Available as single LP and 50th Anniversary Super Deluxe Vinyl 2LP + 4CD + Blu-ray Box Set featuring New 2020 Remix and Remaster, Previously Unreleased Demos and 1970-1971 Live Performances Plus 2020 Mix HD Audio!

Following the widely acclaimed release of Tea for the Tillerman 2, December 2020 will see Yusuf / Cat Stevens celebrate the two albums that first established him as his generation’s premier acoustic troubadour and then fired him into international superstardom. Released only seven months apart in 1970, Mona Bone Jakon and Tea for the Tillerman will be celebrated as 50th anniversary Super Deluxe Collector’s Edition box sets. Mona Bone Jakon will include 24 previously unreleased songs, and Tea for the Tillerman will feature a further 21 unreleased tracks alongside a host of other rarities.

With Mona Bone Jakon and Tea for the Tillerman Yusuf / Cat Stevens asserted himself both lyrically and musically as a true artist in the most profound sense. His work during this period would go on to transcend its own era and stay relevant for generations to come. By looking inward with eyes wide open he discovered truths that he was able to present to the world with compelling sincerity through his unique and spellbinding gift for songwriting. These two albums truly stand as a rite of passage for all songwriters seeking to learn how to present their intimate experiences to the external world, and essential listening to all lovers of great music.

Before Tea for the Tillerman, a musical masterpiece widely lauded as one of the greatest albums of all time, a new deal with Island Records – A&M in the U.S. – saw the April 1970 release of Mona Bone Jakon. The album represents one of the most profound artistic metamorphoses of the 20th Century: the cleanly shaven Carnaby Street pop-star incarnation of Cat Stevens, who brought us “I Love My Dog” and “Matthew & Son,” fades into the mist of a bygone era, emerging from the shadows as a new man, musician, and authentic lyrical master of metaphor, whose songs would help define a new genre for a generation of music lovers, and pave the way for a poignant new wave of soulful singer-songwriters.

Inspired by a near-fatal battle with TB and extended period of convalescence during which he studied classical music, metaphysical literature and meditative self-reflection, Mona Bone Jakon is equal parts painful torment, self-referential humor and spiritual awakening. It is deeply revealing of the man he was becoming and the journey he was embarking on that would last a lifetime. Through its stunning and often overlooked crop of songs we encounter an artist who has discovered himself but is unsure of whether the world will accept what he has become. The album has a deeply personal, almost vulnerable quality that, arguably, makes it the most compelling and human of all of Yusuf / Cat Stevens’ work. Marking the start of a long-running creative partnership with producer (and former Yardbird) Paul Samwell-Smith, the album includes the deeply Romantic “Lady D’Arbanville,” the spiritually uplifting “I Think I See The Light,” the tongue-in-cheek “Pop Star” and the heart-rendering “Trouble.”

50 years on, the songs on Mona Bone Jakon still sound as fresh as the day they were recorded. Presented here in a new 2020 remastered version on CD, and a new 2020 Mix by David Hefti on CD and LP, the Super Deluxe Edition also includes an exclusive third CD of previously unreleased demos, and a fourth CD featuring 18 live performances from 1970/71. The 2020 remaster was completed at Abbey Road Studios, and was overseen by original album producer, Paul Samwell-Smith. This 50th anniversary set is completed with a live 12″ etched vinyl EP of the rare audience recording of “Live At Plumpton Jazz & Blues Festival” from August, 1970, and with a Blu-ray disc featuring the original promo video of “Lady D’Arbanville,” plus eight live TV performances, and the HD audio of the new Mona Bone Jakon 2020 Mix. There’s also a selection of memorabilia including the Island Records press kit, two Island press photos, a replica 1970 Plumpton Jazz and Blues flyer, a Cat Stevens tour sticker and “dustbin” greetings card and pop art print in a card envelope.

Box Set Features:
• 50th anniversary Super Deluxe Collector’s Edition vinyl 2LP + 4CD + Blu-ray box set
• Featuring 24 previously unreleased songs
• New 2020 remastered version on CD (completed at Abbey Road Studios overseen by original album producer, Paul Samwell-Smith)
• New 2020 Mix by David Hefti on CD and LP
• Exclusive third CD of previously unreleased demos
• Fourth CD featuring 18 live performances from 1970/71
• Live 12″ etched vinyl EP of the rare audience recording of “Live At Plumpton Jazz & Blues Festival” from August, 1970
• Blu-ray disc featuring the original promo video of “Lady D’Arbanville,” plus eight live TV performances, and the HD audio of the new Mona Bone Jakon 2020 Mix
• Selection of memorabilia including the Island Records press kit, two Island press photos, a replica 1970 Plumpton Jazz and Blues flyer, tour sticker and “dustbin” greetings card and pop art print in a card envelope