Yusuf Islam excited by Liverpool return after three decades

Nov 6 2009 by Jade Wright, Liverpool Daily Post

Yusuf Islam, formerly known as Cat Stevens, talks to Jade Wright about his love of The Beatles, and the Jacaranda

'IT’S been 33 years – I guess I like to take my time,” laughs Yusuf, the artist formerly known as Cat Stevens.

Some bands like to leave a gap between tours. It gives them a break and allows the fans to save up for their next live gig.

Yusuf took it to the extreme – he left it more than 30 years.

It’s been a long wait, and fans are about to see why.

As one would expect from such an innovative and unpredictable artist, it’s not a tour in the usual sense.

“My last tour was in 1976, and I have to live up to that – there was a magic act that came with us.

“I was being sawn in half every night. In LA, we had a tiger that came into the audience. This one has to be something extra special.”

He’s playing his cards close to his chest about what we can expect, but he’s clearly excited.

“There will be a lot of songs people know,” he grins. He won’t say exactly what, but there’s a whisper that he’ll play Wild World, Father & Son and First Cut Is The Deepest, as well as music from his highly acclaimed new albums, An Other Cup and Roadsinger.

The show will involve a cast of 20, as well as six musicians, including guitarist Alun Davies, who played on the seminal album, Tea for the Tillerman.

He’s set to return to the acoustic guitar, with a show that promises an exciting mix of concert and musical storytelling.

“It’s going to have a big surprise in the middle,” he says.

And indeed there is – an exclusive debut of his new musical, Moonshadow.

“My songs always told a story, so it’s natural for me to extend that into a stage musical form,” he explains.

Classic Cat Stevens songs like Father & Son were actually written for a musical.

Yusuf took his idea to Chris Blackwell, at Island Records, who thought they would be better suited to an album.

The result was Yusuf’s most acclaimed album, Tea For The Tillerman.

“It’s taken a long time to arrive, but it’s always been a dream of mine to write a musical. Growing up in the West End of London, surrounded by theatres and shows, obviously left a strong impression on me. I originally wanted to be a composer, not a pop star. Strange how it’s taken almost a lifetime, but it had to – the story is a somewhat metaphorical mirror of my own journey, so I suppose it had to wait to reach where I am today.”

Many of his songs have been covered by other artists. The First Cut Is The Deepest has been a hit for PP Arnold, Rod Stewart and Sheryl Crow over the years. Father & Son was a huge hit for 90s boy band Boyzone.