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I always wanted to be an artist; being a songwriter for myself was always a must but being a songwriter for others has been a bonus.

My ambition was to be a record producer, and I had started doing that in the late '60s with my work with the MC5 and my friend Livingston Taylor.

I was a different person before I started to write. When I realized I could be a songwriter and that people would listen - that was when I started feeling good in my life.

When I first started out in this business, it was easy because nobody wanted anything from me. But now everyone wants something from me, so it's hard to break away and just be a songwriter.

My intention when I came into this industry was to be a musician, not necessarily a recording artist, just a musician in general. And that's the reason I went to college and got my degree, which has been great for me. It's helped me a lot with my career.

I think of myself as a producer who tries to bring the best out of everyone, whether that be an artist, songwriter or a publicist.

I started being a songwriter pretending I could do it, and it turned out I could.

I like working with other people but I'm not a songwriter, I'm a producer.

I wanted to feel like an artist for once in my life. I wanted to use other producers for respect, to let them know that I listen to other people's music and that I'm just not out here on my own page.