Edward 'Ted' Albert

Edward Frank Albert (1937 – 11 November 1990) was an Australian early pioneer independent record production and founder of Albert Productions (part of his great grandfather's company Albert Music). In recognition of his contribution to the music industry, the Australasian Performing Right Association established the annual "Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music".

Ted Albert was born in Sydney, the second of three sons to parents Alexis Albert (1904–1996) and his wife Elsie née Lundgren. The family's music publishing empire, J Albert & Son, was founded by Edward's great grandfather Jacques Albert. Jacques Albert migrated to Australia from Switzerland in 1884 and established a clock, watch and occasional violin repair business in King Street, Sydney. Later, with his son Frank, Jacques expanded the business and diversified into music publishing and sheet music retail. Frank also concluded music licensing arrangements with overseas publishers for Australia and New Zealand.

Ted Albert and his brothers Tony (1939–2000) and Robert were raised in the family home "Coolong" in the eastern Sydney suburb of Vaucluse.

Ted Albert joined the family music business, in the company which was then known as J. Albert & Son in the mid to late 1950s at a time when rock and roll was emerging into the music mainstream in the United States, Australia and Europe. The early 1960s heralded the arrival of the independent record producers Phil Spector and Joe Meek and later still Shel Talmy. As artists in their own right, they had complete control of the creative process and shaped the band's recording sound. J. Albert & Son considered the opportunities presented by the Australia teenager consumer market.

In a letter dated June 1964 addressed to Alberts' New York based lawyer, Alex Albert wrote in part:

the time is at hand for a real boom in local (Australian contemporary) compositions and recordings and we have therefore entered this field with much more drive than ever before. We have formed an artists and repertoire (A&R) department and have inaugurated a recording subsidiary we have called 'Albert Productions'.

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