BY THE TIME
Al Stewart finally achieved his commercial breakthrough with 1976’s “Year of the Cat,” it was the culmination of a decade-long odyssey to bring the song to completion. Its bones date back to 1966, when Stewart penned a set of lyrics titled “Foot of the Stage”.
“It was about British comedian Tony Hancock,” the Scottish folk-rocker recalls. “But the American record company had never heard of Tony Hancock and asked me to rewrite it.” Stewart responded with a new set of lyrics about Princess Anne called “Horse of the Year.” Not surprisingly, he says, “they requested another rewrite.”
CAT’S TAIL