Van Halen producers and sound engineers

[batmura]

Hi all,

I was wondering if someone could give me the rundown on all producers Van Halen worked with. If memory serves, they worked with the amazing Ted Templeman from their debut up until 1984. Did they then take on a new guy or did they produce the stuff themselves? I remember Templeman was back on track for FUCK...

I'm just not sure. So please give me a rundown on each every album with producer and sound engineer.

Did Landee engineer the entire VH catalog or did they fall out with him after the classic era too?

Thanks!

[Fernando Ramirez]

Ted Templeman worked on 1984, but in a limited capacity. Landee did most of the album with Eddie at Eddie's (then) new home studio.

Don Landee and Eddie produced 5150, but Mick Jones (Foreigner band leader) oversaw the production because the record company didnt think Eddie could produce the new album on his own. (They were wrong.)

Don Landee and Eddie produced 0U812 together, no outside producer.

That was when I stopped buying VH albums. I know Landee and Eddie had a falling out after that album. I'm think the next one (F.U.C.K.) was produced by Andy Johns... he also did the live album. Then Bruce Fairbairn did "Balance" and Mike Post did "VH3" (with Cherone). I know he worked with another producer on the three new songs on the GH album... the guy that did Alanis Morrisette's album JAGGED LITTLE PILL... but his name escapes me.

That's all, off the top of my head.

[Fernando Ramirez]

Okay, I just verified my info on the official VH website... I was pretty much right.

http://www.van-halen.com/newsite/music.html

Ted Templeman also did some production on F.U.C.K. along with Andy Johns. And Don Landee worked on that release, also. The falling out with Landee must have happened after F.U.C.K.

[batmura]

That was when I stopped buying VH albums. I know Landee and Eddie had a falling out after that album. I'm think the next one (F.U.C.K.) was produced by Andy Johns... he also did the live album. Then Bruce Fairbairn did "Balance" and Mike Post did "VH3" (with Cherone).

Thanks a lot for the info!

What other bands did Mike Post, Bruce Fairbairn and Andy Johns produce?

In my humble opinion, Johns' bass sound on FUCK is the best sounding bass on any Van Halen album. Basically Mike's instrument stands on its own there rather than acting like a shadow of Ed's guitar.

By the way, is Don Landee still in the biz? What bands has he been working with as of late?

Thanks again!

[Fernando Ramirez]

Thanks a lot for the info!

What other bands did Mike Post, Bruce Fairbairn and Andy Johns produce?

In my humble opinion, Johns' bass sound on FUCK is the best sounding bass on any Van Halen album. Basically Mike's instrument stands on its own there rather than acting like a shadow of Ed's guitar.

By the way, is Don Landee still in the biz? What bands has he been working with as of late?

Thanks again!

Mike Post has done lots of stuff... he was mostly previously known for creating television show music. He wrote many memorable TV themes... for example, the theme to HILL STREET BLUES.

Bruce Fairbairn was a prolific producer in the 80s and 90s... he was from Canada, and came up in a studio situation as a partner to Bob Rock... or maybe it was the other way around! I know he did a lot of BON JOVI stuff, and maybe AC/DC... I honestly don't know who else. I never followed his work like I did Mutt Lange's work. I do know that Bruce passed away a few years ago. Don't know from what.

Andy Johns is also a notable producer from the 70s, 80s, and now. His brother is also a famous producer: Glyn Johns. I think Glyn is now retired. Andy, if I'm not mistaken, worked on Led Zeppelin's 4th album, sometimes known as ZoSo. The one with Stairway To Heaven on it. He also did Joe Satriani's THE EXTREMIST. He's done QUITE a lot of work, but I can't think of any other titles at the moment. He gets some pretty powerful sounds out of his work. I think his latest work has been less than solid... but it may depend on who he's working with. That powerful work resulted in the awesome bass lines you were talking about. Michael Anthony's "buried in the mix" bass lines are legendary... I think Eddie is to blame for it. MA sounds great on FAIR WARNING, and the first album from what I recall. My impression is that Eddie is responsible for him being turned down almost to the point of being inaudible... and it all resulted in those three new tracks on the Greatest Hits collection where Michael Anthony is not present at all.

I don't know what has happened to Don Landee. I think he had a website a few years ago where he was doing some photography.

[Paddywagon]

[quote="Fernando Ramirez

I never followed his work like I did Mutt Lange's work.

[/quote]


Hey Fernando - Sounds like you really know your stuff!!! I was talking with a buddy about Mutt Lange...I'm curious about his early stuff - I know he did Def Leppards "High & Dry", and I know he produced the band "Tycoon" in 1979...I guess anything before that I am unaware of...perhaps you could give me some info...Thanks!

[Fernando Ramirez]

Hey Fernando - Sounds like you really know your stuff!!! I was talking with a buddy about Mutt Lange...I'm curious about his early stuff - I know he did Def Leppards "High & Dry", and I know he produced the band "Tycoon" in 1979...I guess anything before that I am unaware of...perhaps you could give me some info...Thanks!

Ask and you shall receive. Here's a tribute site page that shows the artists Mutt has produced:

http://www.bigbro.ca/produced.html

Or you can check out the Mutt Lange tribute website all the way through on this next link. It's pretty informative!

http://www.bigbro.ca/zone.html

One of the reasons I started following producers back in the early 80s was that it helped me make more informed purchases that I would be happy with. If Keith Forsey produced it, then I probably would like it. If Mutt Lange produced it, even if it was country, I know I would like it. If Peter Collins produced it, then I know it would have a high standard that I would probably enjoy. To me, producers are like directors. You can't go wrong with a director's work if you like the work he does. Same with the music producers.

[Paddywagon]

Thanks for the info, Fernando!! What is really cool, is that I used to have that "City Boy - Dinner at the Ritz" album!! I always thought it sounded so good, and always wondered why the band wasn't more popular. Now I know it was because Mutt produced it.

The only band I didn't care for in regards to Mutt's production was "The Cars" (Heartbeat City era) Of course, this was the time-frame when sequencing and drum machines came into the mainstream, but I always like what Roy Thomas Baker did with The Cars...I guess I'll blame the time-frame more than I will Mutt Lange!

[Fernando Ramirez]

Thanks for the info, Fernando!! What is really cool, is that I used to have that "City Boy - Dinner at the Ritz" album!! I always thought it sounded so good, and always wondered why the band wasn't more popular. Now I know it was because Mutt produced it.

The only band I didn't care for in regards to Mutt's production was "The Cars" (Heartbeat City era) Of course, this was the time-frame when sequencing and drum machines came into the mainstream, but I always like what Roy Thomas Baker did with The Cars...I guess I'll blame the time-frame more than I will Mutt Lange!

There's a lot of Mutt stuff I haven't heard, particulary that early stuff, so I'm going to have to search it out.

I loved HEARTBEAT CITY, that was the only CARS release I ever purchased. You know why. It still holds up today. DRIVE is one of my all time favorites, and so is MAGIC. A lot of the sounds you think are keyboards was actually Elliot Easton playing guitar... supposedly a lot of the neat sound effects were stuff he figured out on the guitar. And I think Mutt either wanted the release to have more keyboards, or he influenced the band to go in that direction as he had never done keyboard-oriented work before. He was famous for the guitar sounds he could get, but I think he didn't want to get "typecast" as "that guitar guy" at the time.

Even though it has a lot of keyboards, I still thing of it as a good rock album.... it has a good mix of both.