Sean Bonniwell

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sean Bonniwell

Background information
Birth name Thomas Harvey Bonniwell
Also known as T.S. Bonniwell
Born August 16, 1940 (1940-08-16) (age 67)
Origin Flag of the United States San Jose, CA
Years active 1960s - present
Associated acts The Wayfarers, The Ragamuffins, The Music Machine
Website bonniwellmusicmachine.com

Thomas Harvey "Sean" Bonniwell (born August 16, 1940, San Jose, CA), guitarist, vocalist, songwriter, is most famous as the main creative force behind the late-1960s garage rock band, The Music Machine.

During his teens, Bonniwell was inspired to form a high school vocal group after hearing the song "Only You" by The Platters. After high school, Bonniwell's first serious musical incarnation was that of clean-cut pop-folk guitarist for the quartet The Wayfarers. The Wayfarers released three LPs under the RCA label.

As the folk music craze died out, Bonniwell sought to create music with "fuzz and fangs." In 1965, he formed a trio called The Ragamuffins, which quickly grew into The Music Machine. Adopting Beatles-style moptop hair and all-black outfits (and Bonniwell's signature single black leather glove), Music Machine churned out a diversified style of garage rock. After the band debut LP spawned the successful single "Talk Talk" (1966), the original line-up broke apart. Bonniwell continued on with Music Machine, now signed to Warner Bros. and re-named The Bonniwell Music Machine (1967). Unhappy with the way thing were going, Bonniwell sold the rights to the band name to his label in order to be released from their contract.

In 1969, Bonniwell released a solo album ("Close") on the Capitol Records label. This recording marked a change in identity for Bonniwell, who not only chose to make gentle, sensitive music (contrasting that for which he was known), but also chose to record under the name of T.S. Bonniwell. The recording received minor label support and displeased Bonniwell enough that he left the music business altogether. He entered a period of spiritual quest and internal soul-searching, grew a beard, sold everything he owned, and drove around the U.S.

In 1996, Bonniwell self-published a memoir called "Talk Talk," which was later revised and re-titled "Beyond The Garage," published by the small press Christian Vision [1]. A few years later, Sundazed Records put out previously un-released Music Machine material from the 1960's, along with demo recordings from The Ragamuffins. Bonniwell claims to have written over 300 songs since 1970. [2]

Recently in 2006, Bonniwell has written and recorded his first new material in several years as a guest musician appearing on a self-titled debut album by The Larksmen, a garage rock group from Los Angeles, California. He appears on two songs entitled "Burn Like A Boy" (actually written back in 1967 for The Music Machine but never released) and "Out Of Darwin's Mind". [3] He is still active in the music industry as of March 2007.

[edit] Discography

  • Bottom Of The Soul / Astrologically Incompatible (November 1967)
  • Me-Myself, And I / Soul Love (January 1968)
  • album "The Bonniwell Music Machine" WS 1732 / W 1732 (January 1968)
  • In My Neighborhood / You'll Love Me Again (April 1968)
  • To The Light / You�ll Love Me Again (May 1968)
  • Time Out (For A Daydream) / Tin Can Beach (September 1968)
  • Advise And Consent b/w Mother Nature, Father Earth (March 1969)
  • Where Am I To Go / Sleep (June 23, 1969) (as T.S. Bonniwell)
  • album "Close" (as T.S. Bonniwell) Capitol LP ST-277, June 27, 1969

Where Am I To Go / Love Is Such A Simple Word / Who Remembers/ Something To Be / Black Snow/ She Is / Temporary Knife / Continue / Where It Belongs / But Not With My Heart / Sleep / King Mixer / Dark White

[edit] References

  1. ^ Beyond The Garage
  2. ^ http://www.richieunterberger.com/bonniwell2.html Interview with Bonniwell PT 2
  3. ^ THe Larksmen - Biography

[edit] External links

Persondata
NAME Bonniwell, Thomas Sean
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION American singer-songwriter
DATE OF BIRTH August 16, 1940
PLACE OF BIRTH San Jose, California
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH