Mick Talbot

Born in Wimbledon in 1958, Mick Talbot flourished amid the late-Seventies mod revival, initially in The Merton Parkas with his brother Danny, but also in The Chords, and even appearing on a couple of The Jam’s records. He then joined Dexys Midnight Runners in 1980, contributing keyboards to their soul-infused sound on early singles and tours.

Following the break-up of The Jam in 1982, Mick was chosen by Paul Weller as his sparring partner in a new band — The Style Council. Together they shaped the band’s eclectic mix of jazz, soul and sophisticated pop across four studio albums and 17 singles, with Talbot playing a pivotal role on the Hammond organ and co-writing tracks for landmark releases including Café Bleu (1984), Our Favourite Shop (1985) and The Cost of Loving (1987), including hits like “Long Hot Summer” and “Shout to the Top!”

Post-Style Council, Talbot maintained a prolific career — touring with Candi Staton and Galliano, recording with Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, Wilko Johnson and Jools Holland, contributing keyboards to Paul Weller’s Stanley Road (1995), and releasing two collaborative albums with Steve White under the name Talbot/White.

On the debut Monks Road Social album Down The Willows, Talbot plays harmonium, piano and Hammond, and he has remained a cornerstone of the collective across every subsequent release. From Humanism to Out of Bounds and beyond, his keys underpin some of the most memorable moments in the Monks Road catalogue — the kind of musicianship that only comes from someone who has spent forty years living inside the sounds he loves.