‘Morning Has Broken,’ and So Has the News of a New Yusuf/Cat Stevens Box Set
Days after Yusuf/Cat Stevens released a global version of “Peace Train,” the singer-songwriter has announced a new box set in honor of the 50th anniversary of Teaser and the Firecat.
Firecat, Stevens’ third album and follow-up to Tea for the Tillerman, was originally released in October 1971. In addition to “Peace Train,” it included gems like “Moonshadow,” “The Wind,” “Rubylove,” and “Morning Has Broken,” the latter of which featured Yes’ Rick Wakeman on piano. To accompany the announcement, Yusuf has dropped an intimate demo of “Moonshadow” from 1970, which you can hear above.
The “super deluxe edition” box set, out November 12th, contains 41 previously unreleased audio tracks and 21 live performances, across four CDs, Blu-Ray, two LPs, and a seven-inch record. Similar to when Yusuf rerecorded Tillerman in full, the edition contains a new version of the Firecat track “Bitterblue,” titled “Bitterblue².”
Encased in a clamshell box, the collection also includes a hard-cover essay book and a replica of the original Teaser and Firecat book, which has been out of print since the Seventies. The massive reissue follows last year’s box set for Tillerman, a classic that was featured on Rolling Stone‘s 500 Greatest Albums podcast.
Teaser and the Firecat Super Deluxe Edition Box Set
CD 1: Teaser and the Firecat (50th Anniversary Remaster)
1. The Wind
2. Rubylove
3. If I Laugh
4. Changes IV
5. How Can I Tell You
6. Tuesday’s Dead
7. Morning Has Broken
8. Bitterblue
9. Moonshadow
10. Peace Train
CD 2: Demos, Alternate Versions, Bonus Tracks
1. The Wind (Dubville Sessions 2020)
2. Rubylove (Studio Demo)
3. If I Laugh (Studio Demo)
4. Changes IV (Alternate Mix, 1971)
5. How Can I Tell You (Studio Demo)
6. Tuesday’s Dead (Studio Demo)
7. Morning Has Broken (Basing Street Rehearsal)
8. Bitterblue (Basing Street Rehearsal)
9. Moonshadow (Olympic Studio Demo, 1970)
10. Peace Train (Extended String Mix, 1971)
11. The Day They Make Me Tsar (Studio Demo)
12. I Want to Live in a Wigwam
13. Fisherman Song (Studio Demo)
14. Changes IV (Studio Demo)
15. Tuesday’s Dead (Alternate Mix, 1971)
16. Morning Has Broken (Studio Demo)
17. Bitterblue² (Reimagined 2021)
CD 3: Live On Air, UK, 1971
1. Moonshadow (BBC Radio Session, 8th November 1970)
2. Tuesday’s Dead (BBC Radio Session, 23rd March 1971)
3. How Can I Tell You (BBC Radio Session, 23rd March 1971)
4. Peace Train (BBC Radio Session, 23rd March 1971)
5. Moonshadow (BBC Radio Session, 23rd March 1971)
6. Bitterblue (BBC Radio Session, 23rd March 1971)
7. Moonshadow (Out Front: Cat Stevens And Friends, Yorkshire Television, 7th September 1971)
8. Where Do the Children Play? (Out Front: Cat Stevens And Friends, Yorkshire Television, 7th September 1971)
9. Longer Boats (Out Front: Cat Stevens And Friends, Yorkshire Television, 7th September 1971)
10. Tuesday’s Dead (Out Front: Cat Stevens And Friends, Yorkshire Television, 7th September 1971)
11. Sad Lisa (Out Front: Cat Stevens And Friends, Yorkshire Television, 7th September 1971)
12. Hard Headed Woman (Out Front: Cat Stevens And Friends, Yorkshire Television, 7th September 1971)
13. Father and Son (Out Front: Cat Stevens And Friends, Yorkshire Television, 7th September 1971)
14. If I Laugh (The Old Grey Whistle Test, BBC TV, 5th October 1971)
15. Changes IV (The Old Grey Whistle Test, BBC TV, 5th October 1971)
16. Moonshadow (Cat Stevens In Concert, BBC TV, 27th November 1971)
17. Tuesday’s Dead (Cat Stevens In Concert, BBC TV, 27th November 1971)
18. How Can I Tell You (Cat Stevens In Concert, BBC TV, 27th November 1971)
19. Bitterblue (Cat Stevens In Concert, BBC TV, 27th November 1971)
20. Changes IV (Cat Stevens In Concert, BBC TV, 27th November 1971)
CD 4: Live In Montreux, 2nd May 1971
1. Intro (Live In Montreux, 2nd May 1971)
2. Hard Headed Woman (Live In Montreux, 2nd May 1971)
3. On the Road to Find Out (Live In Montreux, 2nd May 1971)
4. Wild World (Live In Montreux, 2nd May 1971)
5. Longer Boats (Live In Montreux, 2nd May 1971)
6. Maybe You’re Right (Live In Montreux, 2nd May 1971)
7. Sad Lisa (Live In Montreux, 2nd May 1971)
8. Miles From Nowhere (Live In Montreux, 2nd May 1971)
9. Katmandu (Live In Montreux, 2nd May 1971)
10. Lady D’Arbanville (Live In Montreux, 2nd May 1971)
11. Father And Son (Live In Montreux, 2nd May 1971)
12. Where Do the Children Play? (Live In Montreux, 2nd May 1971)
13. Peace Train (Live In Montreux, 2nd May 1971)
Blu-Ray: HD 24bit/48kHz Audio
Teaser and the Firecat (50th Anniversary Remaster)
1. The Wind
2. Rubylove
3. If I Laugh
4. Changes IV
5. How Can I Tell You
6. Tuesday’s Dead
7. Morning Has Broken
8. Bitterblue
9. Moonshadow
10. Peace Train
Video
1. The Wind
2. Moonshadow
Cat Stevens Live In Montreux, Switzerland (2nd May 1971)
1. Longer Boats
2. Sad Lisa
3. Wild World
4. Katmandu
5. Lady D’Arbanville
6. Where Do the Children Play?
7. Peace Train
Out Front: Cat Stevens And Friends (Yorkshire TV) (7th September 1971)
1. Moonshadow
2. Where Do the Children Play?
3. Longer Boats
4. Tuesday’s Dead
5. Sad Lisa
6. Hard Headed Woman
7. Father And Son
The Old Grey Whistle Test (BBC TV) (5th October 1971)
1. If I Laugh
2. Changes IV
Cat Stevens In Concert (BBC TV) (27th November 1971)
1. Moon Shadow
2. Tuesday’s Dead
3. How Can I Tell You
4. Bitterblue
5. Changes IV
LP1: Teaser and the Firecat (Alternative Versions)
1. The Wind (Dubville Sessions 2020)
2. Rubylove (Studio Demo)
3. If I Laugh (Studio Demo)
4. Changes IV (Studio Demo)
5. How Can I Tell You (Studio Demo)
1. Tuesday’s Dead (Studio Demo)
2. Morning Has Broken (Basing Street Rehearsal)
3. Bitterblue (Basing Street Rehearsal)
4. Moonshadow (Olympic Studio Demo, 1970)
5. Peace Train (Extended String Mix, 1971)
LP2, Side 1: Live In Montreux, 2nd May 1971
1. Hard Headed Woman
2. Wild World
3. Lady D’Arbanville
4. Father And Son
5. Peace Train
LP2, Side 1: Live At The BBC, 1971
1. Moonshadow (BBC Radio Session, 23rd March 1971)
2. If I Laugh (The Old Grey Whistle Test, 5th October 1971)
3. Tuesday’s Dead (Cat Stevens In Concert, 27th November 1971)
4. How Can I Tell You (Cat Stevens In Concert, 27th November 1971)
5. Bitterblue (Cat Stevens In Concert, 27th November 1971)
6. Changes IV (Cat Stevens In Concert, 27th November 1971)
7″ Single
1. Moonshadow
2. Spike Milligan narration