Ted Templeman

born on 24/10/1944 in Santa Cruz, CA, United States

Ted Templeman

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Ted Templeman

Ted Templeman (born October 24, 1944, in Santa Cruz, California) is an American record producer.

Career

He began his career in the mid 1960s in the Santa Cruz area as a drummer in a band called The Tikis. At the suggestion of Lenny Waronker, the group decided to change their name. Harpers Bizarre was born in 1966, with Templeman switching to guitar and vocals. In 1967 the group released the album, Feelin' Groovy (Warner Bros.), which included some material by Randy Newman that later appeared on the songwriter's 1972 album Sail Away. Harpers Bizarre disbanded in 1970.

That same year, Templeman recorded what is now considered a cult classic. Using doubletracking, he 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.

Much of his work has been done collaborating with recording engineer Donn Landee at Sunset Studios in Hollywood, California. In 1970 Templeman (at the suggestion of Waronker) began working as an Engineer for Warner Bros. Records. That year he produced the unheralded eponymous The Doobie Brothers debut album, followed the next year by the Doobies' Toulouse Street album which achieved platinum record status on the strength of the hit single "Listen to the Music". Templeman continued a long professional relationship with The Doobie Brothers, producing many more hit singles and albums for the group.

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.

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 quite crack the Top 40. However, the album received critical praise and many of its songs received airplay on album-oriented FM radio stations.

In 1977 Templeman saw a performance of a relatively unknown group, Van Halen. He convinced Mo Ostin, Warner Bros. Chairman, to sign the group to the label, and Templeman produced their eponymous first album. The group utilized Templeman's production talents through their first six albums and established themselves as one of the world's biggest-selling acts of the late 1970s and early 1980s. He is also the voice that pleads "Come on Dave, gimme a break!" in the song "Unchained", to which Dave (David Lee Roth) replies "One break, coming up!". Templeman also produced the first two solo projects of Van Halen singer David Lee Roth: Crazy from the Heat and Eat 'Em and Smile, the latter being the first album Roth recorded after he left Van Halen.

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); and Eric Clapton (Behind the Sun); Buddy Tyler.

Since the late 1980s Templeman has worked more sporadically. Recently he has produced two albums by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, and in 2008 he began working with the Doobie Brothers again on a new album.

In popular culture

Community creator and Channel 101 co-creator Dan Harmon portrayed a highly 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.

As Producer, Co-producer and Executive Producer

this is currently an incomplete list:

  • Shadows, Private Life (1990) (co-produced with Edward Van Halen and Donn Landee)
  • Freakshow, BulletBoys (1991)
  • For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge, Van Halen (1991) (other producer: Andy Johns)
  • Lightning Rod Man, Lowell George & the Factory (1993)
  • Za-Za, BulletBoys (1993)
  • Seducing Down the Door: A Collection, 1970-1990, John Cale (1994)
  • Woke Up With a Monster, Cheap Trick (1994)
  • Muzy's Move, Royal Crown Revue (1996)
  • The Contender, Royal Crown Revue (1998)
  • Bathhouse Betty, Bette Midler (1998)
  • The Philosopher's Stone (album), Van Morrison (1998)
  • Talk To Your Daughter, Robben Ford (1998) (Exec. Producer)
  • The Postman: Music From the Original Motion Picture, Various Artists (1997) (produced 'You Didn't Have to be So Nice,' by Amy Grant and Kevin Costner)
  • Naked, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts (2004) (other producers: Kenny Laguna, Bob Rock, Joey Levine, Joan Jett)
  • Sinners, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts (2006)
  • World Gone Crazy, Doobie Brothers (2010)

External links

Van Halen
Eddie Van Halen | Alex Van Halen | Michael Anthony | Sammy Hagar

David Lee Roth | Gary Cherone

Albums and EPs
Van Halen | Van Halen II | Women and Children First | Fair Warning | Diver Down | 1984 | 5150 | OU812 | For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge | Balance | Van Halen III | Live: Right Here, Right Now | Best of Volume I | The Best of Both Worlds
Videos and DVDs
Van Halen - Live Without a Net | Van Halen: Right Here, Right Now - Live | Van Halen: Video Hits, Vol. 1
This page was last modified 14.12.2013 04:53:41

This article uses material from the article Ted Templeman from the free encyclopedia Wikipedia and it is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.