Emergency on Planet Earth

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

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 played the didgeridoo, and Stuart Zender, who had become the band's bassist by audition.