Author’s Note: Waddy Wachtel is a real person. He is a world famous session guitar player and was part of “The Wrecking Crew” during the 1970s. He is my favorite guitar player of all time.
A small sampling of his session work:
(1978) Played lead guitar on Warren Zevon's hit single "Werewolves of London".
(1977) Played guitar on Linda Ronstadt's hit single "It's So Easy".
(1981) Played lead guitar on Kim Carnes hit single "Bette Davis Eyes".
(1981) Played lead guitar on Stevie Nicks' hit single "Edge of Seventeen".
He is known for being able to enter a gig or session on a moment’s notice and make magic happen. It is hard to describe Waddy’s talent. But within his discipline, and amongst his peers, he is seen as a genius and touchstone, similar to how Muhammad Ali, Mickey Mantle, Albert Einstein and Mozart are regarded universally.
In 1977 Andrew Gold’s “Lonely Boy” came out. I was 12 years old and obsessed with music and I loved that song. I did as much pre-internet research as I could and I found out that Waddy Wachtel played lead guitar.
Here it is. We have all heard it hundreds of times.
https://youtu.be/0kbgjmmr5vw?t=120
So I always looked for Waddy’s name being mentioned in liner notes on albums, etc. and began to look for him on TV clips of musical acts. He is hard to miss.
About ten years ago this story first entered my head and never left when I was watching a music video from the Arsenio Hall show from 1991…….. For some reason, it decided to be born tonight.
End Author’s Note and the end of any fact based reality in this piece. But, if these circumstances arose, Waddy would have performed as described below.
January 8, 1991, Iggy Pop is scheduled to appear on The Arsenio Hall Show, to sing his latest single “Candy.” “Candy” is a duet with Kate Pierson of The B52’s and she is also appearing on the show with him. They are scheduled to perform at 12:01am, after mid-show commercial breaks.
At 10:30 pm, the guitar player becomes ill, and a replacement needs to be found. The guitar is featured heavily in the song. Iggy Pop will go on in 91 minutes.
To bring us back to 1991, there are no cellular phones.
Iggy’s manager is panicked. Only one name enters his mind.
Waddy Wachtel.
Without even knowing if Waddy was in town or if he would be interested, an assistant is dispatched with a CD of the song to Waddy’s residence. Thank God it was a Tuesday. Had it been a weekend night, Waddy would have been gigging somewhere around the world.
10:45 pm, 76 minutes to airtime.
Waddy’s landline phone rings. Iggy’s manager is on the line.
Waddy listens for a few seconds..
Iggy’s Manager
“.... Iggy’s guitar player is out for the count….”
“…… CD on its way to you…..”
“.... we go on at 12:01am….”
“.... Can you do it?….”
Waddy
“.... Have a marshall stack ready, 20 foot lead, ….”
“.... Write this down. Marshall amp settings: Gain (3/4), Bass (mid), Middle (mid), Treble (3/4), High Treble (mid), FX and Tilt (off), reverb (1/4), Presence (mid), Contour (mid), Volume level 11…”
“.... I’ll bring the guitar and picks….”
Waddy tuned his black 1959 Fender Stratocaster, and put it back in its case.
He then put on his leather jacket, grabbed his portable CD player and took himself, the CD player and the stratocaster down the stairs to wait at the curb.
It is a freezing winter evening by Los Angeles standards. 55 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. But Waddy’s leather jacket and a Marlboro Red will keep him plenty warm.
11:23 pm, 38 minutes to airtime.
Limo pulls ups and barely stops. The assistant opens the back door. Waddy throws in his guitar, takes a seat and loads the CD in his player.
He hits the play button.
He sits there monk-like with his eyes closed. He does not appear to be breathing and he is motionless.
He is not just listening. He is seeing and feeling the music in vibrant three dimensional colors and emotions. He is experiencing music with a sixth sense most of us don’t have and would never understand. To Waddy this is a universe of not just technical musical information and sounds, but a visceral transcendent emotional experience that his open soul is channeling.
All during the trip to the studio he doesn’t open the guitar case. He doesn’t have to.
11:55 pm, 6 minutes to airtime.
Assistant yells at the driver “Step on it!”
They turn right off of North Irving Blvd onto Melrose Ave.
11:57 pm, 4 minutes to airtime.
The entrance to Paramount Studios in Los Angeles appears ahead on the left.
11:59 pm, 2 minutes to airtime.
They pull in and race to Stage 29 and park.
With the calm and focused purpose of a samurai, Waddy takes his stratocaster out of its case.
12:00 am, 1 minute to airtime.
Waddy’s limo door is opened for him. He exits the limo.
Other assistants are waiting for him. The stratocaster hangs in Waddy's left hand. Waddy has a pick in his mouth.
12:00:30 am 30 seconds to airtime.
Arsenio is almost through introducing the band. He seems calm but he knows a disaster is about to happen. Iggy Pop always needs a guitar player and there is none.
The desperate Arsenio stretches his intro to a full 30 seconds
“....together, they're gonna go sweet on you. Performing Candy from this album, Brick by Brick….
12:00:55 am, 5 seconds to airtime.
Waddy plugs in his stratocaster, stage right and puts the strap around his neck and shoulder. He makes a very educated guess and sets the guitar's volume control knob about 3/4. He guessed right.
He takes the pick out of his mouth and positions his left hand on the first chord.
Arsenio finishes… “.., Iggy Pop and Katie Pierson."
12:01 am airtime.
Waddy appears silhouetted on the right, to Iggy’s left.
https://youtu.be/CA1s6iJjt34?t=10
The performance is flawless and jettisons Iggy Pop’s career into the stratosphere.
Waddy Wachtel Does What Waddy Wachtel Does
