Julio Iglesias, Bilingual Balladeer, Collects 37 Greatest Hits on a New Double CD

Q: You had a reputation as a man with access to more women than a Roman emperor.

A:  I wish it was the way you describe it! [Laughs] A real love affair — the good kind, the beautiful kind — happens only once or twice in our lives. The opportunity to kiss a woman without getting slapped in the face, I don't think I've taken advantage of that too often. I was never quick on my feet for that kind of thing. I was always a late bloomer.

On the other hand, I've been a privileged man when it comes to bringing two pairs of eyes together. (By that I mean when a woman looks at you with interest.) As a kid, I had so many uninterested eyes on me. After the car accident that ended my soccer career, my parents were the only people interested in me. So I've enjoyed the return of those "interested" looks.

Q: Your son Enrique has become a well-known singer too. Does being in the same business complicate your relationship?

A: For a number of reasons, Enrique and I are a bit distant at times. He wants it that way — he probably needs it that way. We never talk about music. I miss him a lot, and so do my kids (the little ones). At home they listen to the music of Enrique and Julio Jr. My own stuff is totally out of fashion for them. I admire Enrique because he has achieved the difficult feat of surpassing his father.

Q: Your tour schedule seems just as hectic as ever.

A: Next week I'm in Russia, the following month in China, then South Africa. I'm living through a moment of complete gratitude for everything that's happened before. I've learned from life — if I hadn't, I'd still be stuck in the 1970s. That was a wonderful decade, mind you, but if I hadn't changed, I couldn't have worked with artists like Sting or Stevie Wonder. Learning has been vital to me. It's my only aspiration, really: to continue learning, and to keep doing what I do.