I'm not a sad old hippie - I'm a joyous old hippie.

Does anyone remember laughter?

Well, I suppose I could do a solo album, but my god, it would be terrible!

Since I was a kid, I've had an absolute obsession with particular kinds of American music. Mississippi Delta blues of the Thirties, Chicago blues of the Fifties, West Coast music of the mid-Sixties - but I'd never really touched on dark Americana.

There's so much of this beautiful planet that is still actually spectacular and stimulating. There are so many amazing people that you meet along the way.

Each album has a different atmosphere. The third album and Houses of the Holy seem to be the two albums that people didn't get off on quite as strongly as the other ones. But I think they contain the basic ingredients for the further pursuance of what we're doing... the turning point to relieve the tedium of repetition.

I met Jason Donovan at RAK studios. He had jodphurs on and small riding boots as he jumped out of the cab. He looked just like me!