The Merton Parkas
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1970s |
| Headquarters | Merton, London , England, United Kingdom |
Key people | Danny Talbot, Mick Talbot, Neil Hurrell, Simon Smith |
| Products | Music singles and album |
The Merton Parkas emerged as an English mod revival group originating from the Merton district in South London. The lineup consisted of Danny Talbot handling vocals and guitar, his sibling Mick Talbot on keyboards, Neil Hurrell playing bass, and Simon Smith on drums.
Their discovery occurred in a Clapham pub by punk journalist Alan Anger, leading to a contract with the independent label Beggars Banquet Records. Initially named "The Sneekers," they belonged to a cohort of power pop acts that included The Pleasers. The Merton Parkas issued several singles with moderate chart performance—such as "You Need Wheels," "Plastic Smile," "Give it to Me Now," and "Put Me in the Picture"—alongside one album titled Face in the Crowd. Notably, Rick Buckler from The Jam collaborated with them during a performance at Ronnie Scotts, while Mick Talbot contributed keyboard parts to The Jam’s 1979 release Setting Sons.
Despite performing at the Bridge House in Canning Town, contractual complications excluded them from appearing on the 1979 compilation Mods Mayday. However, an unreleased recording of their Bridge House performance can be found on YouTube.
Their peak commercial achievement was the single "You Need Wheels," which attained No. 40 on the UK Singles Chart during the summer of 1979, effectively classifying them as UK one-hit wonders.
Following their split in 1980, Mick Talbot went on to join Dexys Midnight Runners, The Bureau, and The Style Council. Simon Smith became a member of the psychedelic revival group Mood Six, while Danny Talbot pursued a career as a chemistry instructor at Clapham College School for Boys.
See also
- Merton Park
- List of Peel sessions
- List of bands from England
- Mod revival
- List of performers on Top of the Pops
External links
- [ Merton Parkas biography] at the AllMusic website
- Merton Parkas bio & info
- Find Merton Parkas & Mod music