I'll second that, thanks Joanne. I only just saw this thread about 30 minutes before the broadcast, just time to find a DVD to record it. (PAL only BTW)
But for all those who can't get to see it here's another one of my transcriptions, aren't I good to you? LOL
Yusuf seemed very relaxed throughout, and the reporters were very gentle and respectful when pushing their questions.
BBC Breakfast Time TV interview Oct 17th 2003
BILL TURNBULL: Now, with classics such as 'Father & son', 'Moonshadow'... I could go on and on... Cat Stevens sold 10's of millions of albums around the world. Then in 1997 his interest in Eastern faiths led him to convert to Islam.
SIAN WILLIAMS: Cat changed his name to Yusuf Islam, and turned his back on show business all together.
On Monday, for the first time in 27 years he's going to be back on stage hosting a concert at London's Royal Albert Hall.
Well, Yusuf will join us in just a moment. First though, here's a look back at some of his greatest hits.
(Clips are shown of: 'Schoolyard' promo, 'Father & son' live, Teaser cartoon, and 'Moonshadow' live.)
SIAN: Great stuff, we've been singing all morning, those hits.
BILL (To Yusuf): I grew up in our house with 'Teaser & the Firecat', 'Tea for the Tillerman', and so I've been singing all morning, driving her mad!
SIAN: And they're on the new CD...
YUSUF: Yeah!
SIAN: And why are you bringing out a greatest hits now, because it's been quite a while since you picked up your guitar, isn't it?
YUSUF: That's true, in fact it's all sort of coincidental. The record labels usually, now and again, it's tradition to bring out another compilation at this time of year, it's about that time.
They're bringing out the greatest hits at the same time I'm doing something else as well, which seems to be raising my profile these days.
Like going to The Albert Hall on Monday and hosting an evening, a charity event actually, of song and knowledge.
It's a celebration of 20 years of Islamia School, which we started in London, which has been one of the most successful Muslim schools, and it's, kind of, all come together at the same time.
BILL: But will you be playing any of your old songs there, or is it going to be....
YUSUF: Shouldn't this be a surprise...? (Smiling) ...I don't know! ( Laughs)
BILL: No, no, no! We just want to know, we just want to know!
YUSUF: No.. erm... one of the songs I recently re-recorded was 'Peace Train', and the reason, I suppose, that was, was because it was the whole anti-war sentiment which was coming back again, and I wanted to add my voice to that chorus, so I re-recorded that song. It was released on a charity album along with Paul McCartney and David Bowie, they all contributed.
I suppose it was getting back into the feel of that that made me warm to perhaps doing a little bit more.
SIAN: So you're happy to do music as long as it benefits someone, as long as it's in a cause? Do you feel slightly uncomfortable about getting into the music industry, because when you appeared to leave it, you were pretty glad to leave it?
YUSUF: Yeah! No, I left the business behind, what I never left behind was, I think, my love of music, and of meaning, the use of words. So I think something changed about 1995. I established a record label called 'Mountain of Light', and since then I've been progressively recording and writing, a new genre, in a way, because I don't play guitar anymore, so please don't expect...
SIAN: Why don't you play guitar anymore?
YUSUF: Within the Islamic jurisprudence some people would not really appreciate it, and others accept it, but I just like to stay, sort of, in the middle, if you like, but, I think the music I'm doing now...
BILL: Presumedly in Islamic countries you hear wonderful music being played and made, so why not use your guitar to make music?
YUSUF: Yeah, well, there is a definition between my past and my present, the fact is, yeah, I'm Cat Stevens in as much as I am who I am, and I wrote all those songs, yet we go through life and we develop and we mature. Today I'm Yusuf Islam, and today I just like to present another picture. In fact, I want to help change the perception of Islam away from a lot of the bloodshed, disturbance and anger that we're seeing. To try and show some of the actual beauty that there is, and the spiritual fulfilment that you find in Islam.
So that's one of my...
BILL: The thing that intrigues me, I kind of knew you as Cat Stevens, then, obviously, knew of your conversion to Islam, and it seemed, at that stage, that you had put Cat Stevens behind you. That Cat Stevens was something that belonged to the past. Now you get the impression that you're quite happy for Yusuf Islam and Cat Stevens to co-exist alongside each other.
You wouldn't have agreed to the release of a greatest hits album, which, presumably, brings in more revenue for your charities with the very best of Cat Stevens on it.
YUSUF: Precisely, this will help our charities enormously.
BILL: So there's a degree of pragmatism here?
YUSUF: Exactly, and not only that, I think I've accepted a period of my life when I embraced Islam. It's got to happen, it's like Mohammed Ali, if you remember, but after then things cooled down. You start to understand and you start to appreciate, perhaps, some of the things that you did before, and how they lead you to where you are.
For instance, an interesting point, I always liked that name Joseph. Well, I'm Joseph today, but I liked that name when I was Cat Stevens, so the marriage is clearly obvious.
SIAN: So you're bringing back some of your past, embracing bits of your past again?
YUSUF: Exactly, the good points I think. I wouldn't want to push all of what I did before, but I think some of those things remained and lasted, and are still valuable contributions.
SIAN: What feeling are you getting about performing for the first time in 27 years, that's an awful long time.
YUSUF: Well, it's not, kind of, butterflies anymore, but I do feel sometimes I wake up in the morning and say, 'am I really doing this?' You know? (Laughs) It's that kind of shock. I look at myself, and, ' Well, YES! Do it!'
SIAN: Good luck. It's next week, isn't it?
YUSUF: It's Monday.
SIAN: The Royal Albert Hall.
BILL: Okay. Thank you , Yusuf Islam. Thank you very much indeed.
YUSUF: Thank you.
And, later in the day, SkyNews.
And, later in the day, SkyNews.
I want to be there!
