Dave Clark

Elvis Presley invited me to Las Vegas for one night but we got on so well that I stayed for three.

Early CDs, I found, flattened out the sound - it took away all the highs.

What I couldn't have dreamed of is that the fame would last for the rest of our lives without me having to play another note.

The '60s were a time of great optimism and hope. There was a buzz - everybody could be successful.

I was at a party in Alexandra Palace tobogganing on the ski slope, got whiplashed at 40mph, put my hands out to balance myself, and three fingers got caught in the artificial snow. I broke four knuckles. I have not drummed since.

You hear many things, take a little from each experience, and tune your imagination to create believable characters and situations.

What makes it all worth-while is what I've been able to do for my parents. They were poor and worked all their lives. Like all boys in London, I dreamed of winning the football pool and doing for them. Well, this is better than any football pool. Now they don't have to work. I've given them a nice home and a car. It's a good feeling.

I date fairly often, but my work is much more important.

I always believed that the bubble could burst tomorrow. You're only as good as your last record.