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Ted Templeman | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Edward John Templeman |
| Born | October 24, 1942 Santa Cruz, California, U.S. [1] |
| Genres | Rock |
| Occupation(s) | Music producer |
| Labels | Warner Bros. Records |
Edward John "Ted" Templeman (born October 24, 1942) [1] is an American record producer. [2] Among the acts he has a long relationship with are the rock bands Van Halen and the Doobie Brothers and the singer Van Morrison; he produced multiple critically acclaimed and commercially successful albums by each of them.
Templeman was born in Santa Cruz, California, [1] where he began his career in the mid-1960s as a drummer in a band called The Tikis. [3] At the suggestion of Warner Brothers staff producer Lenny Waronker, the group decided to change their name to Harpers Bizarre in 1966 with Templeman switching to guitar and vocals. [3] In 1967, the group released the album Feelin' Groovy (Warner Bros.), which included material by Randy Newman that later appeared on the songwriter's 1972 album Sail Away . Harpers Bizarre disbanded in 1970. [3]
That same year, Templeman, using doubletracking, appeared as "The Templeton Twins" backed by "Teddy Turner & his Bunsen Burners", recording contemporary hits of the time such as "Hey Jude" and "Light My Fire" in a pseudo-1920s style.
In September 1970, Templeman began working in an entry-level A&R position for Warner Bros. Records, [3] auditioning demo tapes by unknown artists. It was then he discovered the San Jose-based biker band the Doobie Brothers, and produced their eponymous The Doobie Brothers debut album, followed the next year by the Doobies' Toulouse Street album, [3] which achieved platinum record status on the strength of the hit single "Listen to the Music". After the success of Toulouse Street, Templeman was promoted to staff producer at Warner Bros. Records and continued a long professional relationship with the Doobie Brothers, producing many more hit singles and albums for the group. [3]
Much of his production work, throughout his career, was done in collaboration with recording engineer Donn Landee at Sunset Sound Recorders in Hollywood, California.
In 1973, Templeman produced another classic and eponymous album, Montrose, which was released in November of that year. The group was founded by guitarist and group leader Ronnie Montrose (who had worked with singers such as Van Morrison and Edgar Winter), and an up-and-coming singer, Sammy Hagar, who brought songs like "Bad Motor Scooter" and "Make It Last" to the guitarist. (The following decade, Templeman produced albums for Hagar's solo project and later as lead singer with Van Halen.) It was during this period that he was made a vice-president at the record label.
In 1976, he produced Carly Simon's sixth studio album, Another Passenger , for which he arranged both the Doobie Brothers and Little Feat to serve as Simon's backing band. The album was not as commercially oriented as her previous work with producer Richard Perry, and its first single, a cover of the Doobies' "It Keeps You Runnin", did not reach the Top 40. However, the album received critical praise and many of its songs received airplay on album-oriented FM radio stations.
On February 2, 1977, Templeman witnessed a live performance by Van Halen at The Starwood Lounge in Hollywood and persuaded Warner Bros. Chairman Mo Ostin that he should sign the group. Templeman produced their self-titled first album and went on to produce six more albums for Van Halen. Templeman's voice is heard in the song "Unchained", saying "Come on Dave, gimme a break!" Lead singer David Lee Roth replies "One break, coming up!", leading into the song's chorus. Templeman also produced Roth's first two solo records, the EP Crazy from the Heat and the album Eat 'Em and Smile .
Other artists produced by Templeman include Van Morrison ( Tupelo Honey , Saint Dominic's Preview , It's Too Late to Stop Now ), Captain Beefheart ( Clear Spot ), Little Feat ( Sailin' Shoes ), Michael McDonald (If That's What It Takes), Aerosmith ( Done with Mirrors ), Eric Clapton ( Behind the Sun ), Nicolette Larson, Bette Midler, Allan Holdsworth, and Cheap Trick. [3]
Since the late 1980s, Templeman has worked more sporadically. In the mid-2000s, he produced two albums by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, and in 2008 he began working with the Doobie Brothers again on a new album.
Community creator and Channel 101 co-creator Dan Harmon portrayed a fictionalized version of Templeman on the Channel 101 web series Yacht Rock , a satirical history of soft rock. Two episodes of the series fictionalize Templeman's collaborations with The Doobie Brothers, Michael McDonald, and Van Halen. [4]
Van Halen was an American rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1973. Credited with restoring hard rock to the forefront of the music scene, Van Halen was known for their energetic live performances and for the virtuosity of its guitarist, Eddie Van Halen. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007.
5150 is the seventh studio album by American rock band Van Halen. It was released on March 24, 1986, by Warner Bros. Records and was the first of four albums to be recorded with lead singer Sammy Hagar, who replaced David Lee Roth. The album was named after Eddie Van Halen's home studio, 5150, in turn named after a California law enforcement term for a mentally disturbed person. The album hit number 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, surpassing the band's previous album, 1984, which had peaked at number 2 behind Michael Jackson's Thriller album, on which Eddie made a guest appearance.
Women and Children First is the third studio album by American rock band Van Halen, released on March 26, 1980, on Warner Bros. Records. Produced by Ted Templeman and engineered by Donn Landee, it was the first Van Halen album not to feature any cover songs, and is described by critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine as "[the] record where the group started to get heavier, both sonically and, to a lesser extent, thematically."
Nicolette Larson was an American singer. She is perhaps best known for her work in the late 1970s with Neil Young and her 1978 hit single of Young's "Lotta Love", which hit No. 1 on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart and No. 8 on the pop singles chart. It was followed by four more adult contemporary hits, two of which were also minor pop hits.
Livin' on the Fault Line is the seventh studio album by the American rock band The Doobie Brothers. The album was released on August 19, 1977, by Warner Bros. Records. It is one of the few Doobie Brothers albums of the 1970s which did not produce a Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. Still, the album received modest critical acclaim. Tom Johnston left the band early in the sessions. He is listed as part of the band but appears on little or none of the actual album: he wrote and sang five songs during the sessions for the album, but they were not included on the final release. Much of this consistently mellow album has a jazz tinge, and the influences of R&B are palpable throughout. The track "Little Darling " is a remake of the Marvin Gaye 1966 hit.
Minute by Minute is the eighth studio album by American rock band The Doobie Brothers, released on December 1, 1978, by Warner Bros. Records. It was their last album to include members John Hartman and Jeff "Skunk" Baxter.
One Step Closer is the ninth studio album by American rock band the Doobie Brothers. The album was released on September 17, 1980, by Warner Bros. Records. The album included the hit "Real Love", which reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100. This album is the band's last studio album with Michael McDonald in the lineup until 2014's Southbound, and also the first studio album to feature John McFee as a member of the band.
OU812 is the eighth studio album by American rock band Van Halen. It was released in 1988 and is the band's second album to feature vocalist Sammy Hagar. Van Halen began work on the album in September 1987 and completed it in April 1988, one month before its release.
For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge, often acronymized as F.U.C.K., is the ninth studio album by American rock band Van Halen. It was released on June 17, 1991, on Warner Bros. Records and is the third to feature vocalist Sammy Hagar. It debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart and maintained the position for three consecutive weeks. The album marked a record in the band's history, seeing seven of its eleven tracks released as singles.
1984 is the sixth studio album by American rock band Van Halen, released on January 9, 1984. It was the last Van Halen studio album until A Different Kind of Truth (2012) to feature lead singer David Lee Roth, who left the band in 1985 following creative differences. This is the final full-length album to feature all four original members, although they reunited briefly in 2000 to start work on what would much later become 2012's A Different Kind of Truth. Roth returned in 2007, but Eddie's son Wolfgang replaced Anthony in 2006. 1984 and Van Halen's debut are Van Halen's best-selling albums, each having sold more than 10 million copies in the United States.
Montrose was an American hard rock band formed in 1973 and named after guitarist and founder Ronnie Montrose. The band's original lineup featured lead vocalist and frontman Sammy Hagar, who later found greater success as a solo artist and as a member of Van Halen. Rounding out the original foursome were bassist Bill Church and drummer Denny Carmassi. The band experienced moderate success before disbanding in early 1977.
Harpers Bizarre was an American sunshine pop band of the 1960s, best known for their Broadway/sunshine pop sound and their cover of Simon & Garfunkel's "The 59th Street Bridge Song ."
Montrose is the debut studio album by American hard rock band Montrose, released in October 1973 by Warner Bros. It was produced by Ted Templeman. Montrose marks the career debut of singer-guitarist Sammy Hagar, who would later achieve significant success as a solo artist and as a member of Van Halen.
Paper Money is the second studio album by the American hard rock band Montrose, released on October 11, 1974, by Warner Bros. Records. It was produced by Ted Templeman and is the band's final recording with original vocalist Sammy Hagar. It marks the arrival of new bass player Alan Fitzgerald, replacing original bassist Bill Church.
Donn Landee is an American record producer and recording engineer. Much of his work as an engineer has been done with producer Ted Templeman at Sunset Sound Recorders in Hollywood, California. The pair worked with a wide variety of artists for Warner Bros. Records during the 1970s and 1980s, including Van Halen, and the Doobie Brothers.
"I'll Wait" is a song by American rock band Van Halen, taken from their sixth studio album, 1984 (1984). It was written by band members Eddie Van Halen, Alex Van Halen, Michael Anthony and David Lee Roth, along with Michael McDonald, and produced by Ted Templeman.
Lauren Wood, also known as Chunky, is an American singer-songwriter, voice-over artist, and producer. Her 1981 single "Fallen" from the album Cat Trick was used in the 1990 movie Pretty Woman. In 1979 she recorded "Please Don't Leave", a duet with singer Michael McDonald.
Nicolette is the debut album by Nicolette Larson, released in 1978 by Warner Bros. Records. It reached #15 on the US pop charts and #1 in Canada and was certified Gold in both markets.
In the Nick of Time was the second album by Nicolette Larson. It features a duet with Michael McDonald, keyboards from Bill Payne, backing vocals from Bobby LaKind and Rosemary Butler, Ronnie Montrose on guitar and other collaborators. Larson had a minor hit with her McDonald duet, "Let Me Go, Love".
Sweet Freedom is a compilation album by American singer and songwriter Michael McDonald, released in 1986 on the Warner Bros. label.
Templeman, Ted; Renoff, Greg (2020). Ted Templeman: A Platinum Producer's Life In Music. Toronto: ECW Press. ISBN 9781770414839. OCLC 1121143123.
