Nearly 60 years have passed since a 17 year old ‘Cat’ burst upon the pop scene with hits such as 'Matthew and Son' and ‘I’m Gonna Get Me a Gun', writing timeless classics like ‘The First Cut Is The Deepest' and 'Here Comes My Baby'. These early songs were just the start of a long musical adventure that continues right up to the present. The enduring success of Yusuf’s musical legacy is built on a myriad of factors but key among them is the uncanny ability he has to translate his vibrant imagination into musical form. This hunger and drive to write, record and entertain, is abundant throughout ‘King of a Land’s new creative landscape. It has not waned.
‘King of a Land’ is an epic body of work. More than a decade in the making, its 12 new songs are full of extraordinary surprises. Unique and transportive, Yusuf’s new music, words and melodies paint a vivid picture of a world where childlike dreams are brought back into touching distance. His poetical storytelling invites the listener on a journey towards the gates of an alternative universe to that which we presently inhabit - where happy endings do happen. The album’s artwork was created by Reynolds, the award-winning children’s illustrator. As well as the ‘cover art, Peter has created illustrations for each song portraying the album’s lyrical themes that feature in the record’s accompanying booklet.
Early recording sessions for the album stretch back to 2011 at Berlin’s Hansa Studios (the setting for classic albums such as David Bowie’s ‘Low’, ‘Heroes’ and U2’s ‘Achtung Baby’). From there, recording locations moved through the years from ICP Studios in Brussels to La Fabrique in Province, South of France. Additional overdubs and 60-piece orchestra were recorded in Air and Angel studios in London. With some key work originally recorded in Yusuf’s own garage-based home studio in Dubai he calls, “Dubville”.
