Al Stewart: Year Of The Cat [1976]
I was intrigued to see this song on a record I found in Argentina called "Special Discoteque Sound" (sic). The line-up for side 2 is fascinating:
LADO B:
Year of the Cat - Al Stewart
Rich Girl - Hall & Oates
Dancing Queen - Abba
I Like To Do It - K.C. And The Sunshine Band
Rock On Baby, Rock On - Betty Wright
Love In Motion - George McRae
From this I think we can infer that "Year Of The Cat" was a hit in Argentinian discotheques. Awesome.
Buy this and other Al Stewart records here.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
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11 comments:
Yes, absolutely, "The Year of the Cat" WAS INDEED a Disco-Hit!!! I am German, and I remember it being played among other contemporary discohits of the time.
Was it autum 77 or spring 78? Uhm, that I don't clearly remember, but it really was a disco standard in West Germany! That's why I am not at all astonished about the news that it was also considered disco elsewhere, like Argentina.
Thanks for posting it! I love it!
Hey there -- thanks for the info. This song hit the U.S. charts in January of '77. The interesting thing to me is how far away it is from anything you would hear in a dance club in 2007! Thanks again for posting.
The above comment is from me, and it appears anonymously, because when I typed it there was no option to fill anything in. I guess the site was not loading right or so. Sorry.
So I want to add saying it came from me, in case anyone cares.
Kinks, Bowie, Doors, Al Stewart and: Coltrane - Ever so fine choice of music! My Regards
URACH from germany
That brings back memories. My older brother had this album - and I remember finding the cover fascinating to look at (not so much now - it looks a bit kitschy).
Y'know -- drop the sappy sax solo and either minimize or drop the orchestral arrangement (keep the Spanish guitar) and it sounds like something the Decemberists will write in two years.
Albgardis - I had a hunch it was you! Thanks again for the mp3s. That "Hotel California" is wild! And thanks again for providing more perspective on the Al Stewart-as-disco question.
URACH - thanks for your support!
Jim H.: This brings back memories for me, too - of when I first heard it 2 weeks ago! Interesting points vis-a-vis the Decemberists. Maybe I can hear an ever-so-slight resemblance between Al's voice and the guy from the Decemberists?
Thanks again, all. Email us if you have any suggestions/ideas for songs we should post...
Still digesting al Stewart, but yiu hear oddball things mixed together when you go to Germany. I saw Al Stewart in the early 70's but haven't listened to him in years. My wif has the album in vinyl, which I must now dig out and rip!
Derek, Scotland
Sorry, meant to say 'Still digesting Al Stewart as Disco but etc...'
This is the one good song on the Running with Scissors soundtrack, totally not disco, but a good song.
Lado B?!
What I meant by my comment regards the similarities between Al Stewart and the Decemberists wasn't so much about Colin Meloy's voice but about how both artists weave American and world folk into catchy pop songs about romance and intrigue.
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