Classic 60's Albums: The Graham BOND Organisation "There's A BOND Between Us"

THE GRAHAM BOND ORGAINZATION-"There's A Bond Between Us" U.K. LP Columbia 33SX 1750 June 30, 1965

The year of 1965 was a busy one for Dick Heckstall-Smith (sax), Jack Bruce (bass, vocals, harmonica), Graham Bond (organ, Mellotron, sax, vocals) and Ginger Baker (drums) known collectively as The Graham Bond Organisation. They released singles and not one but TWO albums on Columbia in the U.K. I have chosen to profile their second long player, "There's A Bond Between Us". My copy is actually a 1969 reissue....it was produced by Robert Stigwood.

SIDE ONE

1. "Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?" (Kirkpatrick, Knox)

2. "Hear Me Calling Your Name" (Bruce)

3.  "The Night Time Is The Right Time" (Herman)

4. "Walkin' In The Park" (Bond)

5. "Last Night" (The Markeys)

6. "Baby Can It Be True?" (Bond)

Kicking off with a bombastic take on Jimmy Smith's "Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?" the album leaves the starting gate at 101 mph, though of course it's not as "full" sounding as the original owing to the limits of a quartet, but the G.B.O. make it their own thanks in no small part to Heckstall-Smith and Bond's wailing saxes providing running interference with Bond's Hammond organ (Graham Bond incidentally was the first British r&b performer to use a Hammond onstage and on recordings). Jack Bruce's original (his first composition to gain a release) "Hear Me Calling Your Name" is a catchy little number lead by his somber vocals dueling with a running sax melody. The number also sees the debut of Bond's use of the Mellotron (he would later give a demonstration of it to host Cathy McGowan on a long lost episode of "Ready! Steady! Go!" on June 23, 1965 when promoting their "Lease On Love" single which prominently featured the instrument). The band's take on "The Night Time Is the Right Time" is fairly pedestrian stuff. Musically it reminds me of the "S.N.L." house band playing right before a commercial (especially Heckstall-Smith's skronky sax solo) and it's only saved by Bruce's spirited backing vocals. Next up is the Bond original "Walkin' In The Park" (later re-recorded and released as a single in 1970). It's fairly mundane but has an interesting Hammond/Mellotron mix and as always Bond proves that he is THE master of the Hammond organ. Next up is a cover of The Mar-Key's "Last Night". Though it pales in comparison to Georgie Fame's far superior recording on his "Sweet Things" LP, it's uptempo and is still a rollicking Hammond n' horns tour de force, sweetened by the interesting use of the Mellotron in tandem with the Hammond. Side One closes with another Bond original, "Baby Can It Be True?". Once again it's the Mellotron to the fore, making the intro sound like something off the Stone's "Satanic Majesties" album. The number is a mellow affair akin to Georgie Fame's take on King Pleasure's "Moody's Mood For Love" (especially in the mellow sax that gently blows after certain lines), it's somber mood is slightly out of place on the LP but it works, especially when the churchy Hammond comes in slowly. 

SIDE TWO

1. "What'd I Say" (Charles)

2. "Dick's Instrumental" (Heckstall-Smith)

3. "Don't Let Go" (Stone)

4. "Keep A'Drivin" (Willis)

5. "Have You Ever Loved A Woman?" (Bond)

6. "Camels And Elephants" (Baker)

Side two kicks off with Ray Charles' "What'd I Say", not the best cover of it by far, but it's fairly competent with Bond ad libbing "See the girl with the topless dress on, she stays cool all night long..". Next up is "Dick's Instrumental", showcasing the wailing saxophone ability of Dick Heckstall-Smith with some groovy Organ/Mellotron interplay while Dick musically lives out his fantasy of blowing with the greats at Bird Land or The Village Vanguard. "Don't Let Go", originally cut by Roy Hamilton is slowed down and given a greasy, leering treatment with Bond growling the lyrics over the top of some cool Hammond with blasts of sleazy sax. An interpretation of Chuck Willis' "Keep A-Driving" is next. The usual Hammond/horns formula works it's magic though one can't help think that like "What'd I Say" it's merely groove filler. Freddie King's "Have You Ever Loved A Woman" is given songwriting credits as being composed by Graham Bond, regardless it's not a patch on the original and pales in comparison to the subsequent John Mayall and The Bluesbreakers version. The album closes with Ginger Baker's exotic "Camels And Elephants" . It's a far out instrumental that encompasses a Eastern melody interwoven with absolutely amazing kit bashing with Bond's sinister Hammond weaving in and out while Heckstall-Smith blows some positively amazing licks. Album closers don't come as string as this. 

The album has been reissued on CD as well as all of it being included on the absolutely essential and comprehensive 4 CD set The Graham Bond Organization "Wade In The Water-Classics, Origins & Oddities"  (also available to listen to on streaming services).