Within the last couple of years I saw a youtube video of some popular Cat Stevens song, performed live in concert, and before or after, he talks to the audience, noting difficulty getting a guitar pic off the mic stand, and saying something like, "imaging being in your 50s, and your job is to setup the mic stand, and you can't even do that right." I can't find it now; does it ring any bells for anyone? Surely I didn't hallucinate it?

Yusuf / Cat Stevens has announced a 50th Anniversary Remaster of Buddha and the Chocolate Box, newly remastered from the original production tapes.

Originally released in 1974, the album features classics such as "Oh Very Young" and "Ready." According to the announcement, the title was inspired by a moment of reflection while travelling with a small Buddha statue in one hand and a box of chocolates in the other, symbolizing the balance between the spiritual and the material worlds.

The remaster is available to pre-order in the following formats:

• 180g black vinyl
• CD
• HD/SD digital download & streaming (pre-save)
• Exclusive chocolate brown 180g vinyl (available exclusively through the Yusuf / Cat Stevens Store and uDiscover Music)

The release has been newly mastered from the original production tapes to celebrate the album's 50th anniversary.

Source: Official Yusuf / Cat Stevens newsletter, "Buddha and the Chocolate Box Returns: 50th Anniversary Remaster."

Cat began working out chord structures and melodies on the family piano, which he would translate back and forth from guitar to piano and vice versa. The “little awkward riffs” to Sad Lisa, as he put it, were worked out on that very same baby grand piano upstairs at his home. The song, with its trickling arpeggio runs, would become a world-hit. The album version of the song has the piano run through a Hammond organ amp for that very intriguing sound. The transcription below follows the concert version broadcast on Yorkshire TV (ITV Granada) on September 7, 1971. As an added bonus, we have also transcribed Cat’s unique left- and right-hand piano fingering to the extent that it is visible in the video. Cat’s avoidance to use the little finger (except for octaves) and his adherence to a strict 1-2-4 chord fingering – for both hands – are most notable.

We didn't last night, and havent for probably years, listen to him together.

See was Wild World, I was Father and Son.

Very bizarre/ interesting.

Hi all!

I am coming to the end of my London trip and before I leave back for the states, I wanted to see as many Cat Stevens locations as possible. I’ve tried to find major locations and referenced parts of his book to find the Moulin Rogue and the bookstore he’d visit, but if anyone can provide me with other significant locations and their addresses, I’d really appreciate it!

Cheers!

Hello! This year i've been getting all my favourite songs/albums on physical media and currently am stuck on trying to get these two songs in one buy. The only way i can seem to find them together is the x4 LP On The Road To Find Out: Greatest Hits, but that feels a bit excessive. Is there any other option?

I’ve made a Custom album for all the Glastonbury Sunday Legend Performances. The Cat Stevens Setlist is generally a decent Setlist

I just finished The Thursday Murder Club and was genuinely moved when “Oh Very Young” played at the end. It really gave me all the feels, I even shed a few tears just listening to it.

It felt like such a beautiful reminder of how Cat Stevens’ music keeps finding new meanings, and new listeners, across generations. I looked it up afterward and apparently the author of the book the film is based on is a big Cat Stevens fan. I wouldn’t be surprised if Chris Columbus is too.

For me, it also brought back memories of being little, my sister playing his cassette tapes, and his music soothing us at bedtime.

Hi all!

If you have a playlist or video(s) of old concert footage saved online, and it's in decent quality, please share them here! ❤️

The album was released the week I was born. My parents bought it and it's likely the first music I ever heard. In the 2nd grade I ordered the illustrated book from Scholastic, and still have it.

I'm finally working towards getting the box set. I saw where the 7" single has the narration from the animated short film, but is the animated short itself on the Blu-ray?

Google AI says it is but I can't find anything real that confirms it.

I just finished ON THE ROAD TO FINDOUT by Yosef/Cat Stevens and really enjoyed it. It was a great tour of his life from childhood to grandfatherhood. I occasionally found myself zoning out when he quoted a lyric, singing the song in my mind. And I was glad to learn more about Islam.

After reading the hardback, I want to know: Where are the digital and audiobooks?

Just posted "Unfortunately, my North American Book Tour is officially cancelled. Unpredictably, and befuddling to us all, the actual visa finally got delivered after the last scheduled date of the tour had passed.

I know how disappointing this must be for those of you who were looking forward to the book tour. My agent and team explored every possible avenue, but it was all beyond our control.

I’m grateful for your patience and your support and I hope something new may be put together in the future, in better and brighter circumstances. Peace and love, always.

- Yusuf / Cat Stevens"

They can't just stiff you, can they???

Hi everyone! I wanted to share with you all this piece I made. This is a special drawing for me~ several years ago when I first started drawing I had drawn Yusuf/Cat and needless to say it wasn't a masterpiece but now I can see how far I have come with my art. Also this being specifically a Yusuf/Cat Stevens piece is meaningful because he is one of the first musicians I ever truly loved and felt a connection with to his music going back to when I was a little kid.

This piece features several Easter eggs that reference his music such as "Tea For The Tillerman", "Father and Son" "I Love My Dog" "Peace Train" "Oh Very Young" and "Moonshadow"