Ted Templeman: A Platinum Producer’s Life in Music Paperback – April 21, 2020

At first, I hesitated about reading this book, simply because I’m doing research for a rock star romance series that I’m writing, and my inspiration is with Van Halen, specifically, with Eddie. But then I realized that if I restrict myself to one band in conducting my research, that I’m really limiting the scope of my knowledge on the subject. And I’m so glad that I read this engrossing, in-depth biography.From the first page, I was interested. Ted talks about his namesake, his Uncle, who went off to war and was presumed dead, and his parents decided to name their unborn child after him, as a tribute. Then, some time later, when Uncle Ted returned from the war, he had many stories to share, some that Ted also shares in this book.Ted had a very intriguing upbringing, growing up basically in the woods, subject to hunters, guns, and all sorts of unsafe things, but in a child’s eye, were viewed as adventures. Ted was also exposed to music, with family members that owned a record store, where he later worked. He learned to play just about every instrument imaginable, and he played well enough to start his own band, which lit the flame for his passion in the recording industry.While watching greats like Elvis, Frank Sinatra, and a handful of others record the songs that made history, Ted discovered the way that a recording studio ticks, and he fell in love with making a song sound like its own animal, its own being, and to have its individual personality.As we move on into the politics and how Ted climbed the corporate ladder, starting as a demo tape listener, I found it very interesting to learn the ins and outs of the industry. Soon, Ted found his bearings with artists such as the Doobie Brothers, Van Morrison, Carly Simon, Aerosmith, and of course, Van Halen, to name a few.Ted’s influence on Van Halen was pivotal. For one, he was one of the people who discovered Eddie and the band, and he truly felt that he’d never heard such a high calibre of guitar playing skills. If it weren’t for Ted’s word and passion for the band, they would have never gotten their first recording contract.Also, it’s important to note, that if it hadn’t been for Ted’s ear and serendipitous timing, Eddie’s infamous guitar solo, ‘Eruption’, would never have been discovered or recorded. Ted happened to be walking into the back of the recording studio when Eddie was warming up for a session, and the solo was recorded raw, at that moment, and history was made.After reading Ted’s story, I have a true appreciation for how a song sounds, and the lengths that producers and engineers (whom I never knew existed until I read this book) have to go to, to make a song pop, and to be successful. The nuances of different artists and genres, as well as the industry itself.I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys an informative, honest, intriguing and unique story about someone’s life and career, or anyone who is interested in what truly happened when the story ended between Van Halen and David Lee Roth and with Ted himself, from Ted’s perspective.A great read. And I learned a lot, too!

Is there a Ted Templeman sound? Well, towards the end of this account, he lets on that it's about his past life as a percussionist/drummer with Harpers Bizarre and the use of timbales, congas and percussion that runs across the outstanding work from the Doobies, Little Feat, Nicolette Larson and others. But his repeated axiom across this work is to 'let the artists be who they are' - instead of stamping his style on them. That kind of approach, worked out with his longtime collaborator Don Landee, is pretty consistent across his recordings and stories. And it's reflected in the style here, which is uhboastful, doesn't go over the top with stories about sex and drugs and weirdness, and keeps a consistent eye and ear on the music and, as importantly, on the physical, sonic and cultural places of the various studios in LA, Berkeley, NYC, and yes, in Eddie Van Halen's rec room. The book is filled with new insights and comments that will reframe your listening (to Pat Simmons' electric finger picking counterpoint to Tom Johnston's rocking powerchords; to the incredibly innovative and sneaky bass playing of Tiran Porter; to Richie Hayward's dual lead/harmony vocals with Lowell George and Ry Cooder's presence everywhere; to David Lee Roth's lyrics and Brad Whitford's rhythm guitar; to how the dual drumming of the Doobies worked; to the versatility of Bill Payne), and substantive comments and tips on studio recording (from mic placement, to how to deal with dead rooms, especially on the recording of drums, and how to keep singers from jumping around too much) to the details of amplifier selection (e.g., getting Clapton off the Les Paul/dual Pignoses, and onto Lowell's favorite strat/Bassman/Bandmaster combo). So the amount of idiosyncratic cool musical, gear, technique commentaries here is richer than producer accounts by John Simon, Glyn Johns and even some of the George Martin/Geoff Emerick lore. Across the stories, you get a sense that Templeman is sticking as close to his remarkable memory as possible, in part because he does toss in the occasional producer's secret boasting accomplishment: where he doubled Little Feat's rhythm section over a drum machine; or the times he did all the background vocals with Mike McDonald or played the drums himself on 'What a Fool Believes' because nobody else seemed to grasp the concept and time signature changes. Finally, without dwelling on the awfulness or lapsing into self-confessional, he does little to disguise when his own substance abuse got in the way, where his judgements were simply bad and 'he let the artists down'. So this book succeeds, in part, because of its straightforward focus on the music and its simple, unpretentious approach. Ted and his coauthor Greg Renouf have done a very straightforward, readable job. Bravo.

Great book, great read! Ted is the man. He has a good story to tell. If you dig Van Halen or the Doobies, this is for you. Lots of other stories about interesting acts. Ted is blonde, talented and handsome, much like myself, so I really related to this book.

A great read. Just wish it had an index!

Todo perfecto

If your want a Van Halen book you need.Also get Van Halen Rising.Greg Renof takes you back to our youth.Cudos Greg!!!

Music millions love and can still recall with a one bar intro. So many questions answered before they were asked. This is the companion book for those LP's you have stored. Ted Templeman's humbleness is amazing, his insight and aural magic in producing albums is truly awesome. Zoomed through the kindle at every possible hour. Actually helped me get a hold of many ideas - and as a bonus helped me in my own radio program. Highly recommended.