High Times (song)

Last updated

"High Times"
Hightimes.jpg
Single by Jamiroquai
from the album Travelling Without Moving
B-side "High Times" (remix)
Released1 December 1997 (1997-12-01) [1]
Genre
Length
  • 6:00 (album version)
  • 4:08 (radio edit)
Label Sony Soho Square
Songwriters
Producer Rick Pope
Jamiroquai singles chronology
"Alright"
(1997)		"High Times"
(1997)		"Deeper Underground"
(1998)
Music video
"High Times" on YouTube

"High Times" is a song by British funk and acid jazz band Jamiroquai, released as the fourth and final single from their third studio album, Travelling Without Moving (1996). Issued on 1 December 1997, the song peaked at number 20 on the UK Singles Chart and reached the top 10 on both the US and Canadian dance charts.

Contents

Background

The song was written by Jason Kay. It opens with the line, "You don't need a name in bright lights, you're a rock star. In some tinfoil, with a glass pipe, is your guitar," a reference to crack cocaine. While cocaine and other drugs are mentioned negatively throughout the song, the chorus primarily addresses jet lag: "Last night, turned to daylight, and a minute became a day," describing the desynchronosis often experienced during world tours.

The radio edit is often criticized by fans for its poor editing, featuring abrupt cuts and truncated words, such as the word "this" from the line "This twisted, crystal kingdom." This edited version was included on the band's greatest hits compilation, High Times: Singles 1992-2006 . Some releases of Travelling Without Moving omit the "Last Night Changed It All" sample, written by Joe Wheeler and performed by Esther Williams. [2]

Critical reception

Larry Flick of Billboard wrote, "If you're a fan Jamiroquai's recent MTV hits, ya ain't heard nothin' yet. 'High Times' shows the band at its funky best. The track jiggles with a classic soul sound, juiced with enough electronic flavor to keep it from sounding quaint. Frontman Jay Kay has perfected his Stevie Wonder inflections while also honing an individual style that demands to be heard in a live setting." [3]

Music video

The accompanying music video is filmed in a documentary style by the band's manager during their Latin American tour. It features candid scenes of the band arriving at airports, relaxing in their hotel rooms watching television, and performing at live shows. Throughout the video, lead singer Jay Kay wears various national football shirts, including those of Chile and Brazil. The video's conclusion was censored in some countries for its depiction of cannabis use.

Track listings

  1. "High Times" (radio edit) – 4:08
  2. "High Times" (Bionic Supachronic mix) – 8:38
  3. "High Times" (Doobie dub) – 6:46
  4. "High Times" (album version) – 5:57
  1. "High Times" (Bionic Supachronic mix) – 8:38
  2. "High Times" (Jamiroquai mix) – 4:00
  3. "High Times" (Doobie dub) – 6:46
  4. "High Times" (Jamiroquai dub) – 5:30

Charts

References

  1. ↑ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week . 29 November 1997. p. 35. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  2. ↑ Funkin.com
  3. ↑ Flick, Larry (21 February 1998). "Reviews & Previews: Singles" (PDF). Billboard . Vol. 110, no. 8. p. 64. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
  4. ↑ "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 3532." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  5. ↑ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 14, no. 51. 20 December 1997. p. 12. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  6. ↑ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (29.1–5.2. 1998)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 30 January 1998. p. 22. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  7. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  8. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  9. ↑ "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  10. ↑ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  11. ↑ "The Club Chart 06.12.97" (PDF). Music Week, in RM (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). 6 December 1997. p. 5. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  12. ↑ "Jamiroquai Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  13. ↑ "The Club Top 100 of 1997" (PDF). Music Week, in RM (Dance Update Supplemental insert). 10 January 1998. p. 5. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
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