 After their long national tour, the Music Machine returned to the studio to record their debut album (Turn On) The Music Machine. Much to the disapproval of Bonniwell, his original material had to compete with dispensable cover versions of "Cherry, Cherry", "Taxman", "See See Rider", and "96 Tears", all chosen by their record label with an expectation that the well-known songs would increase record sales. One interpretation voluntarily selected by the band was a slow, moody, fuzz-laden arrangement of "Hey Joe" which bears a strong resemblance to Jimi Hendrix's later version. Bonniwell first heard the folk standard in 1962 at a club in Hermosa Beach, and was convinced the tune's tempo was too fast, as he unsuccessfully attempted to persuade the Wayfarers to record a slower version. He revisited the concept with altered lyrics after hearing Tim Rose's regionally successful rendition in early 1966. The throaty vocals, most evidently on "Hey Joe", Bonniwell blames on recording "the Turn On album after a 30-day tour. Mark's fingers were literally bleeding. I could hardly even speak, much less sing". Despite the album's shortcomings, (Turn On) The Music Machine managed to reach number 75 on the Billboard 200. On January 21, 1967, a song taken from the album, "The People In Me", was issued as the group's second single but stalled at number 66 nationally after the band's management angered radio executives for initially making the song exclusively available to a rival station.
