Yusuf/Cat Stevens | Broken Record

Since debuting in the late ‘60s, Yusuf/Cat Stevens has made a sizable contribution to the folk canon with tender, contemplative songs like “Wild World,” “Moonshadow,” and “The Wind.” Stevens recently reissued one of his most seminal early albums, Teaser And The Firecat, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its release. The new edition features remastered versions of the original album along with 41 previously unreleased demos and alternate mixes.
On today’s episode Bruce Headlam talks to Yusuf/Cat Stevens about what it’s like to perform his old songs after he converted to Islam in the late ‘70s. They also talk in detail about how Stevens wrote and recorded Teaser And The Firecat. And how he has come to love the rough versions of some of his songs that appear on the soundtrack for the movie Harold and Maude which was recently re-released for the movie’s 50th anniversary.
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Catch more episodes of Broken Record with André 3000, Nas, Brandi Carlile, and more here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gpurlHuKf513a80

[@daylefloyd6404]

What he describes as a youth at that time, is what ALL of us felt....and is why his music sold. Easy to understand. He was just good at putting his fingetd on that pulse.

[@kelly5888]

It's Sunday morning and to me this is as good as going to a church to learn something new. I always pick up something I've never thought of before from Yusuf/Cat. He is a great teacher. Always a joy to hear some new about his past, always interesting. Thank you as always, ❤ Kelly😊

[@sherribauer884]

Congrat to Cat Stevens/Yusuf to making wonderful music🎉🎉🎉❤❤

[@donnareynolds1655]

Delightful! I could listen to Cat Stevens sing and talk all day long.

[@joerodriguez6587]

The mans name is YUSUF why do u INSIST on callinf him CAT

[@sandracorner6549]

He is Cat Stevens forever , always was and NOW , get over it ! ! !

[@leftymike5625]

I was introduced to Cat Stevens in 1993 when I was 18 years old. Such a great artist.

[@nasaspacemanwho6711]

You can be what ever you want to be... Absolutely love that track and its a great pick me up.

[@bhhNC]

Yusef/Cat, thanks for those four albums that I simply wore out when they arrived, Tillerman/Teaser/Buddah/Catch Bull. Later, I fell in love with your more electronic sound and particularly the song 'Drywood'. Your songs were a large part of my teens.

[@rodneygriffin7666]

Yusuf is a true soul brother to me.

[@manuel2106]

For me is "Foreigner" his best album.. Jazz, Jazz-Rock and Progressive Rock influences.. But, i don't know why, hardly anyone talks about him. Very misunderstood in 1973 for change of style..

[@christianboyadjiev1738]

"Foreigner" - one of the best albums ever!

[@MCEEZR]

This is exciting

[@ish7036]

Real inspiring to hear! Love this😄

[@andyzar1177]

Best music podcast around! Mystical.

[@KentWalkerFullCircle]

Very inspiring story of the man and his music--what else needs to be said...?

[@LM-kg4fl]

Wishing for the video. 💕

[@mariagobira4221]

Cat Stevens is forever= Cat Stevens é para sempre🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷

[@edwassermann8368]

was hoping Rick would do the interview. would have been better if he spoke with such a legend.

[@salsmell6815]

On ya Yousuf you are amazing so talented 😍

[@salsmell6815]

Fantastic!!✌

[@lamper2]

From a Google search of 10 seconds I think Mike Hurst was the producer he was talking about at 2:28 who was obsessed with Pet Sounds but couldn't achieve that success with him. What exists today where his Father's restaurant was?

[@helenhorobin247]

Wonderful 🎵💙😻

[@PatrickBoening]

I thought his new (70's) name is "Yusuf Islam"?

[@the2ndcoming135]

🎖🎖

[@gredbraden]

Salut Charles! :)

[@Redwane-Music]

I wonder if Cat Stevens started music in our time 2020, would he realy pursue it are carrier like he chose to do in the 60s

[@ghamessmona]

❤🇾🇪

[@jupitermoongauge4055]

Yusef/cat Stevens condoned the call for the murder of Salman Rushdie. Salman Rushdie wrote a novel, a work of fiction about aspects of Islam. I find Steven's action in this regard utterly deplorable. I cannot find it within myself to find any respect for him

[@mjinba07]

That came up decades ago. Believing that the writer of Peace Train would support a fatwa, uhh, that's a stretch. He denied it then and he denies it still, and he's explained how the accusation came about. Either way, he's a musician, not a leader, not a politician, not an influencer. And we should all be grateful that our own opinions aren't publicly scrutinized and excoriated.

[@jupitermoongauge4055]

@@mjinba07 Are you a liar or an idiot, or both ?Cat Stevens Calls For The Death Of Salman Rushdie kzbin.info/www/bejne/o4rRiKeGrtmpnqs

[@CultureJudge]

@@mjinba07 No: "On 21 February 1989, Yusuf Islam addressed students at Kingston Polytechnic (now Kingston University) in London about his conversion to Islam and was asked about the controversy in the Muslim world and the fatwa calling for Salman Rushdie's execution. He replied, "He must be killed. The Qur'an makes it clear - if someone defames the prophet, then he must die."[4] Newspapers quickly denounced what was seen as Yusuf Islam's support for the killing of Rushdie and the next day, he released a statement saying that he was not personally encouraging anybody to be a vigilante,[2] and that he was only stating that blasphemy is a capital offence according to the Qur'an. Two months later, Islam appeared on an Australian television programme, ABC's Geoffrey Robertson's Hypotheticals,[5] an occasional broadcast featuring a panel of notable guests to explore a hypothetical situation with moral, ethical and/or political dilemmas. In the episode "A Satanic Scenario", Islam had an exchange about the issue with the moderator and Queens Counsel Geoffrey Robertson.[6][7] Islam would later clarify the exchanges as "stupid and offensive jokes" made "in bad taste", but "part of a well-known British national trait ... dry humour on my part."[1] Robertson: You don't think that this man deserves to die? Y. Islam: Who, Salman Rushdie? Robertson: Yes. Y. Islam: Yes, yes. Robertson: And do you have a duty to be his executioner? Y. Islam: Uh, no, not necessarily, unless we were in an Islamic state and I was ordered by a judge or by the authority to carry out such an act - perhaps, yes. [Some minutes later, Robertson on the subject of a protest where an effigy of the author is to be burned] Robertson: Would you be part of that protest, Yusuf Islam, would you go to a demonstration where you knew that an effigy was going to be burned? Y. Islam: I would have hoped that it'd be the real thing. The New York Times also reports this statement from the programme: [If Rushdie turned up at my doorstep looking for help] I might ring somebody who might do more damage to him than he would like. I'd try to phone the Ayatollah Khomeini and tell him exactly where this man is.[8] " -Wikipedia

[@mjinba07]

@@CultureJudge Looks to me like you're quoting Wikipedia, which is quoting journalists, who are describing Islam's remarks and who, obviously, have a stake in elevating drama. I looked up some of these "references" and there are clearly some misquotes. Some can't even be validated. So maybe you're right and the musician was, at a point in his life, captivated by the furor around Rushdie and the extreme response of his adopted religion. Or maybe his positions were overblown for the sake of juicy and salacious "journalism." Either way, the guy is a musician, not a leader, and I'm not sure what you're playing at here with your tltr KZbin comment.

[@CultureJudge]

@@mjinba07 It looks like I'm quoting Wikipedia because I am, as I make clear at the end of the post. But this is beside the point, which is this: why would Stevens have NOT said that he wanted Rushdie dead? To have said anything else would have been to defy and oppose the religion he'd just joined. Yet his defenders try to make out that the reports of him supporting the words of his leader Khomenei are a horrible slur, like he's being accused of whoring and taking drugs, yet the murder being called for was a fundamental tenet of the faith he espoused.

[@daylefloyd6404]

Not a good history review leading to the dogmatic religion he has ended up in.