Drummer Bill Ward calls his new contract with Black Sabbath "unsignable"

Iconic metal band Black Sabbath could be facing another hitch in its plans to reemerge with a new tour and forthcoming album this year due to drummer Bill Ward’s unhappiness with the touring and recording contract he was offered. Ward released a public statement Thursday saying that the proposed agreement was "unsignable" and would cause him to lose his “rights, dignity and respectability as a rock musician.”

The news comes less than a month after the band publicly revealed that it was forced to pull out as headliners of this years Coachella line-up due to guitarist Tony Iommi’s lymphoma diagnosis. The band’s album, slated for November of this year, has moved production over to the U.K., which Ward has yet to take part in. However, he has said that he’s ready to get on a plane and record with original members Ozzy Obourne, Geezer Butler and Iommi if he can work out a more suitable contract.

“The place I'm in feels lousy and lonely because as much as I want to play and participate, I also have to stand for something and not sign on,” Ward said in a statement.

Though he declines to mention any details of his proposed contract, Ward says that he’s unable to get any information from the band about the status of the U.K. recording sessions or whether or not there’s a possibility of him being replaced on the record or the tour.

While bickering over contract agreements has nagged at the band’s previous reunion endeavors, Ward--the band's original drummer since 1968-- says he is holding out for respect, not money.

"After the last tour I vowed to never again sign on to an unreasonable contract," Ward said. “I want a contract that shows some respect to me and my family, a contract that will honor all that I've brought to Black Sabbath since its beginning.”

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/mus...fied-with-recording-and-touring-contract.html

 

yep , as long as Sharon is calling the shots he won't get it.

 

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/bill-ward-threatens-to-quit-black-sabbath-20120202

The Black Sabbath reunion has hit another speed bump. Last month Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi announced that he was diagnosed with lymphoma, forcing to band to move their recording sessions to London and reportedly pull out of a planned Coachella headlining slot. Now drummer Bill Ward has issued a long statement indicating that he will not participate in the reunion unless he is presented with "signable contract" that "reflects some dignity and respect toward me as an original member of the band."

This is not the first time that Ward has publicly battled with Black Sabbath's management team. In 2004, Sharon Osbourne announced that Faith No More's Mike Bordin would be filling in for Ward on the Ozzfest tour. "Last week I did receive a proposal which allowed no room for negotiation," Ward said at the time. "It was a cul-de-sac proposal, in my opinion, where the only answer was yes or no." The two parties eventually came to an agreement before the tour, and Ward did participate.

Ward was also going to play drums in the Ronnie James Dio-era Black Sabbath reunion (billed as Heaven and Hell) in 2006, but he backed out for unknown reasons. Let's all hope that the two parties are able to come together this time. Below is the complete text of Bill Ward's letter.

Dear Sabbath Fans, Fellow Musicians and Interested Parties,

At this time, I would love nothing more than to be able to proceed with the Black Sabbath album and tour. However, I am unable to continue unless a "signable" contract is drawn up; a contract that reflects some dignity and respect toward me as an original member of the band. Last year, I worked diligently in good faith with Tony, Ozzy and Geezer. And on 11/11/11, again in good faith, I participated in the L.A. press conference. Several days ago, after nearly a year of trying to negotiate, another "unsignable" contract was handed to me.

Let me say that although this has put me in some kind of holding pattern, I am packed and ready to leave the U.S. for England. More importantly, I definitely want to play on the album, and I definitely want to tour with Black Sabbath.

Since the news of Tony's illness, and the understanding that the band would move production to the U.K., I've spent every day getting to or living in a place of readiness to leave. That involves something of a task, and as I've tried to find out what's going on with the U.K. sessions, I've realized that I've been getting "the cold shoulder" (and, I might add, not for the first time). Feeling somewhat ostracized, my guess is as of today, I will know nothing of what's happening unless I sign "the unsignable contract."

The place I'm in feels lousy and lonely because as much as I want to play and participate, I also have to stand for something and not sign on. If I sign as-is, I stand to lose my rights, dignity and respectability as a rock musician. I believe in freedom and freedom of speech. I grew up in a hard rock/metal band. We stood for something then, and we played from the heart with honesty and sincerity. I am in the spirit of integrity, far from the corporate malady, I am real and honest, fair and compassionate.

If I'm replaced, I have to face you, the beloved Sabbath fans. I hope you will not hold me responsible for the failure of an original Black Sabbath lineup as promoted. Without fault finding, I want to assure everyone that my loyalty to Sabbath is intact.

So here I am. I lay my truth down before you. I'm good to go IF I get a "signable" contract. I don't want to let anyone down, especially Black Sabbath and all the Sabbath fans. You know I love you. It would be a sad day in Rock if this current situation fell to the desires of a few.

My position is not greed-driven. I'm not holding out for a "big piece" of the action (money) like some kind of blackmail deal. I’d like something that recognizes and is reflective of my contributions to the band, including the reunions that started fourteen years ago. After the last tour I vowed to never again sign on to an unreasonable contract. I want a contract that shows some respect to me and my family, a contract that will honor all that I've brought to Black Sabbath since its beginning.

That's the story so far.

Stay safe and stay strong.

I love every single one of you.

– Bill Ward

 

This is all being discussed in the Sabbath reunion thread here:

http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=268058

 

Unreal. I guess Vinnie Appice will get a call. Seriously, any true reunion with the original line-up should be an even four-way split. I really have an issue with these kind of situations when long-standing, legendary bands reunite and the "star" members and their respective managers attempt to force other members to take a small piece of the pie in order to participate.

 

How bad is the deal????

Unless it's some ridiculous figure he should do the tour. After all, he's at home collecting royalties and he'll continue to do that when they hit the road and album sales spike. Yes, a 4-way split would be the "rock and roll" thing to do. But even Ringo never got a proper 4th.

 

Considering Tony's health issues and the fact that this will probably be the last time fans will get to see the original Sabbath in action, I think Bill is being a little too self-centered. Even if he doesn't think the contract is fair he'll still be pocketing a lot of money. Most 64 year old guys would love to swap places with him.

 

Obviously, he thinks the contract is unfair enough that he's not willing to sign it.

His statement certainly seems to show genuine concern for the fans, but I don't think he should be guilted into doing the tour "for the fans" if he's not being treated fairly by the other members of the band. I'm sure there's nothing he'd rather do than do the tour, but sometimes a man's gotta take a stand.

 

Hope they can get things worked out and frankly I respect him for what he's doing.

 

Neither of us know how unfair the contract is but why bother agreeing to the reunion in the first place? Even after he's had the same squabbles with them in the past?

 

Like you said, I'm not privy to the details of the contract. My guess, and nothing more than that, is that he wanted to do the reunion, agreed in principle to do the reunion, and then when he was presented with a final contract to sign, couldn't agree to whatever terms he was being offered.

 

The Stars always get top billing and the most pay. The perceived lesser stars of the group usually get peanuts compared to the self proclaimed leaders. That's just the way it is in most endeavors.

 

After what Sharon did rerecording those albums is anybody surprised at anything?

 

I'm not the world's biggest Black Sabbath fan, but I do have their early albums and enjoy them, and I think Ward has a fair point that, as a founding member of the band, he should not be perceived a "lesser star." Didn't Ward also remain in the band during periods where Ozzy was gone?

Again, I'm not the world's biggest Sabbath, or metal fan, but if this discussion had come up out of the context of the contract that Ward declined to sign, I wouldn't have identified him as a "lesser star" in Sabbath any more than I would have identified John Bonham as a "lesser star" in Led Zeppelin.

 

I completely disagree. You don't have a clue what you're talking about.

 

A (Rock) band is only as good as their drummer.

'Nuff said. (And yes, i'm a grumpy ex-drummer...)

 

I think there's a lot of truth to that.

 

I'm wondering how badly he really wanted to do this reunion in the first place.

 

It's easy to tell people how they should or shouldn't handle their finances (in this case Bill's) when they're not our own.

 

Agreed. "Forget getting paid, Bill - do it for the fans!" Right.

 

We'll just have to wait and see. I thought Henley and Frey were the only jerks that would pull this stunt. Guess I was wrong. Stand up for your rights Bill.

 

I wouldn't pay attention to a Sabbath reunion without Bill. I suppose, because it wouldn't be one.

 

Smells like Sharon...

 

As a grumpy current drummer, I can tell you that the drummer and bass player always get the least, money-wise. It's just part of the business that the singer and songwriters get the biggest paydays, but the imbalance gets really ridiculous when you're a touring band member for a big name singer. You may think the drummer who tours with Sting makes a lot of money, but he makes a lot less than you think, and a fraction of what Stings takes home. You see a lot of bands form these days, and then the singer is talked out of the band so that he/she can go solo and fire those pesky co-founding band mates.
If I had to guess, it would be that Bill Ward is being paid a touring drummer rate, which amounts to a set fee per night, regardless of attendance and merchandise sales. A "band member" rate would be a percentage of the gate plus merchandise sales, etc.

 

Should be a four-way split, after all at the press conference they were specifically talking about the fact that it was all four of them together again.

I hate this kind of B.S. no matter who the band is.



The negative reaction to this will hopefully cost them more than what Bill was asking for.

And yeah, I'm sure Sharon is behind it but :thumbsdn: to Tony and Geezer for going along with it.