Rethinking Cat Stevens

Or Electro-Disco Is A Cypriot's Invention



"It has been said that this could be the first ever electro track from way back in 1977. It even has the dog barks that became so synonymous with many electro tracks of the 80's. A classic and quite possibly seminal electro track. A&M records Catalogue 1971-S."


"Although this single did not come out until November 1977, the album which spawned this track (Izitso) was released April 1977 (some sources say May).
Although 50% of the Proto-Electro of the 70's is an offshoot of Kraut-Rock turned Space-Disco, the other 50% is an offshoot of Funk-Jazz. Being Chick Corea (of Miles Davis's Bitches Brew album) is largely featured on this track, one can tie this to the Proto-Electro lineage that includes other Jazz luminaries as Herbie Hancock and Lionel Hampton, leading to Tyrone Brunson and Paul Hardcastle. In contrast to this track, the remainder of the album was backed by the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section."

"As history goes, "Was Dog A Doughnut" is not recognized as one of the most important Electronic records ever made. People always give Kraftwerk's "Trans Europe Express" a name-check for that. But Cat Stevens did produce this track without hearing Kraftwerk. This could be the first Electronic record ever recorded and Cat Stevens was known as a Folk/Rock artist and not a forefather of Electronic Music. On this 1977 release we have the prototype electro track, one that pre-dates Giorgio Moroder, Kraftwerk and YMO. We have a timeless classic here, Moog eruptions and electronic drum programming which arrived 5 years prior to The Roland 808. We have the Dog Barks, which became the electro standard in 1982, we have Mantronix and Freddy Fresh, name-checking it, while Jellybean did his own cover version, yet people still do not know...." >>