I foolishly try to prompt him. Al, I say, as if I've just had the cinema icon round for tea and am on first name terms. We laugh.

During our phone conversation David is surprisingly humble, friendly and down to earth, given his remarkable list of achievements.

There isn't a hint of ego and when I ask him what he has learnt about showbusiness he says: "To try and be gracious in success."

We are speaking before the start of his Happy Ever After tour, which features songs from his new album of the same name.

He is relishing the chance to be back on the touring circuit and returning to the town.

"We're quite excited about it and I haven't been on the road for more than two years because I've been doing musical theatre," he says.

"The band and I are looking forward to playing music in a more direct way and tunes from the new album.

"Scarborough is fantastic and I think it's probably the most beautiful seaside place. It's always like a mini-holiday when the band and I turn up there."

His various successes, which would be the envy of some of today's stars, has allowed him to visit many other places around the world.

At the peak of his fame in the 1970s, his posters decorated the walls of many a bedroom, he stopped traffic in cities where he appeared and the hysterical crowds at his concerts often resembled Beatlemania.

His albums and singles have sold millions of copies worldwide, he has toured the world, appeared in numerous stage shows and composed scores for several productions.

Looking back on his work, what is he most proud of?

"I think really to be able to work in various mediums with a certain amount of success," he muses.

"It's wonderful to have written some of the songs that have entered the British fabric in a way. It's incredible to get letters to say a particular song meant so much and turned someone's life around."

David is of course no stranger to the music charts with more than 20 albums to his name and 23 top-30 singles in Britain alone.

His first album Rock On was released in 1973 and 35 years later he has written and recorded his latest, Happy Ever After, which is available on his website.

When I ask how he feels the music industry has changed since that first album, he admits that he doesn't have much to do with it now.

"My albums are available on the internet now and we do it that way. I've been with different record companies over the years but this gives us more control. It's a bit more insular than it was in the Sixties," he says.

Following the 48-date tour across the country, he will embark on another tour with his new musical, All the Fun of the Fair.

After trying his hand at most mediums, is there anything left he wants to do that he hasn't?

"Not really. I've done films, had number ones in America and been part of some landmark theatre with Evita and Godspell and hopefully All the Fun of the Fair.