Year of the Cat (song)

"Year of the Cat" is a single by singer-songwriter Al Stewart, released in July 1976. The song is the title track of his 1976 album Year of the Cat, and was recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London in January 1976 by engineer Alan Parsons. The song reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in March 1977. Although Stewart's highest charting single on that chart was 1978's "Time Passages", "Year of the Cat" has remained Stewart's signature recording, receiving regular airplay on both classic rock and folk rock stations.

Recording

The track is noted for its lengthy instrumental sections— over four minutes of the 6:40 album version is instrumental, including a long, melodic series of solos that encompasses cello, violin, piano, acoustic guitar, distorted electric guitar, synthesizer and saxophone. The transition from acoustic guitar to electric to saxophone was initiated by Tim Renwick. The acoustic lead is played by Peter White with Tim Renwick then taking the electric lead. Parsons had Phil Kenzie add the saxophone part of the song — and by doing so transformed the original folk concept into the jazz-influenced ballad that put Al Stewart onto the charts.

Year of the Cat

Year of the Cat is the seventh studio album by Al Stewart, released in 1976 and was produced and engineered by Alan Parsons; it is considered his masterpiece, its sales helped by the hit single "Year of the Cat", "one of those 'mysterious woman' songs," co-written by Peter Wood. The other single from the album was "On the Border". Stewart wrote "Lord Grenville" about the Elizabethan sailor and explorer Sir Richard Grenville (1542–1591).

Stewart had all of the music and orchestration written and completely recorded before he even had a title for any of the songs. In a Canadian radio interview he stated that he has done this for six of his albums, and he often writes four different sets of lyrics for each song. The title track derives from a song Stewart wrote in 1966 called "Foot of the Stage" with prescient lyrics about Tony Hancock, one of Britain's favourite comedians who tragically committed suicide two years later. When Stewart discovered that Hancock was not well known in the United States, he went back to his original title "Year of the Cat".

Chinese astrology

Chinese astrology is based on the traditional astronomy and calendars. The development of Chinese astrology is tied to that of astronomy, which came to flourish during the Han Dynasty (2nd century BC to 2nd century AD).

Chinese astrology has a close relation with Chinese philosophy (theory of the three harmony, heaven, earth and water) and uses the principles of yin and yang and concepts that are not found in Western astrology, such as the wu xing teachings, the 10 Celestial stems, the 12 Earthly Branches, the lunisolar calendar (moon calendar and sun calendar), and the time calculation after year, month, day and shichen (時辰).

Background

Chinese astrology was elaborated during the Zhou dynasty (1046–256 BC) and flourished during the Han Dynasty (2nd century BC to 2nd century AD). During the Han period, the familiar elements of traditional Chinese culture—the Yin-Yang philosophy, the theory of the 5 elements, the concepts of Heaven and Earth, and Confucian morality—were brought together to formalize the philosophical principles of Chinese medicine and divination, astrology and alchemy.

The Cat

The Cat may refer to:

Nickname

Film

List of Sgt. Frog characters

The following is a list of various characters in the fictional universe of the anime and manga series Sgt. Frog and related works.

Keroro Platoon

The Keroro Platoon (ケロロ小隊, Keroro Shōtai) is led by Sergeant Keroro. While most platoons contain thirty or forty soldiers, the Keroro Platoon only has a meager five. Its full name is the Gamma Planetary System, the 58th Planet, Space Invasion Army Special Tactics Platoon (ガマ星雲　第58番惑星　宇宙侵攻軍特殊先行工作部隊, Gama Seiun Dai Gojūhachiban Wakusei Uchū Shinkōgun Tokushu Senkō Kōsaku Butai). In the English dub of the anime, the unit is referred to as the Advance Recon Mission Preparatory Invasion Terror Platoon (A.R.M.P.I.T.). Keroro refers to the acronym as being "unfortunate".

The initial operation of the Keroro Platoon was to stealthily survey Earth and relay information to the awaiting Keron Invasion Army. The five members were dispatched throughout Greater Tokyo and surrounding area to assess Earth's weakness and prepare for total military takeover. Having infiltrated the Hinata house, Sergeant Keroro concealed himself in one of the bedrooms, but was accidentally discovered by the Hinata children, a pair of middle school siblings. Shocked by their ability to see him, he was overpowered, captured and temporarily stripped of his weapon, the Kero Ball. With Keroro coming into direct contact with the Earthlings, the invading army lost their element of surprise, deemed the campaign compromised and immediately started withdrawal procedures from Earth's orbit.

University of Chester

The University of Chester is a public university located in the historic city of Chester, England. The university, based on three campuses in Chester and one in Warrington, offers a range of foundation, undergraduate and postgraduate courses, as well as undertaking academic research.

The university is a member of the Association of Commonwealth Universities, the Cathedrals Group, the North West Universities Association and Universities UK.

For the 2015 academic year the average student at the University of Chester achieved an average UCAS tariff of 306.

History

1839 to 2000

The university was founded as Chester Diocesan Training College in 1839 by a distinguished group of local leading figures in the Church of England, including future Prime Ministers William Ewart Gladstone and the 14th Earl of Derby. It was the UK's first purpose-built teacher training college, which makes it one of the longest established higher education institutions in the country. In 1842, Gladstone opened the College's original buildings for its first intake of ten male student teachers on the Parkgate Road site, just outside the City Walls, that the University occupies today.