Cat Stevens Reimagines ‘Tea for the Tillerman’ for 50th Anniversary, Shares Revamped “Where Do the Children Play?”
To mark the 50th anniversary of Tea for the Tillerman, Yusuf (aka Cat Stevens) will release Tea for the Tillerman², a reimagining of his multi-platinum selling album. Along with news of the record, Stevens shared a revamped rendition of “Where do the Children Play?” You can stream and download it now, here. Cat Stevens/Yusuf will premiere a video for the song on June 4, 2020 June 11, 2020.
T4TT² finds the now 71-year-old musician recasting the eleven songs on the seminal 1970 album through today’s lens. The idea for the re-recording aptly came out of a conversation between Cat Stevens/Yusuf and his son on how to celebrate the LP’s half-century milestone. Once set on the concept, the artist assembled some key players from the first album, including producer Paul Samwell-Smith and guitarist Alun Davies. They then embarked on recording it last summer at La Fabrique Studios in France.
Of the update, Cat Stevens/Yusuf said in a statement:
‘Though my songwriting adventures were never limited to Tillerman, the songs on that album certainly defined me and pointed the way for my mysterious life’s journey. Since those originative sessions in Morgan Studios, Willesden, in 1970, Tillerman has grown and developed its own gravitas and influence on music history and as the soundtrack to so many people’s lives. Like it was destiny waiting to happen, T4TT² feels like the timing of its message has arrived again.
Cat Stevens/Yusuf also shared the cover artwork for T4TT², which is a riff on the original. Set in the nighttime, the Tillerman sips tea while decked out in a spacesuit. The same two children, Grady and Timmy, play nearby but are now outfitted with the latest gadgetry.
The artist hinted at the project on his social media. On Earth Day he shared a short animation set to “Where do the Children Play?” It featured kids playing in streets filled with empty plastic bottles. Then last week, on International Tea Day, he posted the message, “Something’s brewing.” You can find both messages below.
A 50th-anniversary Tea for the Tillerman tour was set to launch this summer in Europe. The musician was going to add dates in North America and Australasia. Sadly, with the COVID-19 pandemic, it is all on hold.
Tea for the Tillerman² is due out September 18, 2020, via UMC and can be pre-ordered now, here. Bundles and discounts are available.
