The Graham Bond Organisation - Sound of 65 1965

The Graham Bond Organisation - Sound of 65 1965
Lp 33SX 1711

Blues

Although the Organization's first album was recorded a mere year or two before Cream's debut, it bears little resemblance to Cream's pioneering hard blues-rock. Instead, it's taut British R&B with a considerable jazz influence. That influence comes not so much from the rhythm section as saxophonist Dick Heckstall-Smith and lead singer/organist Bond himself. This LP is not as exciting or rock-oriented as those of contemporaries like the Rolling Stones or John Mayall, but is respectably gritty, mostly original material, with an occasionally nasty edge. There are some obscure treasures of the British R&B explosion to be found here, including the original version of "Train Time" (later performed by Cream), the thrilling bass runs on "Baby Be Good to Me," and the group's hardboiled rearrangements of such traditional standards as "Wade in the Water" and "Early in the Morning." Even their blatant stab at commercialism (the ballad "Tammy") has its charm.
By Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide.
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Like his contemporary Alexis Korner, Graham Bond is one of the unsung heroes of the early-'60s UK R&B scene. Both led groups that incubated talent which would later mature and eclipse their own groundbreaking efforts. With Bond it was his rhythm section, Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce, who later became two-thirds of Cream. Both of the organist's albums included here offer an intriguing snapshot of this fertile period in Britain when jazz and blues coexisted quite happily.
Bond was a firm fan of Ray Charles, which extended to both hischoice of material ("What'd I Say?") and also his approach.A talented player himself (both organ and alto sax) as wellas a vocalist, Bond was generous in showcasing his sidemen ("Dick's Instrumental" for tenor player Dick Heckstall-Smith) and tended to pepper the staple Beat group repertoire withhis own compositions. "Camels and Elephants" is an early example of both Ginger Baker's composing and drum solo style. "Hoochie Coochie Man" replaces the malevolence of Muddy Waters's version with something altogether jazzier and as such is the perfect introduction to Bond.
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Jack Bruce- Vocals, Bass
Graham Bond- Organ [Hammond Organ], Saxophone [Alto Saxophone], Lead Vocals
Dick Heckstall-Smith- Tenor Saxophone]
Ginger Baker- Drums
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01. Hoochie Coochie Man   3:13
02. Baby Make Love to Me   1:52
03. Neighbour Neighbour   2:40
04. Early in the Morning   1:50
05. Spanish Blues   3:05
06. Oh Baby   2:42
07. Little Girl   2:15
08. I Want You   1:45
09. Wade in the Water   2:41
10. Got My Mojo Working   3:11
11. Train Time   2:24
12. Baby Be Good to Me   2:35
13. Half a Man   2:06
14. Tammy   2:49
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The Graham Bond Organization - Live At Klooks Kleek 1964

The Graham Bond Organization - Live At Klooks Kleek 1964
1997 Reissue GET609

Blues

This nine-track concert gig has appeared in various guises and through various labels (most notoriously Springboard International in the U.S.A. in the late '70s), and it has a dubious reputation on vinyl. In 1988, however, it appeared on CD under this title, and it finally seemed to justify the trouble it took to record. The Graham Bond Organisation's studio recordings were admirable, sometimes impressive, but never essential parts of the British blues boom, leading one to wonder precisely what -- apart from the presence of two future members of Cream -- the group's reputation was based on. The answer is on these sides, recorded by Giorgio Gomelsky "under extreme difficulty." Listening to the band rumble and surge through standards like "Wade In the Water," "Big Boss Man," "Stormy Monday," and "Early In the Morning," it's easy to understand how they got signed and what the record companies were looking for, and also why they didn't get it -- this is gritty stuff, loud R&B with some jazz elements, Dick Heckstall-Smith blowing up a storm on sax, and more than a little stretching out (especially by Baker, whose solos here (check out "Early In the Morning") are more enjoyable than most of what he did with Cream), all of it pretty intense and none of it easy to capture in the studio. The audience and the urgency of concert work were both essential to the group's functioning. On the techincal side, there's some distortion, even some overload, and Jack Bruce's bass isn't captured in its more resonant form (and what electric bass on any live recording before about 1968 ever was?), but the electricity is here, along with the immediacy, and this CD may be the way to best appreciate this band.
By Bruce Eder, All Music Guide.
**
The most dirty , evil sounding R'n'B ever committed to vinyl.
Graham Bond Organization - the band everyone wanted to sound like, but no-one wanted to look like. This is the business. forget the studio albums, produced in a sterile 60s studio environment. If you liked John Mayall's 'Diary of a Band', you'll love this. Raw, pumping sweating, screeching, banging throbbing rhythm and blues at its very best - live. The record version is very poor quality, I haven't heard the cd - it may be better or worse - who cares ? Turn up the volume and get down baby. You know you want it.
By Dave Goodenough.
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Graham Bond- (Sax, Organ),
Jack Bruce- (Bass), (Harmonica), (Vocals),
Ginger Baker- (Drums).
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A1. Wade In The Water   2:45
A2. Big Boss Man   5:20
A3. Early In The Morning   4:16
A4. Person To Person Blues   5:14
A5. Spanish Blues   3:01
B1. Introduction By Dick Jordan   2:05
B2. The First Time I Met The Blues   5:11
B3. Stormy Monday   4:14
B4. Train Time   4:17
B5. What'd I Say   5:26
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