Editing Jack Bruce (section)

===1962–1966: Early career===
Jack's playing in jazz combos was disapproved of by his school and he was forced to leave.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Luhrssen |first1=David |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=phsIDgAAQBAJ |title=Encyclopedia of Classic Rock |last2=Larson |first2=Michael |date=2017-02-24 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=978-1-4408-3514-8 |language=en}}</ref> After leaving school, he toured Italy, playing double bass with the Murray Campbell Big Band.<ref name=Welch>{{cite book |first=Chris |last=Welch |title=Cream: The Legendary Sixties Supergroup |publisher=Backbeat Books |year=2000 |isbn=978-0879306243}}</ref> 

In 1962, Bruce became a member of the London-based band [[Blues Incorporated]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.firstfoot.com/good-scottish-pop/jackbruce.htm |title=Good Scottish Pop – Jack Bruce |website=Firstfoot.com |access-date=11 December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120204062131/http://www.firstfoot.com/good-scottish-pop/jackbruce.htm |archive-date=4 February 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> led by [[Alexis Korner]], in which he played the [[upright bass]]. The band also included [[Electronic organ|organist]] [[Graham Bond]], saxophonist [[Dick Heckstall-Smith]] and drummer [[Ginger Baker]]. In 1963 the group broke up.<ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/> In March, 1963, Bruce played in the [[Johnny Burch Octet]].<ref>''The Guardian'' – [https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/oct/26/jack-bruce Obituary, Jack Bruce Obituary]</ref><ref>Discogs – [https://www.discogs.com/release/13556910-Johnny-Burch-Octet-Jazzbeat- Johnny Burch Octet – Jazzbeat]</ref><ref>''Jazz Journal'' 12 May 2019 – [https://jazzjournal.co.uk/2019/05/12/johnny-burch-octet-jazz-beat/ Audio Reviews, Johnny Burch Octet : Jazz Beat By Matthew Wright]</ref>  Bruce would go on to form the [[Graham Bond Quartet]] with Bond, Baker and guitarist [[John McLaughlin (musician)|John McLaughlin]].<ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/> They played an eclectic range of music genres, including [[bebop]], [[blues]] and [[rhythm and blues]]. As a result of [[session musician|session work]], Bruce switched from the upright bass to the electric [[bass guitar]]. The move to electric bass happened as McLaughlin left the band; he was replaced by Heckstall-Smith on saxophone, and the band pursued a more concise [[Rhythm and blues|R&B]] sound and changed their name to [[the Graham Bond Organisation]]. The group released two studio albums and several singles but were not commercially successful.{{cn|date=December 2022}}

During the time that Bruce and Baker played with the Graham Bond Organisation, they were known for their hostility towards each other. There were numerous stories of the two sabotaging each other's equipment and fighting on stage. Relations grew so bad between the two that Bruce left the band in August 1965.<ref>{{cite book |first=Harry |last=Shapiro |title=Graham Bond: The Mighty Shadow |pages=85–86 |publisher=Crossroads Press |year=2004 |isbn=978-1872747071}}</ref> 

After leaving, Bruce recorded a solo single, "I'm Gettin Tired", for [[Polydor Records]].<ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/> He joined [[John Mayall]] and his [[John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers|Bluesbreakers]] band, which featured guitarist [[Eric Clapton]]. Bruce's stay in the band was brief, and he did not contribute to any releases at the time, but recordings featuring him were later released, initially on ''[[Looking Back (John Mayall album)|Looking Back]]'' and ''Primal Solos''.{{cn|date=December 2022}}

After the Bluesbreakers, Bruce had his first commercial success as a member of [[Manfred Mann]] in 1966, including "[[Pretty Flamingo]]", which reached number one in the [[UK singles chart]] (one of two number one records of his career – the other being an uncredited bass part on [[The Scaffold]]'s "[[Lily the Pink (song)|Lily the Pink]]")<ref name="The Great Rock Discography" /> as well as the freewheeling and groundbreaking [[jazz rock]] of ''[[Instrumental Asylum]]''. When interviewed on the edition of the [[VH1]] show ''[[Classic Albums]]'' which featured ''[[Disraeli Gears]]'', Mayall said that Bruce had been lured away by the lucrative commercial success of Manfred Mann, while Mann himself recalled that Bruce played his first gig with the band without any rehearsal, playing the songs straight through without error, commenting that perhaps the [[chord changes]] seemed obvious to Bruce.<ref name="classicalbums">{{Cite episode |title=Cream – Disraeli Gears |series=[[Classic Albums]] |station=[[VH1]]|date=3 November 2006}}</ref>

While with Manfred Mann, Bruce again collaborated with Clapton as a member of [[Eric Clapton's Powerhouse|Powerhouse]], which also featured [[Spencer Davis Group]] members [[Steve Winwood]] credited as "Steve Anglo", on vocals and [[Pete York]] on drums (Apparently, [[Ginger Baker]] was originally to have played the session), [[Ben Palmer]] on piano, and [[Manfred Mann]] vocalist [[Paul Jones (singer)|Paul Jones]] on harmonica. Three tracks were featured on the [[Elektra Records|Elektra]] sampler album ''[[What's Shakin']]''. Two of the songs, "Crossroads" and "Steppin' Out", became staples in the live set of his next band, Cream.