Atlantic To Issue New Yusuf Islam Album

Atlantic Records is eyeing a November release for Yusuf Islam’s first album of pop music in 28 years in tandem with his own Ya imprint. As previously reported, “An Other Cup” will be issued internationally by Polydor in time to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the former Cat Stevens’ first release, “I Love My Dog.”

Produced by Rick Nowells (Dido, Madonna), the set features contributions from former Cat Stevens guitarist Alun Davies and keyboardist Jean Roussel, plus African vocalist Youssou N’Dour. Islam played guitar, piano and keyboard.

“An Other Cup” will include a cover of the Animals-popularized “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” and “Heaven/Where True Love Goes,” which has been tapped as the first single.

Born Steven Georgiou in London in 1947, the artist scored hits as Cat Stevens with “Morning Has Broken,” “Lady D’Arbanville,” “Wild World,” “The First Cut is the Deepest” and “Moon Shadow.” He converted to Islam and changed his name in 1977, and two years later, retired from the music business.

In 1981, Islam began writing religious material, and he has released 10 albums of drum-and-vocal performances to date on his own U.K.-based label Mountain of Light.

That material compiled on the recent album “Footsteps in the Light.” His first secular recording since 1977 came in early 2005 with a new self-penned song, “Indian Ocean.”

Proceeds from the download-only track were donated to victims of the 2004 tsunami in the Indian Ocean.

Here is the track list for “An Other Cup”:

“Midday”
“Heaven/Where True Love Goes”
“Maybe There’s a World”
“One Day at a Time”
“When Butterflies Leave”
“In the End”
“Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood”
“I Think I See the Light”
“Whispers From a Spiritual Garden”
“The Beloved”
“Green Fields, Golden Sands”
“Badmind”