I made my way on to a grey list, a black list even. That's something I'm very proud of, actually.

One of the things that happens in the business is that success is a very strange thing in that if you are involved in something very successful the next person wants you to repeat it.

It was a great way to work. In those days, you had to be there. It was your world. It was your club. Your friends were there, your associates were there, your security was there.

Today you have something like A Film by Joe Harry. That is patently asinine and ridiculous.

There's no way I can compete with someone who can write rap or rock and roll. Nor do I wish to. But I've always kept up to date with music changes. I worked very hard not to type myself.

A lot of my success comes from black music. It's something I'm very proud of.