I can’t really sing and play live, because I can’t play bass efficiently and sing at the same time. If I concentrated on the vocals, I’d mess up the bass, and if I concentrated on the bass, I’d forget the lines.

But why is it that in music, anything more than 5 years old – apart from a few hits – is never played on radio to the young public?

I’m always shy in front of an audience, so I’m always at the back, in the shadows, just doing it. I don’t like the front, the adulation.

It’s all right leaping about the stage when you’re 20 but when you get to 25 it gets a bit embarrassing.

I was listening to music long before rock ’n roll.

You’re always frustrated, you don’t have the chance to do a song on the album, like the Beatles did with Ringo and George, or like Led Zeppelin, where everybody was given a chance to contribute. There never is a chance with the Stones.

Because of the fashion, the young people don’t have any access to the history of music, unless people like me revive it. There are very few people to revive it, because you can’t earn any money doing it.

I didn’t want to stay in the Stones, and be stuck in a position having to play a music I didn’t like anymore and that restricted me from doing all the others things I’m interested in because of time.

I don’t make any money.

I’m not a musician, I just play bass.