Waddy Wachtel On His Friendship With Billy Cowsill

Waddy Wachtel, Leland Sklar and Denny Tedesco join Louise Palanker and Fritz Coleman on Media Path Podcast. Waddy talks about his reaction to watching Family Band: The Cowsills Story and learning that Billy's loyalty to Waddy led to his fatal impasse with Bud Cowsill.
Watch the full episode here:

[dougwhite]

Hi Waddy, Hi Louise, It's 1965 and I'm leaving Sears and Roebuck with my bass player. We've just bought a Silvertone 6 10 Bass amp and we're wheeling it on the sidewalk downtown in Worcester MA. We figure if we get to City Hall the bus driver will allow us to get on to take make it home. Out on the street, there's a chill in the air, slight snow flurries and we can hear the most amazing Beatles cover band playing in the distance. As we approach City Hall the music is gradually getting louder. We arrive and there up in the stairs alcove is the original Cowsills, Billy, Bob, Berry and John. They are playing the most amazing cover versions of Beatles songs. -Waddy's decription of how young they were (in particular John and Barry), still blows my mind at how good they were as a band. After so many gigs and so many bands bands this early moment in my musical career still shines. That said, one more thing in addition to the Cowsills, the Blue Shadows is one of Billy's greatest achievments /bands and really needs special mention. thanks..love and Peace..-doug

[Autshot]

Absolutely love these Cowsill stories. Every one of them I come across, I learn something new about them. Billy standing up to Bud took so much courage considering the family situation. Thanks for sharing.

[jaybundyjohnson]

Thank you so much for this interview. Billy spoke often of his love for Waddy but this is the first time I was able to hear the other side of that love.

I was Billy's drummer in Vancouver B.C.; played with him for 11 years. Took over the chair from one of the greatest players in this neck of the woods, Chris Norquist. I didn't have Chris's chops but could keep good time; it helped that I was a close friend of Billy's bassist Elmar Spanier. I know these names mean nothing to most folks outside of the Vancouver area, but Billy was a huge influence on musicians here and playing with him was like being invited to sit with rock royalty. You had to have something going on to be in his circle.

We went from being a killer cover band (playing songs by "Big Dead Guys") to a tight little recording act called The Blue Shadows. It was the addition of Jeffrey Hatcher on guitar that was the catalyst. He brought Billy out of his cynicism and encouraged him to write. Together they penned some of the best country rock music to come out of Canada.

The arc of the Blue Shadows was short and dramatic. I was there for it from start to finish. In some ways it scarred us deeply. The torment Bill suffered in his family's band played out in the beautiful music we created and the relationships twisted by his past. We all loved the man but we did not care for his demons.

Here we are doing our thing at an instore in Winnipeg, Manitoba 1995.


Enjoy!

[cwilson]

Love this Louse 🙂 Love Waddy know how far back the Cowsills & Waddy go back years Thank you ❤️

[OdesseyOracle]

Great video. Waddy is the best and so was Bill! His solo album from the 70’s is one of my favourites. So was his band The Co-Dependents who I missed out on seeing by a year or two here in Canada after my uncle gave me a copy of their live CD but they were mostly done by then. Looking forward to watching more of your videos, thanks!

[owensclock]

Waddy is a legend!. I saw a story once on the "Penguin Biographies" website that said it was a club owner in Newport, RI, David Wray from Dorian's, who introduced Waddy to Bud Cowsill and suggested that Bud manage Waddy and his band.. This would have been around 1967 or '68.. So Waddy's connection to the Cowsills goes back a very long way!

[johncopeland]

Mr Waddy Wachtel is one of only a handful of people i could listen to speak all day long ...twice on Sunday! Ive learned recently that Ms Stevie Nicks shall play a concert here in Glasgow, Scotland and im very hopeful Mr Wachtel shall be part of her touring ensemble as ive never seen either artist ' live ' before ? Best wishes to all of you .

[davidtifft]

Ease Waddy and Louise, stump for the Cowsills to be inducted into the rock n roll hall of Fame. Waddy ask all of your friends, Jackson, Stevie and more.

[Ron-Usmc-Vietnam]

Great stuff on Waddy here! Gotta run, off to find the full version of this podcast!

[mariacesarinanoronhamagalh]

Tk u, Louise! Your work in jornalism and documentary is precious. Greats from Brazil.

[tubekook]

Billy - the Brian Wilson of the family band. Yes, that seems like such a good way to put it. The later Cowsills and the Wilsons would have had a lot to talk about if the subject of their respective dads came up. I always wondered what John might have thought when he was in the touring group of the Beach Boys. He used to the vocals on Carl's songs and parts. All of the Cowsills such incredible and expressive vocalists.

[Ron-Usmc-Vietnam]

Louise, your work for me is the Toy Department of Life! ❤❤❤

[alcambrola]

Hi Louise. I'm new here. For some reason a bit on The Cowsills showed up on my sidebar today. As a kid growing up in Fall River, I knew they were from Newport and thought they had just a couple of hits and were the inspiration for The Patridge Family. I'm blown away! I didn't realize how talented they were/are. Now I'm hooked and somewhere along the line would like to see them in person. Take care.

[Ron-Usmc-Vietnam]

"People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." Poet Maya Angelou

[cwilson]

Louise I just posted this in A Family Band Facebook 🙂 & from our Louise Palanker 💖

[envirogeekyyc]

Billy was a great one, glad I was able to see him in his last years in Calgary. Still remember a great set at the Shady Grove Bluegrass Festival when he was playing with Craig Korth and Ronnie Hayward as the Ronnie Hayward Trio. He had to use two canes to get around but he could still sing and play.

[markstevens]

I caught Billy performing and even got to spend some time with him in Vancouver a few years before he got really sick.

[willhunt]

Had the privilege of doing sound and a Q 'n' A session with the Cowsill siblings a few years ago...the movie is really good and has its share of heartbreak, yeah...
What a story! With all that went wrong with Bud, the Flower Girl (I know that isn't the title) is as good as anything the Beach Boys or Beatles were doing just then. Radio magic. Nice people too, fifty years on!

[betonarchese]

If Bud would have backed off and let Waddy help Bill, the group would have gained the Legendary status they deserved. Waddy is awesome.

[billybobjimmyjackray]

It’s good to see Waddy still alive n kicking. We used to walk our dogs to the man cave in Lakeview Terrace