Quotes

"We were given plenty of time to develop and learn our craft - and repaid the record company with millions of record sales. New bands nowadays get a one single deal and if they don't have a hit they're on the scrap heap." (Speaking in 2003)

Level 42 was valid and had a purpose and I'm chuffed with what we did in the eighties but if we came back now it wouldn't be as good. It would just be like a museum piece. It can never be the same so why do it?

"Now there's this insipid thing called R&B, which for me, if ever there was a misnomer! When I think of R&B, I think of Otis Redding, Sam & Dave. Real artists, real Rhythm & Blues, not this fibbing." (speaking in 2003)

"All the young guys who want to play, who want to aspire to be anything at all in music - where are they going to go and see people like Gary Husband play? To give them something to aspire to? When I was 14 years of age, I had bands like the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Return to Forever - all these guys that I could try to be like." (speaking in 2003)

Over the years, when parents have asked me about their kids wanting to play an instrument, I always say buy the best one you can afford. If it doesn't work out, and you flog it, you get your money back. A good instrument is also much easier to play and sounds good. If you start off with a clunker that's impossible to play, the kid will get disheartened, and you'll have wasted your money. For me, it's just good insurance. You either spend £50 and waste the £50, or spend £150 and you'll get £130 back.

As I always say to any aspiring student, just play as much as you can with as many people as you can. You may not always like the songs or the music - if you go from playing 'The Gay Gordons' to a swinging little quickstep, to a Stevie Wonder track, to doing 'River Deep, Mountain High', to a Beatles song, to a waltz, half the time you're thinking 'I can't stand this stuff', but what's happening is you're exponentially broadening your horizons. You become such a well-rounded player.