Shel Talmy, legendary music producer, dead at 87
American music producer, arranger, and songwriter Shel Talmy, who is probably best known for his work with artists like The Kinks, The Who, and David Bowie, has passed away at the age of 87. The death has been confirmed by Alec Palao, who worked closely with the producer, particularly during his later years.
Talmy reportedly died at his home in Los Angeles on Wednesday, November 13th, as a result of complications resulting from a stroke. Prior to his death, the legendary producer wrote a statement, which was then shared on social media after his passing. “I’ve had a good run, and I am delighted it lasted as long as it did,” he wrote, adding, “I’m also delighted that I am told I have a legacy that will last even longer.”
He concluded the statement by writing, “I look forward to meeting some of you in the future who are reading this, but LOL, don’t hurry to get here, I’m not going anywhere!” According to the statement released on Wednesday, Talmy wanted his last words to be read by fans with “your choice of favourite ST production cranked in the background”.
Producers are so often the unsung heroes of the music industry, pulling the strings and crafting the art in the background while the artist soaks up the glory. Talmy, on the other hand, had his fair share of glory throughout the years, and quite rightly too. His career began as a high school graduate during the late 1950s, but did not reach legendary status until he relocated to the United Kingdom in 1962.
The first landmark moment in Talmy’s career as a producer came the following year when he was recruited to produce a song by The Kinks, which would eventually become their defining single ‘You Really Got Me’. The groundbreaking success of that track led the producer to continue working with The Kinks on a variety of other tracks, including ‘All Day and All of the Night’, ‘Sunny Afternoon’, and ‘Waterloo Sunset’, among many others. As a basic rule, if you can think of a popular song by The Kinks, it was probably produced by Shel Talmy.
After helping to carve out the sound of the swinging sixties with Ray Davies and company, Talmy was a sought-after producer in British rock. So much so that Pete Townshend – then of The High Numbers – wrote a song, ‘I Can’t Explain’ to appeal to the producer. Of course, that tactic worked, and Talmy began working with Townshend and his band, who would later rename themselves The Who. Much like with The Kinks, Talmy was essential in crafting those early records by The Who, most notably on the era-defining ‘My Generation’.
Aside from those two iconic groups, Talmy worked with a plethora of other artists, including the likes of David Bowie, The Easybeats, and Manfred Mann among many others. A lot of fuss is made over the distinctive sounds of London during the 1960s, but the city would have sounded almost unrecognisable without the incredible impact of Shel Talmy.
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