Edge Rewrite
everything Source code View original
// HTMLRewriter · presentation

This page was redesigned at the edge.

Cloudflare fetched the original article and streamed it through HTMLRewriter to apply an entirely new visual system without rebuilding the source page.

// request.cf · coarse context

A page that knows where it met you.

Only coarse request metadata is shown. This demo does not display or persist visitor IP addresses.

Country
US
Cloudflare location
CMH
Connection
HTTP/2
Language
Not provided

Ray ID: a25e9a09c9aaddf0

Jump to content

Buddha and the Chocolate Box

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Sun/C79)

Buddha and the Chocolate Box
Studio album by
Cat Stevens
Released21 March 1974[1]
RecordedFebruary 1974
StudiosSound Techniques Studios, London, England. Mixed at Sound Techniques, AIR Studios, and Morgan Studios, London.[2]
Genres
Length32:16
Labels
Producers
Cat Stevens chronology
Foreigner
(1973)		 Buddha and the Chocolate Box
(1974)		 Saturnight
(1974)
Singles from Buddha and the Chocolate Box
  1. "Oh Very Young"
    Released: March 1974[3]
  2. "Ready"
    Released: November 1974[4]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllmusicStarStarStar[5]
Christgau's Record GuideC−[6]
Rolling Stone(mixed)[7]

Buddha and the Chocolate Box is the eighth studio album by Cat Stevens, released in March 1974. Its two singles, "Oh Very Young" and "Ready", reached no. 10 and no. 26 on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively.[8] "Ready" also peaked at number 20 in Canada.[9]

Overview

[edit]

The title comes from an experience Stevens had during a flight, when he found himself carrying a statue of Buddha in one hand and a box of chocolates in the other. Later, he reflected that if the plane had crashed, he'd be caught between two objects: one that represented the spiritual and one the material.[10]

The song "Ghost Town" references several historical and political figures, including George Washington, Walt Disney, and King Tut, all together in a surreal afterlife setting.[11] The track was influenced by Elton John and Neil Young.[12][nb 1]

The lyrics in "Home in the Sky" were inspired partially by the story of Benten, the Japanese goddess of art and music. In a 1974 interview, Stevens explained:[15]

"I've realized that I can't have a dual relationship between my music and a lady that I love. I can't split myself like that, I brought them together in that song. There's a Japanese goddess called Benten and she's the goddess of music and art, and the idea is that if, in Japan, you have a good relationship with somebody she might get jealous and take away your artistic talent. That's a very simplified version of what happens with me. Art comes from yearning and if you're not yearning you're not creating."[16]

The album has been remastered for a 50th-anniversary reissue and is scheduled to be released on 4 September 2026.[17]

Track listing

[edit]

All tracks composed by Cat Stevens

Side one
  1. "Music" – 4:21
  2. "Oh Very Young" – 2:36
  3. "Sun / C79" – 4:35
  4. "Ghost Town" – 3:10
  5. "Jesus" – 2:14
Side two
  1. "Ready" – 3:18
  2. "King of Trees" – 5:07
  3. "A Bad Penny" – 3:21
  4. "Home in the Sky" – 3:38

Personnel

[edit]
  • Cat Stevens – vocals, synthesizer, guitar, keyboards, production, design, concept, illustrations
  • Alun Davies – acoustic guitar, vocals
  • Bruce Lynch – bass guitar
  • Jean Roussel – keyboards and string arrangements
  • Gerry Conway – drums, vocals, percussion

Additional personnel

[edit]
  • Jimmy Ryan – guitar
  • Mark Warner – guitar
  • Roland Harker – banjo
  • Joanne – vocals, choir
  • Judy – vocals, choir
  • Sunny – vocals, choir
  • Ruby – vocals
  • Barry – vocals
  • Joy – vocals
  • Brigette – vocals, choir
  • Suzanne – vocals, solo
  • Jacqui – vocals, choir
  • Clifford – vocals, choir
  • Danny – vocals
  • Rick McCollum – vocals
  • Jimmy – vocals, choir, chorus
  • Larry – vocals
  • Del Newman – string arrangements
  • Suzanne Cox – vocals

Production

[edit]
  • Paul Samwell-Smith – producer
  • John Wood – engineer
  • Victor Gamm – engineer, mixing
  • Alan Harris – mixing
  • Ted Jensen – mastering
  • Robin Black – mixing
  • Roger Quested – mixing
  • Beth Stempel – reissue co-ordination
  • Bill Levenson – reissue supervisor
  • Vartan – art direction
  • Roland Young – design, concept
  • Mathieu Bitton – package design, reissue package design

Charts

[edit]

References

[edit]

Notes

  1. ↑ Cat Stevens had previously collaborated with Elton John on a 1970 demo titled "Honey Man" and would later share the stage with Neil Young during a 2025 Hyde Park show.[13][14]

Citations

  1. ↑ "RIAA". Recording Industry Association of America.
  2. ↑ "Cat Stevens – Buddha and the Chocolate Box (2009, CD)". Discogs.
  3. ↑ "Oh Very Young". allmusic.com. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  4. ↑ "Ready". 45cat.com. August 2024. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  5. ↑ Ruhlmann, William. Buddha and the Chocolate Box at Allmusic. Retrieved 3 March 2013.
  6. ↑ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: S". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved 13 March 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  7. ↑ "Buddha and the Chocolate Box". Rolling Stone. 23 May 1974.
  8. ↑ "Cat Stevens | Biography, Music & News". Billboard. Retrieved 12 July 2026.
  9. ↑ "RPM Top 100 Singles – February 8, 1975" (PDF).
  10. ↑ "Buddha and the Chocolate Box". Yusuf / Cat Stevens. Retrieved 14 June 2026.
  11. ↑ "Ghost Town". Yusuf / Cat Stevens. Retrieved 12 July 2026.
  12. ↑ "Majicat – Cat Stevens Tasty Tunes". majicat.com. Retrieved 12 July 2026.
  13. ↑ "Underneath the Covers". Majicat. Retrieved 12 July 2026.
  14. ↑ "London, England". Cat Stevens. Retrieved 12 July 2026.
  15. ↑ "Majicat – Melody Maker – March 1974". majicat.com. Retrieved 12 July 2026.
  16. ↑ "Cat on the Prowl". Majicat. Retrieved 12 July 2026.
  17. ↑ "Buddha and the Chocolate Box". Yusuf / Cat Stevens. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  18. 1 2 Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6. Retrieved 26 June 2013. See also: Kent Music Report.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  19. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Cat Stevens – Buddha and the Chocolate Box" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
  20. ↑ "Top RPM Albums: Image 5027". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 16 June 2022. [dead link]
  21. ↑ Pennanen, Timo (2021). "Cat STEVENS". Sisältää hitin – 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 (PDF). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 246. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  22. ↑ "InfoDisc : Tous les Albums classés par Artiste > Choisir Un Artiste Dans la Liste : Cat Stevens". infodisc.fr. Archived from the original on 6 May 2013. Retrieved 24 February 2012. Note: user must select 'Cat STEVENS' from drop-down
  23. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Cat Stevens – Buddha and the Chocolate Box" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
  24. ↑ "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 16 June 2022. Set "Tipo" on "Album". Then, in the "Titolo" field, search "Buddah & the chocolate box".
  25. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Cat Stevens – Buddha and the Chocolate Box". Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
  26. ↑ "Cat Stevens Songs and Albums | Full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
  27. ↑ "Cat Stevens Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
  28. ↑ "RPM Top 100 Albums of 1974". RPM. Retrieved 3 October 2011.
  29. ↑ "Les Albums (CD) de 1972 par InfoDisc" (in French). infodisc.fr. Archived from the original (PHP) on 27 October 2012. Retrieved 11 February 2012.
  30. ↑ "Top Pop Albums of 1974". billboard.biz. Retrieved 24 February 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  31. ↑ "British album certifications – Cat Stevens – Buddha and the Chocolate Box". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 11 June 2019. Select albums in the Formats field. Type Buddha and the Chocolate Box Cat Stevens in the "Search:" field.
  32. ↑ "American album certifications – Cat Stevens – the Chocolate Box". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Buddha_and_the_Chocolate_Box&oldid=1363889767#Track_listing"