Hal Ashby looked like a guru, very kind of bedraggled beard and nicotine-stained moustache and zappy eyes, but he was a soft character, a very soft character. I eventually went over to San Francisco where they were making the film and I met Hal Ashby, the director and my music was flowing everywhere, in the rushes. It was great, and satisfied my own particular love of the out-of-the-ordinary. This odd character, Harold, experimenting with death, experimenting with his own concept of non-existence so he wouldn't have to suffer his mother barking at him all the time. I was laughing so much, right into the night.
I said, 'Okay, I'll read the book.' I couldn't put it down. My manager said he had a book called 'Harold and Maude,' Colin Higgins wrote it and Paramount were making a film of it and they wanted to use some of my music. "'Harold and Maude' was a total experience. Speaking about the experience, Yusuf/Cat Stevens remembers: Having listened to songs from landmark albums Mona Bone Jakon and Tea For The Tillerman whilst editing "Harold and Maude," Ashby knew from the start that he wanted exclusively Stevens' songs to sonically narrate his film, and after a significant campaign, Ashby won Stevens over and thus, the soundtrack was brought to life. Originally not wanting to release the soundtrack in fear of it being perceived as a "greatest hits" album in the early days of his career, film director Hal Ashby had to do some convincing. The movie's success and cult status has in part been bolstered by its whimsical and poignant soundtrack, in which all songs are performed by Cat Stevens. It reveals the deep lying synergy that exists between seemingly opposing views and how, when united, they can flourish to their mutual advantage. Filled with dark humor and existential drama, the film represents the potentially glorious benefits that can arise from a balanced partnership between conservative pragmatism and colorful free-spirited idealism.
Hal Ashby's 1971 film about the unlikely friendship-turned-love story of suicidal teenager Harold Chasen (played by Bud Cort) and 79-year-old free spirit Maude (played by Ruth Gordon) is now widely praised as a bona fide cult classic. The new edition of the soundtrack will combine Cat Stevens' nine original songs, as well as dialogue from the film, for the first time. 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Fifty years since its release, the original motion picture soundtrack for Hal Ashby's 1971 classic cult film " Harold and Maude," made up exclusively of songs by Cat Stevens, will be released on February 11 th, 2022 in new 180g 1LP / 1CD / Digital release formats via A&M/Cat-O-Log/UMe. In 2009, Stevens accused-and forgave-Coldplay for copying the melody from his 1973 song “Foreigner Suite” for their hit “Viva La Vida,” saying “I have even copied myself without even knowing I have done it.LOS ANGELES, Dec. Last year Haim, Feist, Bonnie “Prince” Billy, and others performed at the virtual CatSong Festival, celebrating the 50th anniversaries of Tea for the Tillerman and Mona Bone Jakon with performances of Cat Stevens songs. The soundtrack itself wouldn’t be released until 2007, 36 years after the film premiered, in a limited edition vinyl package put out by Cameron Crowe’s Vinyl Films label. Those songs would remain unreleased until Stevens’ 1984 greatest hits collection Footsteps in the Dark.
It also featured two original songs recorded for the film, “Don’t Be Shy” and “If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out,” which became the film’s unofficial theme. The original film featured seven songs from Cat Stevens’ two 1970 LPs for Island/A&M: Mona Bone Jakon and Tea for the Tillerman. It’s due out February 11 via A&M/Cat-O-Log/ UMe. The LP features Stevens’ nine original songs, as well as dialogue and instrumental music from the film. Yusuf / Cat Stevens has announced a 50th anniversary reissue of his original soundtrack for the 1971 Hal Ashby film Harold and Maude.