I always wanted to be a Californian. In my wildest dreams, I always liked California - it's the place where oranges grows on trees! Fruit just falls off the trees.

This really blew my mind, the fact that me, an over fed, long haired, leaping gnome, should be the star of a Hollywood movie.

I look upon The Animals, they were a great band initially, we left our mark, but thing was it was a band that couldn't live up to its name so I soldiered on. On one level, it was devastating for a while. On another level, maybe I should thank them for helping me make my own way in my own career.

Well, it seems that one day Dylan was drivin' up to San Francisco from New Orleans or somewhere, when our record [House of the Rising Sun] came over his radio. When it was announced he said to Joan Baez -- who was with him at the time -- 'This'll be the first time I've heard this version', although it was number one in the States. So he listened to it, stopped the car, ran round the car five times, banged his head on the bumper and began leapin' about shouting 'It's great! It's great!'

OK, I've had a life of sort of success, some people know who I am but a lot of people don't. I feel the need to change that still.

It's the need for change that drives us to join forces with our brothers and sisters all around the world - but change is slow.

Everything changes and, somewhere along the line, I'm changing with it.