“David, Stu [bodyguard] and George [photographer] appear just in time. Embraces all round – we haven’t seen each other for three months and David looks tired but great. Looks like he’s not been eating again; he’s the only star I know who suffers from regular malnutrition. The charming, disarming urchin from Brixton who never misses a move or a point. Innocence, cruelty, the nearness yet the distance, all the qualities of the star he is – only he knows what he pays for this coveted title, but I’ve sometimes caught glimpses of the sadness.”

Ian Hunter (29 November 1972), Diary Of A Rock ‘N’ Roll Star (1974)