[2] He attended Neptune High School, together with future bandmates Southside Johnny and Vini Lopez.

Notable Tallent bass parts can be heard on "Fire", "Prove It All Night", "Kitty's Back", and "Incident on 57th Street".

During the E Street Band's early years, he occasionally played the tuba in concert and on record (most notably in "Wild Billy's Circus Story").

In 1987, he produced the song "Crying, Waiting, Hoping" for Marshall Crenshaw on La Bamba soundtrack.

During the E Street Band's hiatus in the 1990s, Tallent moved to Nashville, having an affinity for country and western and rockabilly music.