MELODY MAKER - UK - February 27, 1965

Organs Have Replaced Big Bands says Graham Bond

Two years ago I was one of the first to play organ. In that two years the organ and tenor sound has spread and as a result it is now more important to be a good musician.

We use the organ far more than most groups that feature it, because we are a smaller group. But we don't feel we need a larger group. We get all the sound we want.

The organ is a logical progression from the big band sound which died the death. It gets the same wide variety of sounds. The organ gets a jerky unswinging effect if it is played in a piano style. I took piano lessons but I know don't play organ like a piano and never have done.

Hands have to be flatter than raised as they are for the piano, because it makes no difference how hard you hit the organ. Volume comes from the swell pedal and lots of people haven't got the use of the pedal yet - it's a technique all of its own.

My advice to youngsters is to get the best organ they can afford and learn how to play it properly. I am not terrifically impressed by the organ players around, but people like Georgie, Zoot and Brian Auger do well in the field.

You have to identify yourself with the instrument - it has got to be an extension of your personality.

BEAT INSTRUMENTAL - UK - March 1965

"IT'S ALL OR NOTHING" says Graham Bond

They are called the Graham Bond ORGAN-isation, and that is just how they are.

"We're are all stars or none of us are" insists Mr. Six-by-Six Graham Bond with a rough-hewn rhetoric that makes disagreement suicidal. In fact, the capital appearance of "ORGANisation" may well be a trick of the printers.

Lesser outfits may use the stage like a trampoline and yell, "We are the greatest, the new sound, the creators". But no outfit displays as much soulmanship, as much depth of inspiration as the Organisation.

Graham's Hammond organ has a battered look about it, though he swears it is the latest thing in organs. Mind you, the way he beats his colour out of it . . .

Ginger Baker, described as "one of the greatest drummers wearing clothes", makes dropping a stick seem like part of the act, he gets over it so well.

Dick Kemstall-Smith (sic), with flat cap and horn-rimmed glasses blows wild, wild out of a sax stained with genius.

And bass guitarist Jack Bruce is so way out with his harmonica solos that you have to be a Coltrane addict sometimes to know just how beautiful he is doing.

Waxing thus, they don't sell millions of copies of each release, but that isn't their main consideration.

EXCITING MUSIC

Their stage act presents the most exciting music I have heard. They don't enter into the great rhythm and blues controversy, because their own music, they feel, is too personal to categorise. Of their motivations, Graham says frankly, "We are influenced by every good thing ever heard".

That is something every artist knows about his art, but few are honest enough to admit.

Graham is happy for the success of Georgie Fame, a personal friend of his.

"I don't say it has done me and my music any good", says Graham. "Nothing as definite as that.

"But I think Georgie and Zoot (Money) are making things more interesting for us. They are preparing the public to hear something that is a little less tailor-made than pop and beat, a little more - well, revelatory".

The Organisation's one contribution to commercialism on stage is a raving "Tammy" which would make Debbie Reynolds spin in her shoe box - Debbie now being married to a footwear millionaire.

"Tammy", anyhow, belongs to a more leisurely age Graham, who topped music paper instrumental polls as long ago as 1960 - and that, my children, was much music ago - may well be on verge of recognition.

The 1965 sound could well be of human Bondage.

Peter Tate

MELODY MAKER - March 3, 1965

GRAHAM BOND SAYS... We're Not Scared Of Playing America

Britain's R&B giants have a characteristic that some of our jazzmen have lacked for years - a tremendous confidence and belief in their music and their ability.

Graham Bond, Alexis Korner, Georgie Fame, Long John Baldry and Ginger Baker are all very conscious that their music is good.

This is not to imply they are raving bigheads. Or that jazzmen do not believe in their own playing. But jazzmen tend to accept second-class citizenship to the Americans. R&B musicians don't.

Graham Bond, particularly, is supremely proud of his group and utterly confident of their ability.

Says Graham: " We are all fanatics and know what we are doing are good. Nobody plays like us this side of the Atlantic - or the other. And we wouldn't be scared of playing in America".

Graham is proud of their early struggles for success. "Look how big the R&B scene is now. When we started we had no money, and there were only two clubs in the whole country - so how about it?

"Our first LP was released last Friday. It has captured the sounds of our group, but we have a lot more.

"The reason I left jazz was because I was expexted to play like somebody else all the time. Ninety per cent of what we play in the group is improvisation, and it is us! We rely on being inspired, and usually we are because we have a telepathic feel between us and respect for each other.

"All of us are capable of composing and arranging. Ginger Baker can talk to us about music and we can talk to him about drums. He's not just a drummer, but an exceptional musician.

"Incidentally, Ginger has found a new sound on his cymbal. A chick jumped on it accidentally and knocked it inside out, like an umbrella. He had to use it, and found a new sound! He's raving about it to all the drummers. He's also playing four sticks at once now.

"Talking of sounds, we decided to break with lead guitar altogether. Jack Bruce, with his six-string bass guitar, gets a sound that is virtually a guitar. He plays ridiculous solos and is also quite a fabulous string string bass player. His harp playing and singing is also the finest.

"There is a narrow line between egoism and belief in what we are doing. We know our faults too, and as I see it we are only at the beginning of what we can achieve.

MELODY MAKER - UK - August 7, 1965

GRAHAM BOND - A REVOLUTION IN GROUP SOUND

If you listen very hard to records, you may have noticed brass and strings, on Graham Bond's new disc, "Lease On Love". What you may not know is that Graham was playing these instruments on a new revolutionary organ, the Mellotron.

What's revolutionary about an organ simulating other instruments? Well, the Mellotron play's the true sound and not an electronically produced one.

Bond explains: "The Mellotron uses pre-recorded tapes of other instruments. For example, every note in the register of the trumpet is recorded - and I can play it on the organ keyboard getting the real sound.

"The possibilities are great. One can play chord combinations as well, and the other end of the keyboard one can produce a rhythm section".

VERSATILE

Instrumental sounds which can be produced on the Mellotron includes violin, guitar, organ, piano, flute, trombone, saxophone, muted brass, harpsichord, church organ, trumpets and accordion.

The rhythm section is just as versatiles; bossa nova, several foxtrots, Dixieland, Bolero, jazz bass (slow and fast), samba, and a Viennese waltz.

BACKING

Graham already plays alto sax and organ at the same time. "Now," says Graham, "I can back myself with brass, or strings. On a record I'm playing first organ with brass accompaniment, then I switch over to organ with the string section backing. All good stuff!".

At the moment, Graham is the only person using a Mellotron in this country. But it looks as though this one-man band might catch on.

BEAT INSTRUMENTAL - UK - September 1965

GRAHAM BOND AND HIS ORCHESTRA !!!

Graham Bond is now part of an orchestra - yet there are still only three members of his "Organisation". Work that out! I'll simplify matters by saying that Mr. Bond has splashed out £975 for an instrument called a Mellotron which resembles an organ in appearance and produces the sound of strings, brass and woodwind. Hard to believe! Yes, indeed, but it really does do just this. Graham played live on "Ready Steady Go" and showed fascinated onlookers such as P. J. Proby, The Pretty Things and Moody Blues how this "orchestra in itself" can be used, by featuring it on his new number, "Lease On Love".

The Mellotron made its first public appearance with the group at The Marquee in Wardour Street, London, and caused a minor sensation. The sound filled the club, and can you imagine numbers like"Hoochie Coochie Man" and "Mojo" swelled with brass sounds, plus of course, the already thunderous impact of the foursome themselves!

And the most amazing point is that Graham has not scrapped his Hammond organ to make room for the "newcomer" - but plays both!

"It took two months of solid rehearsal to get used to the Mellotron" Graham told me. "And now I feel I've got the hang of it. The only difficulties I can foresee are getting the equipment to the venues and setting up on stage".

This new addition enables the group to expand musically and already they are fitting in numbers such as "Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?" by Jimmy Smith, and a lot of their own songs rigged to fit in with big background music.

Which brings me to tell you about their new album due for release in about four weeks. It features the Mellotron prominently and shows the Graham Bond Organisation as talented composers.

The majority of tracks are their own and the whole thing was done under the direction of manager Robert Stigwood at Olympic Sound Studios with the assistance of engineer Keith Grant.

The studio was also used for the waxing of their new release "Lease On Love". This number was written by two "unknown" writers Rick Minas and Mike Banwell. The "B" side is one called "My Heart's In Love" (sic) composed by the group.

AMPLIFICATION

How does Graham Bond amplify the Mellotron?

"I use a similar system to that of my Hammond", he said. His organ is amplified by a 50-watt Leslie unit.

The Mellotron is a keyboard in two parts with rows of switches and buttons in addition. By pulling and pushing the right combination of these, one side plays virtually any instruments you require - violin, guitar, organ, piano, trumpet and so on, while the other end of the keyboard produces a rhythm section.

STRING BASS

Another change in the group's line-up is the acquisition of a string bass. This will be played by Jack Bruce, who is currently using a Fender six string through a Vox 100-watt amplifier.

"This will fit in well with a lot of gospel-type numbers we will be trying soon". he told me.

Brian Clark

FABULOUS - UK - November 13, 1965

Donovan thinks the Graham Bond Organisation are the greatest . . . So he detailed Maureen Hart to write about them

BOND'S MUSIC

The Marquee Club, one of London's favourite niteries, is set in the heart of Soho, and it was here that I went along to see The Graham Bond Organisation recently.

Inside the club a maze of unidentified figures stood around in groups. Couples stared enrapt, almost hypnotised, at a small platform on which stood - The Graham Bond Organisation.

As the group is called an "organisation" I expected to see a sort of half-size philharmonic. However, there were only four musicians on stage and when I say musicians I mean musicians.

To look at, the organisation are as different from the usual pop-groups as Ringo Starr and Marianne Faithful. And not as pretty as either! But that sound they make . . . Wow!

Standing on the extreme left on the stage was bearded Dick Heckstall-Smith, a thick-set six footer, who plays the tenor and soprano saxophone.

Next to Dick, was a lad who looked no older than twelve, let alone old enough to handle a trumpet as well as he did. That was Mike Falana, newest member of the group.

On drums was a lanky, red-topped figure of Ginger Baker, his first name being as appropriate as gorgeous is to McCartney.

Last, but no means least, was Graham Bond, the 007 of rhythm and blues, a hefty man who looks like a wrestler. He has long black sideburns and a Mexican moustache, and plays the Hammond Organ and Mellatron (sic.).

What a sight and what a sound. I was knockedout by the fantastic rhythm and blues this group handed, or rather sweated, out.

Fans? Oh yes, there were fans, but fans with a difference. Fans who sat quietly with appreciative tapping of feet and nodding of heads. Fans who looked compleately wrapped up in the heart and the soul of the music.

The atmosphere built up as the time went on. The air was electric. Graham Bond put everything into his music, real music. Sweat poured from the musicians and added to the frenzied excitement that made the onlookers all part of the whole show.

The music stopped. The audience flopped back in their seats, worn out with the tension and emotion. It was over.

I can now see why Donovan raves over the Graham Bond lot, because they are really something. The Moody Blues, who did a tour with them recently, are also among their admirers. Mick Jagger spent a whole day in Andrew Oldham's office telling everyone how marvellous he thought the organisation were. Well, with fans like that, they can't be bad.

While the road managers were busy packing up the Bond gear, I managed to nab Graham for a couple of seconds. He was obviously tired, but I only wanted to fire two questions at him and he very sweetly consented.

"Do you always have this marvellous effect on your audience?" I asked.

"Well, wherever we go there seems to be a large crowdand they always give us a marvellous reception," said Graham. "It's not so much the applause at the end of a number, but the electric current that seems to go between us and them. It tells us that they enjoy listening as much as we enjoy playing".

Question number two - "Do you always work as hard as this?"

"Yes, definitely. We believe in giving the public a real performance. We're hard workers and we enjoy working hard. It's all part of the whole package".

Lovers of rhythm and blues are missing something until they taste the soul-packed sound of The Graham Bond Organisation - they're the greatest!

Maureen Hart