Teaser and the Firecat
Encyclopedia
Teaser and the Firecat is an album released by Cat Stevens
in 1971. It contains 10 songs including hits such as "Morning Has Broken
," "Moonshadow," and "Peace Train
." It is also the title of a children's book written and illustrated by Stevens. The story features the title characters from the album cover, top-hatted young Teaser and his pet Firecat, who attempt to put the moon back in its place after it falls from the sky. Published in 1972, the book has been out of print since the mid-1970s.
The album was a commercial success, surpassing the heights achieved by Stevens' previous album, Tea for the Tillerman
, reaching both the UK and US Top 3 and also spending an impressive fifteen weeks at the top of the Australian charts, becoming the biggest-selling album of the country in 1972.
In 1977 an animated version, narrated by Spike Milligan
and using the song "Moonshadow", was a segment in Fantastic Animation Festival
.
In November 2008, a 'Deluxe Edition' was released featuring a second disc of demos and live recordings.
Single
Cat Stevens
Yusuf Islam , commonly known by his former stage name Cat Stevens, is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, educator, philanthropist, and prominent convert to Islam....
in 1971. It contains 10 songs including hits such as "Morning Has Broken
Morning Has Broken
"Morning Has Broken" is a popular and well-known Christian hymn first published in 1931. It has words by English author Eleanor Farjeon and is set to a traditional Gaelic tune known as "Bunessan" . It is often sung in children's services...
," "Moonshadow," and "Peace Train
Peace Train
"Peace Train" is the title of a 1971 hit song by Cat Stevens, taken from his album Teaser and the Firecat. The song climbed to #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart during the week of October 9, 1971, becoming Stevens' first US Top 10 hit. The song also spent three weeks at #1 on the adult contemporary...
." It is also the title of a children's book written and illustrated by Stevens. The story features the title characters from the album cover, top-hatted young Teaser and his pet Firecat, who attempt to put the moon back in its place after it falls from the sky. Published in 1972, the book has been out of print since the mid-1970s.
The album was a commercial success, surpassing the heights achieved by Stevens' previous album, Tea for the Tillerman
Tea for the Tillerman
Tea for the Tillerman is an album by singer-songwriter Cat Stevens. This album, Stevens' second during 1970, includes many of Stevens' best-known songs including "Where Do the Children Play?", "Hard Headed Woman", "Wild World", "Sad Lisa", "Into White" and "Father and Son"...
, reaching both the UK and US Top 3 and also spending an impressive fifteen weeks at the top of the Australian charts, becoming the biggest-selling album of the country in 1972.
In 1977 an animated version, narrated by Spike Milligan
Spike Milligan
Terence Alan Patrick Seán "Spike" Milligan Hon. KBE was a comedian, writer, musician, poet, playwright, soldier and actor. His early life was spent in India, where he was born, but the majority of his working life was spent in the United Kingdom. He became an Irish citizen in 1962 after the...
and using the song "Moonshadow", was a segment in Fantastic Animation Festival
Fantastic Animation Festival
Fantastic Animation Festival is a package film of animation segments, mostly to music, released in 1977. It was one of the earliest of the sort of collections typified by Computer Animation Festival and Spike and Mike's Sick and Twisted Festival of Animation.Included in its 16 segments was the...
.
In November 2008, a 'Deluxe Edition' was released featuring a second disc of demos and live recordings.
Side one
- "The Wind" – 1:42
- "Rubylove" – 2:37
- "If I Laugh" – 3:20
- "Changes IV" – 3:32
- "How Can I Tell You" – 4:24
Side two
- "Tuesday's Dead" – 3:36
- "Morning Has BrokenMorning Has Broken"Morning Has Broken" is a popular and well-known Christian hymn first published in 1931. It has words by English author Eleanor Farjeon and is set to a traditional Gaelic tune known as "Bunessan" . It is often sung in children's services...
" (Traditional, arr. Stevens; words Eleanor FarjeonEleanor FarjeonEleanor Farjeon was an English author of children's stories and plays, poetry, biography, history and satire. Many of her works had charming illustrations by Edward Ardizzone. Some of her correspondence has also been published...
) – 3:20 - "Bitterblue" – 3:12
- "Moonshadow" – 2:52
- "Peace TrainPeace Train"Peace Train" is the title of a 1971 hit song by Cat Stevens, taken from his album Teaser and the Firecat. The song climbed to #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart during the week of October 9, 1971, becoming Stevens' first US Top 10 hit. The song also spent three weeks at #1 on the adult contemporary...
" – 4:04
Disc two
- "Moonshadow [Live at the Troubadour]" – 3:06
- "Rubylove [Demo Version]" – 2:53
- "If I Laugh [Demo Version]" – 4:04
- "Changes IV [Demo Version]" – 3:36
- "How Can I Tell You [Demo Version]" – 4:03
- "Morning Has Broken [Demo Version]" (Eleanor FarjeonEleanor FarjeonEleanor Farjeon was an English author of children's stories and plays, poetry, biography, history and satire. Many of her works had charming illustrations by Edward Ardizzone. Some of her correspondence has also been published...
) – 2:49 - "Bitterblue [Royal Albert Hall 1972]" – 3:38
- "Tuesday's Dead [Majikat Earth Tour 1976]" – 4:09
- "Peace Train [Royal Albert Hall 2003]" – 4:12
- "The Wind [Yusuf's Café]" – 1:59
Personnel
- Cat StevensCat StevensYusuf Islam , commonly known by his former stage name Cat Stevens, is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, educator, philanthropist, and prominent convert to Islam....
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Alun DaviesAlun Davies (guitarist)Alun Davies is a Welsh guitarist, studio musician, recording artist, and composer who rose to fame primarily with his supporting guitar work and backing vocals as accompanist for English musician Cat Stevens, from early 1970 to 1977...
– guitar - Larry Steele – bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, congas - Gerry ConwayGerry Conway (musician)Gerald Conway is an English folk and rock drummer/percussionist, best known for having performed with the backing band for Cat Stevens in the 1970s, Jethro Tull during the 1980s, and currently a member of Fairport Convention as well as his side projects...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person .... - Harvey Burns – drums
- Rick WakemanRick WakemanRichard Christopher Wakeman is an English keyboard player, composer and songwriter best known for being the former keyboardist in the progressive rock band Yes...
– pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
on "Morning Has Broken" (uncredited) - Andreas Toumazis – bouzoukiBouzoukiThe bouzouki , is a musical instrument with Greek origin in the lute family. A mainstay of modern Greek music, the front of the body is flat and is usually heavily inlaid with mother-of-pearl. The instrument is played with a plectrum and has a sharp metallic sound, reminiscent of a mandolin but...
- Angelos Harzipavli – bouzoukiBouzoukiThe bouzouki , is a musical instrument with Greek origin in the lute family. A mainstay of modern Greek music, the front of the body is flat and is usually heavily inlaid with mother-of-pearl. The instrument is played with a plectrum and has a sharp metallic sound, reminiscent of a mandolin but...
- Del Newman – stringString instrumentA string instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. In the Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification, used in organology, they are called chordophones...
arrangements
Charts
Album| Year | Chart | Peak Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... Pop Albums |
2 |
| 1971 | Australian Kent Music Report Kent Music Report The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music enthusiast David Kent from May 1974 through to 1998... Albums Chart |
1 |
| 1972 | Australian Kent Music Report Kent Music Report The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music enthusiast David Kent from May 1974 through to 1998... Albums Chart |
1 |
Single
| Year | Song | Chart | Peak Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | "Moonshadow" | Billboard Adult Contemporary | 10 |
| 1971 | "Moonshadow" | Billboard Pop Singles | 30 |
| 1971 | "Peace Train" | Billboard Adult Contemporary | 1 |
| 1971 | "Peace Train" | Billboard Pop Singles | 7 |
| 1972 | "Morning Has Broken" | Billboard Adult Contemporary | 1 |
| 1972 | "Morning Has Broken" | Billboard Pop Singles | 6 |
Certifications
| Organization | Level | Date |
|---|---|---|
| RIAA – USA | Gold | October 18, 1971 |
| RIAA – USA | Platinum | February 22, 2001 |
| RIAA – USA | Double Platinum | February 22, 2001 |
| RIAA – USA | Triple Platinum | February 22, 2001 |