While I fight off a headache and crushing deadlines, consider the career of producer Ted Templeman. From Harpers Bizarre to Van Morrison to The Doobie Brothers to Captain Beefheart to Montrose to Carly Simon to Van Halen, somehow it all makes sense, don’t you think? I know what you’re thinking: Isn’t he the guy who produced the Wayne’s World soundtrack? Bingo!
Among Templeman’s many contributions to the Van Halen sound is this one, part of another day’s work on the Fair Warning track “Dirty Movies”:
Eddie couldn’t reach high enough up the fretboard, so he had Ted Templeman hold the guitar’s lower horn while he sawed it off with a hacksaw.
Ted once agreed to an interview focusing on his work on Captain Beefheart’s Clear Spot. The use of blackface on these sessions, however, was not Templeman’s idea.
The thing I keep coming back to, however, is Ted’s obvious role in the Van Halen to Van Hagar transformation. It was almost as seamless a lead singer switch gets (maybe only second to the AC/DC handoff, caused by death), and I’ll be Ted was the pointperson for the hiring of his old Montrose buddy, Sammy Hagar. VH fans, has Ted ever gotten the credit he deserved for this? (How’s that classic Van Halen tour going, anyway? Is there a Townsperson with tickets for this historic tour?)
Rock Town Hall salutes you, Ted Templeman!
