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[[ | {{Album|cover=TWOM.jpg|name=Travelling Without Moving|artist=[[Jamiroquai]]|released=28 August 1996|tour=[[Travelling Without Moving Tour]]|studio=Great Linford Manor|genre=Funk, acid jazz, R&B, soul, disco, & dance|length=67:22|label=Sony Soho Square (UK) | ||
'''''Travelling Without Moving''''' is the third studio album by Jamiroquai, released on | Work (US) | ||
Columbia (Canada) | |||
Epic (Japan)|writer=[[Jay Kay]], [[Toby Smith]], [[Derrick McKenzie]], [[Stuart Zender]], [[Wallis Buchanan]], [[Sola Akingbola]], & [[Simon Katz]]|producer=[[Jay Kay]] & Al Stone}} | |||
'''''Travelling Without Moving''''' is the third studio album by Jamiroquai, released on 28 August 1996. | |||
== Background == | == Background == | ||
| Line 7: | Line 13: | ||
The first track written for the album was "''[[Virtual Insanity]]''", although it was the last track recorded for the album. The premise for the track came to Kay during a walk in Sendai during the Japanese leg of the [[The Return of the Space Cowboy Tour|Return of the Space Cowboy tour]], accompanied by the band's didgeridoo player, [[Wallis Buchanan]]. It was the middle of winter, covering everything in snow, and the two could see absolutely no one about. They had found an old woman and asked her where everybody was: the old woman pointed them to a flight of stairs that led down into an underground city. <blockquote>"It was insane. A proper city underground, with all the colour and noise you get in Japanese streets. It was a mad, mad world down there, which sowed the seed of the chorus: Now there is no sound for we all live underground.".</blockquote>The track hadn't been written for any album/project at the time, once the band had recorded the verse and keyboards and a rough demo, it was shelved for the time being. | The first track written for the album was "''[[Virtual Insanity]]''", although it was the last track recorded for the album. The premise for the track came to Kay during a walk in Sendai during the Japanese leg of the [[The Return of the Space Cowboy Tour|Return of the Space Cowboy tour]], accompanied by the band's didgeridoo player, [[Wallis Buchanan]]. It was the middle of winter, covering everything in snow, and the two could see absolutely no one about. They had found an old woman and asked her where everybody was: the old woman pointed them to a flight of stairs that led down into an underground city. <blockquote>"It was insane. A proper city underground, with all the colour and noise you get in Japanese streets. It was a mad, mad world down there, which sowed the seed of the chorus: Now there is no sound for we all live underground.".</blockquote>The track hadn't been written for any album/project at the time, once the band had recorded the verse and keyboards and a rough demo, it was shelved for the time being. | ||
The first track recorded for the album was "''[[High Times]]''", being the sixth track and final single. | The first track recorded for the album was "''[[High Times]]''", being the sixth track and final single. If "Space Cowboy" was alluding to Kay's drug issues which had made the second album's recording a nightmare for the band, High Times was admitting the truth of the matter and how lucky Kay was to make it out on the other side. The lyrics of the song depict someone addicted to crack cocaine, imagining someone who's gone all the way down it: "''Last night / turned to daylight / and a minute, became a day / last night / all my troubles / well they seemed so, so far away / searching my reflection / for a glimpse of, another me / I've got to get away from all these high times / 'cause these high times are killing me.''". Despite the track's dark lyrics, Kay describes there being a great feeling in the studio when recording it. Vocals were done in a single take, and when the band had listened to it back, they loved it. | ||
The next track recorded was "Use The Force", being the third song from the album. Kay had been asked to write a song for Euro '96, describing the song as having a "real vintage football vibe". "Cosmic Girl", being the second track and second single, had come to a Kay after coming out of a club at night; feeling inspired, singing lyrics of the song to himself. When Kay sung the bassline of the song to Zender, the two would get into the argument, Zender thinking the bassline was too simple. Kay then sung him the bassline for ''Everybody Loves The Sunshine'' by Roy Ayers, proving that every bassline didn't have to be so complicated, though Zender wasn't happy about it. | |||
The bassline for "Alright", the fifth track and third single from the album, was another bassline that came to Kay out of nowhere: "''I'd gone for a pee and it came to me as I went. After I'd finished I went running back into the studio, told everyone to stop what they were doing, and within five minutes we had this boogie going.''", describing the track as an easy, natural groove, with a slickness to the sound, combined with the synthesizers that Smith had been using. "Everyday", "Didjital Vibrations", and "Spend A Lifetime" are described as "beautiful, spacious tracks" that had rolled along naturally for the band. With other competing acts at the time, such as The Prodigy and The Chemical Brothers, it seemed to be a risk putting slower, groovy tracks on the album, opposed to the heavy, banging songs which had been very popular at the time. | |||
Upon hearing "Cosmic Girl", their record company seemed unimpressed, telling them that the song wasn't a radio hit, stating that "''it would only ever get played in gay clubs''", and that the band should make the song a bit more "Britpop". When the band played the album for the record company later on, Kay was told that 'there were no singles on it', "''<nowiki/>'Where's the big single?', they kept saying. 'We need a big single. Where is it?'''", thinking that "Cosmic Girl", "Alright", and "High Times" were great choices for singles. Asking if they had anything else, Kay and Smith played the demo for "Virtual Insanity" for the record company. After the song finished, the record company was pleased with the track: "''You've done it, that's the track we've been waiting for, it's gonna be huge''". After, the band went back into the studio and recorded the final song for the album. | |||
== Track Listing == | == Track Listing == | ||
| Line 13: | Line 25: | ||
# [[Virtual Insanity]] | # [[Virtual Insanity]] | ||
# [[Cosmic Girl]] | # [[Cosmic Girl]] | ||
# Use The Force | # [[Use The Force]] | ||
# [[Everyday]] | # [[Everyday]] | ||
# [[Alright]] | # [[Alright]] | ||
# [[High Times]] | # [[High Times]] | ||
# Drifting Along | # [[Drifting Along]] | ||
# Didjerama | # [[Didjerama]] | ||
# Didjital Vibrations | # [[Didjital Vibrations]] | ||
# [[Travelling Without Moving (song)|Travelling Without Moving]] | # [[Travelling Without Moving (song)|Travelling Without Moving]] | ||
# You Are My Love | # [[You Are My Love]] | ||
# Spend A Lifetime | # [[Spend A Lifetime]] | ||
## Funktion (Hidden track) | ## [[Funktion]] (Hidden track) | ||
## [[Do You Know Where You're Coming From?]] (Bonus track on certain copies) | ## [[Do You Know Where You're Coming From?]] (Bonus track on certain copies) | ||
| Line 33: | Line 45: | ||
# High Times (Sanchez Radio Edit) | # High Times (Sanchez Radio Edit) | ||
# Do You Know Where You're Coming From (Full Horns Mix) | # Do You Know Where You're Coming From (Full Horns Mix) | ||
# Bullet | # [[Bullet]] | ||
# Slipin' 'N' Slidin' | # [[Slipin' 'N' Slidin']] | ||
# Hollywood Swinging (Live) | # Hollywood Swinging (Live) | ||
# Alright (Live At The Verona Amphitheatre) | # Alright (Live At The Verona Amphitheatre) | ||
# Virtual Insanity (Live At The Verona Amphitheatre) | # Virtual Insanity (Live At The Verona Amphitheatre) | ||
==== | ==== 25th Anniversary bonuses ==== | ||
# Cosmic Girl (Dimitri from Paris Remix Radio Edit) | # Cosmic Girl (Dimitri from Paris Remix Radio Edit) | ||
Latest revision as of 00:04, 7 March 2026
| "Travelling Without Moving" | |
|---|---|
| |
Album by Jamiroquai | |
| Released | 28 August 1996 |
| Tour | Travelling Without Moving Tour |
| Studio | Great Linford Manor |
| Genre | Funk, acid jazz, R&B, soul, disco, & dance |
| Length | 67:22 |
| Label | Sony Soho Square (UK)
Work (US) Columbia (Canada) Epic (Japan) |
| Writer | Jay Kay, Toby Smith, Derrick McKenzie, Stuart Zender, Wallis Buchanan, Sola Akingbola, & Simon Katz |
| Producer | Jay Kay & Al Stone |
Travelling Without Moving is the third studio album by Jamiroquai, released on 28 August 1996.
Background
Following a stressful second album, "The Return of the Space Cowboy", Kay sought to do something different with Jamiroquai's next album, wanting to breakout and do something bigger, more "international", not wanting to become a "semi-underground kind of act that stuck to its little niche and sold one and a half million albums every time.". Not wanting another dreadful recording experience similar to the Space Cowboy sessions, the band needed to be more focused and needed more momentum, with Kay booking them into a big residential studio, where the band could work at all hours, whenever they needed to. The band favored a more "universal" sound in favor of the second album's complexity, stating its songs were "incredibly complex and hard to get your head around, especially for us making it.".
The first track written for the album was "Virtual Insanity", although it was the last track recorded for the album. The premise for the track came to Kay during a walk in Sendai during the Japanese leg of the Return of the Space Cowboy tour, accompanied by the band's didgeridoo player, Wallis Buchanan. It was the middle of winter, covering everything in snow, and the two could see absolutely no one about. They had found an old woman and asked her where everybody was: the old woman pointed them to a flight of stairs that led down into an underground city.
"It was insane. A proper city underground, with all the colour and noise you get in Japanese streets. It was a mad, mad world down there, which sowed the seed of the chorus: Now there is no sound for we all live underground.".
The track hadn't been written for any album/project at the time, once the band had recorded the verse and keyboards and a rough demo, it was shelved for the time being.
The first track recorded for the album was "High Times", being the sixth track and final single. If "Space Cowboy" was alluding to Kay's drug issues which had made the second album's recording a nightmare for the band, High Times was admitting the truth of the matter and how lucky Kay was to make it out on the other side. The lyrics of the song depict someone addicted to crack cocaine, imagining someone who's gone all the way down it: "Last night / turned to daylight / and a minute, became a day / last night / all my troubles / well they seemed so, so far away / searching my reflection / for a glimpse of, another me / I've got to get away from all these high times / 'cause these high times are killing me.". Despite the track's dark lyrics, Kay describes there being a great feeling in the studio when recording it. Vocals were done in a single take, and when the band had listened to it back, they loved it.
The next track recorded was "Use The Force", being the third song from the album. Kay had been asked to write a song for Euro '96, describing the song as having a "real vintage football vibe". "Cosmic Girl", being the second track and second single, had come to a Kay after coming out of a club at night; feeling inspired, singing lyrics of the song to himself. When Kay sung the bassline of the song to Zender, the two would get into the argument, Zender thinking the bassline was too simple. Kay then sung him the bassline for Everybody Loves The Sunshine by Roy Ayers, proving that every bassline didn't have to be so complicated, though Zender wasn't happy about it.
The bassline for "Alright", the fifth track and third single from the album, was another bassline that came to Kay out of nowhere: "I'd gone for a pee and it came to me as I went. After I'd finished I went running back into the studio, told everyone to stop what they were doing, and within five minutes we had this boogie going.", describing the track as an easy, natural groove, with a slickness to the sound, combined with the synthesizers that Smith had been using. "Everyday", "Didjital Vibrations", and "Spend A Lifetime" are described as "beautiful, spacious tracks" that had rolled along naturally for the band. With other competing acts at the time, such as The Prodigy and The Chemical Brothers, it seemed to be a risk putting slower, groovy tracks on the album, opposed to the heavy, banging songs which had been very popular at the time.
Upon hearing "Cosmic Girl", their record company seemed unimpressed, telling them that the song wasn't a radio hit, stating that "it would only ever get played in gay clubs", and that the band should make the song a bit more "Britpop". When the band played the album for the record company later on, Kay was told that 'there were no singles on it', "'Where's the big single?', they kept saying. 'We need a big single. Where is it?'", thinking that "Cosmic Girl", "Alright", and "High Times" were great choices for singles. Asking if they had anything else, Kay and Smith played the demo for "Virtual Insanity" for the record company. After the song finished, the record company was pleased with the track: "You've done it, that's the track we've been waiting for, it's gonna be huge". After, the band went back into the studio and recorded the final song for the album.
Track Listing
- Virtual Insanity
- Cosmic Girl
- Use The Force
- Everyday
- Alright
- High Times
- Drifting Along
- Didjerama
- Didjital Vibrations
- Travelling Without Moving
- You Are My Love
- Spend A Lifetime
- Funktion (Hidden track)
- Do You Know Where You're Coming From? (Bonus track on certain copies)
20th Anniversary bonuses
- Virtual Insanity (Salaam Remi Mix)
- Cosmic Girl (Quasar Mix)
- Alright (Alan Braxe And Fred Falke Remix)
- High Times (Sanchez Radio Edit)
- Do You Know Where You're Coming From (Full Horns Mix)
- Bullet
- Slipin' 'N' Slidin'
- Hollywood Swinging (Live)
- Alright (Live At The Verona Amphitheatre)
- Virtual Insanity (Live At The Verona Amphitheatre)
25th Anniversary bonuses
- Cosmic Girl (Dimitri from Paris Remix Radio Edit)
Gallery
-
Old streaming service cover/CD cover
-
Cassette cover
-
25th anniversary vinyl pressing (Buffalo Man is with a metallic shine)
-
Promo CD cover
-
Exclusive Brazilian CD cover which advertises "Cosmic Girl" remix
-
Promo cassette cover 1
-
Promo cassette cover 2
Trivia
- As of 2026, Traveling Without Moving is the best-selling funk album in history, winning a Guinness World Record and achieving around 8 million copies sold worldwide.[1]
- Traveling Without Moving is the only album by the band to have won them a Grammy Award, with "Virtual Insanity" winning Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal.
- Traveling Without Moving is the first album to receive 2 bonus tracks on its vinyl pressing.
- It is also the first album in the band's discography to feature a secret track, "Funktion".
- Traveling Without Moving is the first album that is recognized as the US "breakout" for the band, charting at number 24 on the Billboard 200.[2]
- It can be argued that their sophomore album "The Return of the Space Cowboy" can be their breakout in the US, but the album never charted and only 2 of its singles charted on the US Dance Charts.
- Despite its success, the band has unfortunately been unable to replicate such success, with every album since not peaking higher than number 24 on the Billboard 200.[3]
- The album's general tone was a major shift from the band's two albums as Jay Kay wanted to show people that "[...] it was important to show people we could enjoy ourselves. That's why it's cars, life and love".[4]
- "Funktion" holds the record in Jamiroquai's song discography for most writers, with 8 writers credited.
- Traveling Without Moving is the only album to have it's first single contain a featuring artist, being M-Beat on "Do U Know Where You're Coming From".