Cat Stevens to return this summer with a new album

NEW YORK (AP) – Legendary British singer-songwriter Cat Stevens will release a new album of original songs this summer, taking the “Peace Train” hitmaker more than a decade to create and re-create familiar themes of togetherness .

The 12-song collection is called “King of a Land” and comes out in June on Dark Horse Records, founded by George Harrison. The album cover illustration shows a boy playing guitar on top of the earth, as a cat pulls and puffs a train along a track.

The first single is the cheerful, family-friendly “Take the World Apart”, with the lyrics “I’ll tear the world apart / Find a place for a peaceful heart.”

“The source of musical inspiration for this song came from the 50s. The melodious harmonies and chords have an enchanting effect on the ears. Life was simple then: the lonely heart longing for love,” he said in a statement to The Associated Press.

The album reunited Stevens with producer Paul Samwell-Smith, who produced three Stevens albums between 1970–72 – “Tea for the Tillerman,” “Teaser and the Firecat” and “Catch the Bull at Four.”

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Stevens, also known as Yusuf, the name he took when he converted to Islam, has been a respected author since releasing his debut in 1967. He had a string of Top 40 hits from “Peace Train”. and “Morning Has Broken” from “Wild World”. He was named in the coveted Legends slot at Glastonbury this summer.

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Mark Kennedy is in