To capitalise on Cat's swift rise to stardom Deram rushed out a second album in 1967, 'New Masters'. However, some artistic differences had begun to emerge between between Cat, who was starting to yearn for a simple acoustic sound and more artistic control over his career, and producer Mike Hurst, who wanted to push Cat as a pop crooner and who favoured the more lavish orchestral arrangements that characterise on the first two albums. 'New Masters' features 'The First Cut is the Deepest' which was a hit for P.P. Arnold in 1967 and would go on to become one of the seminal heartbreak songs of all time with notable covers by Rod Stewart, Sheryl Crow, and Keith Hampshire.
Track Listing:
1. Kitty (Stereo Version) - Cat Stevens (2.23)
2. I'm So Sleepy (Stereo Version) - Cat Stevens (2.24)
3. Northern Wind (Stereo Version) - Cat Stevens (2.5)
4. The Laughing Apple (Stereo Version) - Cat Stevens (2.39)
5. Smash Your Heart (Stereo Version) - Cat Stevens (3.01)
6. Moonstone (Stereo Version) - Cat Stevens (2.18)
7. The First Cut Is the Deepest (Stereo Version) - Cat Stevens (3.02)
8. I'm Gonna Be King (Stereo Version) - Cat Stevens (2.29)
9. Ceylon City (Stereo Version) - Cat Stevens (2.28)
10. Blackness of the Night (Stereo Version) - Cat Stevens (2.31)
11. Come On Baby (Shift That Log) [stereo Version] - Cat Stevens (3.51)
12. I Love Them All (Stereo Version) - Cat Stevens (2.12)
13. Here Comes My Wife (Mono Version) (Bonus Track) - Cat Stevens (3.01)
14. A Bad Night (Bonus Track) - Cat Stevens (3.13)
15. The Laughing Apple (Mono Version) (Bonus Track) - Cat Stevens (2.37)
16. Kitty (Mono Version) (Bonus Track) - Cat Stevens (2.23)
Year of Production: 1967
