The Most Noteworthy Of Cat Stevens’ Session Musicians

Cat Stevens was a vastly thriving people-rock singer of the late 60’s and 70’s, making the most of substantial achievements and recognition on both equally sides of the Atlantic.

In late 1969, his recorded output took a marked alter, once he’d dispensed with the production companies of previous Springfields guitarist Mike Hurst and recruited the ex-Yardbirds bass participant Paul Samwell Smith. The latter looked a lot more favourably on the new folks-rock path Stevens wanted to take and, with a new file offer signed for Chris Blackwell’s Island Information, Cat was equipped to embark on a fruitful interval of composing and recording.

Prior to the crystallisation of this new direction, the likes of Peter Gabriel had played flute on Mona Bone Jakon, while Nicky Hopkins experienced also played keyboards on the same album, acquiring contributed electrical piano to The Beatles’ Revolution among other items. On the other hand, Samwell Smith was now critical to shaping Stevens’ new sound, inasmuch as he launched new session gamers to him who would be vital to the producing of his groundbreaking Island albums.

Arguably, the incredibly very best of any of Cat Stevens’ session musicians was a guitarist by the name of Alun Davies, also identified as Daydo to all those in the tunes business (this nickname becoming the title of his very first solo album, much too, in the mid 70s). Davies was a popular exponent of the new people-rock style then rising and his finger-type guitar, compatible backing vocals and his all round perfectionist method tallied exceedingly well with Stevens, so significantly so that he went on to appear on all but two of Stevens’ albums prior to his retirement.

Stevens’ withdrawal from the songs small business in 1979 left Davies at a particularly low ebb, but this sort of was their friendship that, 27 several years later when Stevens re-emerged as Yusuf, Davies was when again at his facet, making an a must have contribution.

Other notable session players who participated on Cat Stevens’ output included: vocalist Linda Lewis, who had solo hits herself in the 70’s Herbie Bouquets who is maybe improved recognized as the bassist with the rock/classical conglomerate Sky (and for his bass line on Lou Reed’s Wander On The Wild Facet) David Sanborn, a saxophonist of some renown Brenda Russell, who experienced a solo strike in the 80’s with her have music Piano In The Dim Artwork Garfunkel, who sang on the Figures album Chick Corea, the prestigious keyboard participant, not long ago deceased (2021), a member of The Mahavishnu Orchestra and his possess Return To Forever challenge, who performed on the Izitso album – and lastly, Elkie Brooks who sang prominently on the strike track Recall The Times Of The Aged Schoolyard.

Leave a Reply