Singer-songwriter Cat Stevens is to release an album of new songs for the first time in 28 years.

Known as Yusuf Islam since his conversion to Islam in the 1970s‚ the 59-year-old said that he felt compelled to return to the music scene due to "one hundred and one good reasons".

His first single‚ Heaven/Where True Love Goes‚ will be released on October 30th‚ followed by the release of the album‚ An Other Cup‚ on November 13th.

The single's release will coincide with the 40th anniversary of the release of his first single‚ I Love My Dog‚ in November 1966.

Islam retired from the music scene in 1979 as he felt it was a "negative infringement" on his spiritual life. Since then he has been concentrating on "living‚ starting the charitable work I wanted to do‚ and having a family life".

But commenting on his return to music during the past year‚ he said: "When I picked up the guitar again it was like a floodgate. Ideas and melodies floated in without effort.

"The novelty of the whole process‚ searching for forgotten chords‚ inspired me; it made it feel the simple joy of being back as an amateur - with nothing much to lose."

He added: "Today there are perhaps one hundred and one good reasons why I feel right making music and singing about life in this fragile world again."

As Cat Stevens he achieved international success during the 1960s and 1970s. Since then his work has been recognised with major awards‚ including the Man for Peace award by a committee of Nobel peace laureates.

© Adfero Ltd

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