Did you know Bryan when he was in Sweeney Todd? If not, when and how did you meet?
 
I met Bryan in January 1978, a few months after he quit Sweeney Todd.  We met at a Vancouver music store.  I was there with a friend, Ali Monroe.  She knew Bryan, and she introduced us.

Who suggested you get together to start writing?
 
Bryan took the initiative and said, "Why don't we get together and try writing some songs?".  We exchanged phone numbers and got together a few days later.

Did you keep any sort of "souvenir" from the "era" of songwriting as a memory? Like Awards/Music??
 
I have about a hundred awards from the 70s, 80s and 90s.  Gold and platinum albums from places around the world, like Japan, Norway, America, UK ... and "Songwriter Of The Year" awards from my home country of Canada.

Did you see Bryan as a real friend or someone you wrote songs with?
 
I considered Bryan a real friend ... we were very close for a while.  When the friendship was strong we wrote good songs.  When the friendship started to crumble, the songwriting suffered too.
 
What was he like when you first met him? Ambitious? Excited?
 
When I first met Bryan, he was only 18, but he was very driven.  He wanted to be a star, and he wanted to write good songs.  His energy was incredible, and it was infectious.
 
Did you ever listen to any of the stuff he'd played in earlier bands?
 
I listened to some of his work with Sweeney Todd, and Bryan also played me some things he'd written after Sweeney Todd ... ideas he was still working on.  I showed him some of my unfinished songs, and we actually combined a few of our ideas and made them into finished tracks.  One of the first ones, from 1978, was called "Stay". Bryan recorded it for his first album, but he didn't keep it.  We gave it to the band "Prism" instead.
 
What was the shortest amount of time you wrote a song in?
 
Maybe 3 or 4 hours.
 
Did you tour with Bryan and the band?
 
In February 1984 Bryan was asked to tour with The Police.  He didn't have a drummer at the time, so he "drafted" me for that one tour.  It was a lot of fun.  We played Hawaii, Australia and New Zealand.
 
What does it feel like when the music you've worked on does so well? Like 'Summer Of 69' being such a legendary song now?
 
It's a real thrill to see something go from your basement to the top of the charts.  We usually knew when we had something good.  Then we'd play it for my wife, and if she liked it, we really knew we were on the right track.   We wrote "Summer Of '69" in January 1984.  If you'd asked me then, "How big will this song be?", I wouldn't have known what to say.  That was 20 years ago.  Since then, "Summer Of '69" has sold 20 or 30-million copies.  Who could imagine that?
 
Do you have a favourite artist you loved working with?
 
I've been very lucky to work with a lot of special people over the years: Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Alice Cooper ... many more.  But I think I had the most fun with Ozzy Osbourne.  He's very kind and generous, and very talented.  Much more focussed and intelligent that you would think, from his public persona.  
 
Would you ever work with Bryan again if he asked you?
 
Bryan has asked me to write a few times during the past ten years.  I never said "no", but I never said "yes" either.  We attempted a collaboration during "Spirit: Stallion Of The Cimarron".  I sent him a few song ideas, but the film's producer thought they were too "heavy".  That was the last time we tried.  About a year ago, at the end of 2003, I decided to "retire" from songwriting.  To be honest, I'm tired of the music business ... not so much the "music", but definitely the "business".   It's exhausting having to deal with managers and record companies and lawyers, and some recording artists can be difficult, too.   After 35 years I'm ready for a break.
 
I've read in the past you hate the celebrity status that comes with your job.  Was there anything you did like about it?
 
Sometimes, if someone recognizes your name, it can help you get a reservation in a hotel or a restaurant that's "fully booked".  That's one of the small bonuses.  Other than that, I prefer to fly under the radar.

What do you think you'd be doing if you hadn't got into the music business?
 
Good question!  I've always been interested in architecture and graphic design, so I might have gone in that direction.  My grandfather was a professional artist and photographer, and he had a big influence on me.
 
Are the songs you write a reflection of your life or just lyrics you come up with?
 
Most of the lyrics are "fiction".  It's like you're writing a movie script or a short story. Occasionally you put something "real" in the lyrics, something that actually happened, or something you experienced.  Writing lyrics is difficult.  It's the hardest part of songwriting.  It doesn't matter where you get your inspiration -- from your imagination or from real incidents.  Either way, you're just happy to have another line to write on the blank page in front of you.