Cat Stevens - Where Are You? (1975)

Steven Georgiou was born on 21 July 1948 in the Marylebone area of London, the youngest child of a Greek Cypriot father and a Swedish mother. At 15, inspired by the popularity of the Beatles, he became interested in the guitar, and persuaded his father to pay £8 for his first instrument, and began playing it and writing songs. In 1965 he began performing under the name Steve Adams, and his goal was to become a songwriter, being influenced by bands such as The Beatles, The Kinks, Bob Dylan, Nina Simone, Paul Simon, and blues artists Lead Belly and Muddy Waters. In 1966, at age 18, he was heard by manager/producer Mike Hurst, who arranged for him to record a demo and helped him get a record deal, changing his name along the way to Cat Stevens (after a girlfriend told him he had eyes like a cat). Stevens's first singles were hits, with 'I Love My Dog' reaching number 28 on the UK Singles Chart, and 'Matthew and Son', the title song from his debut album, peaking at number 2, quickly followed by his second top ten release with 'I'm Gonna Get Me a Gun'.
In 1969 Stevens contracted tuberculosis, and was close to death at the time of his admittance to the King Edward VII Hospital in Midhurst. He spent months recuperating in the hospital, followed by a year of convalescence, and during this time he began to question aspects of his life and spirituality. As  part of his spiritual awakening and questioning he wrote as many as 40 songs, many of which would appear on his albums in years to come. He managed to get out of his contract with Deram, who he felt was not listening to what he wanted to do with his music, and was offered a deal with Island Records by Chris Blackwell. His first album in his new folk-rock style was 'Mona Bone Jakon', and he had another top ten hit single with 'Lady D'Arbanville' which was taken from it. This album was the beginning of Stevens' most successful period, with albums and singles topping the charts throughout the early 70's. Because he had so many songs in his stockpile he was able to add new ones to the b-sides of his singles, and other unheard recordings have since turned up on box sets and expanded editions of his albums. 
In 1971, Stevens provided nine songs for the soundtrack of the black comedy 'Harold and Maude', bringing his music to a wider audience, and among the songs were two, 'Don't Be Shy' and 'If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out', which were not released on any album at the time. This collection covers Stevens' entire career, from the orchestral pop of 'I'm Gonna Get Me A Gun' and 'A Bad Night', plus their flips, through to the 1969 'View From The Top' single and it's beautiful b-side, and also includes a track from the 'Harold And Maude' soundtrack, a couple of non-album singles, and a lovely out-take in 'Love Lives In The Sky'. As you listen to these seldom heard songs you can hear the newly mature songwriter emerge after the 1969 single, and point the way to what was to be his most successful period as a singer/songwriter. 

Track listing

01 I'm Gonna Get Me A Gun (single 1967)
02 School Is Out (b-side of 'I'm Gonna Get Me A Gun')
03 A Bad Night (single 1967)
04 Lovely City (When Do You Laugh) (single 1968)
05 Image Of Hell (b-side of 'Lovely City (When Do You Laugh)')
06 Here Comes My Wife (single 1968)
07 It's A Supa (Dupa) Life (b-side of 'Here Comes My Wife')
08 The View From The Top (single 1969)
09 Where Are You? (b-side of 'The View From The Top')
10 I Want To Live In A Wigwam (b-side of 'Morning Has Broken' 1971)
11 If You Want To Sing Out, Sing Out (from the film 'Harold And Maude' 1971)
12 Another Saturday Night (single 1974)
13 Love Lives In The Sky (previously unreleased)
14 Two Fine People (single 1975)
15 Crab Dance (b-side of 'Sitting' 1973)