The Beatles had just come out, and everybody had a band. It was incredible competition out there.

Clapton asked my brother to play on his record. I thought that was the most wonderful thing in the world.

There's only one cook in the kitchen, only one chef. I let the soloists do their thing - you've gotta let a man do a solo the way he wants - but as far as picking the tunes and working on the arrangements, I take full responsibility for it.

You take all the time to write a song: you have to let it ooze on out by its natural self and that is pretty time consuming. Then you teach it to the band so everybody gets all the parts. Then you rehearse it and road test it, and all that. Then you get to the studio and there is a new guy in the band who calls himself the producer, right? Huh. He either makes it or breaks it usually before nightfall.

I left home the day after I graduated from high school because I knew we weren't going to make any dough to pay the rent in music.

As they say in the bible, that you're supposed to rejoice when people die and mourn when they're born, because it's one of the most painful acts you go through in life, is being born, and dying.

It's hard to live your life in color, and tell the truth in black and white.