The song that defined The Beatles, according to Yusuf / Cat Stevens
In 1967, when Cat Stevens made his first mark in Britain’s vibrant musical playing field, The Beatles were at the height of their power. While they had retired from the stage to avoid the screaming hoards, their studio releases struck a creative peak with notable discographic entries like Rubber Soul, Revolver and Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Though these albums are most associated with the psychedelic rock wave, they also greatly inspired the imminent singer-songwriter explosion.
The Beatles first met Bob Dylan in August 1964 on an evening that has gone down in musical history for the copious amounts of marijuana consumed and the cultural importance of those involved. Arguably, Manhattan’s Delmonico Hotel held the 1960s’ five most influential artists that night in just one of its luxury suites. Through eccentric giggles and bloodshot eyes, the group bonded as mutual admirers, but each party was aware of the others’ threat.
In 1965, following the arrival of Rubber Soul, Bob Dylan became somewhat opposed to The Beatles. He felt that the album’s folk-rock leanings were a blatant copy of his recent output, especially John Lennon’s work on ‘Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)’. Dylan responded bitterly in his Blonde on Blonde track ‘4th Time Around’ in which he sang, “I never asked for your crutch / Now don’t ask for mine”.
Despite the acrid air circulating at the time, Bob Dylan and The Beatles’ releases in the mid-1960s had an incalculable impact on the singer-songwriter wave, which saw the likes of Cat Stevens, Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, and Neil Young emerge as pivotal solo forces.
Given his attachment to the acoustic guitar and a modern take on the folk tradition, Stevens was understandably enamoured with Rubber Soul and acoustic ballads like ‘Yesterday’, ‘Blackbird’ and ‘Julia’. However, his deeply spiritual side endeared him particularly to the work of George Harrison. The so-called Quiet Beatle’s Rubber Soul track ‘If I Needed Someone’ undoubtedly drew Stevens’ attention, but his favourite arrived a couple of years later on Abbey Road.
On what would have been Harrison’s 80th birthday in February 2023, Stevens posted a tribute on his social media page. “George Harrison had an immense influence on me, spiritually, from the very beginning,” he began. “We both understood that music was the key to something much higher. ‘Here Comes The Sun’ represents the returning of light and hope to a seriously dark and broken world. Its message could not be more suited.” Several months later, the legendary singer-songwriter played the song during his set at Glastonbury with a tribute to Harrison and a call for peace in troubled times.
While ‘Here Comes The Sun’ is Cat Stevens’ favourite Beatles song by his favourite Beatle, Lennon and McCartney first captured his heart as the band’s primary songwriters. Like so many others of his generation, Stevens heard the 1963 debut album, Please Please Me, and was an immediate convert. His school friends may have raved to ‘Love Me Do’ and ‘Twist and Shout’, Stevens connected most with a deeper cut.
As far as Stevens was concerned, Lennon’s oft-overlooked songwriting contribution ‘There’s a Place’ was a highlight that defined The Beatles from the off. “It would be impossible not to mention the impact of The Beatles – but what songs represent The Beatles for me?” Stevens mused while picking out some of the most important artists of his lifetime with The Red Bulletin. “One of them is about a place, which I think is a [spiritual theme in] all the songs I love. ‘There’s a Place’ was written by John Lennon, and I adore it because, for me, it depicts the destination we all want to end up in: that one place where everything is fine.”
