I just remember there was one rule: If you've got faults, we expect you to be working on it. And we are here for you. People would welcome each other then. We don't do that anymore. We don't care.

When you're working with vibes the music comes right in. The blend is perfect. So to me it was never a mismatch. It was actually pretty complementary.

My two young producers, Fernando Perdomo and Chris Price, had to explain to me that there's a division right now between the two sides. They took three living, breathing percussionists to do the beats on the song "Intensity". We've got all kinds of layers, because I kept saying we didn't get all the beats. If you hear a synth, it's because I put my foot down. But I had to fight for it because they wanted it all totally organic.

If you do nursing or that type of work long enough, you become a healer in your own thoughts. You're cycling love, so you can stay a little more sane in the midst of it.

When I heard We Are the World do a techno version of one of my songs, I didn't know the word techno, but I said, "That percussion is astounding, will you help me do a piece?" Nobody said, "Techno isn't allowed for you."

I just remember there was one rule: If you've got faults, we expect you to be working on it. And we are here for you. People would welcome each other then. We don't do that anymore. We don't care.

Love was really a high priority. You could drive up this road and there'd be open doors. You could actually walk in as a stranger and they'd invite you for a meal.