Shel Talmy , the influential rock producer who cut such classics as The Kinks ‘ “You Really Got Me” and “Waterloo Sunset” and The Who ‘s “My Generation” and “I Can’t Explain,” died during the weekend at his Los Angeles home after a stroke. He was 87. His death was confirmed in a post on his Facebook page that begins: “We are gutted to tell you that the great Shel Talmy has left the building.
” It also includes a farewell note from Talmy that reads in part, “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.” See his message in full below. Talmy produced The Kinks’ first seven albums from 1964-67, which spawned such landmark singles as “You Really Got Me,” “All Day and All of the Night,” “Tired of Waiting for You,” “A Well Respected Man” and “Sunny Afternoon.
” He also worked on “Waterloo Sunset,” which influential rock critic Robert Christgau dubbed — quite legitimately — “the most beautiful song in the English language.” In his 2012 book God Save The Kinks: A Biography , Rob Jovanovic quoted Talmy as saying of “You Really Got Me”: “When I first heard it, I said, ‘Shit, it doesn’t matter what you do with this, it’s a No. 1 song.
’ It could have been done in waltz time and it would have been a hit.” And a hit it was — No. 1 in the UK and Top 10 stateside in 1964.
Bolstered.
