November 2020 will be the 50th anniversary of Cat Stevens’ Tea for the Tillerman (3x Platinum selling) album & Yusuf (Cat Stevens) has 're-imagined' & re-recorded the entire album with original producer Paul Samwell-Smith and original guitarist Alun Davies.

Due for release on 18 Sept, it's entitled Tea for the Tillerman² - on CD, vinyl & streaming.

You can hear a 13 June 2020 Radio NZ Music 101 interview with Yusuf.

(Yusuf performed at the Hagley Park memorial service in ChCh, in Mar 2019, after the mosque attacks.)

He looks forward to performing live again, but the Covid-19 pandemic has delayed his Tea for the Tillerman² planned world tour - until next year?






(Tea for the Tillerman²)


(Original 1970 album cover)

DarkLantern blog - darklanternforowen.wordpress.com

Says Rolling Stone magazine:

" The new renditions of the 11 Tea for the Tillerman tracks are not note-for-note recreations. In many cases, they are lusher than the sparse originals and some take surprising left turns, like a funkafied “Longer Boats” featuring guest vocals from rapper Brother Ali. “Wild World,” meanwhile, now sounds almost like a waltz. That said, Yusuf worked hard to maintain the same spirit of the originals. "


From his Yusuf / Cat Stevens youtube channel:

DarkLantern blog - darklanternforowen.wordpress.com

he got it right the first time.

this new one is  

"more volume, more sonics"   

Seems a fairly pointless exercise to me tbh. Original album was excellent and nicely of its time.

There's a new audience now?

The lyrics are still relevant?

And there's still money to be made from affluent old boomers

DarkLantern blog - darklanternforowen.wordpress.com

Yep thats the demographic they are aiming for.