I look around me and I don’t see any rock’n’roll at the moment. Instead it’s all choreography and stylists and wigs and stuff. It’s like they’re afraid to let the music breathe. No one has their own identity like the Ronettes did back in the day. We had the skirts with the slits up the side, sort of tough, sort of Spanish Harlem cool, but sweet too. We didn’t have no dancers, we didn’t have no goddamn wigs.
Interpretation
The quote expresses a longing for authentic rock’n’roll that emphasizes genuine artistic identity over superficial presentation.
In this quote, Ronnie Spector reflects on the lack of authenticity in contemporary music performances, contrasting them with the rawness and individuality of earlier rock’n’roll artists like the Ronettes. She suggests that modern performers rely too heavily on choreography and stylistic embellishments, losing the essence and spontaneity that allowed music to truly resonate with listeners.
In practice
Use this quote during a discussion about the evolution of music and performance art.
I think that music opens portals and doorways into unknown sectors that it takes courage to leap into. I always think that there's a potential that we all have, and we can emerge, rise up to this potential, when necessary. We have to be fearless, courageous, and draw upon wisdom that we think we don't have.
It was all part of being a Beatle, really: just getting lugged around and thrust into rooms full of press men taking pictures and asking questions.
True country music is honesty, sincerity, and real life to the hilt.
People have been brainwashed into believing that it's got to be down or it wouldn't be blues. But it's not so. It's got to be a fact or it wouldn't be blues.
First of all, the music that people call Latin or Spanish is really African. So Black people need to get the credit for that.
I've had a lot of different experiences in music over the years.And not everything you do can satisfy everybody's idealised version of you.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.