Cat StevensCat Stevens (born July 21, 1948) was the stage name of a popular singer-songwriter during the 1970s. Born Stephen Demetre Georgiou in London to a Greek Cypriot father and Swedish mother, he has since changed his name to Yusuf Islam after converting to Islam. Early lifeAlthough Stevens had Greek Orthodox blood, he went to a Roman Catholic school. His parents ran a restaurant in Shaftesbury Avenue and they lived above it together with his older brother and sister. When he was about eight, his parents divorced, although both continued to live above the restaurant. His mother later moved back to Sweden, and Stevens briefly went with her and attended school there for six months. He went to art school at 17, and at 18 had his first hit with "I Love My Dog". Career and conversionStevens published several songs in the late 1960s and went on tour, with moderate success. In late 1967, at age 19, he entered a hospital and was diagnosed with tuberculosis; his career seemed over. But it was in the early 1970s that the public really began to discover Stevens' music. In the ten years after 1967 he sold 40 million albums. His most popular songs included "Peace Train", "Morning Has Broken", "Moon Shadow", "Wild World", "Father and Son", "Matthew and Son", and "Oh Very Young". Many of them were performed only with him playing either the guitar or piano. In 1971 he also wrote music specifically for the film Harold and Maude. For several decades two of these songs were unavailable except in the film; but have since been released on the disc Footsteps in the Dark. He also had a hit with a cover of Sam Cooke's "Another Saturday Night". According to an episode of VH1's Behind The Music, Stevens nearly drowned in a freak accident near the end of the 1970s. He pleaded with God to save him. Stevens was known to comment, "I said 'please, God, I'll do anything for you, I'll work for you...'" And thus, Stevens began to find peace with himself and began his transition to Islam (interestingly, a song from his 1972 album Catch Bull At Four, entitled "Boy With A Moon And Star On His Head," may have been a sign of things to come). He converted to that faith in 1978, changed his name to Yusuf Islam, and abandoned his previous career as a pop star. In September 2004 it was reported that he may release a new version of "Father and Son". In December of that year, he released it in time for the Christmas singles chart, and it debuted at #2, behind Band Aid 20's "Do They Know It's Christmas?". "Father And Son's" proceeds were also going towards the Band Aid charity. The song was a duet with Ronan Keating, the lead singer of Boyzone, which has already had a hit with a cover version of the song. Muslim faith and Islam's musical careerFollowing his conversion to Islam, Yusuf Islam at one point wrote to the record companies, asking that his music no longer be distributed; the request was denied. In 1985, Islam, aware of the world hunger problem gripping Ethiopia, decided to return to the public spotlight for the first time since his religious conversion in the historic Live Aid concert, and wrote a special song for the occasion. But because of the already growing number of artists who had already been signed to perform, Stevens/Islam never got the opportunity to perform publicly at that time. He has since resumed making (Islamic) music, choosing to use only the human voice and basic percussion instruments in the compositions. He has also released the album A is for Allah, an instruction for children. He has been instrumental in creating a web site called Mountain of Light (link below). In 2003 he recorded "Peace Train" once more for a compilation CD which included David Bowie and Paul McCartney and performed in Nelson Mandela's 46664 concert with Peter Gabriel, recording and performing music in English for the first time after 25 years. "This issue of music in Islam is not as cut-and-dried as I was led to believe," he said. "I relied on hearsay, that was perhaps my mistake." Today, as Yusuf Islam, he lives with his wife and five children in London, where he is an active member of the Muslim community. He has founded the charities Muslim Aid and Small Kindness to assist African famine victims. He also has and continues to have authority in any reissue of his songs and albums made as Cat Stevens in the 1970s. A box set of Stevens/Islam's music, as well as remastered versions of his original albums, has since been released on CD. His web site today lists his available albums. He states that much of the royalties are given to charity.
ControversiesSalman Rushdie commentsYusuf Islam's comments in 1989 supporting the death sentence for Salman Rushdie after the publication of Rushdie's novel The Satanic Verses provoked controversy. During this time period an Iranian fatwa (religious ruling) was issued, holding that it was an obligation of Muslims to kill Salman Rushdie. In a February 21, 1989 address at Kingston Polytechnic (now known as Kingston University), Islam stated that The Satanic Verses is a blasphemous book, and that under Islamic law, a person found guilty of blasphemy must be put to death. In February 1989, "Salman Rushdie, indeed any writer who abuses the prophet or indeed any prophet under Islamic law, the sentence for that is actually death." This led to a public outcry, and a drop in record sales. In response to this criticism, Yusuf Islam has since further clarified that he believes that a death sentence can only be carried out by the authority of a court in an Islamic society, and that he is opposed to anyone taking the law into their own hands by murdering Rushdie. [1] (http://catstevens.com/articles/00013/index.html) Denial of entry to the United StatesOn September 21, 2004, Yusuf Islam was travelling on United Airlines Flight 919 from London to Washington. While the plane was in flight, the Advanced Passenger Information System flagged Islam's name as being on a no-fly list. Customs agents alerted the Transportation Security Administration, which then diverted his flight to Bangor, Maine, where he was detained by the FBI. The following day, Islam was deported to England. The US Transportation Security Administration claimed there were "concerns of ties he may have to potential terrorist-related activities". The United States Department of Homeland Security specifically alleged that he had provided funding to the Palestinian Islamic militant group Hamas, but did not back this allegation up with any evidence. His deportation provoked a small international controversy and led British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw to complain personally to Secretary of State Colin Powell at the United Nations. This "watch list" is currently under review, according to Powell. "I think we have that obligation to review these matters to see if we are right," said the US Secretary of State. On October 1, 2004, it was reported that Islam has asked to have his name be removed from that list. "I remain bewildered by the decision of the US authorities to refuse me entry to the United States," he is quoted as saying. Man of PeaceOn 10 November 2004, Islam was presented with a "Man of Peace" award in a ceremony in Rome, Italy that was attended by five Nobel Peace Prize laureates. The award was presented by Mikhail Gorbachev of the Gorbachev Foundation for Islam's dedication to promote peace, the reconciliation of people and to condemn terrorism. Libel action against The Sun and The Sunday TimesOn 15 February 2005 Islam won substantial libel damages against two British newspaper, The Sun and The Sunday Times. The papers had made entirely fictitious statements the previous October, arguing that the US authorities were right to prevent Islam's entry into that country. Both newspapers acknowledged that Mr Islam is not, and never has been, involved in or supported terrorism, and that he abhors all such activities. They also noted that Mr Islam was recently presented with the Man for Peace award. Mr Islam said he was "delighted by the settlement" which he said "helps vindicate my character and good name". "It seems to be the easiest thing in the world these days to make scurrilous accusations against Muslims, and in my case it directly impacts on my relief work and damages my reputation as an artist. "The harm done is often difficult to repair." Islam intends to donate the damages paid to him in recompense for the libels published by the newspapers to projects he himself has started to help orphans of the Asian tsunami. Discography (albums)This list excludes the many compilation albums which have been made. The years link to the relevant year in music. As Cat Stevens:
As Yusuf Islam:
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As Yusuf Islam:. The result was Les Rhythmes Automatiques, which vanished into obscurity, but not before apparently inspiring Kraftwerk to do the same for their album The Mix in 1991. As Cat Stevens:. In 1989, Telex revisited all of their old tracks and remixed them to resemble the house music and other genres they had allegedly inspired. The years link to the relevant year in music. Predictably, the album had no commercial success. This list excludes the many compilation albums which have been made. It was social commentary, but so bizarre as to be almost incomprehensible to most listeners. Islam intends to donate the damages paid to him in recompense for the libels published by the newspapers to projects he himself has started to help orphans of the Asian tsunami. "Temporary Chicken", for example, was a strange joke track about a man so desperate for work that he accepts a part time job in a chicken costume. "The harm done is often difficult to repair.". By then, the band's earlier sound had influenced many other groups, but they had abandoned it in favor of sampling (music) and a more up-tempo humorous style. "It seems to be the easiest thing in the world these days to make scurrilous accusations against Muslims, and in my case it directly impacts on my relief work and damages my reputation as an artist. In 1986, Warner Brothers inexplicably signed Telex and released Looney Tunes. Mr Islam said he was "delighted by the settlement" which he said "helps vindicate my character and good name". The fourth Telex album, Wonderful World, was barely distributed. They also noted that Mr Islam was recently presented with the Man for Peace award. However, the band still refused to play live and preferred to remain anonymous — common practice in the techno music artists they later inspired, but unusual in 1981. Both newspapers acknowledged that Mr Islam is not, and never has been, involved in or supported terrorism, and that he abhors all such activities. For their third album, Sex, Telex enlisted the suddenly hip US group Sparks to help write the lyrics. The papers had made entirely fictitious statements the previous October, arguing that the US authorities were right to prevent Islam's entry into that country. The self-mockery of tracks like "We Are All Getting Old" didn't help either. On 15 February 2005 Islam won substantial libel damages against two British newspaper, The Sun and The Sunday Times. All of this was clearly bad news for the band's English record label, Virgin Records, who were trying to pass them off as part of the New Romantic movement. The award was presented by Mikhail Gorbachev of the Gorbachev Foundation for Islam's dedication to promote peace, the reconciliation of people and to condemn terrorism.. Sadly, Turkey managed to scrape last place, robbing Telex of their victory. On 10 November 2004, Islam was presented with a "Man of Peace" award in a ceremony in Rome, Italy that was attended by five Nobel Peace Prize laureates. When the vote-counting began, the verdict was so clear that when Greece actually awarded Belgium three points, the announcer thought she had misheard and tried to award the points to The Netherlands. "I remain bewildered by the decision of the US authorities to refuse me entry to the United States," he is quoted as saying. Finally, some polite but uncertain applause broke out, amidst sounds of muttering. On October 1, 2004, it was reported that Islam has asked to have his name be removed from that list. One of the members of Telex stepped forward and took a photograph of the bewildered audience. "I think we have that obligation to review these matters to see if we are right," said the US Secretary of State. The audience clearly wasn't sure how to react to this self-referential joke, and after the band stopped playing there was a stunned silence. This "watch list" is currently under review, according to Powell. Their song "Eurovision" was a cheerful bleepy song with deliberately banal lyrics about the contest itself. His deportation provoked a small international controversy and led British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw to complain personally to Secretary of State Colin Powell at the United Nations. In 1980 Telex's manager asked them to enter for the Eurovision Song Contest. They did so, and somehow managed to get sent to the finals. The United States Department of Homeland Security specifically alleged that he had provided funding to the Palestinian Islamic militant group Hamas, but did not back this allegation up with any evidence. Like Kraftwerk, Telex built their music entirely from electronic instruments, and the sounds of the two groups have a certain similarity. However, unlike Kraftwerk's studied Teutonic irony, Telex favour a more joyously irreverent humour. The following day, Islam was deported to England. The US Transportation Security Administration claimed there were "concerns of ties he may have to potential terrorist-related activities". They followed up with an ultra-slow cover of "Rock Around the Clock", a hilariously relaxed and dispassionate version of one-hit-wonder Plastic Bertrand's punk song "Ça Plane Pour Moi", and a perversely mechanical cover of "Dance to the Music", originally by Sly Stone. Customs agents alerted the Transportation Security Administration, which then diverted his flight to Bangor, Maine, where he was detained by the FBI. Tropez" by Les Chats Sauvages. While the plane was in flight, the Advanced Passenger Information System flagged Islam's name as being on a no-fly list. Mixing the aesthetics of disco, punk and experimental electronic music, they released a stripped-down synthesized cover version of "Twist à St. On September 21, 2004, Yusuf Islam was travelling on United Airlines Flight 919 from London to Washington. The Belgian pop group Telex was formed in 1978 by Marc Moulin, Dan Lacksman and Michel Moers, as a kind of elaborate joke. [1] (http://catstevens.com/articles/00013/index.html). I Don't Like Remixes 1998 (remixed by Carl Craig and others). In response to this criticism, Yusuf Islam has since further clarified that he believes that a death sentence can only be carried out by the authority of a court in an Islamic society, and that he is opposed to anyone taking the law into their own hands by murdering Rushdie. I Don't Like Music 1998 (a 'best-of' compilation). In February 1989, "Salman Rushdie, indeed any writer who abuses the prophet or indeed any prophet under Islamic law, the sentence for that is actually death." This led to a public outcry, and a drop in record sales. Belgium...One Point 1993 (a box set of the first five albums plus bonus tracks). In a February 21, 1989 address at Kingston Polytechnic (now known as Kingston University), Islam stated that The Satanic Verses is a blasphemous book, and that under Islamic law, a person found guilty of blasphemy must be put to death. Les Rhythmes Automatiques 1989. During
this time period an Iranian fatwa (religious ruling) was issued, holding that it was an
obligation of Muslims to kill Salman Rushdie. Looney
Tunes 1986. Yusuf Islam's comments in 1989 supporting the death sentence for Salman Rushdie after the publication of Rushdie's novel The Satanic Verses provoked controversy. Wonderful World 1984. His web site today lists his available albums. Tropez 1978. A box set of Stevens/Islam's music, as well as remastered versions of his original albums, has since been released on CD. Looking For St. He also has and continues to have authority in any reissue of his songs and albums made as Cat Stevens in the 1970s. He has founded the charities Muslim Aid and Small Kindness to assist African famine victims. Today, as Yusuf Islam, he lives with his wife and five children in London, where he is an active member of the Muslim community. "I relied on hearsay, that was perhaps my mistake.". "This issue of music in Islam is not as cut-and-dried as I was led to believe," he said. In 2003 he recorded "Peace Train" once more for a compilation CD which included David Bowie and Paul McCartney and performed in Nelson Mandela's 46664 concert with Peter Gabriel, recording and performing music in English for the first time after 25 years. He has been instrumental in creating a web site called Mountain of Light (link below). He has also released the album A is for Allah, an instruction for children. He has since resumed making (Islamic) music, choosing to use only the human voice and basic percussion instruments in the compositions. But because of the already growing number of artists who had already been signed to perform, Stevens/Islam never got the opportunity to perform publicly at that time. In 1985, Islam, aware of the world hunger problem gripping Ethiopia, decided to return to the public spotlight for the first time since his religious conversion in the historic Live Aid concert, and wrote a special song for the occasion. Following his conversion to Islam, Yusuf Islam at one point wrote to the record companies, asking that his music no longer be distributed; the request was denied. The song was a duet with Ronan Keating, the lead singer of Boyzone, which has already had a hit with a cover version of the song. "Father And Son's" proceeds were also going towards the Band Aid charity. In December of that year, he released it in time for the Christmas singles chart, and it debuted at #2, behind Band Aid 20's "Do They Know It's Christmas?". In September 2004 it was reported that he may release a new version of "Father and Son". He converted to that faith in 1978, changed his name to Yusuf Islam, and abandoned his previous career as a pop star. Stevens was known to comment, "I said 'please, God, I'll do anything for you, I'll work for you...'" And thus, Stevens began to find peace with himself and began his transition to Islam (interestingly, a song from his 1972 album Catch Bull At Four, entitled "Boy With A Moon And Star On His Head," may have been a sign of things to come). He pleaded with God to save him. According to an episode of VH1's Behind The Music, Stevens nearly drowned in a freak accident near the end of the 1970s. He also had a hit with a cover of Sam Cooke's "Another Saturday Night". For several decades two of these songs were unavailable except in the film; but have since been released on the disc Footsteps in the Dark. In 1971 he also wrote music specifically for the film Harold and Maude. Many of them were performed only with him playing either the guitar or piano. His most popular songs included "Peace Train", "Morning Has Broken", "Moon Shadow", "Wild World", "Father and Son", "Matthew and Son", and "Oh Very Young". In the ten years after 1967 he sold 40 million albums. But it was in the early 1970s that the public really began to discover Stevens' music. In late 1967, at age 19, he entered a hospital and was diagnosed with tuberculosis; his career seemed over. Stevens published several songs in the late 1960s and went on tour, with moderate success. He went to art school at 17, and at 18 had his first hit with "I Love My Dog". His mother later moved back to Sweden, and Stevens briefly went with her and attended school there for six months. When he was about eight, his parents divorced, although both continued to live above the restaurant. His parents ran a restaurant in Shaftesbury Avenue and they lived above it together with his older brother and sister. Although Stevens had Greek Orthodox blood, he went to a Roman Catholic school. Born Stephen Demetre Georgiou in London to a Greek Cypriot father and Swedish mother, he has since changed his name to Yusuf Islam after converting to Islam. Cat Stevens (born July 21, 1948) was the stage name of a popular singer-songwriter during the 1970s. A is for Allah (2000). Prayers of the Last Prophet (1999). The Life of the Last Prophet (1995). Box Set (2001) compilation containing many rarities and live tracks. Back to Earth (1978). Izitso (1977). Numbers (1975). Saturnight (1974). Buddha and the Chocolate Box (1974). Foreigner (1973). Catch Bull at Four (1972). Teaser and the Firecat (1971). Tea for the Tillerman (1970). Mona Bone Jakon (1970). New Masters (1967). Matthew and Son (1966). |