Roy Wood
Roy Adrian Wood (sometimes erroneously thought to be born as Ulysses Adrian… Read Full Bio ↴Roy Adrian Wood (sometimes erroneously thought to be born as Ulysses Adrian Wood, from an offhand interview comment in the 1960s) (born 8 November 1946 in Birmingham, United Kingdon), is a songwriter, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist.

He was particularly successful in the 1960s and 1970s as member and co-founder of the bands The Move, Electric Light Orchestra and Wizzard. As a songwriter, he contributed a huge number of hits to the repertoire of these groups. He was not only known for playing guitar, but also many other instruments, both in studio and on the stage. On some of his albums he has played every instrument himself.

His first group in Birmingham in the early 1960s was Gerry Levine and the Avengers. Then he went on with Mike Sheridan & The Nightriders (the band later to become The Idle Race, in which his musical partner Jeff Lynne made his first steps). From this, and a variety of other Birmingham-based groups, the most talented musicians formed The Move, and Roy became their musical leader. The Move quickly entered the charts, and were famous for spectacular stage shows. After the departure of Move's singer Carl Wayne, Roy was pushed into the front position. He acquired a wild image wearing some sort of Indian disguise. Since Move members could not agree on the musical direction, and perhaps also because of their weird stage shows, the musical potential of the group was underestimated. Wood therefore developed plans to realize his ambitions in separate projects.

He loved sound experiments, and complex arrangements, and was in this respect one of the most progressive musicians of his time. He was a proponent of combining rock'n'roll music with other styles, such as classical music, or the big band sound. In his bands, string and brass players were integrated members. When The Move was still on tour, he founded, together with his band colleagues Jeff Lynne and Bev Bevan, the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), which was later led to big commercial success by Lynne. ELO broadened the basis of a rock band by adding a string section.

ELO's early live performances were chaotic, and after increasing musical and personal differences with Jeff Lynne, Roy left and formed a new group, Wizzard, which assembled cellists, brass players and a bigger rhythm section, with several drummers and percussonists. In parallel, he also released several solo albums, exploring further musical directions. His 1973 album, Boulders, was an almost entirely solo effort, right down to the sleeve artwork. A second solo album Mustard (1975), including contributions by Phil Everly and Annie Haslam, was less successful.

The line-up of albums was always fascinating, because of the large number of instruments Roy, and his band members, were playing. Roy himself is mentioned as singer as well as player of guitars, bass guitar, sitar, cello, double bass, saxophones, clarinet, trombone, tuba, recorders, oboe, French horn, banjo, mandolin, bassoon, drums, percussion, vibraphone, bagpipes and keyboards.

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Roy Wood Lyrics


10538 Overture Did you see your friend crying from his eyes today Did…
All the Way Over the Hill / Irish Loafer (And His Hen) You were my everything, all of you When I sing, I…
Blackberry Way Blackberry way Absolutely pouring down with rain It's a te…
California man Goin' to a party, meet me out after school. Well we go…
Chinatown Bury a jar of shaosing When the girl is born Surely you…
Dear Elaine Wood My dear Elaine, may I see you again ? For I've love…
Down on the bay Ah, sweet little lady Used to drive me crazy Had to stick…
Fire Brigade Cast your mind back ten years To the girl who's next…
Flowers In The Rain Woke up one morning half asleep With all my blankets in…
Forever I saw my brand new baby Walk out the door And If…
Forever (Edit) Balaam And The Angel Days Of Madness Goodbye Forever Strippe…
Going Down The road Oh, I′m goin' down the road Not a penny in the…
I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day Are you ready gentlemen? (Yeah) When the snowman brings t…



I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday Are you ready gentlemen? (Yeah) Oh, when the snowman brings…
I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday (With the Stockland Green Bilateral School First Year Choir) Are you ready gentlemen? (Yeah) When the snowman brings the …
Miss Clarke and the Computer I see why my engineer came today Remove my screws taken…
Nancy Sing Me a Song Hanging here worrying the birds away I'm no good today Til…
Night Of Fear The silent night has turned to a night of fear With…
Oh What A Shame Well, I′ve been hangin' around I′m just one of a crowd And…
Rock Down Low Well I′m off to Indiana Like a 50's cycle driver hound Drop…
See My Baby Jive Look out! look out! your Momma will shout You might…
Songs of Praise I just wrote a gospel Feelin' mighty good today I'm gonna …
The Rain Came Down On Everything I find my fields of devotion Have grown to keep me…
Tonight That’s the road, it’s over there And leading down to nowhere…
Wake Up Unlock the door Its time again to leave you I miss you…
You Sure Got It Now She wanna pop pills all night by the ocean wave I'm…


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