"Grandpa, tell me your..." (An Interview with Bill Ward - September 1994

Article written by Miguel Mora and Carlos Parise of Madhouse Magazine [Spain]. Translated to English by Anabel Alarcón. Additional editing (for clarity) by Rob Dwyer; Extra special thanks to Juan Pacheco for bringing this text to us! Kudos as well to Rich Grenfell for the providing the background image!]

[Editor's note: This interview with Bill Ward took place during the South American tour in 1994 that found him rejoining the band ever so briefly to fill in for the recently departed Bobby Rondinelli. Anabel so kindly translated this for us and I've done a rewrite of her translation, so this is merely an approximate rendering of the interview. If someone wants to give me a more literal translation - go for it! Anyhow, you'll be able to at least understand the essence of this conversation between Miguel, Carlos and Bill. Miguel and Carlos' questions are in bold - Bill's replies are in unhighlighted text.]

Do you think that after what happened with Ozzy, the rest of BS ended up acting like fools? [Editor's note: The interviewer is referring to the proposed Ozzy / Sabbath reunion that was never came to fruition in 1993.]

Well, I cannot tell you about the others, but I can say we worked for 9 months in this project. After the Costa Mesa shows, we had our mind on this for at least for 9 months…

Did you work together with Ozzy?

We had conversations with him by phone, and our managers were in touch. Many dates had already been scheduled before Ozzy decided not to carry on with the project. We had already signed contracts, so he had to tell us so by fax. We were very disappointed. Two months later, he got in touch with those people. My staff and I spent two months sending letters to everybody. The public was angry and disappointed, but we could not do anything about that. We spent those two months trying to apologise to those hurt, sad people.

How is your relationship with Ozzy now?

I am okay with him; perhaps because we are close friends. But I have to tell that after what happened he only called me twice and that is unusual because he is one who can call you five or six times per day, and since then he did so only twice in ten months. At the beginning I was a bit angry, but now I have no problem with talking to him and sharing things. Maybe he has some problem with me? I don't know, but I don't believe that is there are any issues between us.

When exactly did you rejoin Black Sabbath? At what point in the tour?

When the reunion failed, I saw the chance to work again with Tony, Geezer and Geoff, but there were too many reason why I couldn't let myself do it. For one, I originally told them that I wouldn't return to the band unless Ozzy was going to be in the band. Once Ozzy had agreed to return, I too became free to rejoin. So, over the last ten months I was talking to my friends and had asked them to give me a chance to return anytime during the tour. Anyway I did not want to compromise myself for touring nine or ten months; it is just I could not do so physically and emotionally. I was afraid. There was no chance to reunite ourselves before until there appeared these dates in South America, so I am officially back in BS since two weeks ago!

How did you feel while you were playing again with them?

Not bad! It had been a long time, not having played with them on tour for about 14 years. I am still learning the new material. I do feel like the “new kid on the block” even though I have played drums since I was a boy. That was then and this is now. I do feel fine and am doing better I had believed.

How did the band decide which songs to play?

Our show is the result of some public polls we taken about what people expect to hear.

How did you make them?

Through the Black Sabbath Fan Club. People told us which songs they would like to hear. Our show is like a history lesson of BS material, and probably there will be two songs off CROSS PURPOSES.

Do you like the new songs?

I do! It is good rock and roll. I think they are fine songs. I was not concerned about the new material for a long time. There are some songs which I do like; there are others I do not, but not because I think they are bad songs. They simply didn't capture my attention, maybe because I did not play on them!

Do you feel like writing some new Black Sabbath material?

Yes, I wish we were. After this show in Buenos Aires, we will have four weeks and then we will start writing new songs for next album.

Have you come up with anything yet?

No, I have not. I do not know if the others have. That is a good question. I sometimes think that ten years have come and gone and it will be very interesting to see everything will work. I feel I have grown up in my work. I have not been inactive, for I have made some albums...

I was about to ask you about that. What can you tell us about your solo album?

Well, I did enjoy making it. I suppose it was a bit of self-discovery for me. I wrote the album myself and even tried to produce it. This is the short answer, but I can tell you that I found two points of view. As a songwriter, even wrote about people I had worked with. Lyrics are very emotional for me, even when they discuss the past. I like Sabbath's direct style of writing.

Soon, a tribute album for Black Sabbath is going to be released. What can you tell us about that?

I think it has already been released in the USA. I have not listened to it. I believe there are ten to twelve bands on it, including Tony, Geezer, myself and Rob Halford performing “The Wizard” [as Bullring Brummies].

How do you feel about being part of a band like Black Sabbath, which has had such an important influence on music?

What do you feel for being a part of a band like BS, that has had a so important influence in music?

I feel great. It makes me feel complete - it is like a hidden gift. When this whole thing began many years ago I thought “Oh, there are bands that show respect to us”. Also, I feel a new duty for listening to new music. And I have tried to see the wrong things I have done in my life. I made many mistakes. I was involved in wrong things, and I now try to write about those things and to elaborate on them. I mean, I am working with my heart, my thoughts and my dreams. By the way, there a lots of bands that I was in touch with, and besides giving them my best wishes I told them too: “Be careful, because being 27 years old is fucking hard! Watch your aims and not for the wrong reasons”. I did so in a terrible way. I played my drums for money, for sex, for being famous, and now I do it for music itself. It is just that I had to pass through all that other shit to realize this. I have to play music for music for its own sake.

Tomorrow, when I will be playing with BS, I am going to do it because I want to do it, not because I have other motivations. I say this because there are times when I listen to other musicians talk and I feel like a father or grandfather. Anyway, bands can take or leave what I tell them. And I know they often think: “My God, Bill is old and boring”. But that is okay, I do not care. Sometimes they say, “Bill, you are getting old and you want to give us your advice as if you were wise”, and they may be right. Anyhow I do like many new bands, I try to pay attention to every musician no matter who they are. Anyone who is playing in a garage or is touring. If there is somebody able to understand what BS has done, that is incredible, that is nice.

By the way, beyond the idea of putting together three big bands in one gig, do you think is there any sense in playing in huge open air stadiums, when it may be more difficult for people to enjoy? [Editor's note: Sabbath were playing with Kiss and Slayer on some shows during this tour.]

I agree with you. It is just that in these times I only try to concentrate on my sound when I am playing. But I do know what you mean. Last time when we were playing in Chile, I felt sorry for the public for what they had to endure in being there. Do you remember what I told you about the failed reunion with Ozzy? There were people who lost their jobs because they wanted to go to these gigs. I was sorry and I felt sympathy for them. But it is just these things do not always depend entirely on us.

Do you believe that with this new line-up can bring again the magic of the old days?

Yes we can, and that magic is starting to come back, but it is going to take some time. We know each other since long ago, but I feel I am relearning who they are because they have grown up, they have changed. I want to feel fine with myself, and I ask if I am so every night before going to bed. I ever answer yes, which means it is working well. I am not in a hurry, for I'd rather wait and see which things can work and which cannot. It is just like a joyride.”

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