A long-lost live album from Yusuf / Cat Stevens is finally getting a proper worldwide release. Saturnight: Live From Tokyo, originally issued exclusively in Japan in 1974, will be available on CD, vinyl, and digital formats for the first time on 2nd May.
Recorded at Tokyo’s Sun Plaza Hall on 22nd June 1974 during the Japanese leg of his Bamboozle World Tour, Saturnight captures Stevens at a creative and commercial peak. The tour supported Buddha and the Chocolate Box, an album that solidified his run of early ‘70s successes.
The setlist includes Buddha tracks such as ‘Oh Very Young’ and ‘A Bad Penny’ alongside established hits like ‘Wild World,’ ‘Father & Son,’ and ‘Peace Train.’ A standout moment is a live rendition of Sam Cooke’s ‘Another Saturday Night,’ recorded fresh off a Tokyo studio session featuring a local brass section (this very take became a hit later that year).
Unlike his other live recordings, Saturnight was never widely distributed outside Japan due to contractual issues between A&M and Island Records. Now remastered at Abbey Road Studios, the album will be available in multiple formats.
The CD version features a digisleeve package with a 16-page booklet of lyrics and retrospective notes from bassist Bruce Lynch and 1974 tour manager Carl Miller. Vinyl editions include a standard 140g black pressing and a limited 140g lava splatter variant, sold exclusively through CatStevens.com, uDiscover Music, and Sound of Vinyl. Last year, a super-limited orange splatter vinyl was released as an RSD First for Record Store Day Black Friday.
Beyond its musical significance, Saturnight also reflects Stevens’ growing humanitarian efforts at the time. All proceeds from the original Japanese release were donated to UNICEF, following his appointment as a Goodwill Ambassador. That same year, he visited Ethiopia and Kenya, witnessing the effects of famine firsthand: an experience that would shape his increasing focus on philanthropy and, ultimately, his departure from mainstream music.
Pre-orders for Saturnight: Live From Tokyo are now live. A preview of ‘King of Trees’ from the album is available to stream now.
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