"He urged, 'Just humor me — if it's not to your liking, we can delete it.' However, I wasn't a fan and decided to place it as the final track on the album." It took Al Stewart a decade to craft his breakthrough single and afterwards, he attempted to conceal it.

Al Stewart was a big fan of the guitar playing on "Year of the Cat," but he wasn't quite as impressed with the saxophone solo.

After a decade of persistence, Al Stewart finally achieved commercial success with his 1976 hit “Year of the Cat.” The song had been in the works since 1966, when Stewart originally wrote lyrics titled “Foot of the Stage” about British comedian Tony Hancock. However, the American record company was unfamiliar with Hancock and requested a rewrite. Stewart then changed the subject to Princess Anne and penned new lyrics titled “Horse of the Year,” but this was also met with a request for yet another rewrite.

Luck would finally prevail on the third attempt. "I had a girlfriend who owned a book on Vietnamese astrology, specifically a chapter titled 'Year of the Cat,'" Stewart shares. "Since I had extensively studied Bob Dylan's work, I couldn't help but notice his tendency to include the word 'of' in his song titles: 'Chimes of Freedom,' 'Masters of War,' and 'Visions of Johanna.' This made me realize that there was something significant about having a title with 'of' in it. Furthermore, it was slightly unconventional and didn't immediately convey its meaning. I thought this would capture people's interest, as nobody knew exactly what it symbolized. That's how I ultimately settled on the title."

The track was recorded in Studio Two at Abbey Road, where the Beatles spent a lot of time. Stewart used an Epiphone Texan acoustic guitar, while Tim Renwick was brought in to record the acoustic and electric guitar solos. “For the acoustic solos, Tim used my large-bodied Guild that he borrowed," Stewart remembers. "And for the electric guitar solo, he relied on his trusted '62 Strat through a custom Wallace valve amp that unfortunately overheated during the session."

Even though the backing was finished, producer Alan Parsons believed it needed an extra touch - specifically, a saxophone. "I associated saxophones with jazz," Stewart recalls. "Initially, I disagreed with the idea and expressed my opinion, but he urged me to give it a chance and assured me that we could remove it if necessary."

Parson chose Phil Kenzie, a Liverpool musician who was a contemporary of the Beatles. Kenzie had played brass on "Let It Be" and also collaborated with John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and many others. However, he almost didn't make it to the session for "Year of the Cat."

According to Stewart, Phil was initially occupied with a movie and not inclined to participate in the session. However, Alan suggested that he at least come in and record one take so they could get an idea of how it would sound. Luckily, Kenzie happened to reside nearby and quickly made his way over to the studio. He recorded one take and returned to finish watching the movie.

Although Stewart was not fully convinced by the session, he recalls that the rest of the group responded positively. They enthusiastically declared, "Wow! That's different." Rather than arguing about it, Stewart decided to compromise and allow Alan to have his way. He eventually placed the track at the end of the album, saving himself from further concern.

In October 1976, "Year of the Cat" was released as a single in the U.S. and reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100, making it Stewart's first charting single in the country. Almost half a century later, the song still holds a prominent place in Stewart's live performances. He attributes its lasting appeal to its film noir elements and diverse instrumentation.

"It's an appealing piece," he reflects, "with four distinct solos featured in the middle. It transitions from strings to acoustic to electric and concludes with a saxophone solo. The song's lasting popularity reinforces the idea that one should write about what truly sparks their interest, regardless of current trends or popular opinion. And that's exactly what I did."

Source:Guitar Player

Enjoy watching  Al Stewart and his band perform "Year of the Cat" live on The Old Grey Whistle Test in 1976. Keep an ear out for Phil Kenzie's saxophone solo.