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== Background == | == Background == | ||
The first track, "''When You Gonna Learn?''" was written well before Jay Kay had signed with Acid Jazz or Sony. The track takes heavy influence from the American and First Nation Indians, and their philosophies. Kay cites a saying from the Cree Indians: "Only when the last tree has died, and the last river has been poisoned, and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money...", stating that seemed to "get straight to the point of everything that was wrong with the world.". Also citing a television program he had seen, which had depicted the shooting of elephants from a helicopter - which he had found deeply disturbing.<ref name=":0">Kay, Jay (2013). ''Emergency on Planet Earth - Jamiroquai'' (liner notes). Sony Music. 88691967852</ref> This would lay down "the sound, the flavor [and] the concept", according to Kay. After recording the song, Kay's producer had taken out half the lyrics and had changed the song based on what was charting at the time, which led to Kay fighting with them in order to restore it to his preference, this experience would help Kay realize he "wanted a proper live band with a proper live sound". | <blockquote>"I wanted this to be an album, not a collection of three minute songs. I didn't want tracks to be rigid, stuck in that verse, chorus, verse, chorus thing. All the people I'd been listening to were jazz-fusion bands, they didn't do three minute tracks, they just played."<ref name=":0" /></blockquote>The first track, "''When You Gonna Learn?''" was written well before Jay Kay had signed with Acid Jazz or Sony. The track takes heavy influence from the American and First Nation Indians, and their philosophies. Kay cites a saying from the Cree Indians: "Only when the last tree has died, and the last river has been poisoned, and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money...", stating that seemed to "get straight to the point of everything that was wrong with the world.". Also citing a television program he had seen, which had depicted the shooting of elephants from a helicopter - which he had found deeply disturbing.<ref name=":0">Kay, Jay (2013). ''Emergency on Planet Earth - Jamiroquai'' (liner notes). Sony Music. 88691967852</ref> This would lay down "the sound, the flavor [and] the concept", according to Kay. After recording the song, Kay's producer had taken out half the lyrics and had changed the song based on what was charting at the time, which led to Kay fighting with them in order to restore it to his preference, this experience would help Kay realize he "wanted a proper live band with a proper live sound". | ||
Kay would gradually recruit band members, with his manager scouting keyboardist Toby Smith, joining the group as Kay's songwriting partner, writing the second track and single "''Too Young To Die''", also inspired by Kay's anger toward wars he had seen on television<ref name=":0" />. Other band members that were recruited were Wallis Buchanan, who Kay knew from when the two would skate together, played the didgeridoo, and Stuart Zender, who had become the band's bassist by audition. | Kay would gradually recruit band members, with his manager scouting keyboardist Toby Smith, joining the group as Kay's songwriting partner, writing the second track and single "''Too Young To Die''", also inspired by Kay's anger toward wars he had seen on television<ref name=":0" />. Other band members that were recruited were Wallis Buchanan, who Kay knew from when the two would skate together, played the didgeridoo, and Stuart Zender, who had become the band's bassist by audition. | ||
"Too Young To Die" was the first track written together by Kay and Smith, Kay had described singing out the bassline and drums, while Smith had been trying to figure out what the chords were and where they went. Once the melody had been figured out, Kay provided the lyrics: <blockquote>"''I was quite an angry young man at the time, I didn't like what I was seeing on the television, wars raging all over the place, and that all started coming out...''" </blockquote>Once they had hit the chorus for the song, Kay could not think of anything to sing over it, so he had started scatting: "''do do do do, da da doh, da da doh",'' deciding to keep it in the final song. Strings and horns came last, and by that time, they knew they "had the perfect second single." | "Too Young To Die" was the first track written together by Kay and Smith, Kay had described singing out the bassline and drums, while Smith had been trying to figure out what the chords were and where they went. Once the melody had been figured out, Kay provided the lyrics: <blockquote>"''I was quite an angry young man at the time, I didn't like what I was seeing on the television, wars raging all over the place, and that all started coming out...''"<ref name=":0" /> </blockquote>Once they had hit the chorus for the song, Kay could not think of anything to sing over it, so he had started scatting: "''do do do do, da da doh, da da doh",'' deciding to keep it in the final song. Strings and horns came last, and by that time, they knew they "had the perfect second single." | ||
The fourth track, "''If I Like It, I Do It''", reminded Kay of "''Harvest For The World''" by the Isley Brothers. The lyrics of the song also being described as anarchist: "The kids want the system breaking down, not higher education. If it ain't no natural law, then you can keep your regulations". The fifth track, "''Music of the Mind''", was influenced by Flora Purim's "''Moon Dreams''", being described as a "nice, laid back, natural track. It's a freedom track". Stating that freedom being a big theme on the album, although admitting that there was a "fair amount of emulation on the album", with that being especially try for the seventh track on the album, "''Whatever It Is, I Just Can't Stop''", as Kay was trying to get the funky-feel of the Headhunter's song, "God Made Me Funky" (Which the band had played multiple covers of for the [[Emergency on Planet Earth Tour|album's tour]]). | The fourth track, "''If I Like It, I Do It''", reminded Kay of "''Harvest For The World''" by the Isley Brothers. The lyrics of the song also being described as anarchist: "The kids want the system breaking down, not higher education. If it ain't no natural law, then you can keep your regulations". The fifth track, "''Music of the Mind''", was influenced by Flora Purim's "''Moon Dreams''", being described as a "nice, laid back, natural track. It's a freedom track". Stating that freedom being a big theme on the album, although admitting that there was a "fair amount of emulation on the album", with that being especially try for the seventh track on the album, "''Whatever It Is, I Just Can't Stop''", as Kay was trying to get the funky-feel of the Headhunter's song, "''God Made Me Funky''" (Which the band had played multiple covers of for the [[Emergency on Planet Earth Tour|album's tour]]). | ||
The eighth track, and third single from the album, "''[[Blow Your Mind]]''", is described as a "nice, sweet, easy track", with it originating from a rehearsal from an earlier gig the band had done. The song was done in just one take. Not wanting the song to stop, Kay motioned to the band to go again, leading to the song's reprise being included. After recording "''Blow Your Mind''", Kay had wanted to do a "hard and gritty" track, leading to the ninth track, "''[[Revolution 1993]]''". The song, being ten minutes and 16 seconds long (and the band's longest track to date), is described as an "angry" song, with Kay saying that he was: "angry about everything and everyone." The paramilitary drums, grinding bass, give the song a "hardcore, cool" feeling, with the lyrics rounding off all the other things Kay had been wanting to say on the album. | |||
The sixth track, and final single, title track "[[Emergency on Planet Earth (song)|''Emergency on Planet Earth'']]" is where the band got to the point of everything they were trying to say up to that point. Described as a "real triumph track", the track carries heavy environmentalist themes, defining the concept of the album as a whole. "The whole groove of it, all the syncopation, the strings gliding over the top, we were definitely winning with that one. And the lyrics were the hammer to the nail: 'The kids need education / and the streets are never clean / I've seen a certain disposition, prevailing in the wind... is that life that I am witnessing / or just another wasted birth.'". Stating "''Emergency on Planet Earth''" to be a monumental track for the album, linking "''Too Young To Die''" and "''When You Gonna Learn''?", | |||
== Track Listing == | == Track Listing == | ||
Revision as of 01:02, 24 February 2026
Emergency on Planet Earth is the first studio album by Jamiroquai, released on June 14th, 1993 in the UK and Japan by Sony Soho Square.
Recording for the album took place during 1992 into 1993. Prior to its release, the band would release their debut single under Acid Jazz Records, "When You Gonna Learn?". Subsequent singles would be released under Sony, "Too Young To Die", "Blow Your Mind", and "Emergency on Planet Earth" followed.
Background
"I wanted this to be an album, not a collection of three minute songs. I didn't want tracks to be rigid, stuck in that verse, chorus, verse, chorus thing. All the people I'd been listening to were jazz-fusion bands, they didn't do three minute tracks, they just played."[1]
The first track, "When You Gonna Learn?" was written well before Jay Kay had signed with Acid Jazz or Sony. The track takes heavy influence from the American and First Nation Indians, and their philosophies. Kay cites a saying from the Cree Indians: "Only when the last tree has died, and the last river has been poisoned, and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money...", stating that seemed to "get straight to the point of everything that was wrong with the world.". Also citing a television program he had seen, which had depicted the shooting of elephants from a helicopter - which he had found deeply disturbing.[1] This would lay down "the sound, the flavor [and] the concept", according to Kay. After recording the song, Kay's producer had taken out half the lyrics and had changed the song based on what was charting at the time, which led to Kay fighting with them in order to restore it to his preference, this experience would help Kay realize he "wanted a proper live band with a proper live sound".
Kay would gradually recruit band members, with his manager scouting keyboardist Toby Smith, joining the group as Kay's songwriting partner, writing the second track and single "Too Young To Die", also inspired by Kay's anger toward wars he had seen on television[1]. Other band members that were recruited were Wallis Buchanan, who Kay knew from when the two would skate together, played the didgeridoo, and Stuart Zender, who had become the band's bassist by audition.
"Too Young To Die" was the first track written together by Kay and Smith, Kay had described singing out the bassline and drums, while Smith had been trying to figure out what the chords were and where they went. Once the melody had been figured out, Kay provided the lyrics:
"I was quite an angry young man at the time, I didn't like what I was seeing on the television, wars raging all over the place, and that all started coming out..."[1]
Once they had hit the chorus for the song, Kay could not think of anything to sing over it, so he had started scatting: "do do do do, da da doh, da da doh", deciding to keep it in the final song. Strings and horns came last, and by that time, they knew they "had the perfect second single."
The fourth track, "If I Like It, I Do It", reminded Kay of "Harvest For The World" by the Isley Brothers. The lyrics of the song also being described as anarchist: "The kids want the system breaking down, not higher education. If it ain't no natural law, then you can keep your regulations". The fifth track, "Music of the Mind", was influenced by Flora Purim's "Moon Dreams", being described as a "nice, laid back, natural track. It's a freedom track". Stating that freedom being a big theme on the album, although admitting that there was a "fair amount of emulation on the album", with that being especially try for the seventh track on the album, "Whatever It Is, I Just Can't Stop", as Kay was trying to get the funky-feel of the Headhunter's song, "God Made Me Funky" (Which the band had played multiple covers of for the album's tour).
The eighth track, and third single from the album, "Blow Your Mind", is described as a "nice, sweet, easy track", with it originating from a rehearsal from an earlier gig the band had done. The song was done in just one take. Not wanting the song to stop, Kay motioned to the band to go again, leading to the song's reprise being included. After recording "Blow Your Mind", Kay had wanted to do a "hard and gritty" track, leading to the ninth track, "Revolution 1993". The song, being ten minutes and 16 seconds long (and the band's longest track to date), is described as an "angry" song, with Kay saying that he was: "angry about everything and everyone." The paramilitary drums, grinding bass, give the song a "hardcore, cool" feeling, with the lyrics rounding off all the other things Kay had been wanting to say on the album.
The sixth track, and final single, title track "Emergency on Planet Earth" is where the band got to the point of everything they were trying to say up to that point. Described as a "real triumph track", the track carries heavy environmentalist themes, defining the concept of the album as a whole. "The whole groove of it, all the syncopation, the strings gliding over the top, we were definitely winning with that one. And the lyrics were the hammer to the nail: 'The kids need education / and the streets are never clean / I've seen a certain disposition, prevailing in the wind... is that life that I am witnessing / or just another wasted birth.'". Stating "Emergency on Planet Earth" to be a monumental track for the album, linking "Too Young To Die" and "When You Gonna Learn?",
Track Listing
- When You Gonna Learn?
- Too Young To Die
- Hooked Up
- If I Like It, I Do It
- Music of the Mind
- Emergency on Planet Earth
- Whatever It Is, I Just Can't Stop
- Blow Your Mind
- Revolution 1993
- Didgin' Out
Gallery
-
Back cover
-
Insert included with vinyl pressings
-
Standard cassette cover
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Limited edition Japanese CD cover
-
Thailand cassette cover
-
Saudi Arabia cassette cover
-
China cassette cover (Buffalo Man is smaller than usual)
