Talmy was born in Chicago, Illinois, United States, and from an early age he was interested both in music (early rock, rhythm and blues, folk music[2] and country music) as well as the technology of the recording studio. At the age of 13, Talmy appeared regularly on the popular NBC-TV television show Quiz Kids, a question-and-answer program from Chicago. He told Chris Ambrose of Tokion Magazine, "What it did for me was that I absolutely knew that this was the business I wanted to be in."
After working for ABC Television, he became a recording engineer at Conway Studios in Los Angeles where owner/engineer Phil Yeend trained him on three-track recording equipment. Three days later, Talmy had his first assignment, producing the record "Falling Star" by Debbie Sharron. According to journalist Chris Hunt, Talmy's move from television to audio recording was a result of "the rapid deterioration of his eyesight."[3]
Talmy and Yeend often experimented with production techniques. They played with separation and recording levels and built baffles and platforms covered with carpet, using them to isolate vocals and instruments.
In an interview with Terri Stone in Music Producers, Talmy recalled that Yeend "would let me do whatever I wanted after our regular sessions were over, so I used to work out miking techniques for how to make drums sound better or guitars sound better. ... There really weren't many precedents, so we were all doing it for the first time together. It was all totally new."
British career
In the summer of 1962, Talmy went to Britain, supposedly for a 5-week European vacation. He went with little money and thought he might be able to work for a couple of weeks to earn some more.
Nick Venet, a good friend and producer at Capitol Records, gave him a stack of acetates to take along with him and use as if he had produced them, if it could get him a job.
Talmy joined Decca Records as an independent record producer (among the first in the UK) working with Decca's pop performers, such as Irish trio the Bachelors, leading to the release of the hit single "Charmaine".[4]
Once he struck out as an independent, Talmy also had success in the United States with his productions for Chad & Jeremy, including "A Summer Song" and "Willow Weep for Me"
In 1963 Talmy met Robert Wace, the manager of a group called the Ravens who later changed their name to the Kinks. He brought the Kinks into the studio and their third single, "You Really Got Me", became a landmark recording.
A long-running controversy about the song revolved around the use of future Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page as a session musician on many of the Kinks' early recordings - and on the seminal guitar solo on "You Really Got Me" in particular. In an interview with rock writer and critic Richie Unterberger, Talmy set the record straight: "You know how many times I've answered that question? I wish I had a buck for each one. Jimmy Page did not play the solo on 'You Really Got Me,' he played rhythm guitar. He never played anything but rhythm guitar on that plus [the Kinks'] first album session. On 'You Really Got Me,' I used Bobby Graham on drums. Page played guitar because, at the time, Ray didn't want to play guitar, [as] he wanted to concentrate on his vocals. So I said, fine, let me get a rhythm guitarist, 'cause Dave [Davies] was playing the leads, and so I hired Jimmy."[5] Whoever started the rumor, Page no longer takes credit.
Pete Townshend, guitarist of a band called the High Numbers, liked "You Really Got Me" so much that he wrote a similar number, "I Can't Explain", so that Talmy might produce his group. When the song was played over the telephone to Talmy, he agreed to hear the band.[6] Now called The Who, they were rehearsing at a church hall, and Talmy says it took about eight bars before he said "Yes!" The band was signed to his production company, Orbit-Universal. Talmy got the band a contract with Decca in America and with their subsidiary Brunswick in Britain, and produced recordings modeled on the band's high-energy live performances.
The intentional feedback on the band's second single, "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere", caused U.S. Decca executives to send back the recording, thinking that they had received a faulty pressing, and Talmy had to assure them it was intentional.[4]
Talmy and the Who created a historic recording in "My Generation", the group's third release. Entertainment Weekly later called "My Generation" the "quintessential rock single".
Talmy also produced The Who's first album, My Generation, a collection of original songs and R&B covers. However, tensions arose between Talmy and one of the band's managers, Kit Lambert.
Lambert 'fired' Talmy, but Talmy sued for breach of contract and won. Talmy called it a pyrrhic victory, as he would no longer produce any records by the Who.
Talmy held the original session tapes to the My Generation album, but a re-release was held up for years because of the ongoing dispute. This prevented a proper re-release of the LP until 2002, when things were finally settled in Talmy's favor. My Generation was subsequently remixed by Talmy and issued on compact disc with bonus tracks.
In his book Before I Get Old, Dave Marsh commented that the records that Talmy made with the Who "are technically among the best that the band ever did, and they have a distinct, original sound."
Thanks to his work with the Who and the Kinks, Talmy is considered at the forefront of the British music scene in the mid-1960s.
Production style and work with other artists
In a 1989 interview with writer Chris Hunt, Talmy described his approach to music production: "There are two categories of producers. Let me explain. First, one produces an artist the way 'they' want to hear to them, without a whole lot of regard to what the artist is really like, or how they see themselves. I'd like to think that I'm in the other category. I liked the artists that I produced – a lot, or else I wouldn't produce them, and what I wanted to do was enhance what they do already. I just wanted to make it better, more polished, put the best frame around it I could. The other 'category' of producers are divided between what I subscribe to, 'hands-on', i.e. being there from inception, and all through the recording to mastering."[7]
In another interview with musician/producer/songwriter Artie Wayne, Talmy dismissed the idea that great music production relies primarily on some kind of personal "magic": "[Laughing] The productions don't just materialize out of a clear blue sky. I spent a lot of time in the studio working out how to isolate instruments, how to mic drums, how to do all kinds of stuff. When I arrived in London, I started recording drums using twelve mics, which I had worked out how to do in Los Angeles. Everybody in London, at the time, were only using three or four mics. They said I couldn't do that because it would (create) phase. I said, 'Just listen to it, see if it does. A month later everybody was trying to use 12 mics on the drums!'"[8]
Asked, in the same interview, if he always picks the songs for the artists he produces, Talmy replied: "I'm a hands-on producer, meaning that I always work with the artist on choosing material, doing the arrangements, getting musicians if necessary, choosing the studio and being there for the entire production on through the mixes and mastering."[9]
Talmy continued to work with other distinguished British performers throughout the 1960s, principal amongst whom was singer-songwriter David Bowie (then known by his real name Davy Jones). Talmy produced two singles in 1965 by two groups featuring Bowie, "I Pity The Fool" by The Manish Boys and "You've Got A Habit Of Leaving", where the singer was accompanied by The Lower Third. He is known to have a considerable amount of unreleased material by Bowie in his archive.
Another artist of lasting impact that Talmy produced was Australian group The Easybeats. Though successful in Australia, the act floundered when it first arrived in the UK in the summer of 1966. The first session under Talmy's direction produced the massive global hit "Friday On My Mind". Writing in the Encyclopedia of Popular Music, Colin Larkin described the song as "one of the all-time great beat group singles of the '60s". Bowie later covered "Friday on My Mind" on his album Pin Ups. Talmy's work with The Easybeats stretched through to their 1967 album Good Friday, after which the band's management decided to dismiss him as producer.
Once established as an independent producer in early 1964, Talmy would be incredibly busy over the next five years, producing dozens of discs, largely in the beat and mod categories, genres with which he would be forever associated. These include records by Mickey Finn, The First Gear, The Sneekers, The Untamed, Ben Carruthers & The Deep, The Nashville Teens, The Thoughts, Colette & The Bandits, Wild Silk and many others. He was also hired to work with successful acts like Manfred Mann, for whom he produced the hits singles "Just Like A Woman" and "Semi-Detached Suburban Mr James", and Amen Corner ("If Paradise Was Half As Nice" and "Hello Susie"). Talmy also produced the pioneering all-women quartet Goldie & The Gingerbreads, and produced other female acts such as Liz Shelley, Dani Sheridan, Vicki Brown and The Orchids.
In late 1965, Talmy and impresario Arthur Howes formed their own label, Planet Records, distributed by Philips Records. Although the venture was not successful, the label did release the initial discs by Talmy's discovery The Creation,[10] now considered amongst the most iconic of mod/psychedelic groups, who often used pop-art imagery. These included "Making Time"[4] and "Painter Man". Their later work with Talmy such as "How Does It Feel To Feel" was issued on Polydor and Talmy has said that he did some of his most essential work with the Creation.
Though he is famous primarily for his contributions to rock music, Talmy also worked with musicians from the folk scene, including Pentangle, Roy Harper and Ralph McTell. He has also worked in the pop, orchestral, pop and punk categories.
He produced the early Roy Harper albums Come Out Fighting Ghengis Smith and Folkejokeopus in 1967. In 1968 and 1969 Talmy produced the influential first three albums by the folk supergroup, Pentangle, as well as their hit single "Light Flight". In the late 1960s Talmy worked with American artists Lee Hazlewood and Tim Rose and supervised film music with his favored arranger David Whitaker. For CBS, he produced Music to Spy By and The Revolutionary Piano of Nicky Hopkins, both arranged and conducted by Whitaker.
By the early 1970s, Talmy did less record work and pursued his other interests in the book publishing and film making worlds. He was however still in demand as a producer and worked on records by The Small Faces, String Driven Thing, Fumble, Coven, Chris White, Mick Cox Band, Blues Project, Rumplestiltskin[10] and others. He had production deals with the Bell and Charisma labels in the 1970s. Amongst his final UK productions was a collector's item single by punk group, The Damned ("Stretcher Case Baby" / "Sick of Being Sick").
Talmy returned to the United States in 1979. Though he reduced his workload, Talmy continued to be sought after to produce artists. He has produced albums by Fuzztones, Nancy Boy and Sorrows. Most recently he has produced records by Hidden Charms and Strangers In A Strange Land.
In 2003, a tribute to Talmy was aired on the radio program Little Stevens Underground Garage. In 2017, Ace Records began issuing a series of compilations from Talmy's vintage catalog, including the career anthology Making Time - A Shel Talmy Production, produced by Alec Palao.
Personal life
Shel Talmy now lives in the Los Angeles area. He is a long-time member of the high IQ association the Triple Nine Society.[citation needed] He is the brother of American linguist Leonard Talmy.[citation needed] According to Chris Hunt, Talmy eventually became almost completely blind due to a "hereditary condition that has hampered him for most of his adult life."[3]
"You Really Got Me" is a song by English rock band the Kinks, written by frontman Ray Davies. The song, originally performed in a more blues-orientated style, was inspired by artists such as Lead Belly and Big Bill Broonzy. Two song versions were recorded, with the second performance used for the final single. Although it was rumoured that future Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page had performed the song's guitar solo, this has been debunked.
Face to Face is the fourth studio album by the English rock band the Kinks, released on 28 October 1966. The album marked a shift from the hard-driving style of beat music that had catapulted the group to international acclaim in 1964, instead drawing heavily from baroque pop and music hall. It is their first album consisting entirely of Ray Davies compositions, and has also been regarded by critics as one of rock's first concept albums. Davies' blossoming songwriting style became increasingly observational and satirical, commenting on English culture, social class and the music industry.
Something Else by the Kinks, often referred to simply as Something Else, is the fifth studio album by the English rock band the Kinks, released on 15 September 1967 by Pye Records. The album continued the Kinks' trend toward an eccentric baroque pop and music hall-influenced style defined by Ray Davies' observational and introspective lyrics. It also marks the final involvement of American producer Shel Talmy in the Kinks' 1960s studio recordings; henceforth Ray Davies would produce the group's recordings. Many of the songs feature the keyboard work of Nicky Hopkins and the backing vocals of Davies's wife, Rasa. The album was preceded by the singles "Waterloo Sunset", one of the group's most acclaimed songs, and the Dave Davies solo record "Death of a Clown", both of which charted in the UK top 3.
Kinks is the debut studio album by the English rock band the Kinks. It was released on 2 October 1964 in the United Kingdom by Pye Records. The original United States release, issued by Reprise Records on 25 November 1964, omits three tracks and is instead titled You Really Got Me.
"Long Tall Sally", also known as "Long Tall Sally (The Thing)", is a rock and roll song written by Robert "Bumps" Blackwell, Enotris Johnson, and Little Richard. Richard recorded it for Specialty Records, which released it as a single in March 1956, backed with "Slippin' and Slidin'".
Kinda Kinks is the second studio album by the English rock band the Kinks. It was released on 5 March 1965 in the United Kingdom by Pye Records. The original United States release, issued by Reprise Records on 11 August 1965, omits three tracks and substitutes the singles "Set Me Free" and "Ev'rybody's Gonna Be Happy". Recorded and released within two weeks after returning from a tour in Asia, Ray Davies and the band were not satisfied with the production.
"I Can't Explain" is a song by English rock band the Who, written by Pete Townshend, and produced by Shel Talmy. The song was released as a single on 15 January 1965 in the United Kingdom, by Brunswick, and by Decca in America, in December 1964. It was the band's second single release and first under the Who name.
My Generation: The Very Best of The Who is one of The Who's many greatest hits collections, released by Polydor Records internationally and MCA Records in the United States in 1996. Its release coincided with the release of the remastered original albums and thus contained the newly remastered versions of the songs, and some also remixed.
The Creation are an English rock band, formed in 1966. Their best-known songs are "Making Time", which was one of the first rock songs to feature a guitar played with a bow, and "Painter Man", which made the top 40 on the UK Singles Chart in late 1966, and reached No. 8 on the German chart in April 1967. It was covered by Boney M in 1979, and reached the No. 10 position on the UK chart. "Making Time" was used in the film Rushmore, and as the theme song from season 2 onwards of The Great Pottery Throw Down.
The Kinks were an English rock band formed in London in 1963 by brothers Ray and Dave Davies. They are regarded as one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s. The band emerged during the height of British rhythm and blues and Merseybeat, and were briefly part of the British Invasion of the United States until their touring ban in 1965. Their third single, the Ray Davies-penned "You Really Got Me", became an international hit, topping the charts in the United Kingdom and reaching the Top 10 in the United States.
"You've Got a Habit of Leaving" is a song by the English singer-songwriter David Bowie, recorded and released as a single on 20 August 1965 through Parlophone. Released under the name Davy Jones, it featured his band at the time, the Lower Third, whose contributions were uncredited. Produced by Shel Talmy and recorded in early July 1965, the single marked a departure from the Americanised R&B of his two earlier singles into Who-style mod music. The original recording later appeared on the compilation albums Early On (1964–1966) (1991) and Nothing Has Changed (2014).
The Rockin' Vickers were an English rock and roll band from Blackpool, active from 1963 to 1968. They toured the UK and continental Europe and released four singles during their existence. The band is however best-remembered for launching the career of Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister of Motörhead, then known as Ian Willis.
"See My Friends" is a song by the English rock band the Kinks, written by the group's singer and guitarist, Ray Davies. Released in July 1965, it reached number 10 on the Record Retailer chart. The song incorporates a drone-effect played on guitar, evoking a sound reminiscent of the Indian tambura.
Kinksize Session is the first EP released by the Kinks in the UK in 1964, a month after their debut LP. The tracks were all exclusive to this release and it includes some original compositions.
"Bald Headed Woman" is a traditional blues song, covered by British rock band the Kinks on their eponymous debut album in 1964. Another British rock band, the Who, recorded it in 1964 as the B-side of their first top-ten single "I Can't Explain". The song has also been covered by other artists of the time, including Harry Belafonte, as seen in the Bob Dylan documentary, No Direction Home. It became a number one hit on Kvällstoppen for Swedish rock group Hep Stars in 1965.
English Freakbeat, Volume 3 is a compilation album in the English Freakbeat series, featuring recordings that were released decades earlier, in the mid-1960s.
"Ev'rybody's Gonna Be Happy" is a song by Ray Davies, released as a UK single by the Kinks in 1965. As the follow-up to the number-one hit "Tired of Waiting for You", and having their previous three singles all chart among the top two, it was less successful, reaching number 17. It broke a run of what would have been thirteen consecutive top-ten singles in the UK.
Kinkdom is a studio album by the English rock band the Kinks, released as their fourth album in the United States. It was issued by Reprise Records on 24 November 1965 in both mono and simulated stereo formats. It peaked at number 47 on the Billboard album chart.
"She's Got Everything" is a song written by Ray Davies and released by English rock band the Kinks. It first appeared as the B-side of the Kinks' 1968 single, "Days".
Then Now and Inbetween is a promotional compilation album by the English rock band the Kinks. Reprise Records issued the album in July1969 to journalists, radio program directors and disc jockeys in conjunction with the "God Save the Kinks" promotional campaign, which sought to reestablish the Kinks' commercial status in the US after their four-year ban on performing in the country.
↑ Unterberger, Richie. "Shel Talmy". Richieunterberger.com. Retrieved March 31, 2020. Ralph McTell, who I recorded, by the way, was basically a folk singer.
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