The label of an artist management / agency from the West Country, run by John Dryden and John Greenslade. According to the sleeve of the EP shown above, Music Machine's head office was at Holbeton, Plymouth, and it had a studio in Exeter; but that studio appears to have been Greenslade's Exeter Sound Recordings. Its records have proved unresponsive to googling, by and large; so far only five have come to light, though the fact that the highest catalogue number among them was MM-009 suggests that there are several more out there. Albums and EPs generally shared the same MM-000 series; there were at least three EPs, one of which, 'Aimed At You' by Shotgun, was made through Lyntone and had a Lyntone catalogue number, LYN-3763. MM-009 was an LP by the Ginger Walker Band, 'I Couldn't Believe My Ears'. There are no dates on the labels, but on the 45cat site the Paintbox record is reported to have been recorded in 1975 and released in August 1976. The only single I have managed to trace, 'Cry Over Me' b/w 'Tears Of Love' by The Ravens, had a plain white label with 'Music Machine' at the top in black lettering, along with a reference to ESR studios. There was no number on the label, nor was there a date on it, but its matrix number was MM-1 and it had the look of a post-1972 Linguaphone pressing. To judge from the few of its products I've seen, Music Machine would appear to have been either a custom recording company or a small independent specializing in recording local talent. The former seems more likely. See also 'ESR'.
Copyright 2008 Robert Lyons.