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Sean Bonniwell Dead: The Music Machine Frontman Dies at 71
- Posted on Dec 29th 2011 2:45PM by Jason MacNeil
Sean Bonniwell, vocalist of early garage rock band the Music Machine, has died after battling lung cancer. He was 71. According to the Los Angeles Times the vocalist died on Dec. 20 at a Visalia, Calif. medical center.
Born in San Jose, Bonniwell performed in various folk groups before forming the Ragamuffins in 1965. The band's name was later changed to the Music Machine. Bonniwell's biggest hit was 'Talk Talk,' a track that cracked the Top 20 in 1966 and has been deemed to be one of the earliest garage rock or garage punk singles. The song appeared on the band's lone album that same year, '(Turn On) The Music Machine.'
"Rock 'n' roll was a teenager in the '60s, and I used that climate to express my confusion, my anger, at the injustice of the world," the singer said in Richie Unterberger's 1998 book 'Unknown Legends of Rock 'n' Roll.'
The group's brief heyday began its demise in 1967 when members began leaving the Music Machine. From there Bonniwell kept the band alive and changed its name to The Bonniwell Music Machine. The name change was brief, however, as he eventually sold the name to Warner Brothers in order to be released from their recording contract.
In 1969 he released a solo album 'Close' before leaving music aside for decades. In 1996 he self-published 'Talk Talk,' a memoir which was later updated and renamed 'Beyond The Garage.' According to his official site, Bonniwell released the Music Machine Video Biography in 2010 to celebrate his 70th birthday.
Watch 'Talk Talk'
Born in San Jose, Bonniwell performed in various folk groups before forming the Ragamuffins in 1965. The band's name was later changed to the Music Machine. Bonniwell's biggest hit was 'Talk Talk,' a track that cracked the Top 20 in 1966 and has been deemed to be one of the earliest garage rock or garage punk singles. The song appeared on the band's lone album that same year, '(Turn On) The Music Machine.'
"Rock 'n' roll was a teenager in the '60s, and I used that climate to express my confusion, my anger, at the injustice of the world," the singer said in Richie Unterberger's 1998 book 'Unknown Legends of Rock 'n' Roll.'
The group's brief heyday began its demise in 1967 when members began leaving the Music Machine. From there Bonniwell kept the band alive and changed its name to The Bonniwell Music Machine. The name change was brief, however, as he eventually sold the name to Warner Brothers in order to be released from their recording contract.
In 1969 he released a solo album 'Close' before leaving music aside for decades. In 1996 he self-published 'Talk Talk,' a memoir which was later updated and renamed 'Beyond The Garage.' According to his official site, Bonniwell released the Music Machine Video Biography in 2010 to celebrate his 70th birthday.
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Alice cooper did a fine version of this song in the '80s. Thanks for your contribution to music. R.I.P.
December 30 2011 at 9:56 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Replyi always liked that song and it was influential in that it had some attitude where as a lot of the music at that time was kinda wimpy , it brings back memorys of much better times than we have now.. RIP
December 30 2011 at 5:19 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Replyi remember the band , 60's were a great time and a tragic time. we were into cars so all the car clubs we'd listen to music and work on cars, great times. alot of good music came out in the 60's as everyone knows. you had to be part the the times to know what we were talking about. alot of good hot rods to!
December 30 2011 at 5:16 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Replyman if i said danny kalb of the blues projects who gave me guitar lessons
would any of you know who im talking about?
bob nyc...peace out
Yes! I would know who he is! I'm from Rochester, NY and I went to Buffalo State in the late 60's. My 2 dorm roommates were from Long Island and they played their albums constantly-which was fine with me. They came to Ra-cha-cha in 1971. By then Kooper was gone and their star had faded, but I went and saw them anyway. Good! Good! Good!
December 30 2011 at 5:58 AM Report abuse Permalink +1 rate up rate down ReplyThere was a lot more to this. The 1960s were amazing. There was lots of gas at 22 cents a gallon - everybody drove a V8 even grandmas. There were jobs.
We had solid leaders. The music was amazing, the Amboy Dukes, Beatles, Animals, a party atmosphere. Going to the beach was beyond belief people everywhere having fun in the sun and sand (palm trees, colorful umbrellas) picnicing (in contrast today you go to the beach and people just sit). You mom didn't work, she stayed home and took care of the family.
At the time none of us really knew it was temporary.
RIP brother heaven just got another great musician !
December 30 2011 at 4:27 AM Report abuse Permalink +3 rate up rate down ReplyI am a music collector and I think this song is crap. Yes, they were ahead of they're time. I have heard some very comparable crap just as bad as this and in the same style of crap many times since this came out. You could say they were innovators of crap.Thank goodness they're particular version of crap ended with one crappy album.
December 30 2011 at 4:22 AM Report abuse Permalink -5 rate up rate down ReplyGotta love the guys that slam the dead the day they die, no waiting for the body to get cold. Heaven forbid we show a little respect in the blogs, fortunately we have that whole anonymity masking our faces so folks can't pick out the obnoxious oafs in person. Dubbing them "ahead of their time" and "innovators of crap" in the same parapraph seems a bit the oxymoron, but hey, color me a master of the obvious. You're a collector and offer no props because you didn't like their songs? WTF? You're like those guys that say Country sucks but forget everything you love of music was basically invented by Elvis Presley, Gene and Eddie who were all 100% Country from Day One. This guy put out punk music before MC5 and Velvet Underground, who most call the inventors of Punk, Bonniwell was first. I don't care for Opera, but I won't be flaming Pavorati the day he kicks off.
December 30 2011 at 5:31 AM Report abuse Permalink +1 rate up rate down Replyas fellow musician i think sean had a "great" blues voice.
so long man. and JEFF your right man he was ahead of his time.
bob louis nyc...........
great song!!, havent heard it in years!!, RIP
December 30 2011 at 3:15 AM Report abuse Permalink +1 rate up rate down Replythe music machine was a good group and their song " talk talk " was great ! i knew the band personally, they lived a few blocks from me in pedro. sean was a great guy, really ahead of his times for sure ! rip sean. miss the wonderful times we all had !
December 30 2011 at 2:11 AM Report abuse Permalink +2 rate up rate down Reply
33 Comments