When You Gonna Learn

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“When You Gonna Learn”
“When You Gonna Learn” cover
Cover of the original Acid Jazz Records release
Single by Jamiroquai
from the album Emergency on Planet Earth; High Times: Singles 1992-2006
B-side Didgin' Out (Live at the Milky Way, Amsterdam)
Released 19 October 1992 (UK)
Format CD/Cassette/12"/7"
Recorded 1992
Genre Funk / Acid Jazz
Length 6:28 (Uncut version, commonly Known as the "Exended JK mix", released on the European 2x12" release and the song's single)
3:50 (CD/single/HTTS version)
Label Acid Jazz Records / Epic Records / S2
Writer(s) Jay Kay/Johnny "Hammond" Smith
Producer Mike Neilsen / Jason Kay
Jamiroquai singles chronology
... When You Gonna Learn
(1992)		 "Too Young to Die"
(1993)
Cover of the Epic records re-release
Cover of the Epic records re-release
Emergency on Planet Earth tracklist

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

B-sides and live-only tracks:
a. Brothers Like you
b. Do That Dance
c. Let me Believe
c. Life Goes on
d. Space Clav (Later appeared as a B-side to Half the Man)
e. The Kids got Funky Soul (Later appeared as just "(The) Kids" on TROTSC)

"When You Gonna Learn" is the premiere single by the British band Jamiroquai.

In the United Kingdom, this was the song that first drew attention to the band. It was originally released in 1992 by Acid Jazz Records, and later re-released on Sony Records in 1993 as the lead-off single for the Emergency on Planet Earth album; The lyric themes, like many of Jamiroquai's early songs, speak of environmental awareness. While the single commercially flopped, due to the lack of promotion, the song still remains well-known among fan circles, while its respective single (especially the Acid Jazz Records release) is a rare collectible, also valued much among fan circles.

Contents

[edit] History

[edit] Demo version

The oldest demo tape of the song dates back to 1989. The only known demo version, unlike the album one, has a different chorus, and a largely different feeling to itself. The demo was recorded without Wallis Buchanan, as he probably wasn't a member of the band at that point. The demo version described here can only be found on the long-gone single for the track. It is labeled as the "Original demo", what has led fans to consider the chance of more demo tapes being in existence, possibly in the possession of the guitarist of The Brand New Heavies, Gavin Dodds who worked with the band at that time.[citation needed]

[edit] Album version

While the most commonly known version of the song lasts for 3:50, and can be found on the CD album, another, longer version exists. It is known as the "J.K. mix" and lasts for 6 minutes and 28 seconds, and even then fading out in the ending. Fans often assume that the song's actual take might've been 10 or more minutes long, and was cut down because of lack of space.[citation needed]

[edit] Live Versions

When You Gonna Learn was performed a great number of times during the band's tours. There are many versions of the song, with the most notable being the 30-minute performance in Amsterdam in 1994, which actually consists of multiple songs (including cover songs) seguing seamlessly into one another, in the following order:

The song can be found on a silver bootleg called "Funky Paradise".

During the Emergency on Planet Earth, and the The Return of the Space Cowboy tours, the song had a very lengthy didgeridoo introduction (circa 10 minutes), as seen above, which almost always overshadowed the rest of the song in length.

[edit] Mixes

  • WYGL (Digeridoo);
    • Normal album version.
  • WYGL (Digeridon't);
    • Normal album version, cuts the didgeridoo parts
  • WYGL (Original demo);
    • Earliest demo version. The adjective "Original" might suggest there might be other unreleased demos.
  • WYGL (J.K. extended mix);
    • Extended album version. Features didgeridoo instrumentation not heard in the original album version, and some additional, minor things. It might be the original album version, with the (Digeridoo) version being just a radio edit, as its length is usual for a Jamiroquai song of that era.
  • WYGL (Cantè Hondo mix);
    • Remix of the song, shares identical chord progression with both WYGL, and Johnny "Hammond" Smith's song, "Los Conquistadores Chocolates".
  • WYGL (Cantè Hondo instrumental);
    • Same as above, but completely instrumental.
  • WYGL (Didgeridoo instrumental).

[edit] Music video

A music video was shot for "When You Gonna Learn". It was directed by Morgan Lawley and interspersed artistic shots of lead singer Jay Kay, footage of the band playing and graphic stock footage of animals being experimented on and whaling operations. The original version was banned from MTV because of this imagery, and was replaced with a "cleaner" edit. The uncut video can be seen here.

When Jason talked about the video in an interview, [1] he said that his intention was to make an intense 'shock video' in the first place, 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... Stuf I just didn't think was right. So they said to me "We can't play that, it's got the Nazi party in there -- we can't play that"...
Jason Kay, [2]

[edit] Release Versions

[edit] UK CD release (Acid Jazz Records)

  1. When You Gonna Learn (Digeridoo) - 3.47
  2. When You Gonna Learn (Digeridon't) - 3.55
  3. When You Gonna Learn (JK Mix) - 6.20
  4. When You Gonna Learn (Canté Hondo Mix) - 5.47
  5. When You Gonna Learn (Original Demo) - 4.50
  6. When You Gonna Learn (Canté Hondo Instrumental) - 5.47

Cat. Num.: JAZID46 Year: 1992

[edit] UK 12" release (AJ)

This release shares the tracklist with another 12" promo. That 12" promo is the band's first ever release, if the "Natural Energy" single is ignored.

Side A:

  1. When You Gonna Learn - JK Mix - 6.20
  2. When You Gonna Learn - JK Instrumental - 6.20

Side B:

  1. When You Gonna Learn (Canté Hondo Mix) - 5.47
  2. When You Gonna Learn (Original Demo) - 4.50
  3. When You Gonna Learn (Didj. Instrumental) - 6.28

Cat. Num.: JAZID46T (Regular); JAZID46P (Promo). Year: 1992

[edit] UK 7" release (AJ)

Side A:

  1. When You Gonna Learn (Digeridoo) - 3.47

Side B:

  1. When You Gonna Learn (Digeridon't) - 3.55

Cat. Num.: JAZID46 Year: 1992

[edit] UK CD release (Sony Soho Square / S2)

(This release was also distributed in Europe)

  1. When You Gonna Learn (Digeridoo) - 3.47
  2. Didgin' Out (Live at the Milky Way, Amsterdam) - 3.27
  3. Too Young to Die (Live at Leadmill, Sheffield) - 5.25
  4. When You Gonna Learn (Canté Hondo Mix) - 5.47

Cat. Num.: 659695 2 Year: 1993

[edit] UK Cassingle Release / EU CD Release (S2)

(Both sides on the cassingle play the same)

  1. When You Gonna Learn (Digeridoo) - 3.47
  2. Didgin' Out (Live at the Milky Way, Amsterdam) - 3.27

Cat. Num.: 659695 4 (Cassingle); 659695 1 (European CD) Year: 1993

[edit] UK 12" Release (S2)

Side A:

  1. When You Gonna Learn (JK Mix) - 6.20
  2. When You Gonna Learn (JK Instrumental) - 6.20
  3. When You Gonna Learn (Live at Leadmill, Sheffield) - 9.50

Side B:

  1. When You Gonna Learn (Canté Hondo Mix) - 5.47
  2. When You Gonna Learn (Original Demo) - 4.50
  3. When You Gonna Learn (Didj. Instrumental) - 6.28

Cat. Num.: 659695 6 Year: 1993

[edit] UK promo 12" release (S2)

Side A:

  1. When You Gonna Learn (JK Mix) - 6.20

Side B:

  1. When You Gonna Learn (Canté Hondo Mix) - 5.47

Cat. Num.: XPR 1959 Year: 1993

[edit] US/Australian CD release (Columbia Records)

This release mislabels the "Didgeridoo instrumental" as the "Canté Hondo" mix.

  1. When You Gonna Learn (Digeridoo) - 3.47
  2. When You Gonna Learn (Digeridon't) - 3.55
  3. When You Gonna Learn (JK Mix) - 6.20
  4. When You Gonna Learn (Canté Hondo Mix) - 5.47
  5. When You Gonna Learn (Original Demo) - 4.50
  6. When You Gonna Learn (Digeridoo Instrumental) - 6.28

Cat. Num.: 44K 74925 (US); 659325 2 (Australia) Year: 1993

[edit] US CD promo release (Columbia Records)

The tracks on this promo are exclusive to this release.

  1. When You Gonna Learn (Digeridon't Edit) - 3.01
  2. When You Gonna Learn (Digeridoo Edit) - 2.57

Cat. Num.: CSK 5600 Year: 1993

[edit] US 12" release (Columbia Records)

This release mislabels the "Didgeridoo instrumental" as the "Canté Hondo" mix.

Side A:

  1. When You Gonna Learn (Digeridoo) - 3.47
  2. When You Gonna Learn (Digeridon't) - 3.55
  3. When You Gonna Learn (JK Mix) - 6.20

Side B:

  1. When You Gonna Learn (Canté Hondo Mix) - 5.47
  2. When You Gonna Learn (Original Demo) - 4.50
  3. When You Gonna Learn (Digeridoo Instrumental) - 6.28

Cat. Num.: 44 74925 (Regular); ACD 74925 (Promo with same tracklist) Year: 1993

[edit] JP CD release (epic)

This release of the single bears two CDs (WYGL and Too Young to Die. The front of the case bears the cover for Too Young To Die and the back of the case bears the cover for When You Gonna Learn. The front cover of this release of WYGL bears striking resemblance to the original AJ release, but replaces the green with a lighter shade of orange.

  1. When You Gonna Learn (Digeridoo) - 3.47
  2. Too Young to Die (7" Edit) - 3.22
  3. When You Gonna Learn (Canté Hondo Mix) - 5.47
  4. Too Young to Die (12" Version) - 6.04

Cat. Num.: ESCA 5692 (First JP release); ESCA 6623 ("The Singles Box" re-release) Year: 1993

[edit] Spanish 7" promo (Epic)

This 7"'s cover bears the cover of the original Acid Jazz records release, even though it was released through Epic.

  1. When You Gonna Learn (Digeridoo) - 3.47

Cat. Num.: ARIE 3200 Year: 1993

[edit] Song samples & trivia

 Music sample:

When you Gonna Learn (1992)

Sample of the album version of "When you Gonna Learn"
Problems listening to the file? See media help.

When you Gonna Learn (Canté Hondo mix) (1992)

Sample of the "Canté Hondo mix" of the same song
Problems listening to the file? See media help.

"Los Conquistadores Chocolates", by Johnny "Hammond" Smith"

29 second snippet
Problems listening to the file? See media help.
  • Contrary to the popular opinion, "When You Gonna Learn" is not the first single written and issued by Jason Kay, though it is the first single issued by his band. Jason's first single is a white label acetate called "Natural Energy", which was pressed only in 3 copies.
  • Kiss 100 FM was the first radio station to play the single.
  • The chord progressions of WYGL bears striking resemblance to the chord progressions of a Johnny "Hammond" Smith's song called "Los Conquistadores Chocolates", however, not by accident, because the booklet of the Acid Jazz Records release of the single bears a "special thanks" note to Smith, who gave permission to Jason to use the composition's structure. However, it is unknown whether Hammond received any royalties or not.
  • The chord progressions of the Cantè hondo mix of this song bear even more resemblance to "Los conquistadores Chocolates". 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, even though a Spanish promo issued by Sony bears the AJ cover.
  • There have been legal disputes between Acid Jazz Records and Epic Records because Epic re-released the single without Acid Jazz Records' consent.
v • d • e
Jamiroquai
Jason Kay · Rob Harris · Paul Turner · Matt Johnson · Derrick McKenzie · Sola Akingbola · Lorraine McIntosh · Hazel Fernandez · Sam Smith
Gavin Dodds · Simon Katz · Nick Fyffe · Stuart Zender · Simon Carter · Toby Smith · Nick Van Gelder · DJ D-Zire · Winston Rollins · Adrian Revell · Wallis Buchanan · Beverley Knight
Studio albums
Compilations
Jay's Selection (1996) · In Store Jam (promo, 1997) · Late Night Tales: Jamiroquai (2003) · High Times: Singles 1992-2006 (2006)
Singles
Films
Live In Verona (2002) · High Times: Singles 1992-2006 (2006) · Live at Montreux 2003 (2007)
Other