Yusuf / Cat Stevens has shared an unearthed music video for “Lady D’Arbanville”, which initially appeared on his 1970 album, Mona Bone Jakon. The release is believed to be one of the earliest cinematic music videos ever made.
Rediscovered in 2020, Cat Stevens will include the music video with the Mona Bone Jakon 50th anniversary Super Deluxe Box Set, which is set for release on December 4th.
Related: Yusuf/Cat Stevens Shares Music Video For Reworked “Wild World” [Watch]
Filmed in an English, Gothic-era mansion, the music video features Stevens and his romantic partner at the time, Patti D’Arbanville. The dark, black and white video fits well with the song’s somber and poignant feel. Throughout the song, Stevens sings of his “Lady D’Arbanville”, as clips of her wandering around the mansion flutter across the screen. He speaks of her “sleeping”, however, it sounds more like a metaphor for death than anything else.
D’Arbanville, who is known for her work with artist Andy Warhol, gave an interview with Bob Colacello in Warhol’s Interview magazine back in April, 1973. During the interview, D’Arbanville discussed the impetus for the song and what it meant for her,
Look, Steven wrote that song [Lady D’Arbanville by Cat Stevens] when I left for New York. I left for a month, it wasn’t the end of the world was it? But he wrote this whole song about ‘Lady D’Arbanville, why do you sleep so still.’ It’s about me dead. So while I was in New York, for him it was like I was lying in a coffin… he wrote that because he missed me, because he was down… It’s a sad song.
Watch the long-lost video for “Lady D’Arbanville” below and head to Stevens’ website to pre-order the Mona Bone Jakon 50th anniversary Super Deluxe Box Set.
Yusuf/Cat Stevens – “Lady D’Arbanville”
[Video: Yusuf / Cat Stevens]