The Return of the Space Cowboy | ||||
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Released | 17 October 1994 [1] | |||
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Length | 65:44 (CD) 67:42 (LP) | |||
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Jamiroquai chronology | ||||
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Jamiroquai studio album chronology | ||||
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Singles from The Return of the Space Cowboy | ||||
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The Return of the Space Cowboy is the second album by English funk and acid jazz band Jamiroquai. The album was released on 17 October 1994 under Sony Soho Square. The album continues the musical direction of their debut, Emergency on Planet Earth (1993),and is characterised by its complex songwriting as a result of Jay Kay's creative block mid-production. Its lyrics addressed street life,hope,loss,Kay's drug use,and social matters regarding Native Americans and youth protests.
Critical reviews of the album were generally positive,with some considering it an improvement from Jamiroquai's first album. It ranked at number 2 in the UK and was certified platinum in the country,with 1,300,000 copies sold worldwide. Its singles "Half the Man" and "Stillness in Time" reached number 15 and number 9,respectively,on the UK Singles Chart,while "Space Cowboy" and "Light Years" peaked at number 1 and number 6 on the US Dance Charts,respectively. The album was reissued in 2013 in remastered form with bonus material.
Derrick McKenzie auditioned to be the drummer for Jamiroquai by recording the opening track "Just Another Story" with the band in one take. McKenzie replaced the band's original drummer Nick Van Gelder who failed to return from holiday. [2] The track has "a long,squittery,highly rhythmic intro –tight snare drum,Fender Rhodes piano,generic ('70s) synth sound,strings,galloping bass,clonking percussion". [3] In the song,Jay Kay "extemporises a street tale …midway between rapping and singing." [4]
The album was recorded at Townhouse,Battery and Falconer studios. [5] As the band started to record,Kay suddenly fell into a second-album syndrome worsened by his increasing drug use. [2] The songwriting process was complex for the band,as Kay was often dissatisfied with the results,leading songs to be scrapped or rewritten. [2] He also struggled with writing lyrics "because suddenly I wasn't homeless,I had everything I needed. So I found myself creating problems to write about." [6] The Latin-tinged "Stillness in Time" was written when Kay was at his lowest point in recording the album. He said that "the sweetness of [the song] was really wishful thinking;a hope that things would get better." [2] [7] "Half the Man" is a mid-tempo track about Kay's twin brother who died shortly after birth:"[In] that sense I always have a part of me being missing,but it also doubles up really nicely as a love song". [2] [8]
With the band's songwriting going back and forth between harder and softer songs,they shifted to writing "Light Years",a track Kay described as having a "very heavy vibe". [2] The fifth track,"Manifest Destiny",a mellow song with "a brass-heavy coda", [9] was written when Kay read Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee ,telling of the mistreatment and massacres of Native Americans. [2] The sixth track,"The Kids",is an "aggressive" song with "mariachi-band trumpets and snapping bass" meant to "[capture] the feeling of the streets" and is about youth protests against the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act of 1994,a bill that outlaws unrestricted raves. [2] It is the only track on which Van Gelder played drums. [5] [10]
The seventh track,"Mr. Moon",is a love song with "incredibly complex chord structure[s]" about a girl whom Kay met at a rave but ended up with the band's keyboardist Toby Smith. [2] The following track,"Scam",is said to feature orchestral arrangements "with which Rich Tufo and Johnny Pate once draped Curtis Mayfield's soul-protest funk in stark grace". [4] The next track,"Journey To Arnhemland",is an instrumental that features didgeridoo playing. [3] The tenth track,"Morning Glory",is,according to BBC Music,"laid back,a blissed-out joy;perfect comedown music with percussion darting from speaker to speaker." [9] Halfway through recording the album,Kay found his turning point when he wrote the final track,"Space Cowboy",while his drug use was "completely out of control and I was losing my mind". [2] He further said in 2013:
Everyone thinks it's a nice song about getting stoned… but for me it went much deeper… Is it about me or someone else? Is it about marijuana or cocaine? What it was about was someone who was very lost, trying to hang on and come back before he drifted off into a blackhole never to be seen again … ['Space Cowboy' gave us] the momentum to push on and finish what I still think is one of our most creative and accomplished albums. [2]
The Return of the Space Cowboy was released on 17 October 1994 under Sony Soho Square. [4] [11] In the United States, it released in 1995 under the Work Group. [12] The album reached number 2 in the UK Album Chart and was certified platinum, indicating it has sold 300,000 copies in the country. [13] In France, it was number 4 in its SNEP Album Charts, selling 347,000 copies. [14] [15] In the country's year end chart, it ranked number 31. [16] The album peaked at number 9 in the Swiss Album Charts, where it was certified gold. [17] [18] In Japan, it ranked number 23 in the Oricon Charts, receiving a Platinum certification. [19] [20] The album reached number 37 in the Dutch Album Top 100 and sold 50,000 copies, certifying it as gold. [21] [22] Overall, the album sold 1,300,000 copies. [23] In 2013, The Return of the Space Cowboy was one of the first three albums to be re-issued on the band's 20th anniversary campaign, also containing a bonus disc containing remixes and b-sides. [24]
"Space Cowboy" was released as the album's international lead single on 26 September 1994. [25] The single peaked at number 17 on the UK Singles Chart and was their first number one on the US Dance Chart. [26] [27] The single contains remixes by David Morales, which further put the single in club circulation. [28] [29] "Half the Man" was released as the album's third overall single, on 7 November 1994. [30] The track reached number 15 on the UK Singles Chart. [26] "Light Years" was released as the album's fourth overall single on 20 February 1995. [31] In the United States, the song was number six on the Dance Chart. [32] "Stillness in Time" was the album's fifth overall single, released on 19 June 1995. [33] The track peaked at number nine on the UK Singles Chart, [26] making it the group's highest-charting release to that date. "The Kids" and "Morning Glory" have also been released as singles. [34] [35]
Contemporary reviews | |
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Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
Entertainment Weekly | B+ [36] |
The Guardian | [10] |
NME | 6/10 [37] |
Orlando Sentinel | [38] |
Rolling Stone | [12] |
Select | 4/5 [39] |
Smash Hits | 4/5 [40] |
Retrospective reviews | |
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Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [41] |
Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [42] |
Q | [43] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [44] |
Uncut | 7/10 [45] |
Critics have said The Return of the Space Cowboy continues the style of Jamiroquai's 1993 album Emergency on Planet Earth , and some have considered it an improvement in comparison, [4] [10] [41] [43] with Daryl Easlea writing it "captures this first phase of Jamiroquai at their very best." [9] John Bush of AllMusic said the album "offered a better set of songs and more ambitious musical themes … Jason Kay's dead-on impression of Stevie Wonder and Sly Stone drives the group's blend of acid jazz and funky R&B" [41] Paul Evans of Rolling Stone wrote, "Jamiroquai parlay jazzy soul pop so tight it crackles … Nowadays, when most funk comes out of cans, Jamiroquai's live spark glows." [12] Evans also said the album "recall[s] Roberta Flack and Weather Report", [12] and a reviewer of Musician compared it to both Wonder and Mandrill: "with its vintage keyboards, jazz harmonies and fondness for rambling, jam-oriented arrangements". [46] Entertainment Weekly described the band as "a funk-making machine with a bright future in the past", [36] while The Source said that they "may still be light years ahead of the hip-hop world." [47] Writing of the lyrics, Sonia Murray of The Atlanta Constitution opined that "Jamiroquai challenges our numb response to violence, the lure of material trappings, even 'the shame of [his] ancestry' with a spirit so unencumbered and personal that these searing messages feel like engaging talks over coffee." [48]
Neil Spencer of The Guardian commented: "Most of this second album still sounds like vintage Stevie Wonder and Johnny 'Guitar' Watson, but Kay's vocals are as snappy and engaging as his extrovert persona". [49] David Sinclair wrote that the album "combines intricate arrangements with several long, free-form workouts crammed with virtuoso performances." [50] He also considers Stuart Zender's bass-playing "the most telling contribution to the album's relentless bustle and drive." [3] He however wrote that "the album is marred by a tendency to substitute technique for tunes." [50] Andy Gill of The Independent found several of the tracks too long. [4] In a negative review, Mark Jenkins of The Washington Post described the album as "one of 1995's least digestible servings of leftovers." [51]
All tracks are written by Jay Kay and Toby Smith, except where noted. [5]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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1. | "Just Another Story" | 8:49 | |
2. | "Stillness in Time" | 4:15 | |
3. | "Half the Man" | 4:48 | |
4. | "Light Years" | 5:53 | |
5. | "Manifest Destiny" | 6:19 | |
6. | "The Kids" | 5:08 | |
7. | "Mr. Moon" | Kay, Smith, Stuart Zender | 5:28 |
8. | "Scam" | Kay, Zender, Smith | 7:00 |
9. | "Journey to Arnhemland" (instrumental) | Kay, Wallis Buchanan, Smith | 5:19 |
10. | "Morning Glory" | Kay, Zender | 6:21 |
11. | "Space Cowboy" | Kay | 6:25 |
Total length: | 65:44 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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12. | "Space Cowboy" (Stoned Again Mix) | Kay | 6:32 |
Total length: | 72:16 |
No. | Title | Length |
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12. | "Light Years" (Live at the Theatre Du Moulin, Marseille, December 1994) | 5:53 |
Total length: | 71:37 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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1. | "Light Years" (4 to Da Floor Mix) | 5:21 | |
2. | "Space Cowboy" (David Morales Mix) | Kay | 7:51 |
3. | "Space Cowboy" (Demo) | Kay | 4:18 |
4. | "Morning Glory" (instrumental) | Kay | 6:21 |
5. | "Stillness in Time" (Edit) | 4:15 | |
6. | "Space Clav" | Smith, Zender, Gary Barnacle | 4:54 |
7. | "Light Years" (Live at the Theatre Du Moulin, Marseille, December 1994) | 5:53 | |
8. | "Scam" (Live) | Kay, Zender | 5:13 |
9. | "Journey to Arnhemland" (Live) | Kay, Smith, Buchanan | 5:19 |
10. | "We Gettin' Down" (Live) | 9:46 | |
Total length: | 58:25 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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1. | "Space Cowboy" (Classic Radio) | Kay | 4:00 |
No. | Title | Length |
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2. | "Stillness in Time" (Vinyl Version) | 6:13 |
Total length: | 67:42 |
Credits adapted from album liner notes. [5]
Jamiroquai
Additional musicians
Production
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
France (SNEP) [15] | Platinum | 300,000* |
Japan (RIAJ) [20] | Platinum | 200,000^ |
Netherlands (NVPI) [22] | Gold | 50,000^ |
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) [18] | Gold | 25,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [13] | Platinum | 300,000^ |
Summaries | ||
Worldwide | — | 1,300,000 [23] |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Jamiroquai are an English acid jazz and funk band from London. Formed in 1992, they are fronted by vocalist Jay Kay, and were prominent in the London-based funk and acid jazz movement of the 1990s. They built on their acid jazz sound in their early releases and later drew from rock, disco, electronic and Latin music genres. Lyrically, the group has addressed social and environmental justice. Kay has remained as the only original member through several line-up changes.
Emergency on Planet Earth is the debut studio album by English funk and acid jazz band Jamiroquai, released on 14 June 1993 under Sony Soho Square. Prior its release, the band debuted in 1992 with "When You Gonna Learn" under Acid Jazz Records, and front-man Jay Kay was given a major-label deal with Sony Music. The album was produced as Toby, Stuart and Kay formed the band and is characterised by its acid jazz foundations, layers of instrumentation and socially charged lyrics.
Travelling Without Moving is the third studio album by English funk and acid jazz band Jamiroquai, released on 28 August 1996 in Japan, then on 9 September 1996 in the United Kingdom under Sony Soho Square. Front-man Jay Kay intended for the album to have a more universal style, revolving around "cars, life and love". Critics have generally praised the album for being more focused and refined than the band's previous work, while others panned its lyrics and found the album too derivative. Its visual concept of sports cars received backlash from press, as it contradicted Kay's professed environmental beliefs.
Synkronized is the fourth studio album by English funk and acid jazz band Jamiroquai. It was released on 8 June 1999 by Work Group in the United States, and on 14 June 1999 by S2 Records in the United Kingdom. Bassist Stuart Zender left the band during recording, and Nick Fyffe was hired as a replacement. The album contains funk, acid jazz and disco elements.
Dynamite is the sixth studio album by English funk and acid jazz band Jamiroquai. It was released on 15 June 2005 in Japan, 20 June 2005 in the United Kingdom, 21 July 2005 in Australia and 20 September 2005 in the United States.
"Deeper Underground" is a single by British funk and acid jazz band Jamiroquai from the soundtrack to the 1998 film Godzilla. The song was also included as a bonus track on the group's fourth studio album, Synkronized, as well as on the special edition of the group's fifth album, A Funk Odyssey (2001). Released in Japan in May 1998 and in the United Kingdom two months later, "Deeper Underground" became a hit in several countries, giving Jamiroquai their only number-one single on the UK Singles Chart, selling over 339,100 copies in the UK as of March 2017.
"Canned Heat" is the second single from British funk group Jamiroquai's fourth studio album, Synkronized (1999). Released on 24 May 1999, it became their second number-one single on the US Dance Club Songs chart and peaked at number four on the UK Singles Chart. The music video was directed by Jonas Åkerlund.
"Seven Days in Sunny June" is the second single from British funk and acid jazz band Jamiroquai's sixth studio album, Dynamite (2005). 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 their name. The song peaked at number 14 on the UK Singles Chart.
"Virtual Insanity" is a song by British funk and acid jazz band Jamiroquai, released on 19 August 1996 by Sony Soho Square as the second single from their third studio album, Travelling Without Moving (1996). The song was written by Jay Kay and Toby Smith, and produced by Al Stone. Its music video, directed by Jonathan Glazer, was released in September 1996, garnering ten nominations and winning four, including for Video of the Year, at the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards. The music video has since become an Internet meme.
"Cosmic Girl" is the second single from British funk and acid jazz band Jamiroquai's third studio album, Travelling Without Moving (1996). The song was released in the United Kingdom on 25 November 1996 via Sony Soho Square and in the United States in 1997 via Work Group. It was written by Jay Kay and Derrick McKenzie, and produced by Rick Pope, achieving great chart success, peaking at No. 6 on the UK Singles Chart. The song also reached No. 3 in Italy, No. 4 in Iceland, and No. 10 in Finland. The accompanying music video was directed by Adrian Moat and filmed in Spain. The B-side to the single is an instrumental, "Slipin' 'N' Slidin'", a song originating from another Jamiroquai track called "Mr Boogie", which was a live-only song. "Slipin 'N' Slidin'", just like "Mr Boogie", also has a vocal version.
"Space Cowboy" is the international lead single from British funk and acid jazz band Jamiroquai's second studio album, The Return of the Space Cowboy (1994). Released on 26 September 1994 by Sony Soho Square, the single peaked at number 17 on the UK Singles Chart, number six in Italy, and number three in Iceland. In the United States, it gave the band their first number one on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. In June 2006, it re-entered the UK Dance Chart at number one. Its music video was directed by Vaughan Arnell and Anthea Benton. The single contains remixes by David Morales, which further put the single in club circulation.
"Little L" is the lead single from British funk and acid jazz band Jamiroquai's fifth studio album, A Funk Odyssey (2001). The song was written by Jay Kay and Toby Smith and was inspired by the break-up between Kay and his former girlfriend Denise van Outen, which occurred due to conflicting work commitments and which led to Kay's cocaine problem. Kay quit his habit in 2003.
"King for a Day" is the fourth single from British funk and acid jazz band Jamiroquai's fourth studio album, Synkronized (1999). The song was written by Jay Kay. Upon its release on 29 November 1999, the song reached number 20 on the UK Singles Chart. The video features Jay Kay walking around an old mansion in a regal costume, where each room has a member of the band.
"Love Foolosophy" is the third single from British funk and acid jazz band Jamiroquai's fifth studio album, A Funk Odyssey (2001). The song was written by Jason Kay and Toby Smith. The song's title is a play on words, using a made-up portmanteau of "fool" and "philosophy" to express how he is a fool for love.
"You Give Me Something" is a song from British funk and acid jazz band Jamiroquai's fifth studio album, A Funk Odyssey (2001). Written by Jay Kay, Rob Harris, and Nick Fyffe, the song was released in November 2001 as the second single from the album. The track peaked at 16 on the UK Singles Chart, number 17 in Spain, and number 30 in France. The song was the group's first single to be released on the DVD single format.
"Light Years" is a song by the British funk and acid jazz band Jamiroquai, originally released in 1994 as a song from their second studio album, The Return of the Space Cowboy (1994). It was released as a single on 12 February 1995 by Sony Soho Square and Work, but failed to chart on the UK Singles Chart due to the release being cancelled at the eleventh hour.
"Stillness in Time" is a song by British funk and acid jazz band Jamiroquai, released in 1994 on their second studio album, The Return of the Space Cowboy (1994), and the year after as a single by Sony Soho Square. The track was written by Jay Kay and Toby Smith, and peaked at number nine on the UK Singles Chart, making it the group's highest-charting release to that date. It also reached number one on the UK Dance Chart and number 14 in Scotland.
"Half the Man" is a song by British funk/acid jazz band Jamiroquai, released in November 1994 by S2 Records as a single from their second studio album, The Return of the Space Cowboy (1994). The song peaked at number 15 on the UK Singles Chart. Its music video was directed by Paul Boyd. "Half the Man" is in the key of D major.
"Supersonic" is the third single from British funk/acid jazz band Jamiroquai's fourth studio album, Synkronized (1999). The song was written by Jay Kay, Toby Smith, Derrick McKenzie, Sola Akingbola, Wallis Buchanan, and Simon Katz while Jay Kay and Al Stone produced it. The track peaked at No. 22 on the UK Singles Chart and became Jamiroquai's third No. 1 on the US Hot Dance Club Play chart.
Automaton is the eighth studio album by English funk band Jamiroquai, released on 31 March 2017 through Virgin EMI. It is the band's first album in seven years, following Rock Dust Light Star (2010). It was a number-one album in Italy and peaked at number two in Switzerland, number three in France and number four in the UK.
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