I heard a young black pianist. He was a teenager, I was eight years old, and he was playing boogie-woogie, and he just knocked me out. He thought he was alone in the old barn on the beat-up upright piano,… — Mike Stoller Copy Share Image
We never thought we were writing for posterity, because at the time everyone assumed that all the great standards had already been written by Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Rodgers and Hammerstein... The songs we were writing were supposed to be… — Mike Stoller Copy Share Image
Well, I think the first piece of music I ever heard that I really loved was 'Salome's Dances' by Richard Strauss. I played that… — Mike Stoller Copy Share Image
I heard a young black pianist. He was a teenager, I was eight years old, and he was playing boogie-woogie, and he just knocked… — Mike Stoller Copy Share Image
I write a melody and then change it and change it until I get it the way I like it. — Mike Stoller Copy Share Image
I was always very leery of my piano playing. As a young kid, I wanted to be a jazz musician, but my taste was… — Mike Stoller Copy Share Image
We never thought we were writing for posterity, because at the time everyone assumed that all the great standards had already been written by… — Mike Stoller Copy Share Image
It wasn't until 'Smokey Joe's' came out that I actually got to step out from behind the curtain and meet our 'fans.' — Mike Stoller Copy Share Image
I have to write the songs before I become too enamored with my own melodies. — Mike Stoller Copy Share Image
As would-be songwriters, our interest was in black music and black music only. We wanted to write songs for black voices. — Mike Stoller Copy Share Image
