From Arctic Monkeys to Guns N’ Roses, Queens of The Stone Age and Blondie, 2023’s Glastonbury festival packed rock artists up to the rafters on the main stages. But London folk-rock legend, Cat Stevens tuned his set to the sound of the sixties; matching his acoustic hit “Wild World” with a chilled out sing-a-long that’s gained 1M YouTube views to date!
Cat, also known by the alternate name Yusuf Islam, takes center stage with his sunburst acoustic guitar, a three-piece band, and at least five backing singers crafting the cleansing, feel-good vibes Glasto’s final day was craving. But his peaceful, stripped-back Sunday afternoon set hardly lulled the sea of fans at the Pyramid Stage to sleep; it’s truly incredible hearing the entire audience sing back Cat Stevens’ lyrics a full 53 years after they were first written!
Fans and internet viewers were left shocked by Cat’s voice, which sounds exactly the same as when “Wild World” first hit the Billboard Hot 100 back in the summer of 1970. Music Man readers will surely find it just as refreshing witnessing younger generations belt out every word of this vintage hit as well; unraveling how Cat’s timeless classics seem to follow fans through every era of their lives.
Cat Stevens later revealed on his official website, “It was something of a dream, seeing 100,000 rapturous faces standing in front of me on that huge field at Glastonbury. The love and warmth I felt was heavenly, beyond anything I’d experienced in Britain before. Our hearts were joined together, in rhyme with the historic moment. Thank you, to everyone who shone their love that dazzling afternoon.”
The 21-song set, which included some of Cat Stevens’ greatest hits, “The First Cut Is The Deepest,” “Moonshadow,” and “Morning Has Broken,” also saw a tribute to The Beatles and George Harrison: “Here Comes The Sun,” sentimentally introduced by a 75-year-old Cat: “This song is dedicated to the one who inspired me, who inspired many people, to go on a long search to find the light, and his name: George Harrison.”
Cat Stevens’ career kicked off just as The Beatles’ was coming to its end. His first two albums dropped in 1967, eventually followed by two more in 1970 (one of which was “Tea for the Tillerman,” the breakthrough record on which “Wild World” first featured), with a new LP released pretty much every consecutive year of the ’70s.
In 1978, Cat halted his music career after converting to Islam (cue the debate over what classifies as haram music), and admitting the music business was “becoming a chore, and not an inspiration anymore.”
Cat Stevens brought the 1960s alive and thriving to Glastonbury 2023, performing an all-inclusive acoustic sing-along rendition of his classic hit “Wild World.” Despite having five backing singers on stage, the mesmerizing force of the lyric-chanting audience was totally overpowering, and it’s spectacular to see so many young fans singing these vintage tracks alongside Cat’s original oldies but goldies! With 1M YouTube views to date, this viral video proves how some pop hits follow their fans through every step of their lives, no matter how many decades pass. What’s more, The Music Man reckons Cat Stevens’ voice still sounds exactly like the original single, recorded a full 53 years prior!
If you would like to hear more from this talented guitarist you can subscribe to their YouTube Channel for more incredible music. Follow Cat Stevens on Facebook and Instagram for updates, and visit his official website for more information.