All-Encompassing Van Halen New Album / Interscope Thread

[DavidLeeNatra]

How many times did you go?

as often as you have won and will ever win the WC...

[VHscraps]

Dudes, the omens are maybe looking good. The old A&M studios - they working there? Rather than Howdy Doody - or just for vocals?

Did you know that Top Jimmy - yeah, that same guy - worked the Top Taco stand outside A&M Studios (as it was back in the early 80s), when Dave knew him - and when VH made their last album. Fact.

Hop if Dave is there he is getting some deja vu

[VHscraps]

Some producers do get involved with the writing. Shanks has on many occasions. Glen Ballard is infamous for wanting to write the songs, which probably played a part in the 1996 VH fiasco.

For an example of how a producer can help a band shape their sound, listen to the Gene Simmons produced "Zero" demo vs Van Halen 1 produced by Ted Templeman.

Same band. Several of the same songs. Yet there's a difference in the sound. (Same thing if you listened to the Beatles demo tape that was rejected by Decca, as opposed to their official recorded catalog produced by George Martin.)

Yeah, while the Simmons demo is okay in some respects, it's just really flat compared with what Templeman and Landee got the band to pull out. Even to this day, is there an album that sounds as purely energetic as that first VH album?

Ted was VH's A&R guy, as well as producer - part of the job of the A&R (Artist and Repertoire) person is to have some input into how a band or artist's songwriting (i.e., their repertoire) develops.

I'd guess with Ted's background in a harmony vocal group (Harpers Bizarre) he had some influence over the vocal arrangements as well.

Not sure if A&R departments even exist anymore ... probably 'cos record companies don't really exisit as they did

[jero]

as often as you have won and will ever win the WC...

[Halen High]

Recording at another studio, particularly one steeped in history, sounds like something Dave suggested they should do.

[Seshmeister]

Yeah, while the Simmons demo is okay in some respects, it's just really flat compared with what Templeman and Landee got the band to pull out. Even to this day, is there an album that sounds as purely energetic as that first VH album?

Yeah admittedly there was a bit of a time gap but the Gene Simmons demo v VH1 has to be one of the most spectacular examples of the influence of the producer.

$immons stripped about 50% of the good stuff about Van Halen out in those sessions. It's funny that even then they were still so much better than anything Ki$$ ever did.

[Halen High]

Melodicrock and his fellow Sammy Hagar lovers at that other website are really getting pissed off as it looks more and more likely VH will release a new album with Dave. Now he's suggesting his sources have told him this is nothing more than a business deal and Eddie is being forced to do it by Azoff because it's what the fans want. I wonder if they are the same sources who had no idea John Shanks was producing the album, and had no idea VH were going into the studio in January?

[Satan]

Yeah, while the Simmons demo is okay in some respects, it's just really flat compared with what Templeman and Landee got the band to pull out. Even to this day, is there an album that sounds as purely energetic as that first VH album?

Ted was VH's A&R guy, as well as producer - part of the job of the A&R (Artist and Repertoire) person is to have some input into how a band or artist's songwriting (i.e., their repertoire) develops.

I'd guess with Ted's background in a harmony vocal group (Harpers Bizarre) he had some influence over the vocal arrangements as well.

Not sure if A&R departments even exist anymore ... probably 'cos record companies don't really exisit as they did

Templeman was known for recording vocals above all else. Prior to Van Halen, his best known work was with the Doobie Brothers, and no doubt he had a lot to do with that vocal track on "Black Water" where you have about 3 or 4 different things being sung acapella at the same time at the end of the song.

Mike Sobolewski's backing vocals (and Eddie's) were obviously there in the early VH club performances, and on the Simmons demo, but it was Templeman who raised them up to the level of prominence that they were on the 6 albums, and it became a huge component in the signature Van HALEN sound that may not have existed otherwise.

[ace diamond]

Templeman was known for recording vocals above all else. Prior to Van Halen, his best known work was with the Doobie Brothers, and no doubt he had a lot to do with that vocal track on "Black Water" where you have about 3 or 4 different things being sung acapella at the same time at the end of the song.

Mike Sobolewski's backing vocals (and Eddie's) were obviously there in the early VH club performances, and on the Simmons demo, but it was Templeman who raised them up to the level of prominence that they were on the 6 albums, and it became a huge component in the signature Van HALEN sound that may not have existed otherwise.

ted also prior to van halen, produced the first 2 montrose albums......
...with spambo singing.....albums of which eddie has long admittedly been a fan, as is evidenced by a certain gazzari's boot of cvh from the club days and on said boot, a montrose song off the 1st montrose album is played, and sung by dave, "make it last" i think it was, i'm not sure on that one so i may be incorrect, which is likely why dave to this day still hates sammy hagar........i've heard said boot, and i think i might have a copy of it.......
anyway........just pointing out what ted templeman's other pre-1978 van halen jobs worthy
of noting were.
he really got a great guitar sound on both eddie and ronnie montrose........
i'm just sayin'.........

[chefcraig]

Melodicrock...getting pissed off as it looks more and more likely VH will release a new album with Dave. Now he's suggesting his sources have told him this is nothing more than a business deal and Eddie is being forced to do it by Azoff because it's what the fans want. I wonder if they are the same sources who had no idea John Shanks was producing the album, and had no idea VH were going into the studio in January?

Can we at last call a moratorium on acknowledging anything this knucklehead has to say? His "sources" have been proven repeatedly wrong, he makes petulant remarks about others when they (consistently) scoop him and regularly inserts his own name into stories, as if by doing so it somehow makes them relevant or better yet, true. He's as much a journalist or insider as I am a porn star. Enough already.

[ZahZoo]

It does seem plausible that it would take Azoff to force a business deal to get Ed off his ass. It sure ain't Ed's commitment to furthering his art that's motivated the lazy bastard to produce anything since his porn abortion...

[twonabomber]

Recording at another studio, particularly one steeped in history, sounds like something Dave suggested they should do.

or maybe something Ed and Al suggested, so as not to clog up 5150 with "Club Dave."

i have a feeling Dave is recording at Henson, with tapes (files?) being shuttled between there and 5150.

[twonabomber]

and if you click on the link for Henson's Studio C, it says: "Studio C is unavailable at this time due to a long term booking."

hmmmmmm.

[Seshmeister]

or maybe something Ed and Al suggested, so as not to clog up 5150 with "Club Dave."

Is there even room at 5150 for the Van Dahm triplets and a few dwarfs?

[twonabomber]

i dunno.

maybe the kid has a refrigerator as big as an SVT bass rig on one side, and the actual bass rig on the other?