Ted Templeman

[UGS]

How much credit should Ted Templeman actually get for the CVH sound? Besides being responsible for Warner signing them, of course. Did he simply record the band doing their thing, or was there more of a traditional "producer role" going on?

Obviously it's not all him, citing the muddy production on FUCK, but at the same time, 1984 was largely an Ed and Donn Landee effort, and we all know how great that turned out.

EEAS was great, so can we conclude that the combo of Ted and Dave is the real magic?

The only real mention (that I've come across) of him doing much is when he told Dave to go smoke a joint and eat a hamburger because he wasn't singing like his usual self during VHI.

[ThatArtGuy]

Well, Ted Templeman also produced Aerosmith's "Done With Mirrors" album. From what I've gathered was that he would just tape them while they were rehearsing and told them that it was already done when they were ready to go.

Ted probably was good for suggestions, but I'm not sure about real input.

[BrownSound1]

I think Ted Templeman really helped them in the vocal arrangements, and as someone to crack the whip on the band to get them motivated. I'm sure he had input on the sound...as in his idea to put Ed's guitar on one side by itself, but I would attest more of the sound to Don Landee. The only thing I wish Landee would have done differently is boosted the bass guitar up more...it is pretty lacking on most of those albums. The Van Hagar album FUCK was muddy because suddenly those bastard decided they needed more bass..so they got Andy Johns who went a little over the top with it.

[katie]

I heard a story that Eddie originally wanted his guitar in the left speaker because he was really into The Whos live LP 'Live At Leeds' and thought because they did........

[katie]

Originally posted by ThatArtGuy
Well, Ted Templeman also produced Aerosmith's "Done With Mirrors" album. From what I've gathered was that he would just tape them while they were rehearsing and told them that it was already done when they were ready to go.

Ted probably was good for suggestions, but I'm not sure about real input.

That *Done With Mirrors* Cd does sound a bit *Dry* in the mix.
I liked Ted and his work for VH - I doubt if we will ever know what he actually did, but it WORKED!.

I thought his best work was 1st - WACF - FW & 3/4 of 1984 as the last two tracks are mixed terrible. I blame Eddie for this as he kept people away etc and i feel these may have been rushed.

Does Ted have any internet presence at all?
I would love to read an interview with him.
I bet he could tell us some stories!

[Dave's Dradle]

Ted must be atleast decent, listen to the difference between EEAS and Skyscraper. If Ted is involved in Skyscraper it doesn't sound like 80's pop crap from a first time producer. If so, maybe Sheehan doesn't get pissed off and leave, etc, etc. Just a thought.

[danielc]

After listening to the demos with Gene Simmons producing and then listening to those same songs after Ted produced them I'd say he should get significant credit. I know the other was just a demo but the actual album version sounds a hell of a lot better. Of course this is just my opinion.

[DLR7884]

Ted Templeman is dead I think.

DLR7884
I think....

[RogueHorseman]

Originally posted by danielc
After listening to the demos with Gene Simmons producing and then listening to those same songs after Ted produced them I'd say he should get significant credit...

We have a winner, ladies and gentlemen!

[academic punk]

Ted deserves credit for letting the artists he produced find their OWN voices and expression.

In his day, Ted produced everyone from The Doobie Brothers, Van Morrison, Nicollette Larson, and of course, classic VH.

That's a diverse crowd. And they were all monstrously successful, both artistically and commercially.

He knew how to get the best out of his artists, and also guide them as people.

There's the famous story while recording the first album of Dave reading some article about some guy making fifty million dollars and dave enviously commenting, "Man, you can buy anything with that kind of money."

Instead of doing what someone who is making piints on the album woudl typically say, "Yeah, well, you're gonna make that kind of money. whaddya want? name anything, it's yours. Just record this crappy tune and act like pat boone and it's yours." ted told him, "No, Dave, you can't buy happiness."

Dave stopped and considered it for a moment. "Well, maybe not," he eventually retorted, "but you can buy a boat big enough to sail right up next to it!"

[katie]

Or whoever said money can't buy you happiness did not know where to go shopping!

[Big Troubles]

Originally posted by Dave's Dradle
Ted must be atleast decent, listen to the difference between EEAS and Skyscraper. If Ted is involved in Skyscraper it doesn't sound like 80's pop crap from a first time producer. If so, maybe Sheehan doesn't get pissed off and leave, etc, etc. Just a thought.

Ted stopped producing when Dave released Skyscraper and coincidently Dave's career and fan base got low.( EEAS 2Million sold, Skyscraper-1Million and down from there) My question is, What was the reason Dave and Ted split to begin with? Did Ted just retire or was there a falling out between the two?

[DavidLeeNatra]

seems like dave was a bit too "bossy" in the skyscraper days and a bit too "know-it-all-and-can-do-it-all"...but that's the trouble with self improvement... ;)

[Big Troubles]

:D

[academic punk]

Dave was thinking he wantesd to realize his own artistic vision more fully. Like Prince, he wanted to produce his own music.

I assume Ted also shook his head at dav'e choice of/shift in musical direction, so there again was a hurdle.

BTW - Ted produced Van Hagar's FUCK, as well as the bullet boys, so he hadn't retired after EEAS.

[scottydabodi]

Ted fucking rocks, and he really made MAGIC with those guys. His way of producing goes SO WELL with the CVH spirit and rawness. Ted would just mic up the room, tell them to let it rip while he kicked back and drank beer. One take, touch up the flub ups, and BINGO!! The chemistry between Ted and Dave = MAGIC!! Killer. Bring him back.

[aesop]

Here's an AMG Biography...Sounds like he kinda died on the vine like so many other people did when grunge stormed on in the early 90's. It's a shame. He's probably retired now.

A longtime house producer at Warner Bros. Records, Ted Templeman hit his greatest heights through his extended affiliations with the Doobie Brothers and Van Halen. Born October 24, 1944 in Santa Cruz, California, he began his musical career as a drummer in a variety of local bands; in time he joined the Tikis, who in 1966 evolved into Harpers Bizarre. Not only did Templeman assume vocal and guitar duties with the group, but he also arranged their tight harmonies, eventually even assisting producer Lenny Waronker in the studio. After Harpers disbanded in 1970, Waronker tapped Templeman to join the Warner production staff, where his first assignment was to helm the Doobie Brothers' eponymous 1971 debut LP. Though the album was a commercial failure, the group's follow-up, 1972's Toulouse Street, went platinum on the strength of the smash "Listen to the Music," and Templeman continued as the Doobies' producer throughout the remainder of their career, overseeing hits including "Takin' It to the Streets," "China Grove," "Rockin' Down the Highway" and "What a Fool Believes." Other artists who benefited from Templeman's strong, clear production aesthetic most notably included Van Morrison (the classic LPs Tupelo Honey, Saint Dominic's Preview and the live It's Too Late to Stop Now), Little Feat (Sailin' Shoes), Captain Beefheart (Clear Spot) and Montrose (their self-titled debut). In 1977, he discovered Van Halen in a Hollywood club, and a year later their hugely successful self-titled LP appeared; Templeman went on to helm all of Van Halen's albums through the classic 1984, in the process helping establish the quartet among the world's most popular rock bands. After David Lee Roth exited Van Halen, Templeman also produced his early solo LPs, as well as albums from Michael McDonald (If That's What It Takes), Aerosmith (Done with Mirrors) and Eric Clapton (Behind the Sun). His production pace began to slow down considerably during the late 1980s, with newer Warner signings like the Bulletboys and Honeymoon Suite failing to repeat the success of their predecessors; by the 1990s, Templeman's credit appeared only rarely. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide

[degüello]

Originally posted by aesop
... His production pace began to slow down considerably during the late 1980s, with newer Warner signings like the Bulletboys and Honeymoon Suite failing to repeat the success of their predecessors... ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide


Honeymoon Suite! Ha! Now there's a band that triggers some memories... shit.

Knew that Templeman produced that record, but hadn't thought about it in a while.

[degüello]

Fuck, some of those earlier fucking Suite tunes are genuine Can-Rock classics... ;)

[degüello]

Originally posted by danielc
After listening to the demos with Gene Simmons producing and then listening to those same songs after Ted produced them I'd say he should get significant credit. I know the other was just a demo but the actual album version sounds a hell of a lot better...

Excellent point.