The Who and The Kinks producer Shel Talmy has died, aged 87

Lis Sinatra

Shel Talmy, the pioneering producer behind hits by The Who and The Kinks, has died aged 87.

Per Sky News, songwriter and archivist Alec Palao said he had “died peacefully in his sleep” at his Los Angeles home on Wednesday (November 13) “from complications due to a stroke”.

Talmy, who took to sharing tales of “swinging London” with fans on Facebook, also prepared a written statement before his death that was shared posthumously: “Preferably [read] with ‘You Really Got Me’, ‘My Generation’, ‘Friday On My Mind’ or your choice of favourite ST production cranked in the background.”

“Hi to all, and many thanks to all of you who have been reading my rock stories for all this time, it has been greatly appreciated,” it read. “Please note, that if you’re reading this now, this is my final vignette, as I am no longer residing on this plane of existence, and have “moved on”, to wherever that may be.

“I’d like to think there is something beyond where I was to where I am now, assuming that the millions of suppositions as to what is next, are accurate. I’d like to think that I’m thoroughly enjoying my new “residence”, and that the countless rumours that there is a big working “studio in the sky” are true, and that we are, dare I say, making heavenly music!”

Wrapping up the post, Talmy wrote that he “had a good run”, but was “delighted” to have been told he had a “legacy that will last even longer”. In the post’s final line, he joked: “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!”

An instrumental figure in the British Invasion, Talmy helped shape British rock’s sound in the 60s. Having moved from Chicago to London in 1962, he got his start in the music industry in the late fifties at Decca Records.

He started working with The Kinks two years later, and produced their landmark hit, ‘You Really Got Me’, and played a significant role in The Who’s early career, having signed them to his production company and produced ‘My Generation’ and ‘I Can’t Explain’.

Elsewhere, he worked on David Bowie’s early singles and produced for the Easybeats, Manfred Mann, Chad & Jeremy, Pentangle and more. Dave Davies has led tributes to Talmy, writing on X/Twitter: “He was really crucial to the beginning of our career.” You can check out more tributes below.