When I listen to Amy Winehouse, I believe that her heart and soul is in the music, or if I listen to other British artists like Duffy or Estelle. The aesthetic of it is different, and it's my point of view. It's not anything formulaic.
I think there's something amazing about British soul.
There's a place for R&B in the U.K. industry - a huge market. I hope that 'Boo'd Up' can be a testament to the fact. Sometimes, it takes you moving outside the box to prove that it can be done.
The Small Faces are thought to be a one-hit wonder in America because we only had 'Itchycoo Park.' Then the Faces just had 'Stay with Me.' So both bands could be considered one-hit wonders in America, even though we had several huge hits in England.
There's a lot of good rappers in England at the moment. There's a lot of good dance acts. A lot of good, young guitar acts. I think a lot of groups came from that dole culture of the late 80's/early 90's - it's not as easy now. I think there's a dearth of working class bands.
Most people in the U.K. discovered me playing a standard on Parkinson. In America, it was on VH1 singing an original called 'All At Sea,' which is a contemporary pop song. So the people that know me there tend to think of me in the singer/songwriter category.
I love Adele. Adele is my favorite artist. She's British. She's funny. She's just an amazing, incredible voice, and I love to sing as well.
We'd played for years to half-empty clubs in England.
I'd love to write with some people from the U.K., like Ed Sheeran, Emeli Sande... there's a very long list.
The first time I toured the U.K. was in the early '90s with Billy Pilgrim, so I know how much the people there love music.
Back in 1994 there was no Judas Priest.
Growing up in the mid-to-late '90s in London, you start seeing the explosion of drum'n'bass and then the birth of U.K. garage and grime. I decided to focus a lot of my energies as an aspiring MC. It was a very natural way to express yourself as a kid from a certain kind of neighborhood.
I learned music listening to Elvis' records. His measurable effect on culture and music was even greater in England than in the States.
In 1979, I moved to England and photographed Joy Division and Bowie and Beefheart. At that time I got images that I felt had that special, well - power is a big word to say - more like intimacy and ambition that outlasted the photo shoot. I felt that they would have a longer life.
It was really inspiring to be in West London in the late 1980s and early 1990s, especially in Mark Lebon's Crunch Studios, where I met people like Ray Petri, Neneh Cherry, Judy Blame, Nick and Barry Kamen, Zoe Bedeaux, and Venetia Scott.
A guy called Arthur Brown... was a big influence of mine... and also Ian Anderson from Jethro Tull.
The U.K. crowds always have a lot of energy, and I've done some milestone shows there that I'm very proud of.
I've been working a lot with this girl Kelly Kiara. She's amazing. She's going to be super important for R&B coming out of the U.K.
The Moody Blues were a blues band, so when we got discovered, we were taken to London. That's where we started to make it. That's where the record labels were. That's where the action was.
The Brits know how crazy Adele is. Americans have no clue about Adele and how crazy she is!
When I was growing up, David Bowie was my idol. I grew up in inner-city London, and he was from Brixton, which is even more urban.
People like Frank Zappa were amazing for us Brits.
Johnny Rotten. He's a big fan of mine. I used to see him out in the audience in England and he'd stand up and holler. He's funny. Smart too, and a nice guy. Don't think he's a jerk because he isn't.
The U.K. is one of the places that has always been an advocate of my music and I spend a lot of time touring here. I've got family and friends over here, but more than that, there's a large Jamaican community and the Jamaican culture is very widespread in the U.K. which I love.
Over in the UK, the music press can be brutal. They can say wonderful things about you one week, and the next week, you're in the can.
