The Richard Waters Interview

Lee Charlton and Shelly Manne were friends and after I invented the water phone Lee called Shelly and told him to come up and take a look at this instrument because it might be something he could use on those soundtracks he was working on in Hollywood. He did come and bought several and that opened up the door to Hollywood, Emil Richards came up as well so that started my business right there. At one point Emil Richards said, "hey man come on down here and I'll hook you up with everybody. I made more money on that one trip to Los Angeles then the entire previous year painting and a little bit of sculpture I was selling. It changed my profession because I was no longer a painter I was an instrument builder.

That was an unusual tonal quality when you hook up water with an instrument that could be percussive. There's an awful lot of sympathy in those Rods and that bottom band carries a wide range of sounds. When you start bending tones by moving water around on the bottom it does modify the sound. It's not a conventional sounding instrument which is why Hollywood uses it in Zombie Movies and Sci Fi.

In really thankful that I invented an instrument that people like and I sell enough of them so I can keep on eating and buying gasoline for my car I appreciate that.

RIP Tom Dondelinger and Chuck Day.....Gravity Adjusters Expanding Minds.......