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Cat Stevens to return this summer with a new album

Legendary British singer-songwriter Cat Stevens will release a new album of original songs this summer

Mark Kennedy
Wednesday 15 March 2023 09:02 GMT

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Legendary British singer-songwriter Cat Stevens will release a new album of original songs this summer that took the ā€œPeace Trainā€ hitmaker over a decade to make and revisits familiar themes of togetherness.

The 12-song collection is called ā€œKing of a Landā€ and comes out in June on George Harrison-founded Dark Horse Records. The album cover illustration shows a boy playing guitar on top of the Earth, as a cat stretches and a train puffs along a track.

The first single is the cheerful, family friendly ā€œTake the World Apart,ā€ with the lyrics ā€œI'll take the world apart/to find a place for a peaceful heart.ā€

ā€œThe source of musical inspiration for this song came from the 50s. The smoochy harmonies and chords have an enchanting effect on the ear. Life was simpler then: lonely hearts yearning for love," he said in a statement to The Associated Press.

The album reunites Stevens with producer Paul Samwell-Smith, who produced three Stevens albums between 1970-72 ā€” ā€œTea for the Tillerman,ā€ ā€œTeaser and the Firecatā€ and ā€œCatch Bull at Four.ā€

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame member Stevens, who also goes by Yusuf, the name he took when he converted to Islam, has been a respected writer since releasing his debut in 1967. Heā€™s had a string of Top 40 hits, from ā€œPeace Trainā€ and ā€œWild Worldā€ to ā€œMorning Has Broken.ā€ He was just named to Glastonburyā€™s coveted Legends slot this summer.

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Mark Kennedy is at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits

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