"The commitment behind this film grabbed me by the throat. It needed to be made, and it was a brave filmmaker who took it on."

"I was a little boy and this was what my parents were listening to. There was so much that inspired me about it and you can still hear this if you listen to it unbiased, unprejudiced and not concerned by peer pressure. It’s a historical record. Besides the fact that it retained its number one position on the Billboard Chart longer than any other record in history. When I listened to it as a kid, I realised it had story to it; it was cool, it was tough, it had gangs and a deep love interest. It also has historical melody and unbelievable orchestration – nothing touches it in its field and that’s not just my opinion. I think that’s the consensus of public opinion when it comes to show music. That was when I really decided I wanted to be a composer…"

"It was one of the first films I ever watched when I was young. It really had impact. The music just carries you while you’re sitting there watching it. I remember watching it with my dad, actually sat on my dad’s belly, and saying to him how much I loved it!"