The classic song Cat Stevens originally wrote for Otis Redding: “A soulful tune”
No one understands existential transformation quite like Yusuf Islam. Better known by his stage name, Cat Stevens, the musician placed the big questions of the 1970s at the fore of his artistic vision, intertwining identity with creativity in ways that no one had ventured to do before. As the artist once put it, we all, at one point or another, “stand up and wonder”, but it’s what we do with it that counts.
Although much of Stevens’ career can be summarised by naming two of his albums, Tea for the Tillerman and Teaser and the Firecat, it’s far more interesting to delve into his artistry by looking at how he viewed spiritualism as a guide for self-improvement. For instance, while ‘Father and Son’ is undeniably one of the greatest songs ever written, Stevens’ story ultimately became an allegory for both the industry’s shortcomings and the unwavering commitment musicians forge with enlightenment.
“I did strive, not only lyrically, but mentally, spiritually, to attain the ideals of my songs,” Stevens once told Rolling Stone. Although many of his peers became cynical about the music industry’s unrelenting desire for greater commercialism, Stevens never stopped searching for a higher entity, even if it came to the detriment of his own career.
For this reason, the early years placed tremendous pressure on Stevens, who faced the seemingly impossible feat of writing not just one hit but a series of hits that demonstrated his prowess as the next best thing. Although he proved he was more than capable, Stevens’ later successes became a true testament to the changing times and the ways that certain songs can resonate at one moment in time while yielding newfound significance much later.
‘The First Cut Is The Deepest’, for instance, was a song Stevens wrote and sold for £30 to P. P. Arnold in 1967. Although considering inflation rates, this would amount to around £700 today, Arnold would experience the value of such a transaction when the song became a huge hit for her and many artists who followed suit. It also earned Stevens a significant accolade much later, in 2005.
The course of history could have played out much differently, however, as Stevens once revealed to Consequence that the song was initially intended for Otis Redding “before my producer, Mike Hurst, gave it to P.P. Arnold”. At the time, Stevens was enamoured with Redding and wrote the piece while dreaming of becoming a songwriter himself. “It was partly telling the story of a breakup between me and one of my first loves,” Stevens told Billboard.
“I loved R&B,” he continued. “I loved Otis Redding and I tried to write a song for [him] and that is how ‘First Cut Is The Deepest’ came about. It’s very much a soulful tune.” Describing the learning curve he encountered, he noted the “basic” element of the song, but also recognised the fact this also contributed to it becoming “a signature tune”.
There’s no doubt that Redding’s version would have instilled a specific type of magic into the track, but Arnold’s version is difficult to shake, especially considering the way her effortless vocals drift across the various notes. Moreover, the lasting impact of the song just goes to show the talent Stevens had from the very beginning, even though he considered himself a more amateur artist.
