When You Gonna Learn

Last updated

The chord progressions of the Cantè Hondo Mix of the song bear even more resemblance to "Los Conquistadores Chocolatés". The Cantè Hondo Mixes also uses the wind sound effect from Hammond's song. The cover used by Acid Jazz Records is completely different from the cover on Sony's release, although a Spanish promo issued by Sony bears the Acid Jazz Records cover. There have been legal disputes between Acid Jazz Records and Epic Records because Epic re-released the single without Acid Jazz Records' consent.[ citation needed ]

Lyrics

A protest song, the band does not hold back from criticising a cavalcade of social, political, humanitarian, racial, and environmental injustices, including greed at the expense of the planet.

Lyrics such as "The hypocrites, we are their slaves" may be interpreted as Thomas Jefferson writing "All men are created equal" while simultaneously enslaving over 600 African Americans for his own personal use, hypocrisy which itself was latched on very early by American slaves and their defenders and further propagated by abolitionists and social reformers such as Frederick Douglass.

Kay also references the song "Mountain High – River Deep" during the chorus with the lyrics:

Mountain high and river deep,

Stop it goin' on

We gotta wake this world up from its sleep

Oh, people, Stop it goin' on

Critical reception

Larry Flick from Billboard felt that the UK nouveau-soul artist "kicks a hearty vocal performance, amid a stack of brassy horns and jiggly funk guitars. Comparisons to Simply Red are in the offing, even though J's composition has a more jazz-injected tone." He also wrote that he thought it was a "wonderfully creative and accessible shoulder-shaker". [4] Dave Sholin from the Gavin Report said, "Music with a message can be exciting. Woven into this retro-melody are some disturbing yet thought-provoking lyrics about the state of our environment." [5] Peter Paphides from Melody Maker named it Single of the Week, along with "Too Young to Die", adding: "'When You Gonna Learn' freewheels into view with a hypnotic didgeridoo rumble, imploding instantly when Jay Kay open his mouth to reveal a joyous set of pipes last seen with the plot that Stevie Wonder lost in 1981." [6] Another Melody Maker music critic, Push, praised it as "absolutely glorious". [7]

Pan-European magazine Music & Media commented, "Hats off for J.K.'s original idea to introduce a digeridoo to '70s soul. Even better are the intelligent anti-war lyrics. Perhaps Arafat and Rabin have received a copy." [8] Andy Beevers from Music Week gave "When You Gonna Learn" five out of five, stating that "this is arguably his best song". [9] James Hamilton from the Record Mirror Dance Update described it as a "Stevie Wonder-ish "Johannesburg"-style jogger with strange didgeridoo and strings woven rare groove-type [song]". [10] Tom Doyle from Smash Hits rated it four out of five, declaring it as a "brilliant eco-friendly dance tune", noting "its lazy rare groovy feel and top lyrics about the mindless exploitation of the planet". [11] Another editor from Smash Hits, Pete Stanton, also gave it four out five, remarking that it "feature[s] a multitude of enticing grooves (plus plenty of do-do-do-dad-dos)." [12]

Music video

A music video directed by Morgan Lawley was shot for "When You Gonna Learn". It has symbolic shots of lead singer Jay Kay being restrained and suffering as an allusion to the suffering of animals. This is accentuated by intercut graphic stock footage of animals being experimented on, seals being clubbed, and whaling operations. Other consequential historical events such as Nazism and the Fall of the Berlin Wall are also included. The original version was banned from MTV because of the confronting imagery; it was replaced with a "cleaner" edit. The uncut video can be viewed on YouTube. [13] When Kay talked about the video in an interview, [14] he stated that it had been his intention to make an intense 'shock video', depicting various experiments done on animals, whaling operations, and the Nazis, all in the most negative light: "I remember I did the video in America, and I remember the video got banned—you know, the video got banned. Well, because I just went to Greenpeace and just took loads of footage of stuff... stuff that I just didn't think was right. So, well, they [the American censors] said, 'Hey, we can't play that; it's got, like, the Nazi party in there—we can't play that'". [15] He also said in 1993 that "I wasn't trying to compare it to environmental issues. But I put in those images of the Holocaust because if you can't see that Nazism is on the rise, if you don't remind people, then it's just going to come back." [16]

Impact and legacy

In 1994, NME featured "When You Gonna Learn" in their "Top ten vibin' modern soul-jazz masterstrokes that every 'face' should own", writing, "It would all go horribly wrong later of course (post Acid jazz, bien sur), but here Jason Kaye [ sic ] is marvellous, warbling about hearing the news and predicting imminent nuclear destruction like the half-hatted, honey-voiced Ealing Nostradamus he unquestionably was. For a bit." [17]

Track listing

"When You Gonna Learn"
Jamiroquai When You Gonna Learn single.jpg
Single by Jamiroquai
from the album Emergency on Planet Earth
B-side "Didgin' Out" (Live)
ReleasedOctober 1992
Genre
Length3:50 (album version)
6:20 (JK mix)
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Jamiroquai singles chronology
"When You Gonna Learn"
(1992)
"Too Young to Die"
(1993)
Jamiroquai singles chronology
"Emergency on Planet Earth"
(1993)
"When You Gonna Learn"
(1993)
"The Kids"
(1994)

Charts

Chart (1992–1993)Peak
position
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) [19] 89
Europe (European Dance Radio) [20] 23
UK Singles (OCC)52
UK Airplay ( Music Week ) [21] 30
UK Dance ( Music Week ) [22] 1
UK Club Chart ( Music Week ) [23] 39

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jamiroquai</span> English acid jazz band

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.

<i>Emergency on Planet Earth</i> 1993 studio album by Jamiroquai

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.

<i>The Return of the Space Cowboy</i> 1994 studio album by Jamiroquai

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.

<i>Travelling Without Moving</i> 1996 studio album by Jamiroquai

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.

<i>Synkronized</i> 1999 studio album by Jamiroquai

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virtual Insanity</span> 1996 single by Jamiroquai

"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 award-winning 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cosmic Girl (song)</span> 1996 single by Jamiroquai

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Too Young to Die (song)</span> 1993 single by Jamiroquai

"Too Young to Die" is a song by British funk and acid jazz band Jamiroquai, released in March 1993 by Sony Soho Square as the second single from their debut studio album, Emergency on Planet Earth (1993). The song was written by lead singer Jason Kay and Toby Smith, and produced by Kay. The original version of the track runs at 10:18; however, both the single and album versions were cut, running at 3:22 and 6:05, respectively. The single received positive reviews from music critics, who compared Jay Kay to Stevie Wonder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kids (Jamiroquai song)</span> 1993 single by Jamiroquai

"The Kids" is the first single taken from British funk/acid jazz band Jamiroquai's second studio album, The Return of the Space Cowboy (1994), though it was recorded shortly after the Emergency on Planet Earth sessions and was not a worldwide single release. The single was only released in Japan, on 12 December 1993 by Epic. "The Kids" is a song that deals with the rights of children and their social status in the world. It is written to be absurdly loud and high in tempo, to possibly represent the immaturity of children, and more generally the whole early childhood of a person, which is usually a carefree time of life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Little L</span> 2001 single by Jamiroquai

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">High Times (song)</span> 1997 single by Jamiroquai

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

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Give Me Something (Jamiroquai song)</span> 2001 single by Jamiroquai

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emergency on Planet Earth (song)</span> 1993 single by Jamiroquai

"Emergency on Planet Earth" is a song by British funk/acid jazz band Jamiroquai, released in August 1993 by Sony Soho Square as the fourth and final single from the band's debut studio album of the same name (1993). The song was written by frontman Jay Kay, and has an environmentalist tone, urging the listener to "stop modernisation going on." The track peaked at number 14 on the UK Singles Chart and at number four on the US Dance Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alright (Jamiroquai song)</span> 1997 single by Jamiroquai

"Alright" is a song by British funk and acid jazz band Jamiroquai, released as the third single from their third studio album, Travelling Without Moving (1996). The song, written by Jamiroquai, contains samples from Eddie Harris' "It's All Right Now" and Idris Muhammad's "Could Heaven Ever Be Like This". "Alright" was released on 28 April 1997 via Sony Soho Square in the United Kingdom, peaking at number six on the UK Singles Chart and at number two in Iceland. It is the group's only single to chart on the US Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 78. The music video, directed by Vaughan Arnell, features the band performing the song at a party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Light Years (Jamiroquai song)</span> 1995 single by Jamiroquai

"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 little promotion of the track.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stillness in Time</span> 1995 single by Jamiroquai

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Half the Man (Jamiroquai song)</span> 1994 single by Jamiroquai

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blow Your Mind (Jamiroquai song)</span> 1993 single by Jamiroquai

"Blow Your Mind" is the third overall single to be released from British funk/acid jazz band Jamiroquai's debut studio album, Emergency on Planet Earth (1993). It was released on 24 May 1993 through Sony Soho Square in the United Kingdom, peaking at number 12 on the UK Singles Chart. The song was written by frontman Jay Kay with Toby Smith, and produced by Rick Pope. Its accompanying music video was directed by Vaughan Arnell and Anthea Benton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Supersonic (Jamiroquai song)</span> 1999 single by Jamiroquai

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hollywood Swinging</span> 1974 funk song by Kool & The Gang

"Hollywood Swinging" is a 1974 song by R&B/funk band Kool & the Gang from their album Wild and Peaceful. It was written by Robert "Kool" Bell, Ronald Bell, George M. Brown, Robert "Spike" Mickens, Claydes Charles Smith, Dennis R. Thomas and Rick A. Westfield.

References

  1. television_oddities (27 March 2024). "Audio recordings from the unreleased 1994 Jamiroquai Documentary - Part 2". r/jamiroquai. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
  2. "Jamiroquai | News | Listen to Natural Energy - the first ever JK/Jamiroquai track? - 17 October 2011, 16:20 (UTC)". funkin.com. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
  3. Jay Kay (pre-Jamiroquai) - Natural Energy (1986) , retrieved 17 March 2024
  4. Flick, Larry (26 June 1993). "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard . p. 84. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  5. Sholin, Dave (14 January 1994). "Gavin Picks – Singles" (PDF). Gavin Report . Retrieved 10 March 2022.
  6. Paphides, Peter (13 March 1993). "Singles". Melody Maker . p. 29. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  7. Push (25 September 1993). "Singles". Melody Maker . p. 31. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  8. "New Releases: Albums" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 10, no. 40. 2 October 1993. p. 10. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
  9. Beevers, Andy (11 September 1993). "Market Preview: Dance" (PDF). Music Week . p. 14. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
  10. Hamilton, James (13 February 1993). "Djdirectory" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental insert). p. 7. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  11. Doyle, Tom (15 September 1993). "New Singles". Smash Hits . p. 51. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  12. Stanton, Pete (9 June 1993). "New Albums". Smash Hits . p. 51. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
  13. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine : "Jamiroquai – When You Gonna Learn? (Official Music Video)" via YouTube.
  14. "Jamiroquai – Interview with JK about his music videos -PART1". 27 February 2007. Archived from the original on 14 December 2021. Retrieved 14 March 2012 via YouTube.
  15. Interview with Jay Kay (2005) – Behind the Music
  16. Bennun, David (1993). "Jamiroquai". Melody Maker .
  17. "Pillers of Society". NME . 28 May 1994. p. 29. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  18. 1 2 3 "Jamiroquai | Music | Singles | When You Gonna Learn". funkin.com. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
  19. "Eurochart Hot 100" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 10, no. 40. 2 October 1993. p. 13. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  20. "European Dance Radio" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 10, no. 43. 23 October 1993. p. 30. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
  21. "The Airplay Chart" (PDF). Music Week . 9 October 1993. p. 34. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  22. "Top 60 Dance Singles" (PDF). Music Week . 31 October 1992. p. 22. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  23. "The RM Club Chart" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). 25 September 1993. p. 4. Retrieved 11 May 2023.