Interview for Q Magazine

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How are you?

I’m well. I’m enjoying my music.

Where are you right now?

A photo studio in Kentish Town, London.

You were the first Q cover star. What does Q mean to you?

Oh, y’know… cool magazine. It’s strange looking at the first copy now. It looks so old-fashioned. But it looked very smart and modern and groovy then.

What’s the best thing you’ve ever seen in Q?

There was a nice thing in the original issue on Dylan, who’s pretty elusive. Here he was just chatting.

What were you doing 20 years ago?

You know what, I’m terrible on what I was doing when. Beatles fans can tell you exactly what was going on in the ’60s and I go, “Oh yeah, that’s right.” I don’t actually know what year The Beatles started. I couldn’t tell you, man. Sgt Pepper was ’67, I know that much.

1986 was Press To Play…

That’s right. Q gave it a good review. I thought, “Aw, bless ’em.” Cos I don’t think it’s that good an album.

What’s been your high point of the last 20 years?

Live 8 was pretty cool. Concert For New York for 9/11, pretty cool. The Mexico City gig [in November 2002] was unbelievable. The warmth coming off these 30,000 Mexicans was overpowering. [Mock breathlessness] I couldn’t sing for the emotion of it.

And the low point?

Linda dying. Undoubtedly.

What was the first album you bought on CD?

Wow. I don’t know, man. We made our first recordings to two-track stereo and we used to take home a shellac acetate. Then came tape cassettes. Then we went through CDs and MiniDiscs and DATs. To me it’s just a series of new ways to hear your music.

And the first track you downloaded?

I haven’t ever downloaded a track. Never. I’ve got an iPod nano. But the earphones remind me of work.

Which track of the last 20 years do you wish you’d written?

I like Fields Of Gold. One of my favourite Sting songs.

With George Harrison gone, you must be glad that you did Free As A Bird and Real Love for the three-volume Beatles Anthology in 1995 and 1996.

Yeah, that was nice to do. There was one more that we didn’t do, which was a pity. It didn’t have a very good title, it needed a bit of reworking, but it had a beautiful verse and it had John singing it. But George didn’t wanna do it. The best thing about it all was to work with John again. Hearing him in the headphones, it was like he was in the next room – “Fuck, I’m singing harmony with John.” It’s like an impossible dream.

What’s the single biggest thing that’s changed in your life in the last 20 years?

Having children.

You had them before, obviously…

[Laughs] Yeah, I did. I’ve had one since. Bringing up children. There you go.

If you could talk to yourself 20 years ago, what advice would you give?

[Comedy Scouse accent] Caaaalllmmm dowwwn.

Your favourite drug of the last 20 years?

Cocoa.

You can’t say that!

I can. It’s a double entendre.

Do you miss a joint?

Um. [Laughs] No. I’ve done all that. And I know what it does but… it’s a bit befuddling. It’s more important at my stage of the game to be unfuddled.

Now that Michael Jackson is on his uppers, any chance of buying back his share of The Beatles’ catalogue? [Jackson bought publishing rights to almost all Beatles songs in 1985.]

In about 10 years, a lot of it returns to me, just legally. So anyone who now buys it is only gonna end up with half of it. Some of the important rights are about to return, which I didn’t realise.

Would it feel good to have it back for your old age?

Oh yeah. You know what doesn’t feel very good? Going on tour and paying to sing all my songs. Every time I sing Hey Jude, I gotta pay someone.

Where will you be in 20 minutes?

In the car, going home. Get some sounds on. If it’s thick traffic, it’ll be Gorillaz.