| This article appears in the
newest issue of the British Music Magazine 'MOJO' from August 2000. It
comes courtesy of Murphy Anderson. It seems as if Yusuf has a
conscience about settling old debts. Good going Yusuf!! I always felt is was probably just
an slight overlook anyway.
Payback Time!
Royalties Yusuf Islam pays
Rick Wakeman £9/10s.
Cat Stevens known these
days as Yusuf Islam is undergoing something of a revival at the moment after the reissues
of the 70’s albums and his decision to return to music making (see Mojo 79). He has
also decided to take care of his old estate and following a letter in Mojo 80 is actively
trying to make amends to Rick Wakeman, who never was paid for playing keyboards on one of
Stevens biggest hits "Morning Has Broken". Yusuf contacted Wakeman after reading
the Mojo letter – which argued that Wakeman was so irate at not being paid that he
refused to perform the song on Top Of The Pops. Wakeman has told Islam to forget the sum,
but Islam is insistent in coughing up—he asked his accountant to work out some
compensation. The original fee for the session was £9/10s, which was lost in the post.
However not everyone is
thrilled by Islams new high profile. Last month he was denied entry into Israel on the
grounds he "didn’t seem like he was here for summer tourism."
Islam was travelling to
Israel to film part of a VH-1 Behind The Music programme. The Israeli government claimed
that Islam had contributed money to the Palestinian group Hamas was therefore not welcome.
Islam was not pleased with
this decision "All my donations in the past were given to humanitarian causes."
He explained, " I’ve never ever knowingly supported any terrorist groups- past,
present or future." |
