The Music Machine
Listen – Come On In – MP3
Greetings all.
The time has come for all good men to say ‘Hey, it’s Thursday.’
That being the case it’s also time for another bowl of groove juice, this fine day coming to you in the form of one of my favorite songs by the Music Machine.
If’n you aren’t familiar with the Music Machine and the wonderful sounds they made, you should back away from the interwebs and find yourself a copy of their greatest hits. I say this because back in the day, when I picked up the original Rhino reissue of their best stuff (1985-ish), having only previously heard their biggest hit, the manic ‘Talk Talk’, I was – as the kids say – blown away.
When you’re fan of garage punk and psychedelia you are more often than not adrift in a sea of never-had-a-hit-wonders, who in their day managed to crawl into a recording studio and crank out one genuinely interesting 45 before dropping off the face of the earth. There are certainly exceptions to the rule, as every once in a while band managed to keep it going for several 45s, or in rare instances even an LP. However, in most of these cases, despite a somewhat more substantial discography, they really only ever had one song that was worth listening to, so it’s a wash.
While listening to that Music Machine compilation, it occurred to me immediately that they really had a “voice” (literally in their leader Sean Bonniwell, and figuratively as well). Their mix of garage punk and moody psychedelia and – this above all other considerations – Bonniwell’s songwriting talent took them to an entirely new level.
This was no one-off Nuggets act from Bumfuck, Pennsyltucky. The Music Machine was a truly interesting band.
Though my fave Music Machine song, ‘Masculine Intuition’ was already posted here as part of Iron Leg Digital Trip #2 the Freaked Out Mind Blowing Scene of Right Now (click on Podcasr Archive link in the sidebar for details), today’s selection comes in a close second.
‘Come On In’ is a fantastic vehicle for Bonniwell’s deep, Morrison-esque voice, and the production on the single is deep with reverb. The Jim Morrison comparison is apt because if you didn’t know any better you might mistake ‘Come On In’ for a lost Doors track.
The version of the Music Machine that recorded ‘Come On In’ broke up in 1967, with Bonniwell continuing on as the Bonniwell Music Machine for one more LP.
Bonniwell is still at it today, having written an autobiography (which I’d love to read) and reformed a version of the Music Machine.
I hope you dig the track.
Peace
Larry
Buy – Turn On: The Best of the Music Machine – at Amazon.com
Iron Leg 
Thanks a great deal for the Music Machine MP3 – I heard it on The Hippie Revolt and thought it sounded like Jim Morrison and Neil Diamond merged into some horrible hairy testosterone-dripping combination, shedding groupies as he traveled the world.
Masculine Intuition is even better… I should have read your notes more closely as I never would have realized they were the same group.
Thanks for all your work on Ironleg, I learn a great deal about the music I hear.
And I really want that information if I like what I’m listening to.
Keep going!
AW, SHUCKS!
It was Fever Tree covering _Come on In_ from -The Hippie Revolt! – Digital Trip.
No wonder they sounded different.
Anyway… Neil Diamond did not merge with The Music Machine vocalist, thank goodness.
Thanks Ray!
That Fever Tree version comes from an LP where they do a couple of unusual cover versions. I think sometime soon I’ll have to post the Fever Tree version of Love’s ‘She Comes In Colors’.
Larry
true story — sean bonniwell refused to add me to his list of myspace friends unless i changed ‘music machine’ in my list of musical interests to ‘bonniwell music machine’ — i refused, and bonniwell is no friend of mine!
I remember some years ago (late 80’s maybe) where some zine did an interview with Bonniwell where he went on and on about how the MM could have been the next Beatles but they were ripped-off/mishandled by the music industry. Not as deluded as Sky Saxon, but deluded nonetheless…
Comment removed at poster’s request – L
Jeannie
If you read the piece more closely you’d realize that I speak pretty highly of Bonniwell. I said that his voice is ‘Morrison-esque’ but at no point suggest that he was derivative of the Doors singer (who by the way did not appear at Monterey Pop, alone or with the Doors).
I personally believe that the Music Machine were both underrated and under appreciated, but no amount on the downside of the ledger, whether attributed to mismanagement or missed opportunties will ever convince me that that could have (or should have) been another Beatles.
I find what little I do know about Sean Bonniwell to be fascinating, and I do plan on reading ‘Beyond the Garage’.
Best
Larry
Comment removed at poster’s request – L
Comment removed at poster’s request – L
Jeanie
This:
“Having misspoke a time or two myself, I think the point that Sean was trying to make in his reference to The Beatles was that the band didn’t enjoy the notoriety that they could have earned, but he also knows the same is true for many other talented professionals.”
Is a very astute condensation of one of the main reasons I do what I do with these blogs (and for the last 20 years via zines, newspapers etc).
The Top 40, while it occasionally includes music of real value has often been denied to much more deserving music, whether the result of general popular ignorance, unfair/unethical business practices or just bad luck. Sean Bonniwell and the Music Machine is a great example of this, and in a just world would have been a much bigger band than they were in their day. No one can say for sure where they would have gone had they been managed properly, and given an opportunity to reach a wider audience.
Thanks for stopping by, and starting this interesting little dialogue. It certainly made my afternoon.
Best
Larry
Comment removed at poster’s request L
Greetings from the garage (or thereabouts),
Jeanie sent an email regarding her intention to send you a copy of ‘BTG’, in which case I’ll need your mailing address (please email to sean@bonniwellmusicmachine.com)…: and thank you, your kind words re the MM are very much appreciated.
A companion CD is Included with the book. Should you wish to order additional CDs the prices at the official site are outdated (as is the product line). Anyone interested should go to http://www.bonniwellmusicmachine.com/blog/index.php for the updates and all else (including new product from the Private Library series, classic and recent tour videos, and ultra rare memorabilia).
For the sake of clarification, I have never — and would never — compare the MM with any band of the era — much less the Beatles, whose songwriting inspired my own. The one and only reference was in regard to Lennon comparing the Beatles’ popularity with that of Christ’s, which I found culturally inappropriate.
With blessings by His grace,
Sean Bonniwell
Thanks all for your interest in what was a very special time for my friends, Sean, Keith, Ron, Doug & myself.
Holland Oats you’re quite right. There was only one original Music Machine, although, a few of the orig. groups tracks, recorded before the orig. group split were released on the Bonniwell Music Machine LP. The difference between the two lineups sound & style is apparant to all who listen. I’m sure Sean didn’t mean to slight you…….With great talent comes great ego, or so I’m told. Also, there was no Christian evangelical overtones or references whatsoever in the original groups work. This was years before Sean chose to follow that path. In those days It was all about the music, the performance, the girls which we saw a lot of, & the money, which for the most part, we never saw any of. Just keepin the record straight……
Entire history & pix available from “Uglythings Magazine” & “Ace Records UK” definitive double set “The Music Machine, The Ultimate Turn On” This also includes Two video mpegs!
……..Rock on, Mark Landon, Original Lead guitar, The Music Machine
Lead guitar, Ike Turners Kings of rythem,
Ike & Tina Tuner Review (approx ’69-’71)
WOW! Two members of the Music Machine!?!?
Mark, did you record with Ike & Tina during that period?
Larry
Bloody Hell Larry! You’ve posted a track by one of my favourite bands out of the 60’s, I’ve learned there’s a book and now you’ve actually gotten TWO of the original members to comment on your Blog….I bow to you sir…I am as green as Kermit over here! LOL
Jason X
SHINDIGGIT!
Yeah Jason. That was certainly unexpected!
wow – just checked back & i can’t believe who’s been on this thread – was mark on ‘a black man’s soul’ by any chance?
ps – larry who’s that bushy-eyebrowed guitar slinging alien you use as an avatar for this site? vaguely familiar but i can’t put my finger on it!!
That alien is Peter Cooke from a mid-60’s parody of the Thunderbirds (Superthunderstingcar) that he did with Dudley Moore. You can find it on YouTube, and if you’re familiar with the Gerry & Sylvia Anderson stuff it’s hilarious.
thnx man — and ps i hear a PHANTOM 5 reunion is in the works?!?
OH MY!
thanks a lot 4 the sample
i was lookin for it coz Cypress Hill sampled it on ‘how i could just kill a man’
thanks a million!