[What are your memories of touring together in those early days?]
Oh, it was great. I mean, it was absolutely great. Um, but, um, I mean, the first band I toured with was the Zombies, and, and in, in '64 we were the first band after the Beatles to get a number one in America with a, a self-written song, um, and it made the nine o'clock news and everything, you know. I mean, so that was ridiculous 'cause I was eighteen years old then, you know. I mean, that was, uh, that was surreal. I mean, absolutely surreal. I mean, Elvis had our song- our s- my- some of my songs on his jukebox. I mean, it was just mad, you know. Um, but then of course Argent, um, by the time we went to the States, it was about 1972, '71/'72, and that was brilliant as well. Um, but, um, Russ [Ballard] actually left the band for various reasons, which I won't really go into now, um, in 1973, um, and then we had a sort of, um, a person- some personnel changes, and in retrospect, I think we should have- I think the band had perhaps reached its natural- the end of its natural cycle at that point, but because it was so good, we just wanted to keep it on for a while.
[Your track "God Gave Rock And Roll To You" took on a life of its own, did you find that exciting or were you dismayed?]
Oh, well, not dismayed. I mean, it was very similar in some ways to, you kn- I mean for, for me, it was a remake of what we did without some of the subtleties, you know? But I mean, it was great and, and great for Russ. Russ wrote that particular song.
[You've had success in various guises, from rock bands to soundtracks. What do you enjoy the most?]
Um, I completely prefer playing on stage and writing the songs and recording. Um, I had- when I came off the road with Argent in 1975, um, I deliberately thought, "Well, for a year, I'm just gonna do whatever interesting [opportunity] comes up." [Video edit] And then around the year 1999, I suddenly thought, "I've just gotta be involved in giving everything to my own things again, um, and it just so happened that I met Colin Blunstone at that time, and that was '99. In the year 2000, we got together intending to do six gigs for fun, and that six gigs turned into twelve years of touring around the world, which we're still doing. Last year was the most intense year we've ever had touring. [Video edit] I mean, that is really what I want to do. I, I, I, I don't- producing was great, and I'm very grateful for the income and the success that I had there, and also writing scores for television was great as well, but I've had enough of that now, and, and it's just great to be able to concentrate on my own things, keep writing songs, keep, keep playing live in front of people. As long as people are coming to see us, then, then I'll do that.
[Are there any plans yet to play a 50th anniversary show?]
Um, we actually got together- well, actually, it's not that long, is it now? Well, th- that would be, uh, it was '69, so what would that make it? Um, 2019, wouldn't it? Well, that's quite a way ahead. God knows what I'll be- what condition I'll be in by then.
