Cat Stevens – “Where Are You” (1969) Review | I Know I Think A Lot
Kronomyth 2.7: It takes tuberculosis to make a thing go right.
In the span of two years, Cat Stevens went from the top of the pops to nearly six feet under after a life-threatening bout with tuberculosis. The near-death experience had a profound effect on Stevens, who emerged a changed man, musically and spiritually. Around this time, he released a new single, Where Are You. It’s a transitional song, still steeped in the pop production of the past but with a restless ambition to cram ten pounds of wisdom into a three-minute song. Although it appears to be a love song, what I hear in “Where Are You” is an artist searching for himself. Since that all sounds very serious, I should mention that I couldn’t get the image of Cat Stevens and The Moody Blues’ Ray Thomas in velvet jackets and frilly sleeves slap-fighting for the title of pied piper out of my head while The View from the Top was playing. With musical direction from none other than Mike Vickers (the orchestra leader during The Beatles’ live performance of “All You Need Is Love”), “The View from the Top” wears its Beatles influence on its lace sleeve. The song has a few twists and turns, none more twisted than the electric guitar solo unleashed in its waning moments.
The Product
A1. Where Are You (Cat Stevens) (3:00)
B1. The View from the Top (Cat Stevens) (3:15)
US/CAN 7-inch single reissue
A1. Where Are You (Cat Stevens) (3:00)
B1. Kitty (Cat Stevens) (2:20)
The Players
Musical director: Phil Dennys (A1), Mike Vickers (B1). Produced by Mike Hurst.
The Plastic
Released on 7-inch single on June 13, 1969 in the UK (Deram, DM 260) and Germany (Deram, DM.260) with regional picture sleeve.
- Re-issued on 7-inch single in 1971 in the US (Deram, 45-85079) and in 1972 in Canada (Deram, DM.85079) with different B side.
