The Music Machine
Encyclopedia
The Music Machine was an American garage rock
and psychedelic
(sometimes referred to as garage punk
) band from the late 1960s, headed by singer-songwriter Sean Bonniwell
and based in Los Angeles
. The band sound was often defined by fuzzy guitars and a Farfisa
organ
. Their original look consisted of all-black clothing, (dyed) black moptop hairstyles and a single black glove.
), Mark Landon (guitar
), Keith Olsen
(bass
), and Doug Rhodes
(organ).
Their debut album, (Turn On) The Music Machine, was released in 1966 on the Original Sound
label. Seven of the twelve tracks were originals, written by Bonniwell. One of these, "Talk Talk", became a Top 20 hit in the U.S. The follow-up single
, "The People In Me", peaked at #66. Bonniwell blamed the weak showing of this single on a supposed feud between the band's manager and a top record executive. Four cover songs were included on this release, due to record company pressure.
After a promotional tour of the U.S., the rest of the original line-up (Edgar, Landon, Olsen, and Rhodes), left Bonniwell, due to internal conflicts. Rhodes and Edgar subsequently teamed with Curt Boettcher
and others to record as part of The Ballroom and The Millennium
.
In 1967, Music Machine (essentially only Bonniwell at this point) were signed to Warner Bros.
and re-named The Bonniwell Music Machine. The name was changed to give more prominence to the band's core member, songwriter and vocalist. A self-titled LP was released that year, made up mostly of previously recorded singles with the original line-up. The recording spawned no big hits, despite the inclusion of a few more pop
-oriented songs.
A third Music Machine album was recorded but never released. In 2000, a Bonniwell Music Machine album called Ignition was released on Sundazed Records
. This is a collection of songs from the unreleased 1969 album, as well as demo tracks from the band's Raggamuffin days in 1965.
In 2000, Bonniwell wrote about his life and The Music Machine in the autobiography
Beyond The Garage, published by the small press
publisher Christian Vision
.
Garage rock
Garage rock is a raw form of rock and roll that was first popular in the United States and Canada from about 1963 to 1967. During the 1960s, it was not recognized as a separate music genre and had no specific name...
and psychedelic
Psychedelic
The term psychedelic is derived from the Greek words ψυχή and δηλοῦν , translating to "soul-manifesting". A psychedelic experience is characterized by the striking perception of aspects of one's mind previously unknown, or by the creative exuberance of the mind liberated from its ostensibly...
(sometimes referred to as garage punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
) band from the late 1960s, headed by singer-songwriter Sean Bonniwell
Sean Bonniwell
Thomas Harvey "Sean" Bonniwell , guitarist, vocalist, songwriter, is most famous as the main creative force behind the late-1960s garage rock band, The Music Machine....
and based in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. The band sound was often defined by fuzzy guitars and a Farfisa
Farfisa
Farfisa is a manufacturer of electronics based in Osimo, Italy.The Farfisa brand name is commonly associated with a series of compact electronic organs, and later, a series of multi-timbral synthesizers. At the height of its production, Farfisa operated three factories to produce instruments, in...
organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
. Their original look consisted of all-black clothing, (dyed) black moptop hairstyles and a single black glove.
History
The group came together as The Ragamuffins in 1965, but became The Music Machine in 1966. In addition to Bonniwell, the original line-up consisted of Ron Edgar (drumsDrum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
), Mark Landon (guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
), Keith Olsen
Keith Olsen
Keith Olsen is one of the most prolific and successful music producers in the industry.-Career:With over 120 albums produced netting a 1 in 4 Gold or better ratio, of which more than 24 are Platinum or better, and more than 14 are multi-Platinum, sales from Keith Olsen’s work exceeds 110 million...
(bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
), and Doug Rhodes
Doug Rhodes
Doug Rhodes, multi-instrumentalist, performed with 1960s rock bands The Music Machine and The Millennium.Growing up in Garden Grove, California, Rhodes began his music career as a jazz saxophonist at the age of 16, playing with older brother Robbie Rhodes. Eventually, he became the member of a...
(organ).
Their debut album, (Turn On) The Music Machine, was released in 1966 on the Original Sound
Original Sound
Original Sound is a Los Angeles, California-based record label. It was founded in the early 1950s by KPOP deejay Art Laboe. It began as a small label that specialized in compiling and re-releasing "oldies" R&B and rock 'n' roll songs...
label. Seven of the twelve tracks were originals, written by Bonniwell. One of these, "Talk Talk", became a Top 20 hit in the U.S. The follow-up single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, "The People In Me", peaked at #66. Bonniwell blamed the weak showing of this single on a supposed feud between the band's manager and a top record executive. Four cover songs were included on this release, due to record company pressure.
After a promotional tour of the U.S., the rest of the original line-up (Edgar, Landon, Olsen, and Rhodes), left Bonniwell, due to internal conflicts. Rhodes and Edgar subsequently teamed with Curt Boettcher
Curt Boettcher
Curt Boettcher was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer from Wisconsin. His career spanned 1964 to 1983...
and others to record as part of The Ballroom and The Millennium
The Millennium
The Millennium was an American super group based in California, who were conceived by Curt Boettcher. The group consisted of psychedelic rock musicians, and they incorporated sunshine pop harmonies....
.
In 1967, Music Machine (essentially only Bonniwell at this point) were signed to Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
and re-named The Bonniwell Music Machine. The name was changed to give more prominence to the band's core member, songwriter and vocalist. A self-titled LP was released that year, made up mostly of previously recorded singles with the original line-up. The recording spawned no big hits, despite the inclusion of a few more pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
-oriented songs.
A third Music Machine album was recorded but never released. In 2000, a Bonniwell Music Machine album called Ignition was released on Sundazed Records
Sundazed Records
Sundazed Records is a record label based in Coxsackie, in the Catskills of New York. It specializes in obscure and rare recordings from the 1950s to the 1970s.Label founders Bob Irwin and his wife Mary started the label in 1989...
. This is a collection of songs from the unreleased 1969 album, as well as demo tracks from the band's Raggamuffin days in 1965.
In 2000, Bonniwell wrote about his life and The Music Machine in the autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
Beyond The Garage, published by the small press
Small press
Small press is a term often used to describe publishers with annual sales below a certain level. Commonly, in the United States, this is set at $50 million, after returns and discounts...
publisher Christian Vision
Christian Vision
Christian Vision is a large international Christian religious organization in the United Kingdom, established in 1993. It is registered charity under English law and in 2007 had an endowment of £200 million, making it one of the 100 largest charities in the UK....
.
Studio albums
- (Turn On) The Music Machine (1966)
- The Bonniwell Music Machine (1967)
Compilation albums
- The Best of The Music Machine (1984)
- The Music Machine (1994)
- Beyond the Garage (1995)
- Rock 'N' Roll Hits (1997)
- Turn On: The Best of the Music Machine (1999)
- Ignition (2000)
- The Ultimate Turn On (2006)
Singles
- "Talk Talk" / "Come On In" (1966)
- "The People in Me" / "Masculine Intuition" (1967)
- "Double Yellow Line" / "Absolutely Positively" (1967)
- "The Eagle Never Hunts the Fly" / "I've Loved You" (1967)
- "Hey Joe" / "Taxman" (1967)
- "Advise and Consent" / "Mother Nature, Father Earth" (1969)
As The Bonniwell Music Machine
- "Bottom of the Soul" / "Astrologically Incompatible" (1967)
- "Me, Myseld And I" / "Soul Love" (1968)
- "Tin Can Beach" / "Time Out for a Daydream" (1968)
- "You'll Love Me Again" / "In My Neighbourhood" (1968)
- "Point of No Return" (1997)