Jamiroquai
Encyclopedia
Jamiroquai is a British
jazz funk and acid jazz
band
formed in 1992. Jamiroquai were initially the most prominent component in the early-1990s London-based acid jazz
movement, alongside groups such as Incognito
, the James Taylor Quartet
, and the Brand New Heavies
. Other Acid Jazz artists such as 'Moses Mayes' and Groove Collective
are popular comparisons. Subsequent albums have explored other musical directions such as pop
, rock
and electronica
. Jamiroquai have sold more than 40 million albums worldwide and won a Grammy Award
in 1998.
" and "iroquai", based on the Iroquois
, a Native American
tribe. The original band was Jay Kay
(vocals
), Toby Smith
(keyboard
), Stuart Zender
(bass
), Nick Van Gelder (drums), Wallis Buchanan (didgeridoo
) and Alec Moran (pipeau). These are the founding members of Jamiroquai and were involved in the writing and production of the first album. The lineup of the band has changed several times, and the longest serving and now core members of the band are lead singer and songwriter Jason "Jay" Kay
and drummer Derrick McKenzie (1994). Kay was the impetus behind the formation of Jamiroquai, deciding to form the band after an unsuccessful audition to become the singer of the Brand New Heavies
. Despite his self-professed attempts to treat Jamiroquai as a band, Kay has always been at the forefront of how the group is marketed, and has therefore always had the lion's share of media attention, to the point where he is viewed as almost a solo artist.
", was released in 1992 on the Acid Jazz label
. Following its success, Kay signed an eight-album record deal with Sony Music Entertainment
. The first Sony album, Emergency on Planet Earth
was released in 1993. It was followed in 1994 by The Return of the Space Cowboy
. The single "Space Cowboy
" gained notice on the charts and in club rotation.
While Jamiroquai was growing in popularity in the UK, Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Japan, they remained relatively unknown to U.S
and other international audiences. The band's American breakthrough came with the third album, Travelling Without Moving
in 1996, which yielded two big hits, "Virtual Insanity
" and "Cosmic Girl
". The success of "Virtual Insanity
" was due in part to its Jonathan Glazer
-directed video, which featured Kay's dance moves and some physics-defying images. At the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards
, the creative music video for "Virtual Insanity" won four awards Best Video, Best Special Effects
, Best Cinematography
, and Breakthrough Video
.
In 2003 Jamiroquai compiled and mixed
a DJ mix album
for the Late Night Tales
series for Azuli Records
. The track selection shows some of the band's funk
, soul
and disco
influences, including tracks from The Pointer Sisters
, The Commodores
, Johnny "Hammond" Smith and Johnny "Guitar" Watson.
The acid jazz flavours and ethnic influences of the first three albums continued with the release of Synkronized
in 1999. Jay Kay's interest in funk
and disco
music were shifting the band's directions towards such. By their fifth album, A Funk Odyssey
(2001), they had evolved so drastically, that some critics and listeners would remark they lost the 'Jamiroquai sound'. With the departure of more and more original band members, including Wallis Buchanan and his didgeridoo
, Jamiroquai had become a very different band than that of 1992. In spite of the changes, the fifth album's first single, "Little L
", reached #1 in many charts worldwide.
Their sixth album, titled Dynamite
was released on 20 June 2005. It reached #3 on the UK charts. The first single, "Feels Just Like It Should" was released early in June, the second, "Seven Days in Sunny June
" released on 15 August 2005, followed by the third, "(Don't) Give Hate A Chance
" on 7 November 2005.
Jamiroquai released a greatest hits collection, High Times: Singles 1992-2006
in November 2006. The release of this album marked the end of Kay’s eight-album contract with Sony. The album reached the number 1 spot in the UK album chart after its first week of release. The album featured two new tracks, "Runaway" and "Radio". On 18 September 2006, "Runaway" was given its first play by UK radio stations. It was released as a single on 30 October 2006. Kay remarked that compilation was released purely out of contractual obligation: "2006, they're out of the picture."
Jamiroquai have had 13 nominations for The Brit Awards, and have yet to win one.
at Abbey Road Studios
. Their performance was shown alongside those of Damien Rice
and the Goo Goo Dolls
on the UK's Channel 4 in January 2007. In May 2006 Jamiroquai performed during the Laureus Sports Awards in Barcelona; the event was later televised by NBC
in June.
In March 2006, Jamiroquai announced their switch to Columbia Records
. Future releases will appear under the Columbia imprint.
During February in 2007 Jamiroquai performed the record breaking Gig in the Sky
in association with Sony Ericsson.
After leaving Sony, the band began to work on their seventh project, and several collaborations and side-projects. In a very short mid-2007 interview with Jamirotalk, drummer Derick McKenzie expressed his satisfaction with leaving Sony as the beginning of a period in which the band will have more creative control over their own work, together with plenty of room for experimentation and lack of pressure from a record company.
weblog that the recording process for the same record had also begun.
On 15 January 2008, the band confirmed that the recording process had begun. According to the news item, eleven tracks had already been written for the new album, with more to come. As of 25 July 2010, the only known track name for the 7th album is "Rock Dust Light Star" which has been performed live and confirmed by Kay himself to be on the new album. On 13 February 2008, the band announced from their website that it would perform at the World Stage of the Rock in Rio — Madrid festival, being held in Arganda del Rey
, Madrid
with others artists who have (then) yet to be announced.
On 28 February 2008, Jamiroquai performed at the Khodynka Arena in Moscow, Russia at the launch of the new Audi A4 car. On 22 June 2008, Jamiroquai performed at the Wianki Festival in Kraków, Poland. On 4 July 2008, the band performed in front of a 75,000-people audience in the Rock in Rio Madrid festival. On 5 April 2009, Jamiroquai performed at the closing concert of Malaysian F1 Grand Prix in Sepang International Circuit Malaysia, and on the 9 April Jamiroquai played at the Sentul International Convention Centre in Jakarta, Indonesia.
On 24 August 2009, Derrick McKenzie was interviewed on playvybz.com and talked about the upcoming album. He stated that Jamiroquai was then signed with Universal Records
(UK) and that they had recorded more than 40 new tracks. Also the new album will be recorded live and have a style similar to the first three albums with the use of strings and horns. He claims the album will have less of a "disco sound" and will be a lot more funky and soulful. The album is uninfluenced by major record labels and will bring forth a new direction for the band.
During the first week of February 2010, Jay Kay mentioned the upcoming album on Jamiroquai's Facebook site, saying, "Hi Everybody, just wanted to say how amazing it is to have so many Friends on Facebook, half a million I believe. Therefore it feels like the right time to let you know that we are alive and kicking and in the final stages of our 8th album. I really can't wait to get out there and play it for you live in the very near future. Sending you all lots of good luck and love, Jay."
The first week of April 2010, Jay Kay announced on the Jamiroquai Facebook page that Jamiroquai would be supporting Stevie Wonder
.
"I am thrilled and excited to be supporting such a luminary as Stevie Wonder, can't wait to see you all there and get to play some stuff from the new album. Love Jay".
Jay Kay has mentioned on an Italian website, CNRmedia.com, that the new album, still untitled, will tentatively be released in September 2010.
Based on official mailing list e-mails (related to jamiroquai.com and Jamiroquai's record label) promoting a contest, Jamiroquai are now signed to Mercury Records/Universal
On 24 June 2010, the band played a warm-up gig at Debut London to a small crowd. The set list featured songs from all the Jamiroquai albums except for Dynamite
as well as a brand new song titled "Rock Dust Light Star". On 26 June upon supporting Stevie Wonder at Hard Rock Calling Festival at Hyde Park, a new album was confirmed and stated to be released in October 2010, and the photography for it was taken in which Jay Kay posed in costume in front of the crowd behind him. On July 21 at a concert in Nîmes
, Jay told the crowd their new album would be out in November and Paul Turner also told Funky Tivi (a French web TV) music style of the new album will be rather funk/rock. (source : http://funkytivi.jimdo.com/).
On 16 August 2010 it was announced on Jamiroquai.com that the new album will be titled Rock Dust Light Star
and be released in November 2010.
On 1 September 2010, Jay Kay featured on The Chris Moyles Show
(This edition hosted by Vernon Kay
) and the Single White Knuckle Ride
was played for the first time, live on air. It was met with massive critical praise from people texting the show, many of them claiming that "Funk is back".
On 1 October 2010, Jamiroquai appeared on UK television's Later...with Jools Holland. Rock Dust Light Star was the first performance of the show, and was well received.
They also performed Deeper Underground and Blue Skies.
On November 1, 2010, they released their long anticipated seventh album, Rock Dust Light Star. Recorded in Jay Kay's home studio in Buckinghamshire, it saw a return to their earlier, less pop-like sound. Despite both singles, Blue Skies and White Knuckle Ride reaching into Top 100 charts worldwide, the album sold a mere 34,378 copies on its debut, around half the amount sold of the previous album Dynamite.
On June 9, 2011, the band released a new track called "Smile" for free download on their Soundcloud site. "Smile" has a sound similar to that of the early albums and has been met with high appraisal amongst fans and critics alike. The band ran a competition to chose the artwork for the cover, Jay picked the winning design which was by a Australian designer Zbigniew Klej.
, as Buffalo Man is seemingly a self portrait
silhouette
of Jason wearing a buffalo
hat. The mark has been used on almost every commercial (and sometimes non-commercial) release of the band's output in some form or another; usually the unique symbol is pictured unaltered, but there have been times where it is shown in a stylised manner to suit the artwork or song.
"Half the Man", The Return of the Space Cowboy
For the single "Half The Man", Buffalo Man is on the cover as a keyring with a heart in the clasp representing the fact it is a love song and the keyring itself is split down the middle in two halves to represent the song title. Buffalo Man also has a silver heart.
"Space Cowboy
", The Return of the Space Cowboy
For the single "Space Cowboy", Buffalo Man is present on the cover as a shaped cigarette paper for a half-complete cannabis joint, in reference to the song's praise of the drug.
"Virtual Insanity
", Travelling Without Moving
For the single of "Virtual Insanity", Buffalo Man appears in the place of the Ferrari
horse in an homage to Jason's love of sports cars. For the album cover to Travelling Without Moving, the artwork is similar, but takes on an embossed effect and is seen on a metal grille.
"Cosmic Girl
", "Everyday"
For these two releases, Buffalo Man is pictured with a star over his heart and two intersecting orbital rings.
Synkronized
While the design remained fundamentally unaltered, Buffalo Man has been turned into a laser-cut
mirror
and photographed from interesting angles by Midori Tsukagoshi. On some editions, for the disc itself, no ink has been used on the character, but the same stone background found on the front cover has been used for the rest of the disc, thus allowing the consumer to recreate the photographed effect.
A Funk Odyssey
For this album, the Buffalo Man was notably absent from the cover; instead, the laser lights formed an outline of the Buffalo Man logo, which could be seen much more clearly in the album's liner notes.
Dynamite
The US release and the double-disc Australian Tour Edition featured a gold Buffalo Man. Other releases saw a picture of Jay Kay instead.
Rock Dust Light Star
The letter "i" in the title is replaced with the Buffalo Man, making the first appearance in a Jamiroquai album cover since 1999's Synkronized (not counting the alternative artwork for Dynamite).
release of When You Gonna Learn
. In comparison to the current text logo one can see that the old Acid Jazz Records version of the logo was more angular at points, together with the letters being much thinner. Several variations of the current logo also exist. Releases of "Cosmic Girl
" and the promo CD of "Everyday" had replaced the dots above the 'i' letters with stars. Other slight, temporary variations include a slight vertical stretch of the typeface, as seen on the cover art of A Funk Odyssey
and Rock Dust Light Star
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
jazz funk and acid jazz
Acid jazz
Acid jazz is a musical genre that combines elements of jazz, funk and hip-hop, particularly looped beats. It developed in the UK over the 1980s and 1990s and could be seen as tacking the sound of jazz-funk onto electronic dance: jazz-funk musicians such as Roy Ayers, Donald Byrd and Grant Green are...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
formed in 1992. Jamiroquai were initially the most prominent component in the early-1990s London-based acid jazz
Acid jazz
Acid jazz is a musical genre that combines elements of jazz, funk and hip-hop, particularly looped beats. It developed in the UK over the 1980s and 1990s and could be seen as tacking the sound of jazz-funk onto electronic dance: jazz-funk musicians such as Roy Ayers, Donald Byrd and Grant Green are...
movement, alongside groups such as Incognito
Incognito (band)
Incognito is a British band, as well as one of the members of the United Kingdom's acid jazz movement. Their debut album, Jazz Funk, was released in 1981, with thirteen more albums following, the last of which, Transatlantic RPM, was released in 2010....
, the James Taylor Quartet
James Taylor Quartet
The James Taylor Quartet are a British four-piece jazz funk band who have become renowned for their live performances. They were formed by Hammond organ player James Taylor following the break-up of his former band The Prisoners in the wake of Stiff Records' bankruptcy...
, and the Brand New Heavies
Brand New Heavies
The Brand New Heavies are an acid jazz and funk group formed in 1985 in Ealing, a suburb of London, England.-Biography:The Brand New Heavies began in the 1980s as an instrumental acid jazz group called Brother International....
. Other Acid Jazz artists such as 'Moses Mayes' and Groove Collective
Groove Collective
Groove Collective is a contemporary jazz group. In 2007 they were nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album of the Year for the release People People Music Music on the Savoy Jazz label.-Style:Groove Collective was formed in 1990...
are popular comparisons. Subsequent albums have explored other musical directions such as pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
and electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
. Jamiroquai have sold more than 40 million albums worldwide and won a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
in 1998.
Formation
The band name is a portmanteau of "jam sessionJam session
Jam sessions are often used by musicians to develop new material, find suitable arrangements, or simply as a social gathering and communal practice session. Jam sessions may be based upon existing songs or forms, may be loosely based on an agreed chord progression or chart suggested by one...
" and "iroquai", based on the Iroquois
Iroquois
The Iroquois , also known as the Haudenosaunee or the "People of the Longhouse", are an association of several tribes of indigenous people of North America...
, a Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
tribe. The original band was Jay Kay
Jason Kay
Jason "Jay Kay" Luís Cheetham , is a Grammy Award-winning English musician, best known as the lead singer of the band Jamiroquai...
(vocals
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
), Toby Smith
Toby Smith
Toby Smith is a musician, most famous for being the keyboardist and co-songwriter for Jamiroquai from 1992 up to 2001....
(keyboard
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
), Stuart Zender
Stuart Zender
Stuart Patrick Jude Zender is an English bassist, songwriter and record producer. He is best known for being the original bass player for Jamiroquai.-Early life:...
(bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
), Nick Van Gelder (drums), Wallis Buchanan (didgeridoo
Didgeridoo
The didgeridoo is a wind instrument developed by Indigenous Australians of northern Australia around 1,500 years ago and still in widespread usage today both in Australia and around the world. It is sometimes described as a natural wooden trumpet or "drone pipe"...
) and Alec Moran (pipeau). These are the founding members of Jamiroquai and were involved in the writing and production of the first album. The lineup of the band has changed several times, and the longest serving and now core members of the band are lead singer and songwriter Jason "Jay" Kay
Jason Kay
Jason "Jay Kay" Luís Cheetham , is a Grammy Award-winning English musician, best known as the lead singer of the band Jamiroquai...
and drummer Derrick McKenzie (1994). Kay was the impetus behind the formation of Jamiroquai, deciding to form the band after an unsuccessful audition to become the singer of the Brand New Heavies
Brand New Heavies
The Brand New Heavies are an acid jazz and funk group formed in 1985 in Ealing, a suburb of London, England.-Biography:The Brand New Heavies began in the 1980s as an instrumental acid jazz group called Brother International....
. Despite his self-professed attempts to treat Jamiroquai as a band, Kay has always been at the forefront of how the group is marketed, and has therefore always had the lion's share of media attention, to the point where he is viewed as almost a solo artist.
Sony Music
Jamiroquai's first single, "When You Gonna LearnWhen You Gonna Learn
"When You Gonna Learn" is the debut single by the British Acid Jazz band Jamiroquai. In the United Kingdom, the song is renowned for drawing attention to the band. It was originally released in 1992 by Acid Jazz Records, and later re-released on Sony Records in 1993 as the lead single from the...
", was released in 1992 on the Acid Jazz label
Acid Jazz Records
Acid Jazz is a record label based in east London. It takes its name from acid jazz, a genre of jazz music. Alternative version states that the genre itself was named after the record label...
. Following its success, Kay signed an eight-album record deal with Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation....
. The first Sony album, Emergency on Planet Earth
Emergency on Planet Earth
Emergency on Planet Earth is the debut studio album released by British acid jazz band Jamiroquai. Released in 1993, the album features strong elements of the mixture of the R&B, and funk genres, but it is notable for being one of the group's definitive acid-jazz albums...
was released in 1993. It was followed in 1994 by The Return of the Space Cowboy
The Return of the Space Cowboy
The Return Of The Space Cowboy is the second album by the band Jamiroquai. Released in 1994, it is usually classified under the acid-jazz and funk genre.-Album information:...
. The single "Space Cowboy
Space Cowboy (song)
"Space Cowboy" is the lead single from British band Jamiroquai's second studio album, The Return of the Space Cowboy. The single reached #17 in the UK Singles Chart and was their first #1 on the U.S...
" gained notice on the charts and in club rotation.
While Jamiroquai was growing in popularity in the UK, Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Japan, they remained relatively unknown to U.S
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and other international audiences. The band's American breakthrough came with the third album, Travelling Without Moving
Travelling Without Moving
Travelling Without Moving is the third studio album released by British Acid Jazz band Jamiroquai. Released in 1996, the album features the international hit single "Virtual Insanity"...
in 1996, which yielded two big hits, "Virtual Insanity
Virtual Insanity
"Virtual Insanity" is the lead single from British Acid Jazz band Jamiroquai's third studio album, Travelling Without Moving. The song reached #3 on the UK Singles Chart. The song also charted at #38 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart upon the single's release in America in 1997...
" and "Cosmic Girl
Cosmic Girl
"Cosmic Girl" is the second single from British Acid Jazz band Jamiroquai's third studio album, Travelling Without Moving. Released in November 1996, it achieved great chart success, peaking at #6 on the UK Singles Chart.-Background:...
". The success of "Virtual Insanity
Virtual Insanity
"Virtual Insanity" is the lead single from British Acid Jazz band Jamiroquai's third studio album, Travelling Without Moving. The song reached #3 on the UK Singles Chart. The song also charted at #38 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart upon the single's release in America in 1997...
" was due in part to its Jonathan Glazer
Jonathan Glazer
Jonathan Glazer is an English director of films, commercials and music videos.-Biography:After studying theatre design at Nottingham Trent University, Glazer started out directing theatre and making film and television trailers, including award-winning work for the BBC...
-directed video, which featured Kay's dance moves and some physics-defying images. At the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards
MTV Video Music Awards
An MTV Video Music Award , is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in music videos...
, the creative music video for "Virtual Insanity" won four awards Best Video, Best Special Effects
MTV Video Music Award for Best Special Effects
The following is a list of MTV Video Music Awards winners for Best Special Effects in a Video....
, Best Cinematography
MTV Video Music Award for Best Cinematography
The following is a list of MTV Video Music Award winners for Best Cinematography in a Video. Madonna is the biggest Winner in this category with 3 wins....
, and Breakthrough Video
MTV Video Music Award - Breakthrough Video
The MTV Video Music Award for Breakthrough Video was first awarded in 1988, replacing the award for Most Experimental Video. Along with Best Direction in a Video, this award was considered to be one of the most important professional categories at the VMAs, as every once in a while it was even...
.
In 2003 Jamiroquai compiled and mixed
Audio mixing (recorded music)
In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
a DJ mix album
DJ mix
A DJ mix or DJ mixset is a sequence of musical tracks typically mixed together to appear as one continuous track. When a DJ mix or DJ mixset is recorded onto some medium, it is often referred to as a mix tape...
for the Late Night Tales
Late Night Tales
Late Night Tales and its predecessor Another Late Night are the names of two related series of artist curated compilation albums released on Late Night Tales independent record label...
series for Azuli Records
Azuli Records
Azuli Records is an independent record label, focusing mainly on house music and other forms of electronic dance music. The label was founded by DJ Dave Piccioni in London, UK in 1991 and went into liquidation in April 2009. It's assets were sold to Phoenix Music International Ltd...
. The track selection shows some of the band's funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
, soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
and disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
influences, including tracks from The Pointer Sisters
Pointer Sisters
The Pointer Sisters are an American pop/R&B recording act from Oakland, California that achieved mainstream success during the 1970s and 1980s. Spanning over three decades, their repertoire has included such diverse genres as pop, disco, jazz, bebop, blues, soul, funk, dance, country and rock.The...
, The Commodores
Commodores
The Commodores are an American funk/soul band of the 1970s and 1980s. The members of the group met as mostly freshmen at Tuskegee Institute in 1968, and signed with Motown in November 1972, having first caught the public eye opening for The Jackson 5 while on tour...
, Johnny "Hammond" Smith and Johnny "Guitar" Watson.
The acid jazz flavours and ethnic influences of the first three albums continued with the release of Synkronized
Synkronized
Synkronized is the fourth studio album released by Acid Jazz band Jamiroquai. Released in 1999, the album contains funk, disco, and acid jazz elements...
in 1999. Jay Kay's interest in funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
and disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
music were shifting the band's directions towards such. By their fifth album, A Funk Odyssey
A Funk Odyssey
A Funk Odyssey is the fifth studio album by British acid jazz band Jamiroquai, released on 3 September 2001 in the United Kingdom, and 11 September 2001 in the United States.-Background:...
(2001), they had evolved so drastically, that some critics and listeners would remark they lost the 'Jamiroquai sound'. With the departure of more and more original band members, including Wallis Buchanan and his didgeridoo
Didgeridoo
The didgeridoo is a wind instrument developed by Indigenous Australians of northern Australia around 1,500 years ago and still in widespread usage today both in Australia and around the world. It is sometimes described as a natural wooden trumpet or "drone pipe"...
, Jamiroquai had become a very different band than that of 1992. In spite of the changes, the fifth album's first single, "Little L
Little L
"Little L" is the lead single from British Acid Jazz band Jamiroquai's fifth studio album, A Funk Odyssey. The song was written by Jay Kay, and was inspired by the breakup between himself and Denise van Outen, his former girlfriend, over his cocaine problem. The song was featured in the film The...
", reached #1 in many charts worldwide.
Their sixth album, titled Dynamite
Dynamite (Jamiroquai album)
Dynamite is the sixth studio album released by British Acid Jazz band Jamiroquai, released in June 2005. Produced by Mike Spencer and Jay Kay, it is perhaps their most diverse work to date, featuring electronic, funk, disco, house and acoustic tracks....
was released on 20 June 2005. It reached #3 on the UK charts. The first single, "Feels Just Like It Should" was released early in June, the second, "Seven Days in Sunny June
Seven Days in Sunny June
"Seven Days In Sunny June" is the second single from British Acid Jazz band Jamiroquai's sixth studio album, Dynamite. Written by lead singer Jay Kay and new keyboardist Matt Johnson, the track is considered to be a throwback to the old acid jazz sound upon which Jamiroquai made its name. The song...
" released on 15 August 2005, followed by the third, "(Don't) Give Hate A Chance
(Don't) Give Hate a Chance
" Give Hate A Chance" is the third and final single from British Acid Jazz band Jamiroquai's sixth studio album, Dynamite. The song was written by Jason Kay, Rob Harris and Matt Johnson. It was produced by Kay and Mike Spencer...
" on 7 November 2005.
Jamiroquai released a greatest hits collection, High Times: Singles 1992-2006
High Times: Singles 1992-2006
High Times: Singles 1992–2006 is the fifth compilation album released by British acid jazz band Jamiroquai. The album was intended to be a collection of the group's singles, however, is more widely known as is a collection of the band's best-known hits, as it does not include the singles "Stillness...
in November 2006. The release of this album marked the end of Kay’s eight-album contract with Sony. The album reached the number 1 spot in the UK album chart after its first week of release. The album featured two new tracks, "Runaway" and "Radio". On 18 September 2006, "Runaway" was given its first play by UK radio stations. It was released as a single on 30 October 2006. Kay remarked that compilation was released purely out of contractual obligation: "2006, they're out of the picture."
Jamiroquai have had 13 nominations for The Brit Awards, and have yet to win one.
Post-Sony
In October 2006, Jamiroquai recorded a live session for Live from Abbey RoadLive from Abbey Road
Live from Abbey Road is a 12-part, one-hour performance series/documentary that began filming its first season during 2006 at Abbey Road Studios in London. Season 2 was filmed between 2007 and 2008, season 3 was filmed in 2009 and Season 4 was filmed in 2011...
at Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios is a recording studio located at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music company EMI, its present owner...
. Their performance was shown alongside those of Damien Rice
Damien Rice
Damien Rice is an Irish singer-songwriter, musician and record producer who plays guitar, piano, clarinet and percussion....
and the Goo Goo Dolls
Goo Goo Dolls
The Goo Goo Dolls are a Grammy-nominated American rock band formed in 1986 in Buffalo, New York, by vocalist and guitarist John Rzeznik and vocalist and bass guitarist Robby Takac. Since the end of 1994, Mike Malinin has been the band's drummer, a position previously held by George Tutuska...
on the UK's Channel 4 in January 2007. In May 2006 Jamiroquai performed during the Laureus Sports Awards in Barcelona; the event was later televised by NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
in June.
In March 2006, Jamiroquai announced their switch to Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
. Future releases will appear under the Columbia imprint.
During February in 2007 Jamiroquai performed the record breaking Gig in the Sky
Gig in the Sky
Gig in the Sky was a record-breaking concert performed by the British band Jamiroquai on a private Boeing 757 during February 2007. The concert was organised and promoted by Sony Ericsson for the band's compilation album High Times: Singles 1992-2006....
in association with Sony Ericsson.
After leaving Sony, the band began to work on their seventh project, and several collaborations and side-projects. In a very short mid-2007 interview with Jamirotalk, drummer Derick McKenzie expressed his satisfaction with leaving Sony as the beginning of a period in which the band will have more creative control over their own work, together with plenty of room for experimentation and lack of pressure from a record company.
Rock Dust Light Star and beyond
On 11 January 2008, Jay Kay himself posted a news item in which he thanked everyone who wished him the best for his birthday, and announced that the writing process for the new album had just begun. Only a day earlier, drummer Derick McKenzie posted an article on his MySpaceMySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
weblog that the recording process for the same record had also begun.
On 15 January 2008, the band confirmed that the recording process had begun. According to the news item, eleven tracks had already been written for the new album, with more to come. As of 25 July 2010, the only known track name for the 7th album is "Rock Dust Light Star" which has been performed live and confirmed by Kay himself to be on the new album. On 13 February 2008, the band announced from their website that it would perform at the World Stage of the Rock in Rio — Madrid festival, being held in Arganda del Rey
Arganda del Rey
Arganda del Rey is a municipality in Madrid, Spain. It is connected to Madrid by metro line 9, underground.-History:The first definitive habitation in the area dates back to the Arabic presence in the Iberian Peninsula...
, Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
with others artists who have (then) yet to be announced.
On 28 February 2008, Jamiroquai performed at the Khodynka Arena in Moscow, Russia at the launch of the new Audi A4 car. On 22 June 2008, Jamiroquai performed at the Wianki Festival in Kraków, Poland. On 4 July 2008, the band performed in front of a 75,000-people audience in the Rock in Rio Madrid festival. On 5 April 2009, Jamiroquai performed at the closing concert of Malaysian F1 Grand Prix in Sepang International Circuit Malaysia, and on the 9 April Jamiroquai played at the Sentul International Convention Centre in Jakarta, Indonesia.
On 24 August 2009, Derrick McKenzie was interviewed on playvybz.com and talked about the upcoming album. He stated that Jamiroquai was then signed with Universal Records
Universal Records
Universal Records was a record label owned by Universal Music Group, and it is now owned by Manny Patino and Michael Jackson, and operated as part of the Universal Motown Republic Group.-History:...
(UK) and that they had recorded more than 40 new tracks. Also the new album will be recorded live and have a style similar to the first three albums with the use of strings and horns. He claims the album will have less of a "disco sound" and will be a lot more funky and soulful. The album is uninfluenced by major record labels and will bring forth a new direction for the band.
During the first week of February 2010, Jay Kay mentioned the upcoming album on Jamiroquai's Facebook site, saying, "Hi Everybody, just wanted to say how amazing it is to have so many Friends on Facebook, half a million I believe. Therefore it feels like the right time to let you know that we are alive and kicking and in the final stages of our 8th album. I really can't wait to get out there and play it for you live in the very near future. Sending you all lots of good luck and love, Jay."
The first week of April 2010, Jay Kay announced on the Jamiroquai Facebook page that Jamiroquai would be supporting Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
.
"I am thrilled and excited to be supporting such a luminary as Stevie Wonder, can't wait to see you all there and get to play some stuff from the new album. Love Jay".
Jay Kay has mentioned on an Italian website, CNRmedia.com, that the new album, still untitled, will tentatively be released in September 2010.
Based on official mailing list e-mails (related to jamiroquai.com and Jamiroquai's record label) promoting a contest, Jamiroquai are now signed to Mercury Records/Universal
On 24 June 2010, the band played a warm-up gig at Debut London to a small crowd. The set list featured songs from all the Jamiroquai albums except for Dynamite
Dynamite (Jamiroquai album)
Dynamite is the sixth studio album released by British Acid Jazz band Jamiroquai, released in June 2005. Produced by Mike Spencer and Jay Kay, it is perhaps their most diverse work to date, featuring electronic, funk, disco, house and acoustic tracks....
as well as a brand new song titled "Rock Dust Light Star". On 26 June upon supporting Stevie Wonder at Hard Rock Calling Festival at Hyde Park, a new album was confirmed and stated to be released in October 2010, and the photography for it was taken in which Jay Kay posed in costume in front of the crowd behind him. On July 21 at a concert in Nîmes
Nîmes
Nîmes is the capital of the Gard department in the Languedoc-Roussillon region in southern France. Nîmes has a rich history, dating back to the Roman Empire, and is a popular tourist destination.-History:...
, Jay told the crowd their new album would be out in November and Paul Turner also told Funky Tivi (a French web TV) music style of the new album will be rather funk/rock. (source : http://funkytivi.jimdo.com/).
On 16 August 2010 it was announced on Jamiroquai.com that the new album will be titled Rock Dust Light Star
Rock Dust Light Star
Rock Dust Light Star is the seventh studio album released by British acid jazz band Jamiroquai. The album was released on November 1, 2010.-Background:...
and be released in November 2010.
On 1 September 2010, Jay Kay featured on The Chris Moyles Show
The Chris Moyles Show
The Chris Moyles Show is the current BBC Radio 1 breakfast show in the UK, and has been since Chris Moyles became the station's breakfast show presenter on 5 January 2004. From 2004 to 2007, the show was broadcast 6:55–10:00 am each weekday, but since 15 October 2007 it has started from...
(This edition hosted by Vernon Kay
Vernon Kay
Vernon Charles Kay is a British television presenter, radio DJ, american footballer and former model. He began television presenting on the BBC children's programme FBi, a spin-off of Fully Booked. Since he has presented various programmes, most notably T4, Beat the Star and All Star Family...
) and the Single White Knuckle Ride
White Knuckle Ride
"White Knuckle Ride" is the first single from British alternative group Jamiroquai's studio album, Rock Dust Light Star. The single was released via Digital Download on 31 October 2010, with a Limited Edition Vinyl release due to appear on 1 January 2011. The song was written by band frontman Jay...
was played for the first time, live on air. It was met with massive critical praise from people texting the show, many of them claiming that "Funk is back".
On 1 October 2010, Jamiroquai appeared on UK television's Later...with Jools Holland. Rock Dust Light Star was the first performance of the show, and was well received.
They also performed Deeper Underground and Blue Skies.
On November 1, 2010, they released their long anticipated seventh album, Rock Dust Light Star. Recorded in Jay Kay's home studio in Buckinghamshire, it saw a return to their earlier, less pop-like sound. Despite both singles, Blue Skies and White Knuckle Ride reaching into Top 100 charts worldwide, the album sold a mere 34,378 copies on its debut, around half the amount sold of the previous album Dynamite.
On June 9, 2011, the band released a new track called "Smile" for free download on their Soundcloud site. "Smile" has a sound similar to that of the early albums and has been met with high appraisal amongst fans and critics alike. The band ran a competition to chose the artwork for the cover, Jay picked the winning design which was by a Australian designer Zbigniew Klej.
Buffalo Man
Buffalo Man is the name of the silhouette character featured on most of the covers of Jamiroquai's releases. It was created by Jay Kay between 1992 and 1993.Origins
Buffalo Man was created sometime prior to the release of their 1992 single When You Gonna Learn. Allegedly it was originally sketched by the band's primary songwriter and front-man Jason KayJason Kay
Jason "Jay Kay" Luís Cheetham , is a Grammy Award-winning English musician, best known as the lead singer of the band Jamiroquai...
, as Buffalo Man is seemingly a self portrait
Self Portrait
Self Portrait is singer-songwriter Bob Dylan's tenth studio album, released by Columbia Records in June 1970.Self Portrait was Dylan's second double album, and features mostly cover versions of well-known pop and folk songs. Also included are a handful of instrumentals and original compositions...
silhouette
Silhouette
A silhouette is the image of a person, an object or scene consisting of the outline and a basically featureless interior, with the silhouetted object usually being black. Although the art form has been popular since the mid-18th century, the term “silhouette” was seldom used until the early decades...
of Jason wearing a buffalo
American Bison
The American bison , also commonly known as the American buffalo, is a North American species of bison that once roamed the grasslands of North America in massive herds...
hat. The mark has been used on almost every commercial (and sometimes non-commercial) release of the band's output in some form or another; usually the unique symbol is pictured unaltered, but there have been times where it is shown in a stylised manner to suit the artwork or song.
Notable variations
Over the years, Buffalo Man has seen some temporary changes or interesting thematic uses:"Half the Man", The Return of the Space Cowboy
The Return of the Space Cowboy
The Return Of The Space Cowboy is the second album by the band Jamiroquai. Released in 1994, it is usually classified under the acid-jazz and funk genre.-Album information:...
For the single "Half The Man", Buffalo Man is on the cover as a keyring with a heart in the clasp representing the fact it is a love song and the keyring itself is split down the middle in two halves to represent the song title. Buffalo Man also has a silver heart.
"Space Cowboy
Space Cowboy (song)
"Space Cowboy" is the lead single from British band Jamiroquai's second studio album, The Return of the Space Cowboy. The single reached #17 in the UK Singles Chart and was their first #1 on the U.S...
", The Return of the Space Cowboy
The Return of the Space Cowboy
The Return Of The Space Cowboy is the second album by the band Jamiroquai. Released in 1994, it is usually classified under the acid-jazz and funk genre.-Album information:...
For the single "Space Cowboy", Buffalo Man is present on the cover as a shaped cigarette paper for a half-complete cannabis joint, in reference to the song's praise of the drug.
"Virtual Insanity
Virtual Insanity
"Virtual Insanity" is the lead single from British Acid Jazz band Jamiroquai's third studio album, Travelling Without Moving. The song reached #3 on the UK Singles Chart. The song also charted at #38 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart upon the single's release in America in 1997...
", Travelling Without Moving
Travelling Without Moving
Travelling Without Moving is the third studio album released by British Acid Jazz band Jamiroquai. Released in 1996, the album features the international hit single "Virtual Insanity"...
For the single of "Virtual Insanity", Buffalo Man appears in the place of the Ferrari
Ferrari
Ferrari S.p.A. is an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929, as Scuderia Ferrari, the company sponsored drivers and manufactured race cars before moving into production of street-legal vehicles as Ferrari S.p.A. in 1947...
horse in an homage to Jason's love of sports cars. For the album cover to Travelling Without Moving, the artwork is similar, but takes on an embossed effect and is seen on a metal grille.
"Cosmic Girl
Cosmic Girl
"Cosmic Girl" is the second single from British Acid Jazz band Jamiroquai's third studio album, Travelling Without Moving. Released in November 1996, it achieved great chart success, peaking at #6 on the UK Singles Chart.-Background:...
", "Everyday"
For these two releases, Buffalo Man is pictured with a star over his heart and two intersecting orbital rings.
Synkronized
Synkronized
Synkronized is the fourth studio album released by Acid Jazz band Jamiroquai. Released in 1999, the album contains funk, disco, and acid jazz elements...
While the design remained fundamentally unaltered, Buffalo Man has been turned into a laser-cut
Laser
A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation...
mirror
Mirror
A mirror is an object that reflects light or sound in a way that preserves much of its original quality prior to its contact with the mirror. Some mirrors also filter out some wavelengths, while preserving other wavelengths in the reflection...
and photographed from interesting angles by Midori Tsukagoshi. On some editions, for the disc itself, no ink has been used on the character, but the same stone background found on the front cover has been used for the rest of the disc, thus allowing the consumer to recreate the photographed effect.
A Funk Odyssey
A Funk Odyssey
A Funk Odyssey is the fifth studio album by British acid jazz band Jamiroquai, released on 3 September 2001 in the United Kingdom, and 11 September 2001 in the United States.-Background:...
For this album, the Buffalo Man was notably absent from the cover; instead, the laser lights formed an outline of the Buffalo Man logo, which could be seen much more clearly in the album's liner notes.
Dynamite
The US release and the double-disc Australian Tour Edition featured a gold Buffalo Man. Other releases saw a picture of Jay Kay instead.
Rock Dust Light Star
Rock Dust Light Star
Rock Dust Light Star is the seventh studio album released by British acid jazz band Jamiroquai. The album was released on November 1, 2010.-Background:...
The letter "i" in the title is replaced with the Buffalo Man, making the first appearance in a Jamiroquai album cover since 1999's Synkronized (not counting the alternative artwork for Dynamite).
Text logo
Just like the Buffalo Man, the Jamiroquai text logo has also had several variations depending on the theme. The oldest version of the logo is the one seen on the Acid Jazz RecordsAcid Jazz Records
Acid Jazz is a record label based in east London. It takes its name from acid jazz, a genre of jazz music. Alternative version states that the genre itself was named after the record label...
release of When You Gonna Learn
When You Gonna Learn
"When You Gonna Learn" is the debut single by the British Acid Jazz band Jamiroquai. In the United Kingdom, the song is renowned for drawing attention to the band. It was originally released in 1992 by Acid Jazz Records, and later re-released on Sony Records in 1993 as the lead single from the...
. In comparison to the current text logo one can see that the old Acid Jazz Records version of the logo was more angular at points, together with the letters being much thinner. Several variations of the current logo also exist. Releases of "Cosmic Girl
Cosmic Girl
"Cosmic Girl" is the second single from British Acid Jazz band Jamiroquai's third studio album, Travelling Without Moving. Released in November 1996, it achieved great chart success, peaking at #6 on the UK Singles Chart.-Background:...
" and the promo CD of "Everyday" had replaced the dots above the 'i' letters with stars. Other slight, temporary variations include a slight vertical stretch of the typeface, as seen on the cover art of A Funk Odyssey
A Funk Odyssey
A Funk Odyssey is the fifth studio album by British acid jazz band Jamiroquai, released on 3 September 2001 in the United Kingdom, and 11 September 2001 in the United States.-Background:...
and Rock Dust Light Star
Rock Dust Light Star
Rock Dust Light Star is the seventh studio album released by British acid jazz band Jamiroquai. The album was released on November 1, 2010.-Background:...
.
Discography
Studio albums- 1993 Emergency on Planet EarthEmergency on Planet EarthEmergency on Planet Earth is the debut studio album released by British acid jazz band Jamiroquai. Released in 1993, the album features strong elements of the mixture of the R&B, and funk genres, but it is notable for being one of the group's definitive acid-jazz albums...
- 1994 The Return of the Space CowboyThe Return of the Space CowboyThe Return Of The Space Cowboy is the second album by the band Jamiroquai. Released in 1994, it is usually classified under the acid-jazz and funk genre.-Album information:...
- 1996 Travelling Without MovingTravelling Without MovingTravelling Without Moving is the third studio album released by British Acid Jazz band Jamiroquai. Released in 1996, the album features the international hit single "Virtual Insanity"...
- 1999 SynkronizedSynkronizedSynkronized is the fourth studio album released by Acid Jazz band Jamiroquai. Released in 1999, the album contains funk, disco, and acid jazz elements...
- 2001 A Funk OdysseyA Funk OdysseyA Funk Odyssey is the fifth studio album by British acid jazz band Jamiroquai, released on 3 September 2001 in the United Kingdom, and 11 September 2001 in the United States.-Background:...
- 2005 DynamiteDynamite (Jamiroquai album)Dynamite is the sixth studio album released by British Acid Jazz band Jamiroquai, released in June 2005. Produced by Mike Spencer and Jay Kay, it is perhaps their most diverse work to date, featuring electronic, funk, disco, house and acoustic tracks....
- 2010 Rock Dust Light StarRock Dust Light StarRock Dust Light Star is the seventh studio album released by British acid jazz band Jamiroquai. The album was released on November 1, 2010.-Background:...
See also
- List of number-one dance hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart