Music Machine - Soul Love - 1968
Most famous for "Talk Talk," a Top 20 single from 1966 that was one of the most manic '60s garage-punk hits, the Music Machine had much more depth and songwriting talent than the typical one-hit wonders of the day. Lead singer and songwriter Sean Bonniwell's strangled lyrics and dark, verbose vision paced the group's wiry psychedelic guitar lines and ominous, minor-key Farfisa organ.
By 1966, they'd taken on the somewhat more extreme versions of the requisite Beatles haircut, topping an image dominated by black outfits (and Bonniwell's trademarked single black leather glove), and named themselves distinctively as the Music Machine.
Bonniwell was a serious taskmaster, and in contrast to most of their rivals of the period, pushed the group into many hours of rehearsals. Even more important, he got them to perfect their sound without getting stale in the process. The playing by all of the members was first-rate; Rhodes' Farfisa organ and Olsen's attack on the bass were perfectly matched to Bonniwell's intense, brooding vocals. The result was a sound -- as demonstrated on their best singles and the best moments of their one and only LP -- that combined an edgy garage punk attack with playing that was studio- and radio-friendly.
They were signed up by producer Brian Ross, who got their debut single, "Talk Talk," released on Original Sound. That record, a piercing one minute-and-fifty-six-second garage-punk explosion released at the end of 1966, made it to number 15 on the charts and propelled the Music Machine to national prominence (including upward of a dozen appearances on American Bandstand. They were never able to follow it up adequately. Only one album was released with the original lineup.
Bonniwell passed in 2011
The Music Machine recorded quite a few excellent, imaginatively produced singles and album tracks that found them exploring the darker side of psychedelia with compelling intensity and imagination. Poor management and some incredibly bad decision-making led to their dissolution at the time, but Bonniwell is still something of a musical legend in the 21st century, and "Talk Talk" is regarded as a garage punk classic.
Soul Love is my nugget but Talk Talk is only song most have ever heard. Attached find two more nuggets and a great compilation CD.
Talk Talk
The Eagle Never Hurts The Fly
Double Yellow Line
Beyond The Garage (Full Compilation CD)
This post was edited on 3/24 1:24 AM by Top Row Dawg
Soul Love
Most famous for "Talk Talk," a Top 20 single from 1966 that was one of the most manic '60s garage-punk hits, the Music Machine had much more depth and songwriting talent than the typical one-hit wonders of the day. Lead singer and songwriter Sean Bonniwell's strangled lyrics and dark, verbose vision paced the group's wiry psychedelic guitar lines and ominous, minor-key Farfisa organ.
By 1966, they'd taken on the somewhat more extreme versions of the requisite Beatles haircut, topping an image dominated by black outfits (and Bonniwell's trademarked single black leather glove), and named themselves distinctively as the Music Machine.
Bonniwell was a serious taskmaster, and in contrast to most of their rivals of the period, pushed the group into many hours of rehearsals. Even more important, he got them to perfect their sound without getting stale in the process. The playing by all of the members was first-rate; Rhodes' Farfisa organ and Olsen's attack on the bass were perfectly matched to Bonniwell's intense, brooding vocals. The result was a sound -- as demonstrated on their best singles and the best moments of their one and only LP -- that combined an edgy garage punk attack with playing that was studio- and radio-friendly.
They were signed up by producer Brian Ross, who got their debut single, "Talk Talk," released on Original Sound. That record, a piercing one minute-and-fifty-six-second garage-punk explosion released at the end of 1966, made it to number 15 on the charts and propelled the Music Machine to national prominence (including upward of a dozen appearances on American Bandstand. They were never able to follow it up adequately. Only one album was released with the original lineup.
The Music Machine recorded quite a few excellent, imaginatively produced singles and album tracks that found them exploring the darker side of psychedelia with compelling intensity and imagination. Poor management and some incredibly bad decision-making led to their dissolution at the time, but Bonniwell is still something of a musical legend in the 21st century, and "Talk Talk" is regarded as a garage punk classic.
Soul Love is my nugget but Talk Talk is only song most have ever heard. Attached find two more nuggets and a great compilation CD.
Talk Talk
The Eagle Never Hurts The Fly
Double Yellow Line
Beyond The Garage (Full Compilation CD)
This post was edited on 3/24 1:24 AM by Top Row Dawg
Soul Love
