I was always keen to do a solo album. I just wanted it to be the right time and the right place so that I could actually work properly on the songs that I wanted to do before I got too old.

There is no passion to be found playing small - in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.

This fulfils my ambition. I still have my father's robe as Chancellor. I shall be proud to serve you in this splendid office.

It was my ambition all of my life to be master of the spoken word.

I didn't have any inhibitions. I saw Elvis and Gene Vincent, and I thought, 'Well, I can do this.' And I liked doing it. It's a real buzz, even in front of 20 people, to make a complete fool of yourself. But people seemed to like it. And the thing is, if people started throwing tomatoes at me, I wouldn't have gone on with it. But they all liked it, and it always seemed to be a success, and people were shocked. I could see it in their faces.

I came into music just because I wanted the bread. It's true. I looked around and this seemed like the only way I was going to get the kind of bread I wanted.