Jamie Cullum Quotes

Working with Tesco has been such an interesting avenue to go down that I'm keen to find other avenues to release music.

I'll always work with Stones Throw, but I'm trying to start my own label to release my old material and sign new artists. I want to do everything from rock, to jazz, to electronic, to noise records and movie sound tracks. Both sampled and original music.

I was signed to a record label at the same time as my friend Elliot Murphy, who makes great records to this day.

It is great to have your own label; you can cultivate your own artists... I've worked with pretty much everyone I wanted to.

Artists were nurtured back in the '70s. Their music was developed by the record companies.

I'm not interested in anything besides making some good music, helping some artists, being an executive. I'm pretty happy with that.

When I was young, I was offered my first recording contract in 1971 and was offered quite a bit of money if I would change my character and be a '70s version of Cher.

I think I can see people wanting to hear more music-music now as opposed to all hip-hop. You know, which I have nothing against hip-hop. I think some of it is really good. But on the other hand, some of the real great artists are just being lost because they're not getting the airplay or anything to make them inspired to record again.

I'm really happy with Elektra, I don't have anything bad to say about them at all. I always knew a major label was the right place for me to be. I never really had an opportunity to go to an independent label anyway.

If I was rich enough, I would love to launch my own record label. I would love to try and give all my musically talented friends a start in the industry.

I have just enough people paying attention that I have the freedom to be in charge. And I have a great record company - Nonesuch understands what I'm about.

This is truly a blessing. Breyon Prescott, Peter Edge and Tom Corson believe in me and have introduced me to a home that also believes and knows exactly what to do with the type of music I'm doing.

I would love to continue working behind the scenes in music - to produce and manage up-and-coming musical talent would be a dream!

You make your music, then you try to find whatever audience is out there for it.

I went through a string of A&R men who all thought I should be doing something different. One thought I should be a dance diva; another thought I should do Rock n' Roll; and one thought I shouldn't even be singing at all!

I started touring a little bit in 1973 in support of a record I made for an independent label. In 1975, when I signed with Warner Bros., where I remained happily ensconced for the next 24 years, my touring activity increased considerably.

I was with PolyGram; that was the big label that I was with for the longest, like 12 years.

I sang everything - R&B slow jams, Spanish slow jams, romantic reggaeton - and I really didn't care which I got signed for.

My record label is treating me like I'm a new artist, which is exciting after all this time.

I should be the one to say what I do. It's just not done that way anymore in Nashville, and I can't do it the other way. That's how our record label came about.

The Flaming Lips have been on Warner Bros. forever, and certainly everything I heard growing up was on a major label in some way, from the Cure to Radiohead to Bjork.

I don't think the label makes the artist or the artist makes the label. It's the music that makes everything work or not.

I'm really excited because Interscope is really focused on artists. They've been working side by side with me creatively and allowing me to make a lot of the creative decisions, which you don't always hear about. That's why I didn't want to sign originally with a major label.

I was a rapper. The reason I stopped rapping was because I realized that people wanted guys like Puff Daddy. That's not what I do. I quit. That was it. I had to sacrifice for my choice. I said, 'Forget it. I'll be a producer.' Nobody was going to make me do anything.

That's the best thing about being with an indie label, it feels like a family. If it's a major label, they put so much pressure on every single.