M L
write brilliant songs instantly . My stuff , because I am writing and doing a production at the same time , every element has to fit , and has to make sense . It takes me forever , it ’ s a long , slow , laborious task and I only ever appreciate it when I have finished it . And usually when I hear it after I finish it , when I don ’ t have to listen to it anymore and I hear it out the blue , I go ha , now I know why I spent 5 years or 10 years making this .
Whereas , performance , you walk on , you either do it well or you don ’ t . I give 110 % every single time because I haven ’ t got an off switch . You go on and you glow , it ’ s fabulous .
Do you still have the Burberry Mac you wore in the Vienna video ? I do , yes . It ’ s one of the few items I have still got . It was in an exhibition in Scotland recently at the National Museum of Scotland . The Burberry mac , the silk raincoat and sunglasses I wore at Live Aid and the great guitar were in a glass case .
If you could choose someone to sing Vienna in your place who would it be ? I would love to have heard Freddie sing it and Brian play the solo in the middle . I reckon they would have done a great operatic / orchestral version of it .
What do your girls think of their dad still rocking at 65 ? Proud , embarrassed or both ? Both . I think they are proud . They cringed a bit when they were younger , but I think they are proud now .
What would you most like to be remembered for ? I stuck to my guns . Since day one when I ended up doing a track with Slik , it went to number 1 but I didn ’ t have anything to do with it . My voice is on it , but I didn ’ t write it , I didn ’ t produce it , although I did play on it . It was good for me as I vowed never , ever , ever to let myself be manipulated like that again .
Every decision I have made , good or bad , has been my decision and I will live with the results .
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