Midwestern Skies Interview3/21/99 with Rick Huiseunne There are some musicians out there that you don't really know what they're up to and have done in the past. Billy Ward is a guy like that. Geeh... he played with tons of my favorites like Marc Jordan, Toad The Wet Sprocket, Rick Springfield, Chris Whitley, Cy Curnin just to name a few but he still is a hidden treasure... So we thought we had to track down this monster drummer and who is best to do the work... none less that Mr Schwarzenegger of AOR Rick Huisseune... Q) 1st of all a rather strange question but what was on my mind for quiet a long time... as a drummer... how many people have your name confused with the Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward ? BW) This happens quite frequently - especially with heavy metal fans! I don't mind it at all... it's just that sometimes if someone is really happy to meet me, I make sure they understand that I'm not perhaps their idol! When I worked with jazz saxaphonist Bill Evans (not to be confused with jazz pianist great Bill Evans!) I noticed that he never had problems sharing the same name. It is much the same with me. Q) Your recent solo album "Two Hands Clapping" is interesting because it offers a great variety of songs... great musicianship /groovy jazz tunes... how long were you in the studio for this album (perfect sound btw) ? BW) Thank you for the compliment on the sounds. That is obviously very important to me and I've learned alot over the years working with many great engineers and producers. Nobody wants to eat a dinner, even if it is fabulous food, on dirty dishes! I met with each artist at the studio and in every case, we were recording within an hour. It all went very quickly and easily. They are all great musicians! Sound of the Rain with Bill Champlin was finished in four takes. The other two songs were each done in one take! I don't think we went beyond four takes with anyone on the album! Q) I haven't seen it over here... how & where can the readers order this album ? BW) The album can be ordered at this time exclusively through
my web site. (www.billyward.com) The
cost is $15.99 US plus $2.00 for air mail - a total of $17.99 If
your readers don't have a computer, they can send a check to: Drumpike
359 West 21st Street #2 New York, NY 10011-3001 USA and they'll
get the album A company named Audiophile Imports is now also selling
the album - and there will be more dealers available soon, I hope.
BW) I became a member of The Knack when they re-united in 1990. It was the original three members with me on drums instead of Bruce Gary. We did an album for the Charisma label that Don Was produced titled "Serious Fun". The record got off to a big success in the States. We had a top ten single in radio and then the label went out of business! The music business is a crazy place!!! I'm not sure if the album can even be found anymore. I do appear on the Capitol release of The Knack "Retrospective" - but only two songs. I met Glen Phillips and Toad The Wet Sprocket in '92 when I was touring with Chris Whitley. Our two groups co-headlined across the States for about 5 months and I became very much a fan of Toad. They are great guys and they were a great band! Q) You've been on the road with RICK SPRINGFIELD and RICHARD MARX, What's the difference on being on tour with these 2 artists ? BW) Interesting question... first of all, I should explain that I never toured with Rick Springfield! I went to LA and rehearsed for a tour that was cancelled due to an accident that Rick had on one of those crazy Honda three-wheel motorcycles. However, I loved playing with him. He's a "man's man". After the tour was cancelled, I came back from LA to my home in New York and received a call from a producer who heard me rehearsing with Rick... and he hired me to play with Marc Jordan on "Cow". So Rick, in a way, introduced me to Marc Jordan! Both Rick and Richard Marx were great singer-songwriters in their day. It's always fun to play a great song! Q) You seem to like all kinds of different Rock styles (Jazz/Rock/Pop/Fusion/etc)... is there a style you prefer to play as a musician ? BW) Duke Ellington, a great jazz composer, said "there are two kinds of music... good and bad". That pretty much sums up my feelings about styles. I like to try to draw from the whole universe of wonderful music and play the best I can... in the moment... everytime. That said, it is a thrill to play a song and see between three and eighty thousand people dancing to the song - so perhaps I DO like popular music the most. Q) What do the following musicians mean to Billy Ward...Bill Champlin? BW) Bill is truly one of the greatest musicians and I'm proud to be associated with him! Words simply can't express the love and admiration that I have for him! He's a genius - and I don't use that word often. Q) Cy Curnin? BW) Cy is a great singer and songwriter who has that "great English-musician aesthetic of originality" (- like David Bowie for instance). It's a pleasure to work with him and to know him. He's capable of many more great things and I hope I'm there with him when it happens. Q) Bruce Gaitsch? BW) I met Bruce through Marc Jordan in LA in the late 80s. I like to call Bruce "Mr. Natural" because he so very naturally does, says, AND PLAYS the most beautiful, natural - real thing! Bruce is also, happily for me, a dear friend. He's the real deal! Q) Marc Jordan & Amy Sky? BW) I first me Marc when I worked on Cow - and he won my heart when he came into the studio and said to me... "if I played drums, I'd want to play like you". Marc's talents run DEEP. He's very special and unique. Amy, in addition to having one of the coolest voices - and in addition to being a wonderful woman (- Marc's a lucky guy) is obviously great. I'm sure her greatest professional success is yet to come. Q) You also worked with Chris Whitley. Didn't he lived in Belgium for a while? BW) First of all, I LOVE Chris. He is completely underrated as an artist. Yes, He lived in Belgium for quite a few years in his early 20s. In fact, he wrote "Some Mortal Drama" (from my album) early in his "Belgrado" years. Q) Who are your fave drummers in Rock ? BW) The list is too big. Sometimes I like to hear non-drummers play the drums - like Tom Waits on Bone Machine - or Stevie Wonder... I have a list of drummers on my web site that goes into greater detail... Q) You worked with a female singer named Joy Askew on your solo album, where did you met her & why did you used her? BW) What - do you think I was crazy to play with her? Joy
has been in the New York music scene for years - even though she's
actually originally from England. Joy has worked with people like
Joe Jackson, Peter Gabriel.... I mean... she's REALLY good! I went
over to her apartment and we were just visiting and I talked to
her about my album project - she had the perfect song and arrangement
(Wee Small Hours). I love Sinatra and felt this was the perfect
song for brushes. Brushes are sexy. BW) First I got a call to teach Tom Everett Scott how to
fake drumming for the film. You know, you can't really fake drumming
the way you can fake playing the guitar or singing. Everyone can
SEE that it's a fake... so I taught Tom how to play! He's honestly
the best student I've ever had! He worked so hard! Later, as I continued
to teach him, I ended up playing some of the songs and music cues
for the film. I played all the jazzy stuff that you see him playing...
with Del Paxton for instance. Also I had to play things that I knew
I could later teach to him! It was an interesting Q) Last question... what's the difference according to you between Sweden & Belgium ? BW) Well... You're asking someone who has only visited these countries. Having never lived there, I'm hardly qualified. But basically I think of beautiful castles and beer when I think of Belgium... & the Brussels flea market... In Sweden, I think of a more modern -"we can make it better than you" place. Of course Sweden has it's illustrious history as well, but it seems to look more forward than other countries. Billy has worked with these artists, among others...
Robbie Robertson / Yoko Ono / Bill Champlin / Carly Simon / The
Knack / Leni
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