McLaughlin (who did plenty of incredible work with the likes of Miles Davis as well as his own Mahavishnu Orchestra) on guitar - actually, he was part of the band for a while but I don't believe that he appears of these recordings. The band concentrates on a mix of blues, R'n'B, soul and jazz in their own swingin' way, with excellent musicianship all around. Bond's vocals are a bit thin at times, but Bruce sings lead on a few numbers and while he isn't as strong as he became in Cream, he still has a special voice. Bruce's songwriting - collaborating with his then-girlfriend - also isn't up to his later work (and the lyrics are fairly forgettable), but they are good, bluesy tunes.

With songs ranging from classic blues like "Hootchie Kootchie Man" to the slow'n'sultry "Baby Make Love To Me" (one of Bruce's numbers) to the "Glendora"-ish "Neighbor Neighbor" to the prison work song-like "Early in the Morning" (which is really effective with Bruce again taking lead vocals) to the non-Spanish sounding "Spanish Blues" (much more mid-Eastern in tone), "Oh Baby" is a nicely dynamic jazz/blues with great Baker percussion (it's really a vehicle for him to solo in), although Bond's weak vocals mar it a bit and side one of the album closes with "Little Girl", a fun groover.

Funny, for me, with the sax replacing the guitar and the keys taking prominence, songs like "I Want You" are like movie soundtrack versions of R'n'B, but good ones. "Wade in the Water" has kinda everything but the kitchen sink thrown in - bits of classical, bits of Ray Charles, some excellent organ playing and interaction with the sax and hip, jazzy dynamics. "Got My Mojo Workin'" was getting overworked even by this time but their take, without guitar, and led by the organ'n'sax is distinctively their own. Bruce's harmonica-led "Train Time" would become a staple of Cream's live shows and is essentially intact here, "Baby Be Good to Me" is a jump'n'jive number of Bruce's, "Half a Man" is a hip slow blues and the closure is, strangely enough, a cover of Debbie Reynolds maudlin soundtrack number, "Tammy", which personally, does not work at all, especially with Bond's crackin' voice.

Funnily, the next album opens with another soundtrack tune, "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf", but this is much more successful as a swingin' upbeat, jazzy number with some wailin' sax and wild keys. Bruce takes lead for his jazzy "Hear Me Calling Your Name", "The Night Time is the Right Time" is kinda in a Ray Charles style with more soarin' sax, "Walkin' in the Park" has a nice, upbeat groove, "Last Night" is a solid cover by Stax's Mar-Keys, similar to Booker T and the MG's, natch, then they give a quiet, soul/lounge-jazz ballad in "Baby Can It Be True", they do their interpretation of "What'd I Say", sax takes center stage naturally for "Dick's Instrumental", they do a unique take on the hip hit from '58, "Don't Let Go" and the Chuck Willis' CC Rider-ish "Keep A'Drivin'", "Have You Ever Loved a Woman" is their own and not any other song by the same name and is another jazz/loungey tune, and they close out with another Ginger Baker tour-de-force, the mid-Eastern influenced "Camels and Elephants".

Certainly not rock'n'roll and not exactly blues, R'n'B or jazz, but a bit of an amalgamation of them all with some terrific musicianship, although I think they could have gone further is Bond's voice was a bit stronger. Still, hep stuff, for sure!