Having grown up above his parent’s cafe in the heart of London’s West End, Cat Stevens emerged from the folk club scene to release his debut album, Matthew and Son, in 1967 on the newly established Deram label, a subsidiary of Decca. It reached number 7 in the UK charts and supported by the singles I Love My Dog and Matthew and Son – the latter reaching number 2 in the UK charts – elevated him to the status of a teen idol. Simultaneously, Cat’s songs were being recorded by other artists such as The Tremoloes who had a hit with Here Comes My Baby, also in 1967, which helped to establish his reputation as a truly gifted songwriter.
