He died 8th May 1974 after committing suicide by throwing himself under a London tube train at Finsbury Park station. A truly sad end to a man that had been a big influence on the UK blues scene in London in the early 1960's.
When playing in Alexis Korner's group he met Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker and went on to form the Graham Bond Quartet adopting the Hammond organ as his main instrument. Dick Heckstall Smith was to later join the group replacing John McLaughlin. Names that would eventually go on to make their own individual mark on the blues movement in Britain. With Baker and Bruce going on to form Cream, Baker was replaced by the mighty Jon Hiseman in The Graham Bond Organisation but lack of commercial success, plus internal struggles, brought an end to the group in 1967 as Bond's mental and physical health deteriorated.
After the break-up of the Organization, Bond continued to exhibit mental disorders, with manic episodes and periods of intense depression, exacerbated by heavy drug use. The years of lack of commercial success and the recent demise of his last group Magus in 1973 had badly hurt his pride. It was to be the end of this talented and inspirational musician.
Bond was almost certainly the first musician in a 'rock' context to use the Mellatron predating its popularity on the psychedelic scene by almost 2 years. The years Bond had played with the Quartet at the legendry clubs Bluesville, the Flamingo, Klook's Kleek in London had been his golden era.
The Graham Bond Organisation playing 'Wade In The Water' (1965)
He cheekily adds Bach's 'Toccatta and "Fugue in D Minor' at the beginning and end. Classical touches that were adopted in similar fashion by Progressive rock groups some years later.
The still image of a cup of cappaccino at the beginning of the video is the perfect symbol of the Coffee bars so popular in early 60's mod London.
