The 5-minute Interview: George Clinton, Musician and Producer

'I'm surprised I'm still around funk'

George Clinton, 66, and his funk band dominated black music in the 1970s, recording as Parliament and Funkadelic. He enjoyed a renaissance in the 1990s when rappers such as Tupac Shakur and Dr Dre began to sample his tracks. He is still recording.

If I weren't talking to you right now I'd be ...

Snoozing. I only got back from the studio at 7.30am.

A phrase I use too often ...

The words I use too often are X-rated, something an old man like me shouldn't be talking about anyway.

I wish people would take more notice of ...

What's going on around them in the world.

The most surprising thing to happen to me was ...

I'm always surprised that I'm still around funk and that people are still into it.

A common misperception of me is ...

That I'm a nicey-nice kind of person.

I am not a politician but ...

If I was I'd probably get kicked out because I wouldn't go along with all the corporate control that comes with it – because of all that money.

I'm good at ...

Getting talent out of other people in music – it happens with my band all the time. I've worked with a load of people – Sly Stone was the best.

I'm very bad at ...

Trying to be soulful. I must have not gone to church the day they taught soul.

The ideal night out is ...

Getting wasted, thinking about chasing girls.

In weak moments I ...

Go out.

You know me as a musician, but in a truer life I'd have been ...

A tap dancer or a cowboy.

The best age to be is ...

Thirteen or 14. You can rebel against everything adults say. When I want to find out what the new music is, I find out what parents hate.

In a nutshell, my philosophy is this ...

Free your mind and your ass will follow.

Toby Green