LEO SAYER

I write from the voice in my head.

Kids in England will stop you on the streets and tell you bluntly they don't care for your current record. But it keeps you down to earth.

I get frustrated but never depressed.

It's been hard to gain acceptance in England without the clown makeup because I wore the costume as part of my act for so long.

I come from a time when music used to make a difference.

I felt quite an affinity with 'Rocky' in my career. It's been like 'fight the business' all the way up.

My mum came from an incredibly big family.

My hair is massive and fills the mirror.

I remember showing Prince around Warners' recording studios. He was the nicest kid.

In the '70s, Leo-mania was the equivalent of Beatle-mania down there and they still love me. In Australia they still want heroes.

Because I don't go to showbiz parties, I don't have the right image. The media decides who's in and who's out.

I had to learn very quickly how to perform, how to act, how to look, to always say what I wanted to say in my songs.

In my earlier albums like 'Another Year' and 'Just A Boy,' I always saw myself as a bit of a loser - the kind of guy who takes a drink and walks into a wall instead of through the door.

Marriage can feel like putting a burden on each other and sometimes kids go with that, too.

I'm impressed with Ed Sheeran. I think he has a terrific point of view and a great mentality but I sense there is someone in the background saying to him, 'We need more love songs, Ed.'

I would love the record industry to be more receptive to my music but all they are interested in is style over content.

So many people moan about touring and say it's a chore. I don't know, they must be living on a different planet.

I am a troubadour, a wandering minstrel.

I've always been a tilter of lances against authority.

Many performers try to sustain a high point in their careers by keeping themselves around those who are overanxious to tell them how good they are.

I think I topped 'When I Need You' with 'More Than I Can Say.'

A good microphone is an essential thing for a singer.

I'm not a golfing man.

As a former Mod my love affair with fashion has never waned and whenever I go on tour I am always desperate to hit the shops as soon as possible.

Before I got married, I had a girlfriend who ran off in the middle of our relationship with a millionaire. She called from the South of France and said, 'I found one, I'm sorry. That's it. Goodbye!'