Granted, Shel Talmy’s efforts were behind the scenes, but in the mid to late ’60s, he easily rivaled George Martin and Andrew Loog Oldham as one of the key hitmakers in the early days of the British Invasion. The songs that he produced — The Kinks’ “You Really Got Me,” “Waterloo Sunset” and “Tired of Waiting for You.” The Who’s “My Generation,” “I Can’t Explain” and “The Kids Are Alright.” The Easybeats’ “Friday on My Mind.” The early recordings by Davy Jones (aka David Bowie), not to mention innumerable offerings by Small Faces, Chad & Jeremy, The Damned, Roy Harper, Pentangle and Manfred Mann.
Talmy’s contributions to the enduring legacy of British rock will always ensure him a prominent place in any rollcall of essential rock and roll.
His place of prominence in that seminal scene came about purely by happenstance. He had done some incidental production for television before gradually working his way into L.A.’s recording studios under the tutelage of the prolific producer Gary Paxton. When, in the summer of 1962, he decided to take a trip to London, extensively for a five-week vacation and possibly some part-time work, his friend and producer Nick Venet gave him a stack of acetates that he said he could claim as his own demo tapes. One of them happened to be “Surfin’ Safari” by The Beach Boys. A meeting with the head of Decca Records got him a gig, and, after becoming an independent agent, he furthered his efforts after coming into contact with The Kinks’ manager Robert Wace and later Pete Townshend, who was so enamored with Talmy’s work with The Kinks, he insisted he sit behind the boards with the budding Who.
These days, at age 86, Talmy is back living in Los Angeles and still eager for an opportunity to empty his considerable skills. His latest project, Greener Pastures by The Waymores, an Atlanta-based duo consisting of Willie Heath Neal and Kira Annalise. It’s Talmy’s first venture into country confines, but the combination is as compelling as always.
Goldmine recently had the opportunity to speak with the legendary Shel Talmy and to talk about projects past and present. As always, he was unabashedly expressive.
GOLDMINE: It’s a pleasure to speak with you, sir. Needless to say, your name
