BIOGRAPHICAL DETAILS
Full Name: Robert Wachtel
NickName: Waddy
Description: Guitarist, songwriter, producer, USA
Instruments: Guitar
Music Styles: Rock, folk rock, pop, jazz
Location: United States of America
Date Born: 24th May 1947
Location Born: New York City, New York, United States of America
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BIOGRAPHICAL PROFILE
Waddy Wachtel
An American multi-instrumentalist, composer and record producer, most notable for his guitar work
Robert “Waddy” Wachtel (born May 24, 1947) is an American musician, composer and record producer, most notable for his guitar work. Wachtel has worked as session musician for other artist such as Linda Ronstadt, Stevie Nicks, Keith Richards, James Taylor, Iggy Pop, Warren Zevon, Bryan Ferry, Michael Sweet, and Jackson Browne, both in the studio and live.
Wachtel’s passion for music and ease of adaptation toward a variety of genres have placed him in a position as one of the most in-demand session musicians throughout his career, playing with high profile rock musicians that include Keith Richards, James Taylor, Stevie Nicks, Warren Zevon and Jackson Browne, amongst others, both in the studio, and on tour.
Wachtel was born May 24, 1947, in Jackson Heights, Queens, in the New York City Borough of Queens. At about age 9–10,[1] Wachtel began to learn to play the guitar, taking lessons with teacher Gene Dell (who insisted that he learn to play right-handed despite being naturally left-handed) until about age 14. At that age, he says, he began writing songs.[2]
Wachtel also studied with Rudolph Schramm, who was the head of the NBC staff orchestra and went on to teach music at Carnegie Hall. Schramm tried to get Wachtel to take piano lessons, but Wachtel was intent on playing guitar so Schramm agreed to give him guitar lessons three times a week about rhythm, melody and harmony.
After performing with local bands in the New York area, Wachtel formed his own band, The Orphans, who played in Connecticut and New Hampshire. Eventually the band settled into a regular bar band routine, playing in Newport, Rhode Island, where Wachtel took lessons from Sal Salvador.[citation needed] When the Orphans disbanded, he formed another band, Twice Nicely. At the suggestion of Bud Cowsill (of The Cowsills), he brought Twice Nicely to Los Angeles in 1968 where they recorded a few demos, but after two years, Wachtel decided to work as a session player, recording with The Cowsills and produce their albums.
Wachtel began to learn to play the guitar, taking lessons with teacher Gene Dell (who insisted that he learn to play right-handed despite being naturally left-handed) until about age 14.
He became proficient at playing all styles of guitar, including folk, and found he had a special talent, not just for reading music, but also an ability that allowed him a large measure of recall—a true “ear for music”.
Wachtel gives much credit for his early training on guitar to Rudolph Schramm, who was the head of the NBC staff orchestra and went on to teach music at Carnegie Hall.
Wachtel formed his own band, The Orphans, who played in Connecticut and New Hampshire.
Wachtel decided to work as a session player, and was then persuaded to record with The Cowsills and produce their albums.
In 1972, he was invited to play in a cameo appearance in the film “The Poseidon Adventure” with the actual band on stage in the dining room when the ship capsizes. Wachtel can be seen in the final film during this sequence.
In 1972, he was hired by Warren Zevon to play guitar on the Everly Brothers Stories We Could Tell album and join them in a subsequent tour. In 1980, he wrote, recorded and sang lead vocals on an album for producer Peter Asher with members of Linda Ronstadt’s band.
He has appeared on hundreds of albums over the years, and has been a mainstay of the Los Angeles music scene.Wachtel prefers his vintage 1958 Gibson Les Paul and his 1956 Fender Stratocaster for sound.
In 1972, he was hired by Warren Zevon to play guitar on The Everly Brothers Stories We Could Tell album and join them in a subsequent tour.
By 1973, he played with Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks on their first album Buckingham Nicks (credited as ‘Waddy’, no surname), and on tour. Later, when Nicks and Buckingham joined Fleetwood Mac, he played rhythm guitar on their 1975 album Fleetwood Mac on the track “Sugar Daddy”.
In 1980, he wrote, recorded and sang lead vocals on an album for producer Peter Asher with members of Linda Ronstadt’s band, including musicians Don Grolnick, Dan Dugmore, and Rick Marotta. Both the group and the album were titled Ronin. Released on the Mercury label, the record never charted.
He has appeared on hundreds of albums over the years. Other artists and bands he has worked with include The Everly Brothers, Jackson Browne, Kim Carnes, Rosanne Cash, The Church, Bob Dylan, Silver Condor, Gilby Clarke, Melissa Etheridge, Bryan Ferry, Bernard Fowler, Andrew Gold, Don Henley, Carole King, Miranda Lambert, The Motels, John Mayer, Maria Muldaur, Randy Newman, Steve Perry, Iggy Pop, Bonnie Raitt, Keith Richards, Adam Sandler, Bob Seger, Carly Simon, The Rolling Stones, James Taylor, and Tom Waits.
Production credits include albums by Stevie Nicks, Keith Richards, Jackson Browne, Bryan Ferry, The Church, Sand Rubies, George Thorogood and the Destroyers and Warren Zevon. Wachtel co-wrote several songs with Zevon including “Werewolves of London”. He also co-wrote the Warren Zevon song “Things to Do in Denver When You’re Dead” from the album Mr. Bad Example. He performed and co-produced the first two Zevon albums.
Wachtel also shares co-writing credits with Stevie Nicks on a few tracks such as “Annabel Lee”, and “I Don’t Care”.