Ted Templeman

Ted Templeman
Ted Templeman, 1977
Background information
Born	October 24, 1944 (1944-10-24) (age 64)
Genres	Rock music
Occupations	Music producer, vocals, guitar, drums
Labels	Warner Bros. Records
Associated acts	Harpers Bizarre Doobie Brothers Van Halen And others

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.

In 1970 Templeman (at the suggestion of Waronker) began working as a producer for Warner Bros. Records. That year he produced the classic eponymous The Doobie Brothers 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); 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).

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.

As Producer, Co-producer and Executive Producer

this is currently an incomplete list:

• The Doobie Brothers, The Doobie Brothers (1971) (co-produced with Lenny Waronker)
• Tupelo Honey, Van Morrison (1971) (co-produced with Van Morrison)
• Clear Spot, Captain Beefheart (1972) (co-produced with Don Van Vliet)
• Saint Dominic's Preview, Van Morrison (1972) (co-produced with Van Morrison)
• Toulouse Street, The Doobie Brothers (1972)
• Sailin' Shoes, Little Feat (1972)
• The Captain and Me, The Doobie Brothers (1973)
• Montrose (album), Montrose (band) (1973)
• Chunky, Novi & Ernie, Chunky, Novi and Ernie (1973) (co-produced with John Cale)
• What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits, The Doobie Brothers (1974)
• Paper Money, Montrose (band) (1974) (co-produced with Montrose)
• It's Too Late to Stop Now, Van Morrison (1974)
• Stampede (album), The Doobie Brothers (1974)
• The Beau Brummels, The Beau Brummels (1975)
• Another Passenger, Carly Simon (1976)
• Takin' It to the Streets, The Doobie Brothers (1976)
• Livin' on the Fault Line, The Doobie Brothers (1977)
• Time Loves a Hero, Little Feat (1977)
• Minute by Minute, The Doobie Brothers (1978)
• Van Halen (album), Van Halen (1978)
• Nicolette, Nicolette Larson (1978)
• Van Halen II, Van Halen (1979)
• Everything You've Heard is True, Tom Johnston (1979)
• In the Nick of Time, Nicolette Larson (1979)
• Live at the Roxy, Nicolette Larson (1979)
• One Step Closer (album), The Doobie Brothers (1980)
• Women and Children First (album), Van Halen (1980)
• Radioland, Nicolette Larson (1980)
• Fair Warning, Van Halen (1981)
• If That's What it Takes, Michael McDonald (1982)
• Diver Down, Van Halen (1982)
• All Dressed Up and No Place to Go, Nicolette Larson (1980) (Exec. Producer)
• Carrera, Carrera (1983)
• Road Games, Allan Holdsworth (1983) (Exec. Producer)
• 1984 (Van Halen album), Van Halen (1983)
• Farewell Tour, The Doobie Brothers (1983)
• Arcade, Patrick Simmons (1983)
• VOA (Sammy Hagar album), Sammy Hagar (1984)
• Combonation, Combonation (1984)
• Crazy from the Heat, David Lee Roth (1984)
• Behind the Sun (Eric Clapton album), Eric Clapton (1985) (co produced several tracks with Lenny Waronker; other tracks produced by Phil collins)
• Done With Mirrors, Aerosmith (1985)
• No Lookin' Back, Michael McDonald (co-produced with Michael McDonald)
• Eat 'Em and Smile, David Lee Roth (1986)
• Sweet Freedom, Michael McDonald (1986) (co-produced most tracks with Lenny Waronker; other producers were Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager, Quincy Jones, Rod Temperton, Dick Rudolph and Bruce Swedian)
• Honeymoon Suite, Honeymoon Suite (1987)
• Take It to the Heart, Michael McDonald (co-produced with Michael McDonald and Don Was)
• Private Life, Private Life (1989) (co-produced with Edward Van Halen and Donn Landee)
• Atomic Playboys, Steve Stevens (1989) (Exec. Producer)
• Damn Yankees (album), Damn Yankees (band) (1990)
• 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 (film): 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)

External links

• Templeman in the studio with The Doobie Brothers, 2008