🎵 AotW AOTW: Cat Stevens TEA FOR THE TILLERMAN (A&M SP 4280)

[LPJim]

CAT STEVENS
Tea For The Tillerman
A&M SP 4280

Cat Stevens' second A&M album entered the Billboard Top 200 on 2/6/71 and charted for 79 weeks, peaking at #2, according to Whitburn's "Top Pop Albums" guidebook.

Side One: Where Do the Children Play 3:48/ Hard Headed Woman 3:42/ Wild World 3:15/ Sad Lisa 3:39/ Miles From Nowhere 3:30.

Side Two: But I Might Die Tonight (from the film 'Deep End') 1:51/ Longer Boats 3:07/ Into White 3:23/ On the Road to Find Out 5:07/ Father & Son (from the film 'Revolusia') 3:36/ Tea For the Tilleman 1:00.

All songs by Cat Stevens, published by Irving Music Inc. BMI/ guitar and keyboards, Cat Stevens/ 2nd guitar Alun Davies/ bass John Ryan/ drums Harvey Burns/ solo violin John Rostein/ strings arranged by Del Newman/ produced by Paul Samwell-Smith/ front illustration by Cat Stevens/ photograph: Shep.

Reissued first as CD 4280 (DIDX 583) and later as a remaster.
JB

 

[Steven J. Gross]

This is my favorite Cat Stevens album!

 

[sbsugar]

Great album. Absolutely in my top 20 favorite albums.

On a side note.....does anyone know what album was ahead of it at #1?

 

[Harry]

My copy of Whitburn's book lists Tea For The Tillerman only reaching number 8 on the album charts, with a chart entry date of 2/13/71. The following album for Cat, Teaser And The Firecat reached number 2 later in the year, charting on 10/16/71. And one more year later, in the fall of 72, his third A&M album Catch Bull At Four would hit number 1 on the charts.

Harry
...checking the charts, online...

 

[LPJim]

You're right; TEA peaked at #8. I've got to quit typing late at night.
In the fall of 1972 I attended a Cat Stevens concert, shortly after CATCH BULL was released.
JB

 

[W.B.]

I'm curious as to the peak position of the main single taken from the album, "Wild World" (c/w "Miles From Nowhere"; AM-1231).

In addition, "Where Do The Children Play" was released on a 45 as the B-side of his later hit "Peace Train" which came from his next LP.

 

[Ed Bishop]

I'm curious as to the peak position of the main single taken from the album, "Wild World" (c/w "Miles From Nowhere"; AM-1231).

In addition, "Where Do The Children Play" was released on a 45 as the B-side of his later hit "Peace Train" which came from his next LP.

"Wild World" hit #11 Hot 100 and #21 Easy listening in Billboard, #18 pop in Cashbox. After many years in the pop wilderness(in the US, anyway), this one finally connected and deservedly put him on the map as a major player in those 'singer-songwriter' concsious days. My fave Cat album will always be TEASER AND THE FIRECAT, and I admit a certain fondness for his 1966-68 Decca material, two songs("I Love My Dog" and "Matthew And Son") did Bubble Under in Billboard. But it wasn't until after "Wild World" became a hit that two repackaged albums, issued as a 2-Lp set as MATTHEW AND SON/NEW MASTERS, finally charted and got any stateside notice.

TILLERMAN is a fine album, however, though I don't remember seeing either film his songs were used for. It's a solid effort, "Father And Son" probably best remembered among the Lp cuts. I've heard the Island UK pressings are the best; not sure what to think about the CD remasters, I have a hunch some NR and Eq work have been done on them, which is so typical these days.

But I always liked Cat; one of the better troubadors I can remember, and a pretty fair painter, too.

ED

 

[Mr Bill]

Boy do I feel stupid! I blame it on the fact I've never been a BIG Cat Stevens fan, but up until about five years ago I thought his first LP was called Mona Bone Jackson! And I've only now realized a later one is called Catch Bull At Four when all this time I thought it was Catch A Bull At Four. See, even us old time A&Mers get confused from time to time...

--Mr Bill

 

[LPJim]

MONA BONE JAKON was Cat's first album on A&M, following a lengthy bout with tuberculosis. Earlier he recorded for Derum, and one of his albums for that label was titled MATTHEW & SON.
The Tremolloes 1967 hit song "Here Comes My Baby" was written by Stevens.
JB