Yusuf/Cat Stevens Releases 'Father & Son' Stop Motion Video With New Duet From 'Tea For The Tillerman 2'

Yusuf / Cat Stevens has released a 2020 reimagining of his seminal hit "Father & Son." The song is the latest release from his forthcoming album Tea for the Tillerman 2 out September 18th.

The album sees Yusuf recast the same eleven songs from his seminal album Tea For The Tillerman for a new time, with very interesting results.

This brand new version of "Father & Son", as the song nears its 50th anniversary, sees Yusuf singing both parts of the song, the role of the father brought together digitally with a recording of his younger-self, and in the role of the son, originally recorded at his performance at the legendary Troubadour in Los Angeles in 1970.

Yusuf / Cat Stevens explains:

“‘Father and Son’ feels pretty appropriate for what’s going on right now, if you take the father figure as being the establishment. However, I don’t think revolutions are that kind to the previous order, its main objective is to turn it around and to get rid of them. Whereas I don’t personally believe in that; I believe in a kind of a change that would not necessarily destroy everything.”

The new release is accompanied by a stop-frame animated video from  director Chris Hopewell, of Jacknife Films and Black Dog Films, relocating the narrative into a modern suburban setting. 

Speaking about the creation of the video, Hopewell said:

“It’s not often in the world of music videos that you get the chance to work with a truly iconic song not to mention artist. This track is so well known worldwide and means so much to so many people.

Yusuf  came up with the premise of the two characters living detached, remote lives in the same home and I built the narrative around that. We wanted to get across the frustration that the two generations often feel with each other but them have a coming together and mutual respect at the close. The track is sung from two very different perspectives hence our portrayal of the two separate lives lived under one roof. The video was shot with a socially distanced crew of six over three weeks just after the lockdown was lifted. Producer Rosie Brind and I designed and fabricated the majority of the props, sets, and the characters. It was a tough old job with such a small crew but also nice to be very hands-on with all the elements."