“The Stones always tried to do the odd smaller gig when they could.”

I always say that I am very proud of the work that I did with the Rolling Stones and that I am also proud of what I have done with the Rhythm Kings.

The meat in the sausage has got to be Conservative.

I’m not a musician, I just play bass.

My first record I owned was by Les Paul.

Everything had to be done in-between Stones time.

All of my books are about researching. I do all the research and I give it to a writer who can put it in the written word better than I could.

You’re always frustrated, you don’t have the chance to do a song on the album, like the Beatles did with Ringo and George, or like Led Zeppelin, where everybody was given a chance to contribute. There never is a chance with the Stones.

Because of the fashion, the young people don’t have any access to the history of music, unless people like me revive it. There are very few people to revive it, because you can’t earn any money doing it.

I’m always shy in front of an audience, so I’m always at the back, in the shadows, just doing it. I don’t like the front, the adulation.

You never know what your next dig is going to find.

It’s all right leaping about the stage when you’re 20 but when you get to 25 it gets a bit embarrassing

With the Rhythm Kings, I can involve myself in arranging and producing the music as well as the choice of songs.

I have very interesting hobbies like archeology and photography.

I live in a house that was built in 1480. It has a moat around it. It is like a little baby castle.

I always got great respect as a bass player.

Television is where you earn regular money so you can plan a little bit but even then only when you have a regular gig. If you’re just doing the odd appearance, you don’t know if it will carry on.

I was so happy and content with in life playing music. Music was always my first job and my day gig was my second job.

I still remember the first gig where I got people going, it was Rascals in New Jersey, and the place was packed. I was scared. People were expecting me to be funny. I gotta be honest, every time I walk into a club, it’s that same fear.

Live comedy’s a very reckless, foolhardy profession. You’re only as good as your last gig so earnings fluctuate.

I saw my first gig here actually (Festival Hall in Brisbane) Duran Duran.

I used to do this big rant at the end of some gigs with Ben Folds Five. The band broke into this big heavy metal thing and I started as a joke to scream in a heavy metal falsetto. I found myself saying things like: Feel my pain, I am white, feel my pain.