I was watching Petty’s “Don’t Come Around Here No More” and read the Wiki entry about it. In the personnel section it lists: Alan “Bugs” Weidel – wild dog piano.
Are they just having fun or does it actually mean something? I see it is also listed in the liner notes on the “Hard Promises” album referring to another song.
Nothing definitive. From scraps I was able to google, I’m guessing Weidel was nicknamed “wild dog” and he played the piano.
Sounds like it might be akin to the tongue-in-cheek “Stun Guitar” credit given to Eric Bloom on several Blue Oyster Cult albums.
Weidel doesn’t play piano. He was Petty’s roadie. And he was nicknamed Bugs. “Wild dog piano” is just playing in a manner that even a wild dog could. From Conversations With Tom Petty
On “Nightwatchman ” you thank Bugs for his “wild dog piano ” playing.
I think there’s a piano note in the middle. There’s a break, and a drum thing, right before the lick comes back. And there’s a piano note. I think Bugs hit that note because no-one else could. We were busy with other things, so we had him hit that note on piano.
This could be a record! Attributed for a single note.