Return of the Space Cowboy
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Jamiroquai’s 1993 debut album ‘Emergency On Planet Earth’, Sony Music are set to release a deluxe package of remastered versions of the first three classic No.1 albums ‘Emergency On Planet Earth’, ‘Return Of The Space Cowboy’ and ‘Travelling Without Moving’ on March 11th 2013.
Each album contains a bonus disc featuring B-sides, remixes, live tracks and unreleased rarities. Each package comes with a 20-page booklet, including a 2000 word essay about the album, penned by Jay Kay himself.
After a career lasting an era-defying two decades, 30 million albums sales and over 20 hit singles; a shelf-full of awards, including five MTV gongs, an Ivor Novello and a Grammy to name a few, it’s fair to say that Jay Kay, the charismatic quick stepping Londoner professionally known as Jamiroquai, is one of the UK’s greatest musical exports of the last 20 years.
Emerging from the ashes of the faltering early 90s Acid Jazz scene and inspired by the soul, funk and jazz he listened to growing up, providing a funky alternative to the Beatles referencing Brit Pop of the same era, Jay Kay was a new genre-defying type of pop star.
Whatever detractors said about the hats, the dancing, the loose-limbed funk or the save-the-planet message - in 1993 singing about the pillaging of the planet, ending illegal wars and cancelling third world debt might have got you laughed at, today it gets you a knighthood - Jamiroquai’s fans always had the louder voice, making ‘Emergency On Planet Earth’ the year’s biggest selling debut album as it entered the charts at Number One two decades ago in Spring 1993.
A year later in 1994, Kay & co continued to carve their own very distinct niche with second album, ‘Return Of The Space Cowboy’.
Through a haze of drugs and frustration its darker grind and jaded inner-city social commentary established Jamiroquai as the face of British Urban music. Still to this day the song ‘Return Of The Space Cowboy’ is Kiss FM’s most played track of all time, with the Morales Mix (contained on the bonus disc here) attaining all time legendary status in Ibiza and beyond.
It was down to third album, 1997’s ‘Travelling Without Moving’, to truly take Jamiroquai to the global masses, selling nearly 10 million copies alone. Resulting in funk- pop classics like the intergalactic boogie of ‘Cosmic Girl’ and ‘Virtual Insanity’, an irresistibly catchy warning against genetic engineering, accompanied by a seminal mind-bending video which captured the imagination and took Jamiroquai global.
With these first three albums remastered from the original analogue masters, each one including a bonus disc - see full tracklisting below, these reissues are a timely reminder of Jamiroquai’s extraordinary 20-year career.
Emergency On Planet Earth
Disc 1
1. When You Gonna Learn
2. Too Young To Die
3. Hooked Up
4. If I Like It, I Do It
5. Music Of The Mind
6. Emergency On Planet Earth
7. Whatever It Is, I Just Can’t Stop
8. Blow Your Mind
9. Revolution 1993
10. Didgin’ Out
Disc 2
1. When You Gonna Learn (Cante Hondo Mix)
2. When You Gonna Learn (Live at the Leadmill, Sheffield)
3. Too Young To Die (extended)
4. If I Like It, I Do It (Acoustic)
5. Emergency On Planet Earth (London Rican Mix)
6. Revolution 1993 (Demo version)
7. Didgin’ Out (Live at the Milky Way, Amsterdam)
8. Brothers Like You (Live at Glastonbury, 1993)
9. God Made Me Funky (Live at Glastonbury, 1993)
10. Music Of The Mind (Live at Glastonbury, 1993)
Return Of The Space Cowboy
Disc 1
1. Just Another Story
2. Stillness In Time
3. Half The Man
4. Light Years
5. Manifest
6. The Kids
7. Mr Moon
8. Scam
9. Journey To Arnhemland
10. Morning Glory
11. Space Cowboy
Disc 2
1. Light Years (4 to da floor Mix)
2. Space Cowboy (David Morales Mix)
3. Space Cowboy (Demo Version)
4. Morning Glory Instrumental
5. Manifest Destiny
6. Space Clav
7. Light Years (Live at Theatre du Moulin)
8. Scam (Live)
9. Journey To Arnhemland (Live)
10. We Getting’ Down (Live)
Travelling Without Moving
Disc 1
1. Virtual Insanity
2. Cosmic Girl
3. Use The Force
4. Everyday
5. Alright
6. High Times
7. Drifting Along
8. Didjerama
9. Didjital Vibrations
10. Travelling Without Moving
11. You Are My Love
12. Spend A Lifetime
Disc 2
1. Virtual Insanity (Salaam Remi Mix)
2. Cosmic Girl (Quasar mix)
3. Alright (Alan Braxe and Fred Falke Remix)
4. High Times (Sanchez radio edit)
5. Do You Know Where You’re Coming From (Full Horns Mix)
6. Bullet
7. Slipin’ ‘N’ Slidin’
8. Hollywood Swinging
9. Alright (Live at the Verona Amphitheatre)
10. Virtual Insanity (Live at the Verona Amphitheatre)
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