Izitso

Untitled

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic
Rolling Stone	Positive

Izitso is an album released by the British singer/songwriter Cat Stevens in April 1977. After the lackluster Numbers, Izitzo proved to be his comeback. The album updated the rhythmic folk rock and pop rock style of his earlier albums with the extensive use of synthesizers, and other electronic music instruments, giving the album a more electronic rock and synthpop style.

Overview

Upon release, Rolling Stone praised the album for blending together elements of folk rock and electronic music, "often in apparent opposition to each other", with "the diversity and the maturity to match this seeming incongruity." Izitso was successful, reaching #7 on the American Pop Albums charts.

Izitso included his last top 40 chart hit, "(Remember the Days of the) Old Schoolyard", an early synthpop song that utilized a polyphonic synthesizer; it was a duet with fellow UK singer Elkie Brooks. Linda Lewis appears in the song's video, with Cat Stevens singing to her, as they portray former schoolmates, singing to each other on a schoolyard merry-go-round. This is one of the few music videos that Stevens made, other than simple videos of concert performances. The song "Child for a Day" was featured in the 1977 film First Love, starring Susan Dey and William Katt.

The track "Was Dog a Doughnut", which upon release was criticized for sounding "a bit too robotlike," has since been considered one of the first electro, or techno-pop, songs ever recorded, as well as an early example of hip hop music. The track made early use of a music sequencer along with synthesizers.

Track listing

All tracks composed by Cat Stevens; except where indicated

Side one

1. "(Remember the Days of the) Old Schoolyard" - 2:44 duet with Elkie Brooks.
2. "Life" - 4:56
3. "Killin' Time" - 3:30
4. "Kypros" - 3:10
5. "Bonfire" - 4:10

Side two

1. "(I Never Wanted) To Be a Star" - 3:03
2. "Crazy" - 3:33
3. "Sweet Jamaica" - 3:31
4. "Was Dog a Doughnut?" (Stevens, Bruce Lynch, Jean Roussel) - 4:15
5. "Child for a Day" (Paul Travis, David Gordon) - 4:23

Personnel

• Cat Stevens - Epiphone casino guitar, Ovation guitar, electric guitar, acoustic and steel guitars, guitar synthesizer, bouzouki, keyboards, piano, celesta, harpsichord, wurlitzer electric piano, fender rhodes, Polymoog, Moog synthesizer, Minimoog, ARP String Synthesizer, ARP 2600, Yamaha CS-80, Yamaha GX-1, Yamaha EA5R electronic organ, music sequencer, drums, percussion, harmonica, brass, arrangements, vocals
• Jean Roussel - Hammond organ, piano, Organ, synthesizer, ARP String Synthesizer, Yahama CS-80, keyboards, flute, glockenspiel, vibraphone, string instruments, brass instruments, arrangements
• Chick Corea - electric piano, keyboards on "Bonfire" and "Was Dog a Doughnut?"
• Barry Beckett - piano, electric piano, Organ, keyboards on "Killin' Time" and "Child for a Day"
• Tim Henson - acoustic piano, piano, Organ, keyboards on "Killin' Time" and "Child for a Day"
• Little Brother Montgomery - ARP 2600 on "Was Dog a Doughnut?"
• Broderick Smith - harmonica on "Sweet Jamaica"
• Marjorie Lagerwall - harp on "Sweet Jamaica"
• Ray Gomez - guitar on "Was Dog A Doughnut?"
• Pete Carr - electric guitar, acoustic guitar, steel guitar, ovation guitar, Epiphone Casino, guitar synthesizer, bouzouki
• Jim Johnson - rhythm guitar on "Killin' Time"
• Weldon Myrick - steel guitar on "(I Never Wanted) to Be a Star"
• Reggie Young - electric guitar on "(I Never Wanted) to Be a Star"
• Bruce Lynch - double bass, electbass, bass synthesizer
• David Hood - double bass, bass, bass synthesizer on "Killin' Time" and "Child For A Day"
• Andy Newmark - drums, percussion on "(Remember the Days of the) Old Schoolyard" and "Kypros" and "Bonfire" and "Sweet Jamaica"
• Bill Berg - drums, percussion on "Life" and (I Never Wanted) to Be a Star" and "Crazy"
• Barry Morgan - drums, percussion "Life" and "Was Dog a Doughnut?"
• Roger Hawkins - drums, percussion on "Killin' Time" and "Child for a Day"
• Elkie Brooks - Vocals on "(Remember the Days of the) Old Schoolyard"
• Suzanne Lynch - backing vocals on "(Remember the Days of the) Old Schoolyard" and "Life" and "Sweet Jamaica"
• Carla Benson - backing vocals on "Sweet Jamaica"
• Evette Benton - backing vocals on "Sweet Jamaica"
• Barbara Ingram - backing vocals on "Sweet Jamaica"
• David Campbell - string instruments, brass, arrangements
• Gene Page - string instruments, brass instruments, arrangements

Production

• Producers - Cat Stevens, Dave Kershenbaum
• Engineers - Harvey Goldberg, Mike Stavros, Ian Boughey, Nigel Walker, Flemming Rasmussen, Tom Jung, Paul Martinson, Nick Blagona, Mike Ross, Freddy Hansson, Steve Brandon, Jerry Masters, Gene Eichelberger, Dee Robb, John Kelly, Ken Frieson
• Mastering - Ted Jensen, Bernie Grundman
• Mixing - Claude Dupras
• Design - Mathieu Bitton
• Programming - Cat Stevens, Claude Dupras
• Supervisor - Bill Levenson
• Illustrations - Cat Stevens
• Cover Designs - Cat Stevens, Eckford Stimpson
• Photography - Moshe Brakha
• Coordinator - Beth Stempel

Charts

Album

Year	Chart	Position
1977	Pop Albums	7

Singles

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1977	(Remember the Days of the) Old Schoolyard	Pop Singles	33
1977	(I Never Wanted) To Be a Star	Pop Singles	44
1977	Was Dog A Doughnut	Pop Singles	53
1977	Sweet Jamaica	Pop Singles	70

Special Thanks

• Chick Corea Appears Courtesy of Polydor Incorporated.