Ted Templeman Interview

[WARF]

I don't recall this ever being posted it's the only youtube Ted Templeman interview I could find. It's a nice little three minute interview. Enjoy!

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[Nitro Express]

I found the same interview over a year ago and watched it. I always pictured Ted being a little more wild and worldly. It's hard to picture the guy in the video hanging with Van Halen with girls and cocaine all over the place.

[WARF]

I found the same interview over a year ago and watched it. I always pictured Ted being a little more wild and worldly. It's hard to picture the guy in the video hanging with Van Halen with girls and cocaine all over the place.

I never seen that. I saw this video only has 228 views and it's only a month or two old.
I didn't think anybody else would be able to fill the shoes of Templeman.... but Shanks pulled off a masterpiece last year.

[Nitro Express]

Someone must have re-posted it. I found it on YouTube and then tried to find it again and couldn't. Yeah Ted was up there in the Warner Brothers Records management team and had a lot of power. Ed and Al say Ted still makes more money than they do on the royalties. The thing is Ted did a good job of producing that VH live sound and giving it a bit of polish. They are great sounding albums. I think it was the typical music industry standard of VH not being good negotiators and getting screwed money wise. Actually with them getting Sam in the band they did way better money wise. Sam is no slouch in the business side of things but the classic fans suffered from all that Van Hagar barf. LOL! Basically Van Hagar was the McDonald's version of the band. I just don't think anyone was sober enough in the old days to really negotiate much and the record companies will take you.

I think Ted was all business. He put out a good product but probably was out to maximize his take. I didn't sense any buddy buddy vibes from him on VH. It just seems like VH was another product to produce more than anything.

[hambon4lif]

Yeah Ted was up there in the Warner Brothers Records management team and had a lot of power. Ed and Al say Ted still makes more money than they do on the royalties. The thing is Ted did a good job of producing that VH live sound and giving it a bit of polish. They are great sounding albums.

I think Ted was all business. He put out a good product but probably was out to maximize his take. I didn't sense any buddy buddy vibes from him on VH. It just seems like VH was another product to produce more than anything.At the time, Ted was pretty much Warner Bros. 'house producer'. Anyone Warners signed at the time was given to Ted to see if he could make something out of them. Some made it, and some didn't.

Ted got alot of heat from Warner Brothers because he spoke in an interview about how easy it was to produce a Van Halen record as opposed to a Doobie Brothers record...
"With the Doobie's the mics had to be set up just right, and then there's take after take...with Van Halen, it's just so damn simple...you just set the mics up and press play and let 'em go at it"

And the Doobie Brothers got pissed off at him for saying that.

The brothers may bitch and whine about Ted making more money than them, but everytime I buy a Classic Van Halen album, I HOPE some of the money goes to Ted, because without him, Ed and Al wouldn't know jack shit about producing an album.

Teddy Templeman IS the 5th member of Van Halen! Play those first four albums and try to tell me that I'm wrong!

I hope to hell he's at the helm for the next one.

[TJMKID]

I think Ted was all business. He put out a good product but probably was out to maximize his take. I didn't sense any buddy buddy vibes from him on VH. It just seems like VH was another product to produce more than anything.


I seem to recall the backstage interview by MTV's Mark Goodman at the '83 US Festival where he asks Dave something like "I heard you guys are using Ted Templeman again on the next record [1984]" to which Dave replies --- "Yes, and Ted's using us!"

It was a funny comeback, but now it seems there was some bitterness to it.

Ted was out for that mean green, not to be buddies with the Van Halen dudes.

[Nitro Express]

I loved the Doobie Brothers. The first concert I ever went to as well. Listen to this classic sweetness. It's got that Ted Templeman vibe. Ted was out for the money but look at the great music we have because of him. You are right. Ted was worth the money.

[DLR Bridge]

Teddy Templeman IS the 5th member of Van Halen! Play those first four albums and try to tell me that I'm wrong!

In his quote in the first Zloz book, he mentions that he actually sang backing vocals with the guys throughout their first 6 records. I was surprised by that. Pretty cool. That's a hands on producer right there.

[thismusicsux]

Teddy Templeman IS the 5th member of Van Halen! Play those first four albums and try to tell me that I'm wrong!


Totally agree... he had so much to do with the VH sound and songs we love.

this vid is a great find. Old fart now... but I don't believe for a second he can't remember the name of "Unchained" --- he's kinda playing dumb and trying to guess the song title. i don't buy it.

[sadaist]

I'm just thinking of the recent sit down of Dave Eddie & Alex where Dave says "Ted still makes more than I do from those early records"....Eddie "oh yeah, he makes more than all of us".

I just think all the producers & mixers & everything else on an album should get paid initially....maybe royalties for 1-3 years. But then that music belongs to the 4 guys who wrote it, recorded it, and play it live 4 nights a week.

Just feels wrong a guy making money off of songs he doesn't remember or probably even heard in 15+ years.

[Hardrock69]

One more example of how the major labels ass-rape the musicians that are signed to them.

In addition to the public who buys their records. Fucking bastards.

[Zing!]

I never seen that. I saw this video only has 228 views and it's only a month or two old.
I didn't think anybody else would be able to fill the shoes of Templeman.... but Shanks pulled off a masterpiece last year.

I thought for years that any new VH album just wouldn't sound right without Ted producing. Now I find myself hoping they get Shanks back for the next one!