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BONNIE GUITAR

“DARK MOON”

(NED MILLER)

Dot 15550

No. 6    June 10, 1957

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She was born Bonnie Buchingham on March 25, 1924, on a small farm in Auburn, Washington, 20

miles out­ side of Seattle. “I had four brothers and a sister; none cared much about music.  Dad

played violin,” said Guitar, in an exclusive interview.  “I wanted to play the clar­inet.  Some one in

the band had already picked it, or­ who knows–I coulda become Bonnie Clarinet.”

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Bonnie took an early interest in jazz, pop, and Irish folk tunes and made efforts to copy every note

picked by her fav Nick Lucas.  By age 16, Mrs.Buchingham was proudly taking her daughter

around to the various area contests held at the movie houses–winning more times than she could

recall.  After graduation, Bonnie went out on the road with radio stars, the Arizona Wranglers.  By

21, she was married and fronting her own band,  a pop outfit, in L.A.  Some demo recordings she

cut for an aspiring songwriter got the attention of  Fabor Robinson, in Malibu, California, owner

of Fabor Records.  Noting her talent, Fabor acquired her services as session guitarist, and soon she

was learning the ways of being an engineer and producer.  As such, in the mid­’50s she worked with

DORSEY BURNETTE, THE DE CAS­TRO SISTERS, NED MILLER, and Jim Reeves.

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Her debut solo single was “If You See My Love Dancing,” a self-composed tune performed by just Bonnie

and her guitar.  Months later, while visiting her parents she received a call from Fabor.  ‘”I’ve just

received this song,’ he said.  ‘I’ve worked it with Dorsey [Burnette] and others, and I can’t seem to

capture it. Will  you come down and give it a listen?’  I can tell you my exact words when I first heard

‘Dark Moon,’ I said, ‘I’ll give up my royalties and everything just to do this song.’  I knew it was up for grabs and someone was gonna get it.

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“I got it, but he took me at my word and I really did give up my royalties.  It was one of the hardest things

I ever put together.  Ned [Miller] wrote it but we tried in maybe five or six different ways, in different

studios before it came out right.”

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While Guitar’s haunting take on “Dark Moon,” a Ned Miller tune, would become her lone pop notable,

she continued to rack up country hits into the early’80s.  “After [her immediate follow-up [ ‘Mister Fire

 Eyes: (#71, 1957] it just all fell apart for me having any further pop hits.  Randy Wood [Dot Records’

founder and owner] took my contract away from Fabor and had ’em put these big band productions on

my records.  ‘Dark Moon’ had just three instruments–two guitars and a bass.”

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In 1958, Guitar started a record label, Dolphin­–within weeks relabeled Dolton–with a refrigerator

dealer, Bob Reisndorf and signed on the sensational sound-making services of the Fleetwoods, the

Ventures, and DON ROBERTSON.  Bonnie molded and produced the early Fleetwood hits and those

by Seattle’s Frantics and Little Bill & the Bluenotes.  She recorded one solo single “Candy Apple Red”

(#97, 1959) and with Robertson, an undercover disk, “Born to Be With You,” as the Echoes (no relation

to THE ECHOES, of “Baby Blue” fame).  “I was getting too much attention, it seems,” said Bonnie, “

and Bob and I didn’t get on–we were at each other’s throats–so after a year and a half, two years, I left.”

Dolton was later sold to Liberty, then to become a part of the EMI empire, followed, by Lord knows what

affiliation or fragmentation, or dismantling.

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Bonnie has recorded for numerous labels (Radio, Dot, Dolton, RCA, Jerden, Fabor, Paramount,

Colum­bia, ABC, MCA, 4-Star) and has done country A & R work for Dot and Paramount Records,

session work for such as BILL JUSTIS, and obscure pop/rock productions for Dot and Dore.  Several

fine LPs (Dark Moon,1957; Two Worlds,1966) were issued through the ’60s, though most of them are

now out of print, in all the variant forms.

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“I resigned, New Year’s Eve, 1996,” said Bonnie Gui­tar.  “You just burn out.  You go with the big labels,

and you get lost with all the artists competing; go with a lit­tle label and you get more attention, but

there’s more crooks….

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”I’m blessed, though.  I’m very grateful.  It’s 40 years later, and people still come up to me and say things

like  ‘Your “Dark Moon,” helped me; it touched me, when I was down.”