Saturnight (Cat Stevens Live In Tokyo - Remastered) Cat Stevens (Yusuf)

• 1 Wild World (Live in Japan, 1974) 03:05
• 2 Oh Very Young (Live In Japan, 1974) 02:27
• 3 Sitting (Live In Japan, 1974) 03:15
• 4 Where Do The Children Play? (Live In Japan, 1974) 03:40
• 5 Lady D'Arbanville (Live In Japan, 1974) 04:02
• 6 Another Saturday Night (Live In Japan, 1974) 02:40
• 7 Hard Headed Woman (Live In Japan, 1974) 03:48
• 8 Peace Train (Live In Japan, 1974) 03:29
• 9 Father & Son (Live In Japan, 1974) 03:39
• 10 King Of Trees (Live In Japan, 1974) 03:51
• 11 A Bad Penny (Live In Japan, 1974) 03:44
• 12 Bitterblue (Live In Japan, 1974) 03:23
• Total Runtime 41:03

Info for Saturnight (Cat Stevens Live In Tokyo - Remastered)

Cat Stevens wenig bekanntes Konzertalbum „Saturnight“ aus dem Jahr 1974 wird erstmals weltweit veröffentlicht, mehr als 50 Jahre nachdem es aufgrund vertraglicher Beschränkungen ursprünglich nur in Japan erschienen ist. Das Album wurde in den weltberühmten Abbey Road Studios vom originalen Produktionsmaster neu gemastert und wird am 2. Mai 2025 veröffentlicht.

Cat Stevens erstes Live-Album „Saturnight“ wurde am 22. Juni 1974 in der Sun Plaza Hall in Nakano, Tokio, während Cat Stevens „Bamboozle World Tour“ aufgenommen. Die Tournee umfasste 50 Konzerte in Nordamerika, Europa, Australien und Japan, um die Veröffentlichung des Albums Buddha And The Chocolate Box zu unterstützen. Cat fühlte sich seit langem mit der ästhetischen Eleganz und spirituellen Tiefe der japanischen Kultur verbunden. Besonders widmete er sich den Prinzipien der Meditation und Reflexion, auf denen die japanischen Traditionen der Poesie, des Designs und der Handwerkskunst beruhen.

„Saturnight“ präsentiert Cat Stevens auf dem Höhepunkt mit Liedern aus seinem damals neuesten Album Buddha And The Chocolate Box wie zum Beispiel „Oh Very Young“, „A Bad Penny“ und einer leidenschaftlichen Darbietung von „King Of Trees“. Dazu gibt es einige seiner größten Hits, die in den frühen 70er Jahren die Charts dominierten. Dazu zählen die Klassiker „Lady D'Arbanville“ (Mona Bone Jakon - 1970), „Wild World“, „Where Do The Children Play?“ „Hard Headed Woman“, „Father & Son” (Tea For The Tillerman - 1970); „Peace Train”, „Bitterblue” (Teaser And The Firecat - 1971); und „Sitting” (Catch Bull At Four - 1972).

Ebenfalls enthalten ist eine gefühlvolle Coverversion von Sam Cookes „Another Saturday Night“. Cat und seine Band waren zum Zeitpunkt des Konzertes gerade dabei, den Song in einem Studio in Tokio mit einer japanischen Bläsergruppe aufzunehmen - dieselbe Version, die später im Jahr zu einer Hit-Single wurde. Der Auftritt auf „Saturnight“ ist das erste Mal, dass sie „Another Saturday Night“ live spielten.

Obwohl „Saturnight“ aus vertraglichen Gründen zwischen A&M und Island Records nie weltweit sondern nur in Japan veröffentlicht wurde, sorgte Cat Stevens dafür, dass der daraus entstandene Erlös an UNICEF gespendet wurde. Er war erst kurz davor UNICEF-Botschafter geworden und hatte mit ihrer Hilfe 1974 Äthiopien und Kenia besucht. Dort sah er aus erster Hand die völlige Verwüstung, die durch Dürre und Hungersnot entstanden war. Er wurde aber auch Zeuge der bemerkenswerten Widerstandsfähigkeit und Selbstlosigkeit des menschlichen Geistes. Diese Erfahrung bewegte ihn zutiefst und hatte einen nachhaltigen Einfluss auf sein Leben und seine Karriere, so sehr, dass seine humanitären Bemühungen bald seine persönlichen musikalischen Ambitionen überholten.

Als Cat sein Engagement immer mehr auf die Hilfe für Bedürftige ausrichtete, verließ er die Musikindustrie schließlich ganz. Er widmete sich der Wohltätigkeitsarbeit und nutzte seinen Status und die Lorbeeren, die ihm die Musik eingebracht hatte, um sich für Gleichheit und eine gerechte Welt einzusetzen. In vielerlei Hinsicht stellte „Saturnight“ einen wichtigen ersten Schritt auf dieser unglaublichen Reise dar.

Yusuf/Cat Stevens, Gesang, Akustikgitarre, Klavier
Alun Davies, Gitarre, Hintergrundgesang
Larry Steele, Gitarren, Percussion, Hintergrundgesang
Jim Cregan, Gitarre
Jean Roussel, Keyboards
Bruce Lynch, Bass
Gerry Conway, Schlagzeug, Percussion
Anna Peacock, Hintergrundgesang
Suzanne Lynch, Hintergrundgesang

Aufgenommen am 22. Juni 1974 in der Sunplaza Hall, Nakano, Tokio, Japan

Digital remastered

Cat Stevens
grew from being a teen idol of the 1960s into one of the most influential singer-songwriters of all time. In addition to his vast musical achievements, his lifelong spiritual quest has added intrigue and depth to a groundbreaking career.

Cat achieved early success in the mid 60s with “I Love My Dog” and “Matthew and Son”. He was a prolific songwriter writing songs such as “Here Comes My Baby” and “The First Cut Is The Deepest” for other artists; the latter, in particular, would go on to become an international hit on multiple occasions for a variety of artists.

In 1968 the heavy work load of touring, media commitments, and the perks of a pop-star lifestyle took its toll and Cat contracted a potentially fatal bout of tuberculosis which hospitalised him for several months. It was during this time that he began a significant process of inner reflection and meditation.

Following his recovery, and with a new perspective on the world, Cat underwent a profound musical transformation. He wrote some 40 songs and made fundamental changes to his lifestyle. His new sound was more stripped-down and intimate, his lyrics gained subtlety and an intuitive edge, and in his private life he began to explore a variety of spiritual paths.

The period of 1970 to 1974 would see Cat Stevens ascend into the upper echelons of musical superstardom. His 1970 album Tea for the Tillerman, which went gold in the U.S, contained the classics ‘Wild World’, ‘Hard Headed Woman’, ‘Where Do the Children Play?’, and ‘Father & Son’. However, it was unquestionably 1971’s Teaser and the Firecat that made Cat a true megastar. Songs such as ‘Morning Has Broken’, ‘Peace Train’ and ‘Moonshadow’ resonated with audiences worldwide and were embraced by a generation as anthems of peace and unity. The songs of this era would also go on to be appreciated by future generations, their timeless quality was shown when a cover of ‘Father & Son’ became a huge hit for the Irish pop band Boyzone in the 1990s.

In 1975 Cat experienced another momentous and life-changing event. Whilst swimming in the Pacific Ocean off Malibu he began to be swept out to sea. Fearing imminent death he called to God pleading that should he be saved he would dedicate his life to God’s service. At that moment a gentle wave delivered him to the shore and safety. A sequence of events was set in motion and, after receiving a copy of the Koran from his brother, he embraced Islam in 1977.

During his Islamic studies Cat felt a powerful affinity with the story of Joseph and decided to take its Arabic equivalent as his new name, becoming Yusuf Islam in 1978. He then amazed the world by walking away from fame and his career as a music star, to start a family and dedicate himself to charitable work.

“I wasn’t too worried about what people thought, people would get to understand, gradually, I said to myself. After all, everybody knew I was ‘on the road to find out.”

After getting married and having children, Yusuf became heavily involved with education and humanitarian relief. He helped to found the Muslim Aid charity and participated directly in their early initiatives throughout Africa, Asia, and Europe. In addition, he founded a Muslim primary school in North London in 1983. After years of ceaseless campaigning, in 1998 the school was awarded grant–maintained status, an historic first in the UK.

In the late 1990s, Yusuf and his wife, Fawziah, established the Small Kindness charity in response to the devastating conflicts in the Balkans. The charity focused its efforts on the needs of orphans, widows, and families. Small Kindness continues to help vulnerable victims of humanitarian disasters and has received international recognition for its work.

At this time Yusuf also began producing educational recordings on his own label, Mountain of Light, beginning in 1995 with The Life of the Last Prophet. From 2000 he concentrated on albums for a younger audience and produced some of the most popular CDs for children in the Muslim world including A is for Allah and I Look I See.

The tragic events of 9/11 motivated Yusuf to, once again, take to the global stage. He spoke out in the media against the atrocities, against fanaticism and war, and called for peace and unity. He began to perform some of his old repertoire again, notably ‘Peace Train’ on account of its message, however, these renditions would often be delivered without instruments in spoken word or a cappella arrangements.

In 2003 Yusuf received the ‘World Social Award’ in Germany from an International World Awards Jury for “dedicating his life to aiding the needy and the ill.” And in 2004 he was presented with the Man of Peace award by Mikhail Gorbachev on behalf of a committee of Nobel peace laureates for having worked to “alleviate the suffering of thousands of children and their parents and dedicating himself to promoting peace, reconciling people and the condemnation of terrorism.”

Yusuf’s full return to music making came in 2006 with the release of An Other Cup. The album was enthusiastically received, delighting audiences who had dreamt of hearing his soft voice, compelling melodies, and poignant lyrics once again. Three years later another new album, Roadsinger, cemented his reconnection with the music industry. The ‘Guess I’ll Take My Time’ tour followed which saw Yusuf perform songs from both his new and old catalogue throughout the UK in 2009, Australia in 2010, and the rest of Europe in 2011.

In 2012 Yusuf explored a new musical avenue with the staging of a musical called Moonshadow which was launched in Australia in May of that year. The story tells the magical tale of a young man and his Moonshadow’s struggle against an oncoming darkness. Using songs from throughout his career, the musical explores many of the themes and ideas that have informed his music. This adventure into new artistic forms may well prove to be just the tip of the iceberg as Yusuf is currently looking to new media for ways to express his artistic vision.

Yusuf’s return to music has been greeted with joy and excitement across the world but nowhere more so than in the USA. The emotional reaction to his performance at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction in New York on the 10th April 2014 showed the love and appreciation that exists within the music industry for a legendary singer-songwriter who is truly considered one of their own. In 2016 the ‘Cat’s Attic’ tour gave the American public their opportunity to echo these feelings.

2017 marks 50 years since the release of ‘I Love My Dog’ and the start of Cat / Yusuf’s illustrious career. In that time he has charmed people’s’ hearts, entertained millions, and brought hope and assistance to those in need. He has had the courage to follow his convictions and the result has been a life of extraordinary adventures which he continues to share through his captivating songs.

This album contains no booklet.