Izitso

Last updated

Izitso
Cat Stevens Izitso.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedApril 1977 [1]
Recorded18 September 1976 – March 1977
Studio Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, Sheffield, Alabama;
Sound 80 Studios, Minneapolis, Minnesota;
Ardent Studios, Memphis, Tennessee;
Le Studio, Morin Heights, Quebec, Canada
Sweet Silence Studios, Copenhagen, Denmark
Genre Soft rock, folk rock, blue-eyed soul, electronic rock, synthpop
Length35:55
Label Island (UK/Europe)
A&M (US/Canada)
Producer Cat Stevens
David Kershenbaum
Cat Stevens chronology
Numbers
(1975)
Izitso
(1977)
Back to Earth
(1978)

Izitso is the tenth studio album by the British singer-songwriter Cat Stevens, released in April 1977. After the lacklustre Numbers , the album proved to be his comeback. The album updated the rhythmic folk rock and pop rock style of his earlier albums with the extensive use of synthesizers [2] and other electronic music instruments, giving the album a more electronic rock and synthpop style, and anticipating elements of electro. [3]

Contents

Overview

The album reached No. 7 on the American Pop Albums charts. [2]

It also included his last US and UK top 40 chart hit for almost three decades, "(Remember the Days of the) Old Schoolyard", an early synthpop song that used the Polymoog, an early polyphonic synthesizer; it was a duet with fellow UK singer Elkie Brooks. Linda Lewis appears in the song's video, with Cat Stevens singing to her, as they portray former schoolmates, singing to each other on a schoolyard merry-go-round. (This is one of the few music videos that Stevens made, other than simple videos of concert performances.)

The song "Child for a Day" was featured in the 1977 film First Love , starring Susan Dey and William Katt.

The song "Was Dog a Doughnut?" upon release was criticised for sounding "a bit too robotlike" [4] with elements later associated with hip hop music. The track made early use of a music sequencer along with synthesizers. In an interview for Uncut in 2014, Yusuf (Stevens) explains his inspiration for the song:

In the '70s, there was an article that made me furious, but also made me laugh, called "Was God An Astronaut?" The whole premise of putting God into a space rocket was so outrageous I just decided to have a go and wrote that song. [5] [ better source needed ]

The song "(I Never Wanted) To Be a Star" references the transition phase happening in his life, as he was growing more and more resentful of the more commercial aspects of the music industry. The lyrics make references to four of his early songs: "Matthew and Son", "I'm Gonna Get Me a Gun", "A Bad Night", and "I Think I See the Light".

Additional information

Some of the album's unreleased tracks featured Ringo Starr on the drums, during a recording session on 30 September 1976. According to The Beatles biographer Kristofer Engelhardt in 1998, "Yusuf said that he met Ringo at a hotel in Copenhagen, Denmark, and invited him down to a recording session for his album Izitso at Sweet Silence Studios in Copenhagen. He recalled that the party atmosphere of the sessions led to a jam of him singing 'Blue Monday' and 'I Just Want to Make Love to You,' with Ringo joining in on drums." [6] Bootleg copies of the sessions exist.[ citation needed ]

Stevens, who had a strong interest in Islam prior to recording the album, formally converted to Islam later in the year and adopted the name Yusuf Islam in 1978, by which time the album Back to Earth would be released and Islam had essentially retired from the music business. [7] It would be nearly 30 years before he would again perform Cat Stevens songs.

A piano/vocal sheet music book with every song from the album was published in 1977, approved by Stevens, with arrangements by Los Angeles musician Laddie Chapman.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [8]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [9]

Upon its release, Rolling Stone praised the album for blending together elements of folk rock and electronic music, "often in apparent opposition to each other", with "the diversity and the maturity to match this seeming incongruity." [4]

Track listing

All tracks composed by Cat Stevens, except where indicated.

Side one

  1. "(Remember the Days of the) Old Schoolyard" – 2:44 (duet with Elkie Brooks)
  2. "Life" – 4:56
  3. "Killin' Time" – 3:30
  4. "Kypros" (instrumental) – 3:10
  5. "Bonfire" – 4:10

Side two

  1. "(I Never Wanted) To Be a Star" – 3:03
  2. "Crazy" – 3:33
  3. "Sweet Jamaica" – 3:31
  4. "Was Dog a Doughnut?" (instrumental) (Stevens, Bruce Lynch, Jean Roussel) – 4:15
  5. "Child for a Day" (Paul Travis, David Gordon) – 4:23

Personnel

Production

Charts

Singles

Cat Stevens duet with Elkie Brooks, "Remember the Days of the Old Schoolyard", [24] though Linda Lewis appears in the song's video. In Canada, the additional singles "Sweet Jamaica" and "Was Dog A Doughnut" reached numbers 98 and 79 respectively. [25] [26]

Chart 1977Peakref.
Australia Kent Music Report 18 [27]
Canadian Singles Chart RPM Top 10027 [28]
Canada Adult Contemporary RPM AC14 [29]
US Billboard Hot 100 33 [30]
US Adult Contemporary US AC 28 [30]
US Top 100 Singles Cashbox (magazine) 38 [31]
UK Singles Charts 44 [32]
France Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique 35 [33]

Certifications and sales

Certifications and sales for Izitso
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada) [34] Gold50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [35] Silver60,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<i>Minute by Minute</i> 1978 studio album by the Doobie Brothers

Minute by Minute is the eighth studio album by American rock band the Doobie Brothers, released on December 1, 1978, by Warner Bros. Records. It was their last album to include members John Hartman and Jeff "Skunk" Baxter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elkie Brooks</span> English singer

Elkie Brooks is an English rock, blues and jazz singer. She was a vocalist with the bands Dada and Vinegar Joe, and later became a solo artist. She gained her biggest success in the late 1970s and 1980s, releasing 13 UK Top 75 singles, and reached the top ten with "Pearl's a Singer", "Sunshine After the Rain" and "No More the Fool" (1986). She has been nominated twice for the Brit Awards.

<i>Endless Flight</i> 1976 studio album by Leo Sayer

Endless Flight is the fourth album by English singer-songwriter Leo Sayer, which was released in 1976. It was released in the US and Canada by Warner Bros. Records and in the UK by Chrysalis Records.

<i>Catch Bull at Four</i> 1972 studio album by Cat Stevens

Catch Bull at Four is the sixth studio album by Cat Stevens. The title is taken from one of the Ten Bulls of Zen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Can't Tell You Why</span> 1980 single by Eagles

"I Can't Tell You Why" is a song by the American rock band Eagles that appeared on their 1979 album The Long Run. It was written by band members Timothy B. Schmit, Glenn Frey and Don Henley. Recorded in March 1978, it was the first song finished for the album and the first Eagles song to feature Schmit on lead vocals. Released as a single in February 1980, it became a Billboard top 10 hit in April, reaching number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 and number three on the Adult Contemporary chart. It was the group's last top ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polymoog</span> Synthesizer model manufactured by Moog Music

The Polymoog is a hybrid polyphonic analog synthesizer that was manufactured by Moog Music from 1975 to 1980. The Polymoog was based on divide-down oscillator technology similar to electronic organs and string synthesizers of the time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The First Cut Is the Deepest</span> 1965 song written by Cat Stevens

"The First Cut Is the Deepest" is a 1967 song written by British singer-songwriter Cat Stevens, originally released by P. P. Arnold in April 1967. Stevens's own version originally appeared on his album New Masters in December 1967.

<i>Foreigner</i> (Cat Stevens album) 1973 studio album by Cat Stevens

Foreigner is the seventh studio album released by British-Emirati singer-songwriter Cat Stevens in July 1973. In addition to the minor hit "The Hurt", which received a moderate amount of airplay, Foreigner also included such songs as "100 I Dream" and the 18-minute-long "Foreigner Suite", which took up the entirety of side one.

<i>Numbers</i> (Cat Stevens album) 1975 studio album by Cat Stevens

Numbers is the ninth studio album, and the first concept album by singer/songwriter Cat Stevens released in November 1975.

<i>Back to Earth</i> (Cat Stevens album) 1978 studio album by Cat Stevens

Back to Earth is the eleventh studio album released by the British singer/songwriter Cat Stevens. It is the only album he recorded using the name Cat Stevens after his conversion to Islam until the release in September 2017 of The Laughing Apple, his fifteenth studio album. It was also the last album of contemporary Western music that he recorded until An Other Cup, 28 years later.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sweet Talkin' Woman</span> 1978 single by Electric Light Orchestra

"Sweet Talkin' Woman" is a 1978 single by Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) from the album Out of the Blue (1977). Its original title was "Dead End Street", but it was changed during recording. Some words that survived from that version can be heard in the opening of the third verse, "I've been livin' on a dead end street".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Give a Little Bit</span> 1977 single by Supertramp

"Give a Little Bit" is the opening song on Supertramp's 1977 album Even in the Quietest Moments... The song was released as a single that same year and became an international hit for the band, peaking at number 15 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart. It was a chart hit in the band's native UK, reaching number 29 on the UK Singles Chart. The single was re-released in 1992 to raise funds for the ITV Telethon Charity event, but failed to chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Year of the Cat (song)</span> 1976 single by Al Stewart

"Year of the Cat" is a song by Scottish singer-songwriter Al Stewart, released as a single in July 1976 in the UK. The song is the title track of his 1976 album Year of the Cat, and was recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London, in January 1976 by engineer Alan Parsons. The song peaked at number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the consecutive weeks of March 5 and 12, 1977. Although Stewart's highest placed single on that chart was 1978's "Time Passages", "Year of the Cat" has remained Stewart's signature recording, receiving regular airplay on both classic rock and folk rock stations.

<i>Passage</i> (The Carpenters album) 1977 studio album by The Carpenters

Passage is the eighth studio album by the American music duo The Carpenters. Released in 1977, it produced the hit singles "All You Get from Love Is a Love Song", "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft" and "Sweet, Sweet Smile". The Carpenters' "Sweet, Sweet Smile" was picked up by Country radio and put the duo in the top ten of Billboard's Country chart in the spring of 1978.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alternative Girlfriend</span> 1994 single by Barenaked Ladies

"Alternative Girlfriend" is a song by Canadian band Barenaked Ladies, written by Stephen Duffy and Steven Page, from their 1994 album Maybe You Should Drive. The song was released as the second single from the album and peaked at No. 22 on the Canadian RPM Top Singles chart and No. 4 on the RPM Adult Contemporary chart. It later appeared on their 2001 compilation, Disc One: All Their Greatest Hits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'm in You (song)</span> 1977 single by Peter Frampton

"I'm in You" is the hit song released by Peter Frampton as a single from his album I'm in You, released in 1977. The song is Frampton's biggest hit on charts around the world. It rose to No. 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Cash Box Top 100 and in Canada, becoming his most successful single.

<i>The Very Best of Cat Stevens</i> 1990 compilation album by Cat Stevens

The Very Best of Cat Stevens is the title of a compilation album by Cat Stevens. There are multiple albums released with this title. The first was released by Polygram on its recently acquired Island Records label in January 1990. Its cover picture appears to be a reference to the Teaser and the Firecat album cover; both feature a boy in a top hat, "Teaser", accompanied by an orange cat, "Firecat", beside a fence with a full moon overhead.

"Art for Art's Sake" is a single by 10cc released in 1975. It was taken from the How Dare You! album, and, in an edited version, reached No. 5 on the UK singles chart.

"(Remember the Days of the) Old Schoolyard" is a duet by English singer-songwriter Cat Stevens and Elkie Brooks. It was released as the lead single from his tenth studio album Izitso (1977).

This is the discography of English singer Elkie Brooks.

References

  1. "Izitso". connollyco.com. Retrieved 15 May 2011.
  2. 1 2 "Izitso". Allmusic . Retrieved 20 May 2012.
  3. David Toop (March 1996), "A-Z of Electro", The Wire , no. 145, retrieved 29 May 2011
  4. 1 2 Walters, Charley (28 July 1977). "Cat Stevens: Izitso". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 21 May 2012.
  5. "Was Dog a Doughnut? by Cat Stevens - Songfacts". www.songfacts.com. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
  6. "CAT STEVENS & RINGO STARR JAM SESSION". Majicat. Retrieved 14 July 2012.
  7. Reiter, Amy (14 August 1999). "People: Cat Stevens". Salon. p. 2. Archived from the original on 3 February 2009. Retrieved 11 February 2009.
  8. AllMusic review
  9. The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 671.
  10. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 293. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  11. "Austriancharts.at – Cat Stevens – Izitso" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
  12. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 3679a". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  13. "Dutchcharts.nl – Cat Stevens – Izitso" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
  14. Pennanen, Timo (2021). "Cat STEVENS". Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 (PDF). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 246. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  15. "Offiziellecharts.de – Cat Stevens – Izitso" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
  16. "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 18 June 2022.Set "Tipo" on "Album". Then, in the "Titolo" field, search "Izitso".
  17. "Charts.nz – Cat Stevens – Izitso". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
  18. "Norwegiancharts.com – Cat Stevens – Izitso". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
  19. Salaverri, Fernando (2015). Sólo éxitos 1959–2012 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN   978-84-8048-866-2.
  20. "Swedishcharts.com – Cat Stevens – Izitso". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
  21. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
  22. "Cat Stevens Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
  23. "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. 1977. Archived from the original on 24 October 2021. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  24. "Songfacts". Cat Stevens Songfacts. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  25. "RPM Top 100 Singles - November 5, 1977" (PDF).
  26. "RPM Top 100 Singles - December 31, 1977" (PDF).
  27. "Australian Charts Book". Australian Charts. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  28. "RPM Top 100 Singles - August 20, 1977" (PDF).
  29. "RPM Top AC Singles - August 27, 1977" (PDF).
  30. 1 2 "Cat Stevens Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  31. "Cashbox Singles Charts" (PDF). Cashbox. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  32. "Cat Stevens Chart History: Top 75". Official Charts. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  33. "Cat Stevens Chart History: Top 75". France Charts. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  34. "Canadian album certifications – Cat Stevens – Izitso". Music Canada . Retrieved 11 June 2019.
  35. "British album certifications – Cat Stevens – Izitso". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 11 June 2019.