Ed Ward

Ed Ward appears in the following:

Rock historian Ed Ward revisits the Beatles' puzzling Christmas records

Friday, December 24, 2021

Ward, who died May 3, 2021, spoke in 1992 about a series of Christmas singles the Beatles made in the '60s. If you were a member of their fan club, you got one each year.

Comment

Remembering Rock N' Roll Pioneer Chuck Berry

Monday, March 20, 2017

The legendary guitarist, songwriter and singer died Saturday at the age of 90. Rock historian Ed Ward looks back on Berry's music and career. Originally broadcast in May 2008.

Comment

Listening To The Monkees With Fresh Ears, 50 Years Later

Friday, January 27, 2017

Rock historian missed the "Prefab Four" the first time they came along. Listening now, he finds that the Monkees' best songs have held up, mostly because they used top-notch songwriting talent.

Comment

Looking Back At The Ramones' Debut: They Were A 'Bunch Of Weirdos From New York'

Wednesday, December 28, 2016

It's been 40 years since The Ramones released their self-titled first album. Rock historian Ed Ward remembers the debut as a confrontational and divisive record with a "cartoonish overlay."

Comment

Revisiting The Off-Center, Oddly Eccentric Pop Music Of The Chills

Thursday, October 13, 2016

The New Zealand band began releasing records on the Flying Nun label in the 1980s. Four decades later, they are still at it. Rock historian Ed Ward tells story of The Chills.

Comment

The 1961 Fishing Trip That Launched The Beach Boys

Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Rock historian Ed Ward takes us back to California's Redondo Pier, where Dennis Wilson and his cousin Mike Love first decided to write a song about surfing. The Beach Boys were formed soon afterwards.

Comment

Beyond 'Endless Sleep': The Life And Music Of One-Hit Wonder Jody Reynolds

Friday, September 02, 2016

After his 1958 hit "Endless Sleep," Reynolds continued to record interesting music — though he never connected with the public in the same way again. Rock historian tells his story.

Comment

The 'Colorless City' And Odd Characters Behind The New German Wave Of The 70s

Monday, August 01, 2016

Rock historian Ed Ward says that musicians in Düsseldorf, Germany, including Klaus Dinger of the band Neu!, helped start a new German pop movement in the 1970s and '80s.

Comment

How The Band Eggs Over Easy Kicked Off London's Pub-Rock Movement

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

In the mid-1970s, a hard-luck band from California was in the right place at the right time and changed London's rock-and-roll scene. Their album Good 'N' Cheap has just been reissued.

Comment

Herman's Hermits, A Band That Was In It For The Hits And The Kicks

Friday, June 03, 2016

Herman's Hermits hit the American pop charts 22 times in the 1960s and early '70s. Now, a new anthology compiles 66 of the Hermits' tracks. Rock historian Ed Ward considers how the music has held up.

Comment

How Soul Great Clarence Carter Put Fame Records On The Map

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Carter's influence on pop and soul predates his best-known hit, "Patches," and is still felt today. Rock historian Ed Ward revisits the early career and the lasting impact of the expert songwriter.

Comment

'The Complete Them' Showcases Van Morrison Before He Went Solo

Thursday, March 17, 2016

A new release by Legacy revisits the hits of Them, the band George Ivan Morrison played in before he became Van Morrison. Ed Ward remembers the band's brief existence.

Comment

The Rocking, Rollicking R&B Of Billy Ward And His Dominoes

Friday, March 11, 2016

The vocal group Billy Ward and his Dominoes covered white hits for the black market, and along the way discovered two of the greatest voices of the era. Rock historian Ed Ward tells the story.

Comment

Remembering Folk Singer/Songwriter Dan Hicks

Monday, February 08, 2016

Hicks, who died on Saturday, began performing with his band Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks in the late '60s. Rock historian Ed Ward has an appreciation. Originally broadcast Jan 10, 2002.

Comment

New Release By Numero Revisits Ork Records' Complete Catalog

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Terry Ork was a mystery man who crashed the Warhol scene and founded his own record label. Rock historian Ed Ward traces the brief, tumultuous existence of Ork Records.

Comment

Remembering San Antonio's Horn-Infused Doo-Wop Scene

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

From the early '60s until the mid '70s, a multi-cultural music scene thrived on the west side of San Antonio, Texas. Ed Ward looks at two releases on Numero that open a small window on this music.

Comment

Revisiting The Soul-Stirring Sounds Of Decades-Old Gospel Music

Thursday, October 15, 2015

Post-war black gospel music shaped soul sounds through the mid-1970s, but it's increasingly hard to find today. Rock historian Ed Ward discusses a few recent gospel reissues.

Comment

'Buzzin' The Blues' Revisits The Declarative Harmonica Style Of Slim Harpo

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Born in Baton Rouge in 1924, the blues musician known as Slim Harpo influenced rock bands like the Rolling Stones, the Kinks and Pink Floyd. Rock Historian Ed Ward shares Harpo's story.

Comment

Revisiting The Career Of Gospel-Singer-Turned-Hit-Maker Garnet Mimms

Monday, July 20, 2015

All but forgotten today, Garnet Mimms was one of the early voices of soul. Now, Looking For You, a new collection of his records, is available on Kent Records. Rock historian Ed Ward has Mimms' story.

Comment

New Release Brings Overdue Recognition For Soul Singer Jackie Moore

Monday, June 08, 2015

Much of Moore's music was unreleased at the time of recording and some of her best work didn't get the attention it deserved. A double disc compilation of her recordings has just been released.

Comment