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Post subject: King of The Sidemen
Posted: Sun Dec 22, 2013 6:11 am
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I've just been reviewing the Facebook page for the documentary film King of The Sidemen which chiefly celebrates the life of Waddy Wachtel. There was a fund raising effort to kickstart this enterprise and the asking was from among the 'folk'. In the course of human events, when producers seek funding for such a project, they look for investors who will do so with intent of sharing in the profits if any. It's a risk taker's effort but nonetheless, can be rewarding if the earnings are substantial. Taking nothing away from the artist who I admire, his gifts and his tremendous work product, IMHO Waddy's done pretty well for himself these past 40 years. I don't see the appropriateness of running a 'charity event' to fund a movie of this kind. If you asked me to become a profit sharing investor well, that's a horse of a different color, isn't it? Besides, if he is as truly well-loved as the trailer pictures him to be then, with a little help from his 'friends' in the business, it ought to have been a done deal from the get-go, without the need to appeal to the rank and file.

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Post subject: Re: King of The Sidemen
Posted: Sun Dec 22, 2013 7:45 am
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if I recall correctly, they were doing the same thing for the "wrecking crew" documentary.

if you want investors, it should have a reward system of sorts. could be wrong, but I don't believe anything was offered in the case of this movie. I would love to see it, sounds like a great story. if the dvd does get released, I will buy it.


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Post subject: Re: King of The Sidemen
Posted: Tue Dec 31, 2013 7:06 am
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phreddybee wrote:
if I recall correctly, they were doing the same thing for the "wrecking crew" documentary.

if you want investors, it should have a reward system of sorts. could be wrong, but I don't believe anything was offered in the case of this movie. I would love to see it, sounds like a great story. if the dvd does get released, I will buy it.


I saw the screening of The Wrecking Crew - well done by Denny Tedesco, son of the famous studio cat and former GP writer, Tommy Tedesco.

http://wreckingcrew.tv/

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Post subject: Re: King of The Sidemen
Posted: Wed Jan 01, 2014 7:58 am
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ZZDoc wrote:
I've just been reviewing the Facebook page for the documentary film King of The Sidemen which chiefly celebrates the life of Waddy Wachtel.


It's one of my "likes" :wink:

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Post subject: Re: King of The Sidemen
Posted: Wed Jan 01, 2014 10:10 am
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My opinion of Waddy Wachtel is that he is a great guitarist. He's a musician's musician who just is not that well known outside the studio. Hanging with people like Warren Zevon, Jackson Browne, Keith Richards and John Cowsill (a still AMAZING drummer now touring with the Beach Boys) he's definitely in the elite crowd, he's just never actually played on all that many big huge hit songs.

Yes Mr. Wachtel has been on lots of albums by famous artists that had a hit or two but he's not exactly a hit machine like The Funk Brothers, The Wrecking Crew or The Memphis Boys (aka The 827 Thomas Street Band.) If anyone has been slighted here it isn't Mr. Wachtel.

I personally think it is the Memphis Boys who have been slighted. By my count The Memphis Boys rhythm section (essentially with the exact same personnel) played on 122 TOP TEN Billboard Hot 100 hits between 1967 and 1971. And you never heard of them have you?

122 is just the TOP TEN count. That puts them third behind the Funk Brothers and The Wrecking Crew rhythm section but the Memphis Boys did it in FOUR YEARS. The Funk Brothers had 14 years and The Wrecking Crew people had more like 20 years.

The Wrecking Crew was NOT actually a house band, but different players were actually used on different sessions. It wasn't always the same players and sometimes simultaneous sessions were going on at different studios involving these union cats that we now refer to as Wrecking Crew players. The Wrecking Crew wasn't like the Funk Brothers, Booker T & The MG's or The Memphis Boys. In those house bands the personnel was about the same at every session. The name "WRECKING CREW" was coined by drummer Hal Blaine decades after the whole thing was over. People now referred to as Wrecking Crew players were just studio cats who played in the same circle of studios around LA and did not always play together. Wrecking Crew players of the late 50's through 70's are no different from Waddy Wachtel, except they played on more hits. Waddy Wachtel is a great studio player. Maybe a Wrecking Crew player who showed up 20 years late.

Everyone knows what the Funk Brothers did at Motown with an astounding TOP TEN and NUMBER ONE hit count over about a 14 year period. More than the Beatles, Stones and Elvis combined. Everyone knows that Booker T & the MG's were the heartbeat of Stax/Volt/Atlantic's pop/soul records recording some songs that are unparalleled in world wide acclaim and massive sales. In both those bands it is the same cats over and over and over.

BUT most people do not know that there was this one week in 1970 when 25% of the songs on the Billboard Hot 100 were backed by The Memphis Boys. Nobody much ever gives them credit for anything. You could say they are the lost band of the late 60's early 70's. In 1972 their home base, American Sound Studios at 827 Thomas Street in Memphis closed and The Memphis Boys was over. If a documentary was to be made about studio cats that have yet to get their due, it should be someone who actually played on lots of hit recordings like The Memphis Boys.

Props to Mr. Wachtel because he is one of the best players around, a good solid writer and producer who can turn out some good film sound tracks. I especially like his film score for "Joe Dirt." But if his story was actually compelling then it wouldn't need a "donation" campaign to get his bio pic made. Instead there would be an investment group financing it.

Another bio-pic candidate still active today would be Don Was. I think his story is worth telling too.


Last edited by brotherdave on Wed Jan 01, 2014 10:27 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: King of The Sidemen
Posted: Wed Jan 01, 2014 10:23 am
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"King Of The Sidemen" is sort of a ludicrous overblown title anyway. It also overlooks his film stuff. If there actually was a studio cat worthy of being proclaimed KING, and I'm not sure there is, then the title should be based on the number of hits they played on...and then it for sure would not be Waddy Wachtel. Talk about your hyperbole.

Again, Wachtel is a true big gun player, but KING he ain't. That's hilarious.


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Post subject: Re: King of The Sidemen
Posted: Wed Jan 01, 2014 12:01 pm
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There is no king, or queen, but titles help sell product. :wink:


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Post subject: Re: King of The Sidemen
Posted: Wed Jan 01, 2014 2:59 pm
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Waddy is one of the most unsung musicians out there.
He has a cool name, plays cool, and has done some cool stuff.

A documentary on him would be cool, and I'd want to see it.

Have others done more than him is certain ways?
Sure, but he's done more than them in other ways--it's not something that is simply quantifiable.

So if there are others deserving of documentaries, I hope they get theirs too, and I hope this one works out.

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Post subject: Re: King of The Sidemen
Posted: Wed Jan 01, 2014 9:06 pm
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I don't think that every sideman has worked as a musical director for 'name' acts:


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Post subject: Re: King of The Sidemen
Posted: Wed Jan 01, 2014 11:43 pm
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Happy New Year Doc! I've seen Waddy with bands over the years. It is interesting to know what he does. Here is an unsung hero of mine, Patrick Leonard worked with Michael Jackson and Madonna among others.

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