Don Landee
Encyclopedia
Donn Landee is an American record producer
and recording engineer. Much of his work as an engineer has been done with producer Ted Templeman
. The pair worked with a wide variety of artists for Warner Bros. Records
during the 1970s and 1980s. Landee is probably most notable for his work on Van Halen
albums between 1978 and 1988. Other notable artists Landee has worked with include Sammy Hagar
, Van Morrison
, Montrose
(which also featured Hagar), Captain Beefheart
, the Doobie Brothers, and Carly Simon
.
In the late 1960s Landee began working on recording sessions at TTG Studios on La Brea Avenue in Hollywood. The studio was owned by engineer Ami Hadani. The upstairs studio featured a custom vacuum tube
console. Landee recorded "Sky Pilot" in this room for Eric Burdon
and The Animals
and created the phase effect used in the song "The Big Hurt." Landee then worked at Sunwest Studios as an engineer in 1968, where he later became manager before moving on to Amigo Studios under Lee Herschberg. It was at Amigo that he gained large number of music industry contacts. API desks utilizing solid state microphone preamplifiers and mix systems were used at Amigo Studios. In 1983, he helped Eddie Van Halen
build his home studio, 5150 Studios
. He also worked with Eddie on some instrumental scores for The Seduction of Gina and The Wild Life
. The console Landee used in the Eddie Van Halen private studio was a UA featuring 1108 solid state mic preamps designed by noted audio engineer Bill Putnam
.
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
and recording engineer. Much of his work as an engineer has been done with producer Ted Templeman
Ted Templeman
Ted Templeman 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...
. The pair worked with a wide variety of artists for Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
during the 1970s and 1980s. Landee is probably most notable for his work on Van Halen
Van Halen
Van Halen is an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. The band has enjoyed success since the release of its debut album, Van Halen, . As of 2007 Van Halen has sold 80 million albums worldwide and has had the most #1 hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart...
albums between 1978 and 1988. Other notable artists Landee has worked with include Sammy Hagar
Sammy Hagar
Sam Roy "Sammy" Hagar , also known as The Red Rocker, is an American rock singer, guitarist, and songwriter. Also sings Country Music....
, Van Morrison
Van Morrison
Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
, Montrose
Montrose (album)
Montrose is the debut album by the band Montrose in 1973 which was produced by Ted Templeman.- History :After having done sessions work for various musicians including Van Morrison, Herbie Hancock and Edgar Winter, this was Ronnie Montrose's first record leading his own band. It featured then...
(which also featured Hagar), Captain Beefheart
Captain Beefheart
Don Van Vliet January 15, 1941 December 17, 2010) was an American musician, singer-songwriter and artist best known by the stage name Captain Beefheart. His musical work was conducted with a rotating ensemble of musicians called The Magic Band, active between 1965 and 1982, with whom he recorded 12...
, the Doobie Brothers, and Carly Simon
Carly Simon
Carly Elisabeth Simon is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and children's author. She rose to fame in the 1970s with a string of hit records, and has since been the recipient of two Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, and a Golden Globe Award for her work...
.
In the late 1960s Landee began working on recording sessions at TTG Studios on La Brea Avenue in Hollywood. The studio was owned by engineer Ami Hadani. The upstairs studio featured a custom vacuum tube
Vacuum tube
In electronics, a vacuum tube, electron tube , or thermionic valve , reduced to simply "tube" or "valve" in everyday parlance, is a device that relies on the flow of electric current through a vacuum...
console. Landee recorded "Sky Pilot" in this room for Eric Burdon
Eric Burdon
Eric Victor Burdon is an English singer-songwriter best known as a founding member and vocalist of rock band The Animals, and the funk rock band War and for his aggressive stage performance...
and The Animals
The Animals
The Animals were an English music group of the 1960s formed in Newcastle upon Tyne during the early part of the decade, and later relocated to London...
and created the phase effect used in the song "The Big Hurt." Landee then worked at Sunwest Studios as an engineer in 1968, where he later became manager before moving on to Amigo Studios under Lee Herschberg. It was at Amigo that he gained large number of music industry contacts. API desks utilizing solid state microphone preamplifiers and mix systems were used at Amigo Studios. In 1983, he helped Eddie Van Halen
Eddie Van Halen
Edward Lodewijk "Eddie" Van Halen is a Dutch-American guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter and producer, best known as the lead guitarist and co-founder of the hard rock band Van Halen, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame...
build his home studio, 5150 Studios
5150 Studios
5150 Studios is Eddie Van Halen's home studio in the Studio City neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The studio was built so that Eddie Van Halen could have more control over the recording process than he had in the past. Every Van Halen album from 1984 onwards was recorded at 5150...
. He also worked with Eddie on some instrumental scores for The Seduction of Gina and The Wild Life
The Wild Life (film)
The Wild Life is a 1984 comedy-drama film, written by Cameron Crowe and directed by Art Linson.The movie was an indirect sequel to the film Fast Times at Ridgemont High. The film is only available on VHS and Laserdisc in pan and scan with stereo analog tracks. No DVD version has been released due...
. The console Landee used in the Eddie Van Halen private studio was a UA featuring 1108 solid state mic preamps designed by noted audio engineer Bill Putnam
Bill Putnam
Milton Tasker "Bill" Putnam was a renowned American audio engineer, songwriter, producer, studio designer and businessman who has been described as "the father of modern recording"...
.
External links
- Doobie Brothers album at cduniverse.com
- Sammy Hagar discography at swipnet.se