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Even today, Japan remains a thriving capital of recorded music – and, in particular, physical media.  In the 1970s, it wasn’t uncommon for top-tier American artists, from Andy Williams to The Supremes, to record live albums exclusively for the Japanese market.  Among those artists was Yusuf, a.k.a. Cat Stevens, whose 1974’s Saturnight: Live from Tokyo was the singer-songwriter’s first concert LP.  Now, following its reissue last November as part of Record Store Day’s Black Friday event, Saturnight is coming to wide-release vinyl, CD, and digital/streaming on May 2 from UMe and Cat-o-Log Records.

Recorded at Nakano’s Sun Plaza Hall on June 22, 1974, the album chronicled Stevens’ Bamboozle World Tour.  He was joined a band including Alun Davies and Jim Cregan on guitar, Larry Steele on guitar and percussion, Jean Roussel on keyboards, Bruce Lynch on bass, Gerry Conway on drums and percussion, and Anna Peacock and Suzanne Lynch on background vocals.

Cat and his band spotlighted songs from his then most-recent release, Buddha and the Chocolate Box (“King of Trees,” “A Bad Penny,” and the U.S. top ten hit “Oh Very Young”) as well as songs from 1970’s Mona Bone Jakon (“Lady D’Arbanville”), that same year’s breakthrough Tea for the Tillerman (“Wild World,” “Father and Son,” “Where Do the Children Play,” “Hard Headed Woman”), its 1971 follow-up Teaser and the Firecat (“Peace Train,” “Bitterblue”), and 1972’s Catch Bull at Four (“Sitting”).  Side One of the album concluded with a joyful rendition of Sam Cooke’s 1963 hit “Another Saturday Night.”  Cat and his band recorded their version in Japan (with the able assistance of a Japanese horn section) and it would soon become another international hit; the Saturnight album captures the first time it was played live.  Though its release was limited to Japan, Stevens arranged for the proceeds of the album to go to UNICEF with whom he had recently become affiliated as a Goodwill Ambassador.

The new edition, remastered at Abbey Road, includes liner notes including remembrances from bassist Bruce Lynch and tour manager Carl Miller.  The CD is housed in a digipak with a 16-page booklet.  The vinyl edition is pressed on 140-gram black vinyl, with a 140-gram splatter variant available through various Universal storefronts including Cat’s online store, The Sound of Vinyl, and uDiscoverMusic.  (The 2024 RSD exclusive was pressed on 180 grams.)  All formats are due on May 2.  You’ll find the track listing and pre-order links for Saturnight: Live from Tokyo below.  As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Cat Stevens, Saturnight: Live from Tokyo (A&M Japan GP-228, 1974 – reissued A&M/Cat-o-Log/UMe, 2025)

LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

1. Wild World
2. Oh Very Young
3. Sitting
4. Where Do The Children Play?
5. Lady D’Arbanville
6. Another Saturday Night
7. Hard Headed Woman
8. Peace Train
9. Father & Son
10. King of Trees
11. A Bad Penny
12. Bitterblue​