Shel Talmy, the producer behind My Generation of the Who and You Really Got Me the Kinks died Friday due to complications from a heart attack. He was 87 years old.
Born in Chicago in 1937, Talmy began working in the music industry in the late 1950s, moving to London in 1962 to work at Decca Records. In his career he collaborated with the Kinks in 1964, producing You Really Got Me in the same year. Talmy was a key figure for The Who, signing them to his production company. He produced I Can't Explainthe group's first single under the Who name, and their signature song My Generation.
Talmy also collaborated with David Bowie early in his career. Other artists Talmy has produced for include Manfred Mann, Easybeats and the Small Faces. Talmy worked regularly with producer and engineer Glyn Jons and hired Jimmy Page as a studio guitarist before he embarked on his career with the Yardbirds and Led Zeppelin.
Before he died, Talmy left a note to read while listening in the background You Really Got Me, My Generation, Friday On My Mind or any of its productions:
«If you are reading this note, it is my last, I now no longer reside on this plane of existence and have “moved on”, wherever that may be. I like to think that there is something beyond where I was and where I am now, hoping that the millions of guesses about what comes next are accurate. I like to think that I can enjoy this new “residence” of mine and that the countless rumors that there is a great “studio in the sky” are true and that we are making heavenly music! I also hope to be currently busy renewing relationships with a ton of friends and acquaintances, many of which date back decades. I've had a good life and I'm happy it lasted this long. I'm also happy to know that I have a legacy that will last even longer. I look forward to meeting some of you reading this now in the future, but LOL, don't rush to get here, I'm not going anywhere!»
From Rolling Stone US.
