Wendy Waldman

Wendy Waldman (born November 29, 1950) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer.

Wendy Waldman
Birth nameWendy Steiner
Born (1950-11-29) November 29, 1950
Los Angeles, California
GenresRock, pop, country
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter, record producer
Instrument(s)Guitar, keyboards, dulcimer
Years active1970–present
LabelsWarner Bros., Epic, Cypress
Websitewendywaldman.com

Biography

Early life

Waldman (born Wendy Steiner) grew up in the Los Angeles area. She was raised in a musical environment: her father Fred Steiner was a composer who wrote the theme music for Perry Mason and The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show. Her mother was a professional violinist.[1] In 1969 she married her first husband Ken Waldman, and changed her name to Wendy Waldman.

Bryndle

Waldman's first recordings were made in 1970 as a part of Bryndle. Other group members included Karla Bonoff, Andrew Gold, and Kenny Edwards. When the group disbanded, she signed with Warner Bros. Records.[1] Bryndle re-formed in the early 1990s and released two albums before disbanding again in the mid 2000s.[2]

Recordings

In 1973, she released her first album Love Has Got Me,[3] and Rolling Stone named her "singer-songwriter debut of the year."[4] Also in 1973, Maria Muldaur covered two songs written by Waldman on her self-titled first album.[5]

She followed her debut album with Gypsy Symphony in 1974,[6] Wendy Waldman in 1975,[7] The Main Refrain (1976), and Strange Company in 1978.[8]

In 1982, Waldman released Which Way to Main Street, which featured Peter Frampton on guitar.[9]

Songwriting

Waldman left the Warner Bros. label in 1979. In 1982 she moved to Nashville to focus on songwriting.[4]

The songwriting team of Waldman, Phil Galdston, and Jon Lind wrote "Save the Best for Last" for Vanessa Williams, which was nominated for a Grammy.[10] They have also written songs made popular by artists such as Madonna, Celine Dion, and Earth, Wind & Fire.[11]

The song "Fishin' in the Dark" was written by Waldman and Jim Photoglo. It was a hit in 1987 for the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and has also been covered by Garth Brooks and Kenny Chesney.[12]

Production

Waldman has been one of only a few women who produce records in a male-dominated profession.[13]

The Refugees

In 2007, Waldman formed The Refugees with Cidny Bullens and Deborah Holland.[14]

Discography

Studio recordings
  • 1973: Love Has Got Me (Warner Bros.)
  • 1974: Gypsy Symphony (Warner Bros.)
  • 1975: Wendy Waldman (Warner Bros.)
  • 1976: The Main Refrain (Warner Bros.)
  • 1978: Strange Company (Warner Bros.)
  • 1982: Which Way to Main Street (Epic)
  • 1987: Letters Home (Cypress)
  • 1997: Environments 16 – City of Dreams (FirstCom)
  • 2007: My Time in the Desert (Longhouse)

Compilations
  • 1996: Love Is the Only Goal: The Best of Wendy Waldman (Warner Archives)
  • 2003: Seeds and Orphans (Longhouse)
  • 2009: Seeds and Orphans, Vol. 2 (Longhouse)
  • 2012: Back By Fall: A Retrospective (Longhouse)

Singles
  • 1975: "Western Lullaby" / "Green Rocky Road" (Warner Bros.)
  • 1976: "Living Is Good" / "The Main Refrain" (Warner Bros.)
  • 1978: "Long Hot Summer Nights" / "You'll See" (Warner Bros.)
  • 1982: "Does Anybody Want to Marry Me" (Epic)
  • 1982: "Heartbeat" (Epic)
  • 1987: "Living in Hard Times" (Cypress)

As a member of Bryndle

As a member of the Refugees
  • 2009: Unbound (Wabuho)
  • 2012: Three (Wabuho)
  • 2019: How Far It Goes (Wabuho)

1973 – 1981
  • 1973: Maria Muldaur – Maria Muldaur (Reprise) – track 10, "Vaudeville Man"; track 11, "Mad Mad Me"
  • 1974: El Chicano – Cinco (MCA) – track 7, "Gringo En Mexico"
  • 1974: Maria Muldaur – Waitress in a Donut Shop (Reprise) – track 2, "Gringo En Mexico"
  • 1975: Judy Collins – Judith (Elektra) – track 11, "Pirate Ships"
  • 1976: Barbi Benton – Something New (Playboy) – track 11, "Thinking of You"
  • 1976: Maria Muldaur – Sweet Harmony (Reprise) – track 7, "Back by Fall"; track 9, "Wild Bird"
  • 1976: Twiggy – Twiggy (Mercury) – track 8, "Vaudeville Man"
  • 1980: Randy Meisner – One More Song (Epic) – track 2, "Gotta Get Away"; track 3, "Come on Back to Me"; track 5, "I Need You Bad"; track 7, "Trouble Ahead" (all songs co-written with Eric Kaz and Randy Meisner)
  • 1981: Kim Carnes – Mistaken Identity (EMI America) – track 6, "Break The Rules Tonite (Out of School)" (co-written with Dave Ellingson and Kim Carnes); track 7, "Still Hold On" (co-written with Dave Ellingson, Eric Kaz, and Kim Carnes)
  • 1981: Albert Hammond – Your World and My World (Columbia) – track 8, "Take Me Sailing"
  • 1981: Patti Austin – Every Home Should Have One (Qwest) – track 3, "The Way I Feel" (co-written with Eric Kaz)

1982 – present

As producer

1973 – 1979

1980 – present

References
  1. Charles Donovan. "Wendy Waldman". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 5, 2017. Retrieved June 4, 2017.
  2. "Bryndle – Biography & History". AllMusic. Archived from the original on November 13, 2015. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
  3. Edwards, Gavin (July 16, 2015). "10 Singer-Songwriter Albums Rolling Stone Loved in the 1970s You've Never Heard". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 3, 2016. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
  4. Cleaveland, Carol (October 2, 1987). "Singer-songwriter Wendy Waldman Is Rocking The Record Industry Boat". The Morning Call. Archived from the original on April 22, 2018. Retrieved June 4, 2017.
  5. "Wendy Waldman". Songs etc. Archived from the original on September 9, 2016. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
  6. "Gypsy Symphony". rateyourmusic.com. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
  7. Charles Donovan. "Wendy Waldman". AllMusic. Archived from the original on July 11, 2017. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
  8. "Strange Company". musicbrainz.org. Archived from the original on June 14, 2017. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
  9. staff writer (May 17, 1982). "Picks and Pans Review: Which Way to Main Street". People. Archived from the original on October 25, 2017. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
  10. "Wendy Waldman". The Recording Academy. Archived from the original on June 8, 2018. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
  11. Kawashima, Dale. "Phil Galdston, Wendy Waldman & Jon Lind: Writing The Classic Hit, "Save The Best For Last"". Songwriter Universe. Archived from the original on June 17, 2017. Retrieved June 4, 2017.
  12. Paulson, Dave (March 3, 2015). "Story Behind the Song: 'Fishin' in the Dark'". The Tennessean. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
  13. Haruch, Steve (June 3, 2010). "Women account for less than 5 percent of producers and engineers – but maybe not for long". Nashville Scene. Archived from the original on June 20, 2017. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
  14. "The Refugees on Mountain Stage". Mountain Stage. Archived from the original on October 21, 2017. Retrieved June 4, 2017.
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