The internet has been buzzing between an online feud between Ozzy and Mr.Bill Ward.
I have read some of it and find it mildly amusing.
I love Bill.. Hope he does release that new album..It has been a long time coming.
I have read some of it and find it mildly amusing.
Somewhat reminiscent of another long standing feud. It is interesting that he feels he is an "orchestration drummer", drummers do not seem to get a lot of respect from others in bands, yet they are an integral part of the band, they lay a foundation for the music. Egos and dollars, some musicians think they are worth more than others in their bands, and that is the first thing that is wrong. From the article, for any band member to expect another to tell their fans that he can't do his job is an outrage. If the member is temporarily not able to perform, due to health/surgical reasons that is perfectly legitamite, the band member does not have to expose himself to the fans, though most generally like to know what the hold up is, so they can root for them to get back to playing.
When there's lots of money and music becomes a business, the lawyers get involved and it just gets effed up.
My take on it is they (Sharon & Ozzy) tried to short change Bill Ward on the reunion and he called them on it in public a couple of years back. Since then Ozzy has been knocking Ward's conditioning.
I think an even bigger Sabbath thing going on a little under the radar was Sharon and Ozzy announcing that their final concert will be held later this year at Ozzfest in Japan. A week later the band pulled out of that show. My take on that is they didn't inform Tony and Geezer that would be their final show before it was announced. Tony stated that the reason they pulled out wasn't because of his health, but didn't elaborate any more than that.
[Edited on 4/17/2015 by WarEagleRK]
I hope Bill gets backs in to the music world ..
My take on it is they (Sharon & Ozzy) tried to short change Bill Ward on the reunion and he called them on it in public a couple of years back. Since then Ozzy has been knocking Ward's conditioning.
I think an even bigger Sabbath thing going on a little under the radar was Sharon and Ozzy announcing that their final concert will be held later this year at Ozzfest in Japan. A week later the band pulled out of that show. My take on that is they didn't inform Tony and Geezer that would be their final show before it was announced. Tony stated that the reason they pulled out wasn't because of his health, but didn't elaborate any more than that.
[Edited on 4/17/2015 by WarEagleRK]
sharon only manages ozzy not black sabbath. if ward was trying to be under cut on money and had a valid contract sitting in front of him to sign that means tony and geezer and their management also agreed with whatever ozzy and sharon were floating around. you can try and make anyone out to be the bad guy but the point is it was 3 guys and 3 different managers who agreed that bill gets something different from what they got
It could also be that Geezer and Tony agreed to the same deal for themselves that Bill was offered and he was the only one to balk at it.
Ward seems to have no issues with Tony and Geezer, plus it's not like Sharon has a glowing reputation as someone who is easy to deal with.
I'm not putting all the blame on Sharon/Ozzy, but my guess is a big bulk of it comes from that camp.
[Edited on 4/19/2015 by WarEagleRK]
Anybody ever wondered why Bill Ward wasn't involved with the "Heaven And Hell" project in 2007? He'd been playing with Iommi and Geezer a couple of years previously, and played on the Heaven And Hell album obviously! Why was that?....or were the O's to blame for that also?
I don't know the contractual issues involving Ward and therefore certainly cannot be a reliable source of information. All I know, though, is that I read the RS interview with Ward that tbomike posted in this thread.
It just seems to me reading that interview that Ward is not facing up to reality. He goes on and on about issues with his heart and how he's trying to rehabilitate himself. Yet he's upset that Sabbath went on tour without him. Seems like about the same thing when Yes didn't want to wait for Jon Anderson to get well anymore and so went out with a different vocalist. If that's true, I can't blame the members of either Yes or Black Sabbath for merging forward. All I'm saying is that there appears to be more than contractual issues here, specifically health issues.
I don't know the contractual issues involving Ward and therefore certainly cannot be a reliable source of information. All I know, though, is that I read the RS interview with Ward that tbomike posted in this thread.
It just seems to me reading that interview that Ward is not facing up to reality. He goes on and on about issues with his heart and how he's trying to rehabilitate himself. Yet he's upset that Sabbath went on tour without him. Seems like about the same thing when Yes didn't want to wait for Jon Anderson to get well anymore and so went out with a different vocalist. If that's true, I can't blame the members of either Yes or Black Sabbath for merging forward. All I'm saying is that there appears to be more than contractual issues here, specifically health issues.
exactly he is still having heart issues but doesn't want to think that contributes to anything
Anybody ever wondered why Bill Ward wasn't involved with the "Heaven And Hell" project in 2007? He'd been playing with Iommi and Geezer a couple of years previously, and played on the Heaven And Hell album obviously! Why was that?....or were the O's to blame for that also?
at the very start he was and then all of the sudden it was vinnie appice. hmmm.......
Anybody ever wondered why Bill Ward wasn't involved with the "Heaven And Hell" project in 2007? He'd been playing with Iommi and Geezer a couple of years previously, and played on the Heaven And Hell album obviously! Why was that?....or were the O's to blame for that also?
Obviously. You can't deny their impact on that situation.
Bill Ward may be totally to blame for everything, I don't know. I just gave my non-expert, non-researched opinion on the topic. This could be the situation where they were perfectly great to deal with and the reputation makes them the fall guys.
After they rereleased Blizzard and Madman with re-recorded drums and bass, it's hard for me to give them the benefit of the doubt on too much.
Didn't know the Osbournes had so many relatives on this board.
[Edited on 4/20/2015 by WarEagleRK]
I'm not saying bill was offered a fair contract and now he's trying to save face. I'm saying I think he is ignoring the reasons his contract was different from the rest. That being backup plans and stipulations based on his health
[Edited on 4/20/2015 by matt05]
Anybody ever wondered why Bill Ward wasn't involved with the "Heaven And Hell" project in 2007? He'd been playing with Iommi and Geezer a couple of years previously, and played on the Heaven And Hell album obviously! Why was that?....or were the O's to blame for that also?
at the very start he was and then all of the sudden it was vinnie appice. hmmm.......
Drummer Bill Ward has stated that he has "no memory" of making the album, due in large part to his alcoholism. His behaviour became quite erratic; when the band began touring in support of Heaven And Hell, Ward began dictating long and rambling press releases to the band's public relations representatives after every show, instructing them to "get that out on the news wires tonight". Ward's personal issues, which included the deaths of both his parents, would soon force him to leave the band. Dio reportedly answered the telephone in his hotel room one morning mid-tour to hear Ward say "I'm off then, Ron", to which Dio replied "That's nice Bill, where are you going?". "No, I'm off mate. I’m at the airport now...", indicating that he was incapable of completing the tour with the band. American drummer Vinny Appice was quickly brought in to replace him.
They were talking about Heaven & Hell the band in the late 2000's, not the album from 1980.
Bill has a much different approach to drumming, than say Vinny...He was taking too long on the Dio era greatest hits album that was released (3 New songs) and the guys were getting impatient. So he decided to back out of heaven and hell. It seems to be a pattern with Bill,being obsessive about drumming and that's why he has not made much music in the last 30+ years.. But on the other hand he is a brilliant player..I hope he releases Accountable beasts real soon,it has been in the making for over 10 years and another album called Beyond Aston has been shelved is supposedly completed.
