I remember how knocked out I was by the Bondsmen’s version of “I See the Light”, which I played over and over after taping it off of WNYU’s Mod Monday radio show when I was in high school.
I had the song on the tape but didn’t know who it was at the time, having missed the dj’s rundown of the songs he played. (If anyone has a tape of this show, please let me know; I do know “I See the Light” was followed by the Q65’s “I Got Nightmares”, which I also played endlessly.)
For years after I lost the tape I searched out who this could be, and was even disappointed (initially) by the Five Americans’ original version when I heard it. Finally I picked up a copy of Tobacco a Go Go vol. 1, and there it was, the opening track! By pure coincidence I later got in touch with the compiler of that lp, Ken Friedman, who provided me with this copy of the 45 and some information about the North Carolina garage scene.
Compared to the Five Americans, the Bondsmen’s version of “I See the Light” is faster, with a fuller sound to the organ. “Our Time to Try” is an ambitious psychedelic track, with thick forbodeing fuzz, and good drum and organ work. The vocalist does a great job on both songs, and the guitarist has a particularly fine solo on “I See the Light”.
The sound and plea for open minds on “Our Time to Try” dates the release to about 1968. The record has a dense production to it which makes it hard to hear the lyrics, and is that a horn I hear at times during “Our Time to Try”?
The Bondsmen came out of Durham, North Carolina, but recorded at Justice Records in Winston-Salem (“I Love You, Yes I Do” / “Out of Sight” on Justice 1003) and AMH Productions out of Chapel Hill. I recently heard from Gene Galligan, who filled me in on some of their story. I had heard that their drummer was Phil Lee, so I asked him about that too.
I am Gene Galligan, keyboard (organ) player for the Bondsmen. This AMH 45 of Our Time To Try and I See the Light was the result of us winning a Battle of the Bands at the baseball stadium in Durham. We did another 45 before this as the Bondsmen, two James Brown songs, Outasight / I Love you Yes I Do. I do not have any copies, however, Ken Heywood told me recently in a phone conversation that he has a box of them somewhere, he just has to find it.
Vocals: Archie Thomas
Bass: Jim Bowen
Drums: Philip Pearson
Trumpet: Tim Hutchinson
Organ: Gene Galligan
Guitar: Ken HeywoodJust a tidbit about my part on I See the Light. I used to play a Vox Super Continental (Dual manual Black keys were white, white keys were black). But on that recording I used an organ that was in the studio … it was like an Allen Theatre organ which is why it has that skating rink sound!!
Yes that was trumpet on Our Time to Try.
Philip Pearson was our only drummer … I don’t know what Philip did later… I was told some 30 years ago that he was in California.. so I don’t know perhaps Phil Lee was a stage name.
John Santa just published a book.
Anyone have a photo of the group?
My apology to Gene for excluding him in my notes. Gene played a Vox Super Continental organ for the band. He actually let us use it a couple of times for my brother’s and my banc. We were not nearly as good as the Bondsmen and never recorded a single.
I went to Northern High School in Durham, NC where most of these guys attended school. Ken Haywood, one of my best friends at the time, was the lead guitar player. He played a beautiful Baby Blue Hagstrom III guitar that had the thinnest neck I have ever seen. The bass player was Jim Bowen and the drummer was Phillip Pearson. Pearson’s vehicle of choice was an old black hearse he had found. Archie Thomas was the lead singer. Tim Hutchinson later joined the band on trumpet but I believe he didn’t appear on record with them until a second released single. The ‘Santa’ in the song credit for Our Time To Try was another friend of mine named John Santa, who went on to write a pretty good song called ‘Rainmaker’.
I will NEVER forget the day that Bowen showed up a school with a box of these records to sell. It was electric.
Hello Mike,
That’s OK
gene galligan
does anyone out there happen to have any info on the si-dells?
the song ‘watch out mother’ is a monster.
i co-host a weekly garage rock radio show at wxdu (duke radio)
here in durham. we just did an on-air interview with the Night
Raiders from lower Alamance county and were hoping to track
down more local groups for possible interviews. so if any Bondsmen
are still reading or if anyone knows the Si-dells then please get
in touch if interested.
thanks!
stephen c.
wow. so amazing to see all these names from so long ago and to have interest in our record. i am john santa, the writer of Our Time To Try. great to hear from mike hollander as well. gene and i have had some communication and he is still playing music as is ken i believe. archie i haven’t seen in years but he was not singing or performing at all the last time i heard from him which is a shame cause boy he was a great vocalist and performer. i have no idea what happened to jim (bass) or tim (trumpet) or if they’re even still playing music but i hope so. phil pearson is, in fact, performing under the stage name phil lee and was at one point doing some stuff (i believe) with or around neil young and some of his people. i occasionally hear from phil as he is in town to see his daughter, but it has been years since the last contact.
after college i released an album of original material on Moonlight Records called (as mike hollander mentioned) “Rainmaker” by the John Santa Band which consisted of myself, john ballew, steve wyrick, whitney french and shepp wasdell. It did fairly well at the time and can now be found in bargain cut out bins all across this great country. (so much for fame and fortune.) i have remained in the music business and write music for film and TV. i play about 18 instruments now and the book that gene galligan mentions is about my foray into the world of Bluegrass music called “Bluegrass Is My Second Language: A Year In The Life Of An Accidental Bluegrass Musician.” it is available at http://www.bluegrassbook.com and has gotten very good reviews (i am proud to say) and has sold so well there will be a second edition out in mid 2008. in response to it’s popularity, we are currently at work putting the book on CD (no release date as yet) AND are at work on a music CD called “The Blessing Of The Strings: Songs From The Book Bluegrass Is My Second Language.” it features my original songs as well as originals from the members of the Bluegrass band i play with called EIGHTwentythree. (we took our name from the first day we ever played together: 8/23/01.) jeff wiseman is on banjo and lead vocals, greg eldred on lead vocal and guitar, keith carroll on acoustic (upright) bass and vocals. i play primarily mandolin, guitar, some dobro, harmonica (an instrument i learned to play for the Bondsmen btw) and a little cello on the album and also sing lead. this CD will be out in april or may of 2008.
sorry to go on so long (it’s why my book is 512 pages long!!) but i am hoping to get some updates on some of the other players on here and find out what paths we all took.
plus, without what i just wrote, none of what i say next would make much sense:
mike hollander wrote of the day jim bowen came into Northern High School with a box of records to sell and said it was electric.
well it WAS but not nearly so much as the morning my clock radio went off and WSSB radio of durham north carolina announced a band called the Bondsmen (the name was suggested by drummer george outlaw another NHS student btw) had released a new record and here is one of the songs on it, Our Time To Try.
to lie in bed as a high school senior and be awakened so unexpectedly by a song i had written and recorded with these incredibly talented musicians who happened to be my best friends was electrifying beyond my words to describe.
that moment literally changed my life forever and undoubtedly started me down the path i walk today with music so much a HUGE part of my life.
God bless the Bondsmen.
i realize a lot of these entries are over a year old so i’m not sure there’s any interest in this, but i HAVE had some feedback from some folks already since my posting so i guess SOMEBODY is still reading!!
just wanted to send a quick note to take umbrage with gene on a few points:
we won the AMH contract at the NC Battle of the Bands held at Dorton Arena at the state fairgrounds in ralegh, NOT at a ball park in durham.
also think his organ sound and playing in no way resembles a skating rink organ! he’s WAY too good a player to call his work anything but great.
not 100% sure on this, but i THINK that battle of the bands was the same one we beat out an unknown group from chapel hill called “The Original Flying Machine.”
just mention that cause there was some guy in that band named james taylor and i’m pretty sure he STILL hurts to this day when he thinks about losing that recording contract to us!!!
just stumbled on this page. terrific stuff. phil lee did go out to california for awhile, then came back to nc for much of the 90s and since about 2000 or so has been based in nashville, tn. he’s released some cd’s that have been very well received in the u.s. and overseas (tons of good reviews). he still makes it to nc to play gigs a few times a year. his page is:
http://www.phillee1.com/
btw, ken friedman of tobacco a go go (blue mold records) is now playing in a band in the durham /chapel hill area. they are called “amps do furnish a room”. they pick an influential record each year to learn and play it live a few times at year’s end. last year, the record was television’s marquee moon. this year, it’s the byrds’ notorious byrd brothers.
http://www.myspace.com/ampsdofurnisharoom
I’m Ken Haywood, the guitarist for the Bondsmen. This site has me thinking about the period between 1964 and 1970. Very interesting times and music.
Some thoughts on The Bondsmen…
The 1967-68 lineup was:
Jim Bowen – bass & backup vocals – Jim lives in Charlotte, NC. We keep in touch and see each other on occasion. He played in classic rock bands around Charlotte in the 70’s and 80’s. I don’t know if he’s still playing now. Jim had the Hagstrom III bass that matched my guitar…cool.
Tim Hutchinson – trumpet & backup vocals – I haven’t seen or heard from Tim since probably 1970. At that time I think he was in school and teaching music in Greensboro, NC.
Phillip Pearson – drums & flugelhorn – We did a version of “Love Is Blue” w/ trumpet and flugelhorn. “Phil Lee” lives in Nashville, TN and has had a successful music career. He has recorded a couple of highly acclaimed CD’s in the folk-country-rock genre. It’s been several years since we’ve talked.
Archie Thomas – vocals – I always considered Archie to be the band’s main attraction. He was a great singer and everybody loved him. In the mid 70’s, I recruited Archie to sing with the Castaways, a local R&B/Beach group. He sang with us for a short time, but work and family had to come first. What a great vocalist and good friend.
Gene Galligan – keyboards and vocals – Probably the one guy in the bunch that I figured would NOT be involved in music later in life. I had to beg him to play!!! I still remember Gene doing “The Ballad of Ira Hayes” one night..cool. Gene was more classically inclined so I can remember trying to get him to simplify and stay out of the guitar’s way! Just kidding… We email and keep in touch.
John Santa – Guitarist and songwriter – Although never an “on stage” member, he was a true inspiration and great friend. I knew that the UNC Journalism School gig would do weird things to ya…Bluegrass…did you say Bluegrass? John, if you read this, we really have to get together so you can straighten me out…
Ken Haywood – Guitarist & vocals – I have been playing guitar and bass since 1963. I’ve done the Garage Rock to Soul/Disco to country Rock back to R&B Dance and currently play in a Society/Wedding band. Can you imagine playing Sinatra’s “The Way You Look Tonight” and then 10 seconds later ripping into Jeremiah Was A Bullfrog? Holy crap! Been full circle and enjoyed most of it…
After Jim, Tim, Gene, and John left for college, The Bondsmen regrouped and continued performing for about another year and a half. The band also logged more time in the studio. This time a Raleigh, NC facility called Audiophonics. However, there were no singles released. We did get some local radio play of our “Got To Be Myself” recording written by Hubert Deans.
The 1969-70 lineup was:
Archie Thomas – vocals
Phillip Pearson – drums
Jim Ward – bass
Hubert Deans – keyboards
Ken Haywood – guitar
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Tech Stuff
My guitar rig used on these two recordings:
Hagstrom III (Swedish Made – 3 single coil pickups – double cut solid body with whammy bar – not to be used by young children)
Vox Tone Bender (mondo-distortion stomp box)
Vox King Wah (Model V847A – not actually used on the recordings but in signal path)
Sears Silvertone Twin-Twelve amp (50 watt all-tube head with 212 cab – the poor kid’s Fender Dual Showman)
I actually still have the two Vox devices and wish I still had the guitar and amp. To this day, I can’t get over the loss of audio quality in the mastering and pressing of this record!
**************************************************************
Kenny, this is a blast from the past, you are a great bands man but you had a good game of Basketball to. In 1964 at Carrington we hung out a lot and played some B-ball behind the church across from where we lived off Hillsboro St. I live in Raleigh now would like to here from you, try to get up with you a few years ago through a customer of mine you Know well, that must of fell through.
Johnny Easters
Ken, it was great to see the most recent post, it looks like I missed the gig in Charlotte (posted late). I would like to make the Durham one, that would me so cool, please post when you have a date. It would be great to hear from you drop a line.
Johnny,
The Charlotte gig is still a month out. Hope you can make it. It would be good to see you!
Ken
I will try to make it, my work has been so slammed I guess I was a month ahead of my self. I live in Wendell just east of Raleigh, it would be great to get up with you may be we could do lunch somewhere in Durham I have many customers there and go to Durham often?
Ken we have moved to Augusta Ga. Living in Evans. If you ever get down this way , let me know would love to here from you.
Hi Mike! It was great to see the family at The Durham Deb Ball this past December. Thanks for the props on the old band. I hope you saw John Santa’s post about hearing the record on the radio…cool. I spent many hours with Bill Sellers who was the late night DJ out at WSSB. I was there late fall of 1969 when he opened the “station promo” open reel copy of “Whole Lotta Love” by Led Zeppelin and first played it on the air.
We need to get together…
Ken
so good to hear from ken haywood! but i am SOoooo bummed you don’t have that guitar and amp!!! NEVER woulda thought you would part with that Hagstrom!!!
unfortunately i let my Silvertone twin twelve go too and i regret that as well! been playing mostly acoustic though (a custom made wes lambe mandoloin–it’s featured on the cover of my book) in my current life playing bluegrass music! my band EIGHTwentytheree (named for the first day we ever played together: august 23, 2001) just returned from charlotte where we headlined at the beautiful thousand seat Halton Theater on the campus of CPCC. we’re currently working on a CD too. info and etc at http://www.bluegrassbook.com and ken, if you read this, get in touch thru the web site so we can go drink a beer and catch up! also would be amazing to sit down and play some music with you again, so please get in touch!
there were so many truly great musicians in the Bondsmen i am surprised so few of us are doing music full time. ken was an absolute inspiration to me on guitar with a real talent and genius at the instrument. hubert deans who came in on keyboards after gene left was and is a great talent as well. last i heard he was in durham and had a studio (?) tho not sure about that now.
i agree with ken tho in his last post: the draw of the Bondsmen was ALWAYS the incredible archie thomas, a GREAT vocalist and showman!
we had phil on drums, a BIG talent and ken and the jims on bass and gene, tim, hubert etc, but archie WAS the show.
it was his vocals that pulled the rest of us along!
great to hear from you ken.
don’t know if anybody else is out there or reading this stuff or enjoying it, but i sure am!!
Hey John,
I’m still here, alive and well. Two kids in college, in business full time with Snow Hill Music (recording studio) since 1988. Do you have a copy of the recording the Bondsmen made of “Plastic Door”? It would be a reel to reel. It was written by Jim Ward and me – inspired by you and your raving about “plastic people” after the gig in Carolina Beach at the Attic. I’ll never forget lugging the Leslie up that never-ending staircase.
Hubert
I have a tape of “I See The Light” that I recorded from WNYU’s Mod Monday show in the early 80s. I taped that show every week from September 1983 until I left NY in 1990. I usually just taped the songs I liked, and then periodically transferred songs I really liked to a “Master Tape” – I still have the 11 Master Tapes and this song is on one of those tapes. I probably have the raw oroginal tape around here somewhere but I wouldn’t know which of the many tapes it would be on.
The Bondsmen were a great Garage band and both songs you have here are very cool!
I just found this website… it brought back some good memories.
Are you still in Durham?? I recently retired and now live in Morehead City, but I go up to Durham to visit my sister occasionally. I would really like to hear from you, and maybe get together sometime.
Ello, I’m Jim Bowen’s son. I’m stationed out in California with the United States Marine Corps. I talk to my father often and he still lives in Charlotte, NC. He still picks up the Bass playin that good ole Rock N’ Roll. He even has a nice studio added to the garage where he records. I’ve even had the opportunity to record my own album, “Emotions of the Soul”. It’s a keyboard solo with ten songs. I believe there is another 45 of recorded Bondsmen’s songs. I really enjoyed coming across your site. Take it easy.
back in the old days I was Phillip Pearson…got a whole new identity now (all for legitimate reasons)…I was with Ken last week and it got me to thinking about the old days…let’s keep in touch…I come to Durham often, maybe I’ll see you one of these days, PL
If there’s anyone out there still, The Bondsmen are in rehearsals for a reunion show in Charlotte, NC on June 27th. at the Neighborhood Theatre. Hard to believe it’s really going to happen. All of the guys in the band will be involved and performing. If we manage to pull this gig off, there may be another show in Durham, NC at some point. It’s been 45 years since the last gig… Hmm…
Intrigued by this band’s name. We had a garage band out of Chicago called “Bondsmen” in 64,5 and 6. We never recorded any records. All but one of us got drafted in 66. However I have a pic of the band with our business card framed in it.
Well appreciate you taking the time to read this email…amazing coincidence “The Bondsmen”
Regards
JB
PS Thanks for posting this site on the internet.
Hi Everyone, I’m going to interview Phil Lee and Ken Haywood on Duke’s radio station, WXDU, on Sunday 12/20. It’s on the same show that Stephen C. mentioned above (Who’s Got The Cuckoo, the weekly garage rock show). We’ll be on from 9-10pm EDT, http://www.wxdu.org, please tune in if you can. I’ll archive the show and post a link to the interview after the show is over.
–Robby
Hi folks, as promised, here’s a link to the interview! Sorry it’s a bit late. Holidays.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B85CGK8UXxXONTFKNEFZekQtalE
The Bondsmen will be playing a reunion gig at Motorco in Durham, NC, today (Sunday, 12/27). Local garage rock professors, Thee Dirtybeats, will open. http://motorcomusic.com/event/marianne-taylor-music-presents-the-bondsmen-40th-reunion-of-one-of-the-triangles-favorite-party-bands/
Ken, would have loved to make this gig. Maybe we can get together for coffee.
I ran across a write-up about The Bondsmen appearing at Motorco in the Dec 23, 2015 issue of the “INDY Weekly”. Couldn’t make that show, but somehow I ended up here.
I grew up in Durham and was at Durham High school 1965 – 1967. There are a lot of memories and some familiar names, not just in the write-up, but in the comments.
The local bands I remember from mid-60s Durham are The Englishmen, The Casuals, and The Jaguars (based out of the Jaguar Teen Club out on Miami Blvd?)
Later there was a Durham band called “The Dukes” that several of my friends played in. I associate the name Tim Hutchinson with them as their trumpet player.
But I don’t remember The Bondsmen as such.
For some reason, I associate Jim Ward & Philip Pearson with playing at the state finals Battle of the Bands at Dorton Arena in spring of 1969 as the SI-DELLS. Jim Ward was my room-mate at NC State that semester, and I loaned him my Ric 330/12 for their guitar player to use during the Battle of the Bands in Dorton Arena.
The band’s organ player had a Vox combo organ, a Leslie Combo Preamp & a Leslie 147. The guitar player plugged the 12 string into the Combo Preamp to play The Beatles song “I Will”. I thought it was the best song I heard that night. It was a sound I never forgot.
I still have that Ric & finally after many, many years have a Leslie G37.
John Santa may have been the guitar player. I remember John Santa’s name from from back then. He had a pretty big musical reputation in Durham … even though he was from Northern High and I was at Durham High and “never the twain shall meet”. The schools had a big in-county football rivalry back in those days.
And lastly, I fondly remember the “Bill Day All Night Show” on WSSB 1490 AM. In addition to being the best DJ in the local radio market (my opinion anyway), he managed the band my room-mate played in, whether it was The Bondsmen or The SI-DELLS and Jim Ward must have introduced me to him, because I spent a LOT of time hanging around the radio station after that & Bill encouraged me to get an FCC license.
You asked for a photo of the Bondsmen.
http://www.newsobserver.com/entertainment/music-news-reviews/on-the-beat-blog/article51096245.html
Gene Galligan. You Sir, is a genius. That organ on “Our Time To Try” never leaves ya.