--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When we were first started we were doing…" description: "\"When we were first started we were doing a lot of Motown stuff, but actually playing it more in a rock way. Everybody in the band sang and we did a lot..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b57/roy-wood-31949_actually_when-we-were-first-started-we-were-doing_2550832.png" --- # When we were first started we were doing a lot of Motown… ![“When we were first started we were doing a lot of Motown stuff, but actually playing it more in a rock way. Everybody in the band sang and we did a lot of harmonies.” quote by Roy Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b57/roy-wood-31949_actually_when-we-were-first-started-we-were-doing_2550832.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b57/roy-wood-31949_actually_when-we-were-first-started-we-were-doing_2550832.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b57/roy-wood-31949_actually_when-we-were-first-started-we-were-doing_2550832.png) > “When we were first started we were doing a lot of Motown stuff, but actually playing it more in a rock way. Everybody in the band sang and we did a lot of harmonies.” [Roy Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-wood/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The band blended Motown rhythms with rock energy, emphasizing group vocals and harmonies. **In simple terms:** Motown meets rock with strong harmonies. Key Takeaway Embrace genre fusion and vocal collaboration. Themes music collaboration genre blending creativity Mood enthusiastic nostalgic Type musical inspirational When to use this quote - recording sessions - live performances - songwriting workshops - band rehearsals Key Concepts arrangement harmonization cultural synthesis Questions to Reflect On - How can you blend two musical traditions without losing their essence? - What role do harmonies play in uniting diverse sounds? A Different Perspective Balancing distinct styles can dilute each genre’s purity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Harmonies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harmonies/) [Motown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motown/) [Music making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music-making/) [Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rock/) ## Related quotes > [When we did a lot of that Motown stuff there were four of us on the front line. When we started the evening we'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-wood/when-we-did-a-lot-of-that-motown-stuff-there-were-four-of-us-on-the/) [Roy Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-wood/) > [I have a fascination for well-produced '70s and '80s rock with a lot of harmonies. AOR bands like Journey, Jefferson Starship, Toto, Kansas, Boston.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tobias-forge/i-have-a-fascination-for-well-produced-70s-and-80s-rock-with-a-lot-of/) [Tobias Forge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tobias-forge/) > [The only reason I became the singer in the band is because I sang the best. It wasn't out of some desire to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-levine/the-only-reason-i-became-the-singer-in-the-band-is-because-i-sang-the/) [Adam Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-levine/) > [Who are you? the band sang. I tried to remember but I really couldn't say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-fitch/who-are-you-the-band-sang-i-tried-to-remember-but-i-really-couldn-t/) [Janet Fitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-fitch/) > [My parents had a huge pile of records - vinyl! - that I loved, especially the Motown stuff, Steely Dan, Stevie Wonder, Otis Redding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonny-lang/my-parents-had-a-huge-pile-of-records-vinyl-that-i-loved-especially/) [Jonny Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonny-lang/) > [My dad listened to George Jones and Hank Williams, and of course all the Motown stuff was unavoidable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uncle-kracker/my-dad-listened-to-george-jones-and-hank-williams-and-of-course-all/) [Uncle Kracker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uncle-kracker/) > [I know that's blasphemous when you are from Detroit, but I was never a fan of Motown stuff. I don't care for the production…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-white/i-know-that-s-blasphemous-when-you-are-from-detroit-but-i-was-never-a/) [Jack White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-white/) > [I feel like a lot of like the old-timey Christmas songs, the classics, a lot of it is very vocal. A lot of harmonies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirstin-maldonado/i-feel-like-a-lot-of-like-the-old-timey-christmas-songs-the-classics/) [Kirstin Maldonado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirstin-maldonado/) > [A lot of the music is the kind of thing I grew up with, listening to it with my parents. So there was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-ruffelle/a-lot-of-the-music-is-the-kind-of-thing-i-grew-up-with-listening-to/) Frances Ruffelle > [I feel like just from having both ends of the spectrum, I was so etched into music, from the time I was a baby.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hayley-williams/i-feel-like-just-from-having-both-ends-of-the-spectrum-i-was-so/) [Hayley Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hayley-williams/) > [If it has to be put in a box, it's a country record. But it's hard to do that, because it is inspired and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-harp/if-it-has-to-be-put-in-a-box-it-s-a-country-record-but-it-s-hard-to/) Jessica Harp > [I was a fan of the group. I thought they were great - loved The Eagles - but I thought that their beautiful harmonies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-walsh/i-was-a-fan-of-the-group-i-thought-they-were-great-loved-the-eagles/) [Joe Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-walsh/) > [Lift every voice and sing Till earth and heaven ring, Ring with the harmonies of Liberty. Let our rejoicing rise high as the listening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-weldon-johnson/lift-every-voice-and-sing-till-earth-and-heaven-ring-ring-with-the/) [James Weldon Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-weldon-johnson/) > [The bass line is the anchor for me. I started with the bass, and either doubled that and then added the harmonies, or sometimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petra-haden/the-bass-line-is-the-anchor-for-me-i-started-with-the-bass-and-either/) [Petra Haden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petra-haden/) > [There's music to dance to and make love to, music to cry to. I'm starting from scratch, coming fresh. But my sound still embodies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/el-debarge/there-s-music-to-dance-to-and-make-love-to-music-to-cry-to-i-m/) [El DeBarge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/el-debarge/) ## More by Roy Wood > [I named it that because more or less each person from the band used to play in other bands and when we left respective…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-wood/i-named-it-that-because-more-or-less-each-person-from-the-band-used/) [Roy Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-wood/) > [The best thing I ever heard was in the '60s. I heard Jimi Hendrix play 'I Can Hear The Grass Grow' after a rehearsal,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-wood/the-best-thing-i-ever-heard-was-in-the-60s-i-heard-jimi-hendrix-play/) [Roy Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-wood/) > [Unfortunately, most of the songs that I write I don't write them with guitar in mind. I just write it as a song and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-wood/unfortunately-most-of-the-songs-that-i-write-i-don-t-write-them-with/) [Roy Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-wood/) > [Well, obviously I wanted it to sound as original as possible. I suppose the influences that we had were probably from the actual power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-wood/well-obviously-i-wanted-it-to-sound-as-original-as-possible-i-suppose/) [Roy Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-wood/) > [I've always been that way. I'm not very good at reading music but I'm pretty quick at picking things up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-wood/i-ve-always-been-that-way-i-m-not-very-good-at-reading-music-but-i-m/) [Roy Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-wood/) > [The first people I ever saw were probably Little Richard and Gene Vincent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-wood/the-first-people-i-ever-saw-were-probably-little-richard-and-gene/) [Roy Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-wood/) > [I think it was probably down to the fact that we weren't together personally as a band. We weren't pulling in the same direction.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-wood/i-think-it-was-probably-down-to-the-fact-that-we-weren-t-together/) [Roy Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-wood/) > [We happened to be in the studio next door and I think Noel Redding came around and said, 'Do you fancy having a sing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-wood/we-happened-to-be-in-the-studio-next-door-and-i-think-noel-redding/) [Roy Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-wood/) > [Even though we didn't actually record it as the Move I had already written a song called 'Dear Elaine,' which I subsequently put on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-wood/even-though-we-didn-t-actually-record-it-as-the-move-i-had-already/) [Roy Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-wood/) > [We should have gone over years before that. I always wanted to and I think most of the band did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-wood/we-should-have-gone-over-years-before-that-i-always-wanted-to-and-i/) [Roy Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-wood/) > [Of course, the wind sort of swept up and the music was flying around in mid air and they were trying to play off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-wood/of-course-the-wind-sort-of-swept-up-and-the-music-was-flying-around/) [Roy Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-wood/) > [To me, 'Blackberry Way' stands up as a song that could be sung in any era, really. We do it with the new doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-wood/to-me-blackberry-way-stands-up-as-a-song-that-could-be-sung-in-any/) [Roy Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-wood/) > [I think we were probably playing live for about 12 months before we got a recording deal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-wood/i-think-we-were-probably-playing-live-for-about-12-months-before-we/) [Roy Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-wood/) > [When we did a lot of that Motown stuff there were four of us on the front line. When we started the evening we'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-wood/when-we-did-a-lot-of-that-motown-stuff-there-were-four-of-us-on-the/) [Roy Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-wood/) > [I've always been a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde. I always feel that you should keep singles as commercial as possible so that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-wood/i-ve-always-been-a-bit-of-a-jekyll-and-hyde-i-always-feel-that-you/) [Roy Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-wood/) [Explore all 16 Roy Wood quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-wood/) ## More Actually quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [I just think my own ambition would not allow me to sit on the gifts that my creator had given me. And so that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/i-just-think-my-own-ambition-would-not-allow-me-to-sit-on-the-gifts/) [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) > [I actually like getting out of my comfort zone. It shakes me up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-sheehy/i-actually-like-getting-out-of-my-comfort-zone-it-shakes-me-up/) [Gail Sheehy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-sheehy/) > [You have to talk about why things happened the way they did. You can't actually explain my political life except by a series of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lange/you-have-to-talk-about-why-things-happened-the-way-they-did-you-can-t/) [David Lange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lange/) > [Failure actually makes you strong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neha-sharma/failure-actually-makes-you-strong/) [Neha Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neha-sharma/) > [There's always that discussion about fiction about how do you market it - these are books for boys, these are books for girls, these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-a-weatherly/there-s-always-that-discussion-about-fiction-about-how-do-you-market/) [L.A. Weatherly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-a-weatherly/) > [I'm from Europe, England, and I actually lived in Italy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adewale-akinnuoye-agbaje/i-m-from-europe-england-and-i-actually-lived-in-italy/) [Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adewale-akinnuoye-agbaje/) > [The alternative comedy scene is actually pretty small, I guess.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/casey-wilson/the-alternative-comedy-scene-is-actually-pretty-small-i-guess/) [Casey Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/casey-wilson/) > [I was a very good student. Procrastinating gives me anxiety, and getting a B really ticked me off. Sure, I didn't always want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josie-loren/i-was-a-very-good-student-procrastinating-gives-me-anxiety-and/) [Josie Loren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josie-loren/) > [The shelves of many evangelicals are full of books that point out the flaws in evolution, discuss it only as a theory, and almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-collins/the-shelves-of-many-evangelicals-are-full-of-books-that-point-out-the/) [Francis Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-collins/) > [Somebody said that part of my reaction to British cinema is actually, paradoxically, a patriotic one. I'm so disappointed that we're not better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-brownlow/somebody-said-that-part-of-my-reaction-to-british-cinema-is-actually/) [Kevin Brownlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-brownlow/) > [I actually do sing sometimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morten-harket/i-actually-do-sing-sometimes/) [Morten Harket](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morten-harket/) > [I've actually got quite a good memory. I've good recall. It's often things which other people might not notice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-frame/i-ve-actually-got-quite-a-good-memory-i-ve-good-recall-it-s-often/) [Ronald Frame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-frame/) > [Because there is actually something very interesting in Goodfellas, how the style of the film changes as time goes by and based on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cox/because-there-is-actually-something-very-interesting-in-goodfellas/) [Alex Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cox/) > ['Inequality' has become the political theme/slogan of our time in both Europe and the U.S., yet political leaders do not even bother to consider…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-singer/inequality-has-become-the-political-theme-slogan-of-our-time-in-both/) [Paul Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-singer/) Browse all 4,248 Actually quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When we were first started we were doing a lot of Motown stuff, but actually playing it more in a rock way. 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