I can hear what I want [people] to play. If you don't hear what you want someone to play, then you can't tell 'em.

It's like swimmin' without warmin' up, yuo know what I mean? So [cackles] we use the drum machine, and we take it out.

I always listen to what I can leave out.

Lionel [Richie] said, "Yeah, I learned chords and stuff playin' against your albums."

I keep telling Ron Lorman and them in the control room, "It's my band! The reason I have a band is because I can't stand for somebody to tell me what to do."

Monk taught me more about music composition than anyone else on 52nd Street.

You know why I quit playing ballads? Cause I love playing ballads.