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I get most of my inspiration from older records and older production styles, and that ends up rearing its head in the records that I make.

Modern records are all made with virtually identical gear, software plug-ins and everything. Everybody wants everything to sound like the last thing that was popular because they're chasing their tails.

While I used to make my living principally as a record producer, as time went on, I had to depend more and more on my live performances because of the evolution of the record industry, which has de-emphasized what made it possible to make a living.

As far as the creative side of making great, great albums and really trying to go down in history? I don't see that happening lately, you know what I mean? You have a lot of guys is talented, but at the same time, timeless music is more important to me.

I think too many artists from my era tend to just stamp out a record.

A lot of times, that's hard to capture: what you sound like in person versus what you sound like on record. If I had total control, I would do a lot of the old songs - not only my songs but Sam Cooke songs, Luther Vandross, melody songs. That's what I would really do if I had an opportunity to do a record.

When you're recording classic songs, you've got to kind of make them your own, and you can't always worry about what people are going to think.

I want to be remembered as one of the best record producers of my era.

I wanted to make an album that takes a journey through all my favorite periods in music and then culminates in something that will most likely end my career.