Edward John "Ted" Templeman (born October 24, 1942) is an American musician and record producer. Among the acts with whom he has had a long relationship are the rock bands

Van Halen Van Halen ( ) was an American rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1973. Credited with restoring hard rock to the forefront of the music scene, Van Halen was known for their energetic live performances and the virtuosity of their guit ...

and

Doobie Brothers The Doobie Brothers are an American rock music, rock band formed in San Jose, California in 1970. Known for their flexibility in performing across numerous genres and their Vocal harmony, vocal harmonies, the band has been active for over five d ...

and the singer

Van Morrison Sir George Ivan "Van" Morrison (born 31 August 1945) is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician whose recording career started in the 1960s. Morrison's albums have performed well in the UK and Ireland, with more than 40 reaching the UK ...

; he produced multiple critically acclaimed and commercially successful albums for each of them.

Career

Templeman was born in

Santa Cruz, California Santa Cruz (Spanish language, Spanish for "Holy Cross") is the largest city and the county seat of Santa Cruz County, California, Santa Cruz County, in Northern California. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city population ...

, where he began his career in the mid-1960s as a drummer in a band called The Tikis. At the suggestion of Warner Bros. staff producer Lenny Waronker, the group decided to change their name to Harpers Bizarre in 1966, with Templeman switching to guitar and vocals. In 1967, the group released the album '' Feelin' Groovy'' (

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...

), which included material by

Randy Newman Randall Stuart Newman (born November 28, 1943) is an American singer, songwriter, arranger, pianist, composer, conductor and orchestrator. He is known for his non-rhotic Southern American English, Southern-accented singing style, early America ...

that later appeared on the songwriter's 1972 album '' Sail Away''. Harpers Bizarre disbanded in 1970. In September 1970, Templeman began working in an entry-level A&R position for Warner Bros. Records, auditioning demo tapes by unknown artists. It was then that he discovered the San Jose-based biker band the

, and produced their eponymous ''

The Doobie Brothers The Doobie Brothers are an American rock band formed in San Jose, California in 1970. Known for their flexibility in performing across numerous genres and their vocal harmonies, the band has been active for over five decades, with their greate ...

'' debut album, followed the next year by the Doobies' '' Toulouse Street'' album, which achieved

platinum record Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music Sound recording and reproduction, recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video ...

status on the strength of the hit single " Listen to the Music". After the success of ''Toulouse Street'', Templeman was promoted to staff producer at Warner Bros. Records and continued a long professional relationship with the Doobie Brothers, producing many more hit singles and albums for the group. Much of his production work throughout his career was done in collaboration with recording engineer

Donn Landee Donn Landee is an American record producer and recording engineer. Much of his work as an engineer has been done with producer Ted Templeman at Sunset Sound Recorders in Hollywood, California. The pair worked with a wide variety of artists f ...

at Sunset Sound Recorders in Hollywood, California. 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 bandleader Ronnie Montrose (who had worked with singers such as

and

Edgar Winter Edgar Holland Winter (born December 28, 1946) is an American multi-instrumentalist, working as a vocalist along with playing keyboards, saxophone, and percussion. His success peaked in the 1970s with his band the Edgar Winter Group and their pop ...

), and an up-and-coming singer,

Sammy Hagar Sam Roy Hagar (born October 13, 1947), also known as the Red Rocker, is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. He rose to prominence in the early 1970s with the hard rock band Montrose before launching a ...

, who brought songs like "Bad Motor Scooter" and "Make It Last" to the guitarist. (In the following decade, Templeman produced albums for Hagar's solo project and later as lead singer with

.) It was during this period that he was made a vice president at the record label. In 1976, he produced

Carly Simon Carly Elisabeth Simon (born June 25, 1943) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and author. She rose to fame in the 1970s with a string of hit records; her 13 Billboard Hot 100, top 40 U.S. hits include "Anticipation (song), Anticipatio ...

's sixth studio album, '' Another Passenger'', for which he arranged for both the Doobie Brothers and

Little Feat Little Feat is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California formed by lead vocalist and guitarist Lowell George, bassist Roy Estrada (both formerly of the Mothers of Invention), keyboardist Bill Payne, and drummer Richie Hayward in ...

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 reach the Top 40. However, the album received critical praise, and many of its songs received airplay on album-oriented

FM radio FM broadcasting is a method of radio broadcasting that uses frequency modulation (FM) of the radio broadcast carrier wave. Invented in 1933 by American engineer Edwin Armstrong, wide-band FM is used worldwide to transmit high fidelity, high-f ...

stations. On February 2, 1977, Templeman witnessed a live performance by

at The Starwood Lounge in Hollywood and persuaded Warner Bros. Chairman Mo Ostin that he should sign the group. Templeman produced their self-titled first album and went on to produce six more albums for Van Halen. Templeman's voice is heard in the song " Unchained", saying "Come on Dave, gimme a break!" Lead singer David Lee Roth replies, "One break, coming up!", leading into the song's chorus. Templeman also produced Roth's first two solo records, the EP '' Crazy from the Heat'' and the album ''

Eat 'Em and Smile ''Eat 'Em and Smile'' is the debut studio album by former Van Halen singer David Lee Roth, released on July 7, 1986. It follows his successful debut EP '' Crazy from the Heat'' (1985). The album was certified platinum in the U.S., selling over ...

''. Other artists produced by Templeman include

(''

Tupelo Honey ''Tupelo Honey'' is the fifth studio album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison. It was released in October 1971 by Warner Bros. Records. Morrison had written all of the songs in Woodstock, New York, before his move to Marin Count ...

'', '' Saint Dominic's Preview'', '' It's Too Late to Stop Now''), Captain Beefheart (''

Clear Spot ''Clear Spot'' is the seventh studio album by Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band. It was originally released on LP album, LP in 1972 in a clear plastic sleeve. Production Beefheart's third album ''Trout Mask Replica'' established him as a criti ...

''),

('' Sailin' Shoes''), Michael McDonald (''If That's What It Takes''),

Aerosmith Aerosmith is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Boston in 1970. The group consists of lead vocalist Steven Tyler, bassist Tom Hamilton (musician), Tom Hamilton, drummer Joey Kramer, and guitarists Joe Perry (musician), Joe Perry and B ...

('' Done with Mirrors''),

Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English Rock music, rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s l ...

('' Behind the Sun''),

Nicolette Larson Nicolette Larson (July 17, 1952 – December 16, 1997) was an American singer. She is best known for her work in the late 1970s with Neil Young and her 1978 hit single of Young's " Lotta Love", which hit No. 1 on the Hot Adult Contemporary ...

Bette Midler Bette Midler ( ;''Inside the Actors Studio'', 2004 born December 1, 1945) is an American actress, comedian, singer, and author. Throughout her five-decade career Midler has received List of awards and nominations received by Bette Midler, numero ...

Allan Holdsworth Allan Holdsworth (6 August 1946 – 15 April 2017) was a British jazz and rock music, rock guitarist, violinist and composer. He contributed to numerous bands, including Soft Machine, U.K. (band), U.K., The Tony Williams Lifetime, Pierre Moerl ...

, and

Cheap Trick Cheap Trick is an American rock band formed in Rockford, Illinois in 1970 by guitarist Rick Nielsen, bassist Tom Petersson, lead vocalist Robin Zander and drummer Bun E. Carlos. Their work bridged elements of '60s pop rock, guitar pop, '70s har ...

. Since the late 1980s, Templeman has worked more sporadically. In the mid-2000s, he produced two albums by

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts Joan Jett and the Blackhearts is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1979 as a conjunction of lead musician, singer and songwriter Joan Jett and the backup band. It has undergone many lineup changes since its inception, ...

, and in 2008, he began working with the Doobie Brothers again on a new album.

In popular culture

Community A community is a social unit (a group of people) with a shared socially-significant characteristic, such as place, set of norms, culture, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given g ...

'' creator and '' Channel 101'' co-creator Dan Harmon portrayed a fictionalized version of Templeman on the ''Channel 101'' web series '' Yacht Rock'', a satirical history of

soft rock Soft rock (also known as light rock or mellow rock) is a form of rock music that originated in the late 1960s in the United States and the United Kingdom which smoothed over the edges of singer-songwriter and pop rock, relying on simple, mel ...

. Two episodes of the series fictionalize Templeman's collaborations with The Doobie Brothers, Michael McDonald, and Van Halen.Sail Away: The Oral History of 'Yacht Rock'

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

As producer

* ''

'',

(1971) (co-produced with Lenny Waronker) * ''

'',

(1971) (co-produced with Van Morrison) * ''

'', Captain Beefheart (1972) (co-produced with Don Van Vliet) * '' Saint Dominic's Preview'',

(1972) (co-produced with Van Morrison) * '' Toulouse Street'',

(1972) * '' Sailin' Shoes'',

(1972) * '' The Captain and Me'',

(1973) * '' Montrose'', Montrose (1973) * '' Chunky, Novi & Ernie'', Chunky, Novi and Ernie (1973) (co-produced with

John Cale John Davies Cale (born 9 March 1942) is a Welsh musician, composer, and record producer who was a founding member of the American rock band the Velvet Underground. Over his six-decade career, Cale has worked in various styles across rock, dr ...

) * '' What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits'',

(1974) * ''

Paper Money Paper money, often referred to as a note or a bill (North American English), is a type of negotiable promissory note that is payable to the bearer on demand, making it a form of currency. The main types of paper money are government notes, which ...

'', Montrose (1974) (co-produced with Montrose) * '' It's Too Late to Stop Now'',

(1974) * '' Stampede'',

(1975) * '' The Beau Brummels'', The Beau Brummels (1975) * '' Another Passenger'',

(1976) * '' Takin' It to the Streets'',

(1976) * '' Livin' on the Fault Line'',

(1977) * '' Time Loves a Hero'',

(1977) * '' Minute by Minute'',

(1978) * ''

,''

(1978) * '' Nicolette'',

(1978) * '' Van Halen II,''

(1979) * ''Everything You've Heard Is True'', Tom Johnston (1979) * '' In the Nick of Time'',

(1979) * ''Live at the Roxy'',

(1979) * '' One Step Closer'',

(1980) * '' Women and Children First'',

(1980) * '' Radioland'',

(1981) * '' Fair Warning'',

(1981) * '' If That's What It Takes'', Michael McDonald (1982) * '' Diver Down'',

(1982) * '' All Dressed Up and No Place to Go'',

(1982) (Executive Producer) * ''Carrera'', Carrera (1983) * '' Road Games'',

(1983) (Executive Producer) * '' Farewell Tour'',

(1983) * ''Arcade'', Patrick Simmons (1983) * ''

1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...

'',

(1984) * '' VOA'',

(1984) * ''Combonation'', Combonation (1984) * '' Crazy from the Heat'', David Lee Roth (1985) * '' Behind the Sun'',

(1985) (co-produced several tracks with Lenny Waronker; other tracks produced by

Phil Collins Philip David Charles Collins (born 30 January 1951) is an English musician, songwriter, record producer and actor. He was the drummer and later became the lead singer of the rock band Genesis (band), Genesis and had a successful solo career, ac ...

) * '' Done with Mirrors'',

(1985) * '' No Lookin' Back'', Michael McDonald (co-produced with Michael McDonald & George Perilli) * ''

'', David Lee Roth (1986) * '' Racing After Midnight'',

Honeymoon Suite Honeymoon Suite is a Canadians, Canadian rock band formed in 1981 in Niagara Falls, Ontario. The band's name was a nod to the fact that Niagara Falls is the unofficial honeymoon capital of the world. History 1981–1985 The band was origina ...

(1988) * ''

BulletBoys BulletBoys is an American hard rock/glam metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1987. The group's original lineup was composed of singer Marq Torien (formerly of Ratt, King Kobra, and Kagny & the Dirty Rats), guitarist Mick Sweda (formerly of King ...

'',

(1988) * '' Take It to Heart'', Michael McDonald (co-produced with Michael McDonald and Don Was) * '' Talk to Your Daughter'', Robben Ford (1988) (Executive Producer) * ''Private Life,'' Private Life (1989) (co-produced with Edward Van Halen and

) * '' Atomic Playboys'', Steve Stevens (1989) (Exec. Producer) * ''Shadows'', Private Life (1990) (co-produced with Edward Van Halen and

) * '' Freakshow'',

(1991) * '' For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge'',

(1991) (co-produced with Andy Johns) * ''Lightning Rod Man'', Lowell George & the Factory (1993) * '' Za-Za'',

(1993) * ''Seducing Down the Door: A Collection, 1970-1990'',

(1994) * ''

Woke Up with a Monster ''Woke up with a Monster'' is the twelfth studio album by Cheap Trick which was released by Warner Records, Warner Bros. Records in 1994. Produced by Ted Templeman, the album peaked at number 123 on the US ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' Bil ...

'',

(1994) * '' Mugzy's Move'', Royal Crown Revue (1996) * ''

The Postman ''The Postman'' is a Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, post-apocalyptic dystopian science fiction novel by David Brin. It is about a man wandering the desolate Oregon countryside who finds a United States Postal Service uniform, which h ...

: Music From the Original Motion Picture'', Various Artists (1997) (produced 'You Didn't Have to be So Nice,' by Amy Grant and Kevin Costner) * ''The Contender'', Royal Crown Revue (1998) * '' Bathhouse Betty'',

(1998) * '' The Philosopher's Stone'',

(1998) * ''

Naked Nudity is the state of being in which a human is without clothing. While estimates vary, for the first 90,000 years of pre-history, anatomically modern humans were naked, having lost their body hair, living in hospitable climates, and not ...

'',

(2004) (co-produced with Kenny Laguna, Bob Rock, Joey Levine, and Joan Jett) * '' Sinner'',

(2006) (co-produced with Kenny Laguna, Bob Rock, Joey Levine, and Joan Jett) * '' World Gone Crazy'',

(2010)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Templeman, Ted 1942 births Living people Record producers from California Grammy Award winners People from Santa Cruz, California

Career

In popular culture

As producer

References

Further reading

External links