Did Cat Steven's STEAL the intro? (Morning has Broken)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 ก.ค. 2024
- This is the story of how Rick Wakeman created the legendary piano introduction for Cat Stevens recording of Morning Has Broken.
We'll break down the song harmonically, and share the story of how a young Rick Wakeman was taken advantage of by the label.
The excerpt of Rick telling the story himself comes from a life performance. As far as I can tell, it's from the full length recording of _Live in California & Virginia in 1994_, though the story was not included in the album release of the live show.
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Kudos to Keith Ling for finding and documenting this excerpt: • Rick Wakeman Cat Steve...
00:00 - Intro
00:52 - The Basic Song
01:16 - Rick Wakeman Intro
06:57 - Debunking the story
07:37 - Introduction to Verse 3 (key change)
08:42 - Rick in his own words - แนวปฏิบัติและการใช้ชีวิต
Correction. Rick wakeman was Not a founding member of yes. In fact He was their 2nd keyboard player And didn't appear Until yes is 4th Album "Fragile".
I am stunned! One of my favorite songs. I had always assumed it was a hymn adapted by Cat Steven’s. Then upon 3 minutes of googling, I find the author is a woman from the 1800’s who wrote children’s books, to the famous rift written by Rick Wakeman and finally getting to Cat Stevens. I love how Wakeman leaves his fingerprint, so to speak, in other compositions. Thank you for breaking it all down! I’m a long time piano player too, but honestly thought this was just a case of a key change. Soooo much more to the story!
Great stuff!!! Thanks for sharing this and giving credit were credit is due! You inspired me to learn this piano part!
Great video. Thanks for sharing. I remember when the Cat Stevens song was released as well as Rick Wakeman's Six Wives. Your digital piano sounds terrific. Could not discern what make and model your piano is from the video. Would you be able to share that info?
Brilliantly done! I've been a huge Rick Wakeman fan since the early 70's, and have seen him in concert many times. I had the pleasure to meet him a couple of years ago, and there just isn't anybody on the planet who is more kind and gracious. His consistency in composing heart-touching music is incredible. His catalog is massive. I know, because I own everything I've been able to find, and I actively search for new things regularly. This particular song is a staple inn his solo set list and he always tells the story. I think he's received payment for his contribution, just in entertainment value alone. You are an excellent teacher, and made the explanation easy to follow and understand. I truly appreciate this video.
Thanks so much, Chad.
You might be interested in hearing my favorite Rick Wakeman composition ... it's called "Trigger The Bounce" from the Retro 2 album. th-cam.com/video/kx2OnqtPWPU/w-d-xo.html
My missus and I are awaken by your explicit breakdown of the composition and Rick’s involvement. Thank you and we are your subscribers!!
Really enjoyed this post Josh. It's an iconic intro and liked your analysis of how clever Rick was with the modulations. I saw Rick a few years ago and he was telling the same anecdote! I didn't know he was the session pianist for this song, unless he hadn't told us. I liked especially as Rick had to turn the 30 second turn into a full 3 minutes plus needed for a song 😁🎹👍
His piano on this song has all the familiar, and brilliant, "Wakemanisms" that many of us have come to know and love.
Really interesting story about this song Josh! I always enjoyed this song, and didn't realize how genius it was until watching your video, and I didn't know it was Rick Wakeman - wow! Thank you for sharing!
@@klinestill good point - thanks
Well done Josh! This is really an iconic story and an awesome harmony lesson: kudos!
Loved this explanation and history. Thank you…. So interesting…I’ve always wondered how Rick’s playing (in the Cat Stevens recording) cascades down at the end of a phrase during verses…it sounds like reverse arpeggios or something cascading down …don’t know how else to explain …I wonder if you understand what I’m asking and if so can you tell me how it’s done? It’s never included in sheet music, and it’s always intrigued me. Colleen
I thought it was just a key change and broken (very broken) chords. Here I thought I was a pianist.
I'm glad you mentioned Rick's "Catherine Howard" from his "Six Wives..." album, as that was the genesis of the intro to Cat's "Morning Has Broken". And BTW, he has been paid. Rick signed my "Teaser and the Firecat" album about 10 years ago at his Anderson Wakeman concert in Buffalo, NY and wrote "I got paid in the end".
Very interesting. A friend saw him in concert not long ago and he’s still telling the story the same way! Haha
Great piece Josh, I really enjoyed it. I'm sure I have some Rick Wakeman vinyl stashed away somewhere. Despite getting had over on this occasion he did alright for himself and it makes for a great story.
I grew up listening to my dads Wakeman albums. One of the reasons I took up the piano.
I'm a fan of both Cat Stevens and Rick Wakeman and it was well over 50 years before I found out Wakeman had played on 'Morning Has Broken'. I wonder how many people still think Cat Stevens played it?
Apparently a lot! Thanks for watching.
So much awesomeness in this video, thank you for sharing. liked and subbed.
For me the more interesting modulation is from C major to D major. I would sum that up as: C, E, Am, F#, Bm, G, D. Right back to Bach!
7:53
One of my pet projects is find the smooth way to move from any key to any key, then to make those modulations work in different genres.
Very fine video, Josh!
there is quite a lot , all by my self, Rachmaninov, procal haram whiter shade of bach, etc
I saw Rick and his son Oliver play a couple of weeks ago (with Gordon Giltrap too) in a charity gig; a wonderful night all round. He has so many funny stories in his locker he doesn't really need a piano to get the audience going!
Wow I’m jealous! His son Adam is a great keyboardist too… plays with Black Sabbath.
Excellent video. After reading P F Sloan’s biography I know how rotten the music business can be. Big name creeps and small name creeps. Appreciate all the work you put into this. Just found a great new channel. Thank you.
Many people view Rick Wakeman simply as the Yes keyboardist with the lightning fast right hand. In reality, it’s Rick’s compositional genius that has set him apart from his contemporaries for all these decades.
Truth!
Thank you very much indeed for your explanations, that was very interesting from a musical standpoint and also the story itself is amazing
Loved this. More Wakeman please.
Like the B3 solo from Roundabout? That would be a fun one! ;-)
Excellent stuff, as usual!
A pedant notes, however (he always does!), that Rick Wakeman did *not* co-found the band Yes, but replaced the original keyboard player, Tony Kaye.
I actually did not know this. I’m have been misinformed! Thank you for setting the record straight.
Well done and a very interesting documentary.
Apparently many years later, Yusuf Islam met with Rick Wakeman and paid him an undisclosed sum for
his contribution to Morning has Broken.
Always loved this song, and especially that thrilling piano part. Later, I sang the hymn in church, and our hymnal had the melody and all the words exactly the same, except, of course, for the piano. And since I'd heard the Stevens virsion first, it always frustrated me - that missing intro/outtro. So I took a few weeks/ months and painstakingly transcribed it, and then memorized it. But I had no idea how it came into being. Was pretty sure that Stevens himself hadn't written it but who did? Thanks to your video I now know the backstory and am much appreciative. Now I'm wondering what the copyright restrictions are for playing it in church.
Don't worry about it. The song is from 1931. Plus, there is no God, so you're not serving anyone, nor anything!
Maybe there’s no religion? Not to get too sidetracked, because it’s my personal belief that music (and math. . . I know weird) are a source of something we cannot understand yet.
Sorry for the interruption!
Rick did not co-found Yes, he came in after yes had already put out 3 albums. I played this intro many times having learned it by ear, fun to play!
Thanks for keeping me honest!
As a person of a certain age, it’s really gratifying to see a younger generation appreciate the brilliance of the keyboards players with whom I grew up. As a Brit, I’m lucky to have seen Rick and Yes on many occasions and to have met Rick several times. The story of course is a great one and yes, as a previous comment has said, Cat Stevens (by then Yusef Islam) did eventually pay Rick, although if I recall correctly they agreed for the payment to go to charity! Tony Kaye, the original Yes keyboardist, was only interested at the time in playing his Hammond and piano. When Anderson and Squire persuaded Rick to leave The Strawbs and join Yes it really expanded their sound as Rick was happy to experiment with all of the keyboards of the 70s (Mellotron, Moog, Clavinet, Fender Rhodes etc.) I remember well the annual contest here in the UK between Rick and that other prog giant of the 70s, Keith Emerson, to claim the Melody Maker crown as top keyboards player. At Emerson’s memorial concert in Birmingham a few years back, Rick guested and commented that he and Emerson had tried many times to do an album together, but that “management” got in the way. Such a shame…..what an album that would have been! Thanks, Josh, for this excellent insight!
That’s some of my favorite music. I’m not as young as you insinuated either 🤣🤔
Great comment.
Hello Josh - I like how you showed the different cords at the beginning of the video. I am not a musician, so it would have really helped me if you had highlighted the cords as you were playing it later as well. Best of luck!
Appreciate that feedback. This is actually something I’ve done in more recent videos, and I agree, it’s helpful.
Cheers.
VERY interesting. VERY informative. VERY fascinating.
I’m including this video as well as your ‘Amazing Grace’ Reharm in 5 steps as two of my most useful chord progression and re-harmonization tutorials. What similar type tutorials might you suggest that I may have overlooked? (I’m a relatively new Subscriber.)
That’s awesome. Thanks. I’m a relatively new creator full time, so I’d say my best videos are ahead of me.
I’m proud of the “your first jazz lesson” video, even though the production value is lower. It’s similar to what you are looking for.
Glad to have you here as a subscriber!
Very nice story of the musical improvisation of this song. I really love the introduction and the modulations.
Yeah, this is one of my favorite piano intros of all time. Thanks for watching!
On the original vinyl album cover of Teaser & the Firecat there is no mention of Rick Wakeman. On the insert for the CD version however it does state, "Piano - Rick Wakeman" although without specifying the track on which he performed.
Very interesting! Nice job!
Who is the author of this song; Ty for sharing btw I always sing this in the key of C on guitar y sometimes playfully do the chordal by ear on the piano… stilll stuck on white keys though since the seventies);
I never knew that Cat Stevens intro was Rick Wakeman's. Now you say so, it is unmistakably Rick.
Hello legend, I'm new and just subscribed to your channel 😘Do you have 2 different piano sheets by Rick and Cats? I tried to search online, but none sound the same as what you play.
Hello fellow legend. I do not have sheets, I just learned this by ear. Far too many sheets don’t match the recording. Some for good reason (more approachable to play) some for bad reason (they are just wrong)
Mucho appreciado hombre! :)
I saw Rick Wakeman's "Grumpy Old Rock Star" solo show in Toronto just a few years ago. The way he recounted it was that Cat Stevens phoned him up one evening saying he had the idea to record Morning has Broken, but it was too short as is for Radio, and so would Rick like to add a piano part? Rick told Cat to come by and play what he had so far, which he did. It was indeed short: like maybe 1 min altogether... Rick had been working on a piano riff for another piece which he thought might work as an intro. He played it for Cat who loved it, but even with the intro, it was still way too short. So Cat asked him for another piano solo after the first verse. It was still too short... So, they kept adding piano interludes until the piece eked over that minimum radio length.
And yes, Rick didn't get paid his session fee until much later, but in his own words "I got paid in the end".
Here is Rick himself: th-cam.com/video/R7ZwQfK0jQw/w-d-xo.htmlsi=IWdVCkOTcl0RUPgL
And I dunno: I'm pretty sure Rick Wakeman would have been more than capable of recording this in one day, and improvising all sorts of variations on this theme... He is one of the best keyboardists/arrangers in the genre.
Rick Wakeman - also known as "One take" Wakeman from his session days, 'cos he only needed one take to record his part. Have watched a whole documentary where he talks about Morning Has Broken. And yes, he eventually got paid - years later. Cat made squillions and Rick got 30 squid from what I recall. I have to say, I love him in the Grumpy Old Men series.
Rick loves a good anecdote so much, I sometimes wonder if he always courted disaster in order to gather more comedy material.
are you able to play the whole song ? would love to have a recording of it
Hey Rashid - I am able, but I run into some TH-cam copyright issues if I do. I appreciate it though!
Bravo. Is the accurate sheet music available for purchase anywhere? Thanks, Greg
Hey man, nah, it’s copyrighted so that’s not something I’d feel comfortable doing. But, if you search google images I’m sure there are sheet music sites in the results that sell it.
@@JoshWalshMusic Thanks Josh. I was planning to purchase the music I was just wondering if there any as accurate as your explanation. Thanks Greg
@@nopriors sheet music like this is notoriously inaccurate. Lol. Ear training FTW!
@@JoshWalshMusic Thank you
Great video , people have been borrowing each others music since the time of Sibelius and before , every band that ever was borrows from one and no one gives a toss . However I'm with you with the Rick Wakeman ingredients
Apologies! Comment already made! Love your analysis though and great playing!
You weren’t the first to point out my mistake 🤣
Well done indeed!
Nice way to blend the story with the teaching of the song!
Also, how did you make the chord diagram with the little bar following the changes? Was it done manually in final cut, or …?
Thanks Arthur. I am doing these by key framing them in Final Cut, but I’ve been working a reusable FCP title for it in Motion since it’s really tedious to do individually.
RW did not co found Yes, when Morniiiiing has broken was recorded Yes had already existed for several years. Wakeman replaced Tony Kaye hat was sacked because Wakeman was considered a most prominent card
Thanks for keeping me honest!
Wakeman didn't co-found yes but joined after Tony Kaye left or was pushed out
Good morning to everyone 🌞
The unsung hero, Rick Wakeman. Very interesting history of "Morning has Broken".
In the video where Rick is telling the story, he states that he did get paid, some 37 years later. Then adds, but that's another story.
Great! BUT, Rick did not co-found YES. Tony Kaye was the original keys. Tony did return some years later during the Trevor Horn days.
Small correction Josh. Rick wasn't a co founder of YES but joined up to make their 4th album Fragile. Roundabout was on that album giving him the notoriety he well deserved. He replaced Tony Kaye also a great keyboardist that was actually a co founding member previous to Fragile was on The Yes Album and best album in my opinion. Yes at that time was looking for a synthesiser/keyboardist and walla, they found Rick. Rick is such a great natured guy and FUNNY AS HELL!! He said that the Union Tour with YES was very enjoyable and nostalgic to him teaming up with almost all (less Peter Banks orig guitarist) of the founding members and Steve Howe 3rd The Yes Album 1970-71, Trevor Rabin (latter 1980's guitarist 90125 album). Ok recap. Jon Anderson co founder vocals, Chris Squire co founding bass, Tony Kaye co founder and Rick on keys, co founding drummer Bill Bruford and Alan White, Steve Howe, Trevor guitars at Union concert. Here is his solo grand piano version arrangement of Morning Has Broken. Beautiful> th-cam.com/video/VebVIXSQFC0/w-d-xo.html
You are right. Quite a few people have kept me honest here! Lol. Thanks!
@@JoshWalshMusic We are all human Josh and YOU are no exception! Keep the good videos coming!
That was known right from the beginning ..
We were aware of that at the time ..
Like JFK, the Challenger disaster, 9-11. I know where I was the first time I heard this song. I can't think of another recording that had that impact on me.
02:43 thats not a G7/B but a E7/B
Wakeman didn't cofound Yes. He joined for their 4th album.
This reminds me of a project I was required to accomplish in 3rd semester Music Theory. Now - understand, I had decades of theory under my belt, just to enter the university in my late 40s. For this project, my professor said< "Don't get creative - just follow the instruction." Pardon me, but . . . ""don't get creative"??? You're talking to the world's future composers, and you're mandating, "don't get creative"? Well, long-story-short, I turned in apiece that exploited every compositional mechanism class had afforded - secondary dominants, borrowed chords, leading tone-sevenths --- the whole kitchen sink. And . . . to my dismay, my professor gave me a grade of C-. So, then, I renamed my composition "Sonata In C Minus" LOL- Yes_ LOL-LOL- But, for the past 7 years, this same piece I composed is known as "Louella's Theme" after my wife.
That’s hilarious!
Rick Wakeman was not a co-founder of Yes. Yes had three albums under their belt with their original keyboard player Tony Kaye before he was replaced by Rick Wakeman.
You are right. I was misinformed.
Rick Wakeman.👍 from ABWH.
Interesting !!!
yer same as ray jackson he never got the credit he deserves rod stewart maggie may never got a mention on the cover
Wakeman never cofounded YES
Correct, I got that one wrong! Thanks for keeping me honest.
Between Wakeman and Lord........
I've heard Rick say that he did meet Cat Stevens (or whatever name he now goes by) a few years ago and mentioned it, and that Cat did pay him the eighty bucks!
Wow really!?
Sorry pal, $ 80.?. you are a nutcase .
He didn't confound Yes but he was an iconic member. His piano on this song makes the whole thing come alive.
Exactly.
Correct, he didn't CO-FOUND yes, but I think he may have certainly CONfounded them, and many of us, as well.
Rick Wakeman was not a co-founding member of Yes. Therefore I cannot continue to watch this video past that erroneous statement.
Yeah, it was a silly mistake that I failed to fact check. Appreciate you keeping me honest.
@@JoshWalshMusic How dare you make such a humanistic silly mistake! LOL! Like your video Josh. You're a very talented piano player and musician.
Greanted Wakeman was not a founder, he was a major part of iconic albums of theirs, but that is not what the clip is about.
All music is derivative of other pieces. Doesn't mean it was stolen.
Wow, that was very interesting!
And not very factual either.
Rick also plays a part in Planet of the apes . .
Wait … seriously?
Yousef is a scoundrel. Thanks to the internet, now we know the
" rest of the story "
Please connect online 🙏 safety 😅
are you Joe's bro?
I wish! But no, I don’t have Eagles money. In fact, Joe takes my videos down if I play Eagles music 🤣
Cmon Joe… we’re cousins!
Cat Stevens did NOT " Steal" the opening....i find it hysterical that THAT is the clickbait....Rick cane up with it ,how on earth did Cat "Steal" it?
He stole the credit for it. The guy always had contempt for his fellow man.
@@tbird81 It's so easy to just say something you know nothing about ( Trump's) way, you are indeed a Simpleton.
THESE ARE THE WORDS OF ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI
Cat Stevens always struck me as an a'hole. Not sure that his religion switch helped anything.
Steal a song from a hymn book, and steal the intro.
Wakeman played on many many top tunes. You just don't know it/
His son too.