VISALIA, Calif. (AP) — Sean Bonniwell, the lead singer and chief songwriter of the short-lived Los Angeles garage-rock band the Music Machine, died here on Dec. 20. He was 71.
The Music Machine, whose single “Talk Talk†reached No. 15 on the Billboard singles chart in 1966, was described in “The Billboard Book of One-Hit Wonders†as one of the most-loved but least-played garage bands of the 1960s. It is often cited as an important precursor of punk rock.
The Music Machine (1965–1969) 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.
