Turn It Up! My Time Making Hit Records in the Glory Days of Rock Music

by Tom Werman

Growing up in the Boston suburbs, Tom Werman was deeply affected by pop music from a young age. He long dreamed of a career in music—first as Elvis, then as the next George Harrison—but it almost didn’t turn out that way. Dutifully following the path his parents had laid out for him, he obtained an MBA from an Ivy League university and took a plum job in an industry he came to despise. Then, in 1970, a chance letter sent to CBS Records boss Clive Davis led to a new opportunity . . . and a place in rock’n’roll history.

As an A&R man at Epic Records, Werman helped introduce the world to REO Speedwagon, Boston, Ted Nugent, and Cheap Trick; he also discovered KISS, Rush, and Lynyrd Skynyrd, but his record label passed on all of them. Then, as an independent producer, he oversaw landmark albums by Mötley Crüe ( Shout At The Devil ), Twisted Sister ( Stay Hungry ), Lita Ford ( Dangerous Curves ), Jeff Beck ( Live With Jan Hammer ), Poison ( Open Up And Say … Ahh! ), and many more. All in all, his record-making résumé includes twenty-three gold- or platinum-selling albums and cumulative sales of more than fifty-two million copies.

After bearing witness to several sea changes in the music industry, Werman retired from producing in 2001 and reinvented himself as an award-winning innkeeper in the Berkshire Hills of Massachusetts. And that might have been that—until an off-the-cuff rebuttal to a disparaging critique of his role in making the Mötley Crüe album Girls, Girls, Girls on a music website led to a fortnightly column and now this book—an honest and engaging insider account on how some of the best-loved albums of the 1970s and 80s came to be. A must for anyone interested in the glory days of rock and metal, Turn It Up! offers valuable insights into the recording process, the recording studio, the role of the producer, and the production values that are essential to the creation of a hit record.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Biography, Autobiography, Business

239 pages, Paperback

Published November 21, 2023

Reviews

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. While I enjoyed the walk down memory lane and the feel good factor of the behind the scenes look at some of my favorite bands, I could have really done without the weird little inserts of Trump hatred. And I’ll be critical of the fact that this guy felt the need to apologize for working with the absolute legend Ted Nugent because his politics don’t align with the obviously left leaning authors. I can only imagine he has people he needs to pacify in the communist left? I don’t know. I would have enjoyed this much more if he would have stuck to the human element and experience of the 70s and 80s. Also, there is quite a bit of page time dedicated to “rebuttals” of artists criticism of the author. With so many criticisms out there, you have to wonder if it is you sir or them?

[Joanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Werman describes himself as a starched New Englander: an ivy-educated outsider; one a bit above all the drama as he relates stories of when he was producer of metal bands such as Motley Crüe, Cheap Trick, Poison, et al. He sort of cleanly floats above, looking down below as he describes highs and lows of the glory days of metal rock. He was only in it for the love of music, after all.

Well, that and the cocaine.

He’s not very descriptive about his numerous firings—no explanations really of why this or that rock star or record exec no longer speaks to him. And there’s quite a few...and those are the ones he’s telling us about!

But overall, this dry, controlled recitation of his life as A&R dude at Epic Records is pretty epic, if bitter. This long career has generated lots of provocative stories to tell, though i think they’ve been cleaned up a bit.

[Brian Chenault · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a fan of many of the artists Tom has worked with, as well as his production work, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I'm knocking off one star because the title could have been "Tear It Up! My Airing of Grievances" once you get to about the halfway mark.

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed Easy Read

I have over 100 biographies and Tom's was an easy enjoyable read. He worked with some of my favorite rock artists. The Crue, Cheap Trick, Uncle Ted and Poison. He mentioned that the acts don't give producers credit and that is sad. Many great behind the scene stories. Seems like Ted Templeton and he could fill many volumes of stories in the sound booth.

[Tom Erik Frydenlund · Rating 4 out of 5]

Artig å høre mange av historiene fra en produsents side. Nyanser til alle de artist biografiene jeg har lest. Ikke alltid 1:1 om hva som faktisk skjedde i ulike historiske oppsummeringer.

[James Buckley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Werman, a legendary producer of equally legendary hard rock and heavy metal acts from the ‘70s and ‘80s, gives us a ground-level review of his career. Motley Crue, Cheap Trick, Cheap Trick … these bands and many others all sold millions of albums under Werman’s watchful eye (and ear!).

From his humble beginnings to the top of the production world to his gradual downward slide, Werman is very honest in describing both his successes and the ones that got away (Whitney Houston, anyone?).

If you are a rock fan or just a music fan in general real, I think you will enjoy this trip down musical memory lane. I wish there were more stories short the production of the legendary albums was involved with, but overall, this was a very enjoyable book. And did I mention the cocaine?😀

[Jeremy Juliano · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very enjoyable romp through the music of the 70s and 80s as seen through the eyes Tom Werman, who was helping make that music and finding the musicians and their songs that would be life's FM soundtrack for more than two decades. I found this to be a real quick read and insightful to the inner-workings of the record labels of the era.

[Cliff Stevens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting perspectives from the control room

I enjoyed Tom's candor and insights into his experience navigating the shark infested waters of the 1970s and 1980s record industry from his view as an A&R and record production pro. Fascinating and human, warts and all. Its a fast read that keeps the pages turning. Recommended to rock music junkies.

[Rich Vandermey]

Platinum book!

If you are a fan of music, Toms book takes you on an honest journey of the music industry. The ups and downs, the glamour and glitz. The book has it all.

[Chet Slonina · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid autobiography of Tom Werman, record producer, entrepreneur, and author and of his part in the music industry, and he does have a lot of history. The stories are good to listen to, as I listened to the Audiobook, and is full of so many features artists that are too numerous to count. I especially liked the end part where Tom Werman gives us his favorite guitar artists and drummers and the reasons of his choice. Very much worth a look at.

[Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

entertaining but I would have enjoyed it much more if he shared the sort of detail he’s shared on the YouTube series Full In Bloom. I think it’s brief enough (I read it in one day) that it deserves an expanded edition which recounts detail of certain recordings. I can, however, understand if most of those memories are lost to the overindulgences of the era.
readers who are triggered by passing references to public political figures may want to choose other subjects.

[Robert Palma]

Great story of the music business and Tom Werman

Mr. Werman's writing style makes reading this book like you are having a chat with him. His stories of his career as a Record Executive are just as entertaining as his recollection of working with Famous and how not so famous musicians.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested In music and the music business.

[Candy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not so great

More of a collection of whining, than a collection of interesting stories. Way to much time defending himself. Too bad Templeman hadn't produced many of these recordings.

[Kim Gray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Memoir of Tom Werman about his time in the music industry as an A&R man and producer of many albums from big acts. Give a little insight into the industry. Talks a little about past feuds. Vacation read but a good subject.

[Robert Edward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meaty read

Smart and talented guy whose success tells the story and who was there for a lot of great music-making. I dug it.

[Don Kulikowski · Rating 3 out of 5]

The music part of the book was interesting. The digs at Trump and conservatives added nothing to this book