Canned Heat (song)

"Canned Heat"
Single by Jamiroquai
from the album Synkronized
B-side	"Deeper Underground" (Chillington Mix) "Wolf In Sheep's Clothing"
Released	24 May 1999 (1999-05-24)
Format	CD, 12", Cassette
Recorded	1998–1999
Genre	R&B,[1] disco
Length	3:19 (radio edit) 3:46 (7" edit) 5:30 (album version)
Label	Sony Soho Square
Producer(s)	Al Stone, Toby Smith
Jamiroquai singles chronology
"Deeper Underground" (1998) "Canned Heat" (1999) "Supersonic" (1999)

"Canned Heat" is the second single from British funk/acid jazz band Jamiroquai's fourth studio album, Synkronized, released in 1999. The song was their second #1 on the U.S. Dance Chart and peaked at #4 on the UK Singles Chart. The music video was directed by Jonas Åkerlund. The song is used in the film Napoleon Dynamite, as background music during the title character's famous dance performance before a high school assembly.

Tracklisting

UK CD1 (667302 2)

1. "Canned Heat" (7" Edit) – 3:46
2. "Canned Heat" (Radio Edit) – 3:19
3. "Wolf In Sheep's Clothing" – 4:00

UK CD2 (667302 5)

1. "Canned Heat" (7" Edit) – 3:46
2. "Canned Heat" (Album Version) – 5:30
3. "Deeper Underground" (Chillington Mix) – 6:56

Cassette (667302 4)

1. "Canned Heat" (7" Edit) – 3:46
2. "Wolf In Sheep's Clothing" – 4:00

Single Information

Over the numerous releases of the "Canned Heat" single, two B-Sides exist. "Wolf In Sheep's Clothing" is a funky instrumental that features an intro of two drum beats that lasts about 1.5 seconds and then enters a strongly bass driven repetitive melody. Many keyboard effects are used throughout the song's 4:00 minute duration. The song enters a percussion section at 3:07 and lasts for the remainder of the song slowly fading out from 3:45. The song can be found only on the Canned Heat single and some editions of the Synkronized album, the Australian double disc release being an example.

Nowhere on the single or in the music notes of editions of Synkronized containing the song does it list who it was written or recorded by. There is a possibility that the track may be a Synkronized outtake that was written and recorded while Stuart Zender was still a part of the band and removed from the majority releases after it was re-recorded, or the song may have been recorded for the single.

"Deeper Underground - Chillington Mix" is featured on the second release of "Canned Heat". Chillington is not the name of an artist or DJ, but the name of the studios at Jay's Home in Buckinghamshire. The Chillington Mix samples heavily from the Jamiroquai song Getinfunky which is found on some special releases of Synkronized, such as the Japanese release where it replaced "Deeper Underground" as the bonus track, and alongside Wolf In Sheep's Clothing on the Australian double disc. On the High Times: The Singles DVD, Jay comments on a bonus feature that the original Godzilla song was just made of "Ominous noises" which strongly matches the sound of Getinfunky. When the title or the remix and "Ominous noises" evidence is pared it strongly suggests that "Getinfunky" is an early version of the Godzilla song which later evolved into "Deeper Underground".

Popular Culture

"Canned Heat" is featured in the feature film Napoleon Dynamite, during the title character's dance performance at the end of a high school assembly. The song is also featured in the film Center Stage, released in 2000, in which the dancers perform a piece to this song at the end of the movie. Also, the song was used in the rhythm based Xbox 360 game Dance Dance Revolution Universe 3. The music video was played in the background as the song would be played. A cover of the song was featured in a level of the game Elite Beat Agents. Another cover of the song was featured in the European version of Donkey Konga. The song was also featured in the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 tennis game, Top Spin 3. A newer cover of the song, entitled "Kashyyyk", appeared in the game Kinect Star Wars.

The song was featured in Lone Survivor, where a rookie jokingly dances in front of a group of unsatisfied Navy SEALS before making a speech to them.

Charts

References