Travelling Without Moving
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''Travelling Without Moving'' is the third studio album by English
funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...
and acid jazz band
Jamiroquai Jamiroquai () are an English funk and acid jazz 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 the ...
, released on 28 August 1996 in Japan, then on 9 September 1996 in the United Kingdom under
Sony Soho Square Sony S2 Records, formerly named as S2 Records and Sony Soho Square (typeset as Sony Soho2), was a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment (SME), which operated as a record label in the 1990s and early 2000s. Sony Soho Square was named after its ...
. Front-man
Jay Kay Jay Kay (born Jason Luís Cheetham; 30 December 1969) is an English singer and songwriter. He is best known as the co-founder and lead vocalist of the acid jazz and funk band Jamiroquai, which was formed in 1992. Early life Jay Kay was bo ...
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. Kay also faced backlash from press for his use of sports cars in this period despite his environmental beliefs. The album was Jamiroquai's American breakthrough. It marked the band's first entry in the US ''Billboard'' 200 chart at number 24. In the UK, it peaked at number two. Its singles "
Virtual Insanity "Virtual Insanity" is a song by British funk band Jamiroquai, released on 19 August 1996 as the second single from their third studio album, ''Travelling Without Moving'' (1996). The song interpolates parts of Jocelyn Brown's post-disco hit " S ...
", " Cosmic Girl" and "
Alright Alright, All Right or Allwright may refer to: Music Albums * ''Alright!'' (album), a 2007 album by Bogdan Raczynski * ''Alright'', a 2011 album by Jerry Williams * ''All Right'', a 1982 album by Himiko Kikuchi Songs * "Alright" (Cast song) * ...
" entered the top-ten in the UK singles chart. In the US, "Alright" entered the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 at number 78, while "Cosmic Girl" and "
High Times ''High Times'' is an American monthly magazine (and cannabis brand) that advocates the Legalization of non-medical cannabis in the United States, legalization of cannabis as well as other counterculture ideas. The magazine was founded in 1974 by ...
" were in the top-ten in the
Dance Club Songs Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as t ...
charts. The music video for "Virtual Insanity" contributed to the album's success. ''Travelling Without Moving'' sold over 8 million copies worldwide, holding the ''
Guinness World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
'' as the best-selling funk album in history. The album was reissued in 2013 in
remaster Remaster refers to changing the quality of the sound or of the image, or both, of previously created recordings, either audiophonic, cinematic, or videographic. The terms digital remastering and digitally remastered are also used. Mastering A ...
ed form with bonus material.


Background

After experiencing a stressful period while recording ''
The Return of the Space Cowboy ''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 ...
'', Kay sought to make the next album more focused and universal. He also did not want to remain as a semi-underground act "that stuck to its little niche and sold one and a half million albums every time. I wanted to breakout and be something bigger, more international." Speaking of the album's general mood, Kay said: " ith_''Emergency_on_Planet_Earth''.html" ;"title="Emergency_on_Planet_Earth.html" ;"title="ith ''Emergency on Planet Earth">ith ''Emergency on Planet Earth''">Emergency_on_Planet_Earth.html" ;"title="ith ''Emergency on Planet Earth">ith ''Emergency on Planet Earth'' people weren't cheering in the streets or anything, and [''The Return of the Space Cowboy''] was quite sad. With [''Travelling Without Moving''], I decided it was important to show people we could enjoy ourselves. That's why it's cars, life and love". Kay booked the band into the residential studio
Great Linford Manor Linford Manor, also known as Great Linford Manor, is a seventeenth-century mansion or manor house converted into a recording studio complex in Great Linford, a district in Milton Keynes, England. It is now owned by Pete Winkelman who is chairman ...
so that they could work at their own pace.


Composition

The first song composed for the album was "
Virtual Insanity "Virtual Insanity" is a song by British funk band Jamiroquai, released on 19 August 1996 as the second single from their third studio album, ''Travelling Without Moving'' (1996). The song interpolates parts of Jocelyn Brown's post-disco hit " S ...
". It was recorded as a rough demo and was not fully realised until the album's final recording stage. The song has a piano opening with "buoyant keyboards and soaring strings." Its lyrics are about the prevalence of technology and the replication and simulation of life. The second track " Cosmic Girl" is a
disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...
song with "spacey" lyrics, based on rhythmic " looped beats" "to give it an off-center, otherworldly" sound. For the next track "Use The Force" the group channels "that real vintage football vibe", filled with horns, wah-wah guitar and a rippling barrage of Latin percussion". The fourth track "Everyday" is described "as seductive as any Maxwell ballad" and has "over aching strings and a come-hither bass line". The fifth song, "
Alright Alright, All Right or Allwright may refer to: Music Albums * ''Alright!'' (album), a 2007 album by Bogdan Raczynski * ''Alright'', a 2011 album by Jerry Williams * ''All Right'', a 1982 album by Himiko Kikuchi Songs * "Alright" (Cast song) * ...
", was described as an "easy-going disco-funk" track. "
High Times ''High Times'' is an American monthly magazine (and cannabis brand) that advocates the Legalization of non-medical cannabis in the United States, legalization of cannabis as well as other counterculture ideas. The magazine was founded in 1974 by ...
", a song with "razor-edged funky guitars", references Kay's drug use during the recording of ''The Return of the Space Cowboy'': "'High Times' was admitting the truth of the matter, of where I'd been and how lucky I was to be coming out of the other side." This is followed by the
reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...
track, "Drifting Along". The tracks "Didjerema" and "Didjital Vibrations" are instrumental tracks containing ambient didgeridoo. The title track is next on the album and samples Kay's purple
Lamborghini Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. () is an Italian brand and manufacturer of luxury sports cars and SUVs based in Sant'Agata Bolognese. The company is owned by the Volkswagen Group through its subsidiary Audi. Ferruccio Lamborghini (1916–1993) ...
in the intro. It features a "driving groove" and after two minutes, it "transitions into a bassline-paced, heavy workout". The album ends with the dance track, "You Are My Love", and the soul ballad, "Spend A Lifetime".


Release

''Travelling Without Moving'' was first released on 28 August 1996 in Japan, then on 9 September 1996 in the United Kingdom on
Sony Soho Square Sony S2 Records, formerly named as S2 Records and Sony Soho Square (typeset as Sony Soho2), was a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment (SME), which operated as a record label in the 1990s and early 2000s. Sony Soho Square was named after its ...
. Released on the
Work Work may refer to: * Work (human activity), intentional activity people perform to support themselves, others, or the community ** Manual labour, physical work done by humans ** House work, housework, or homemaking ** Working animal, an animal t ...
record label in January 1997, it was the band's first US ''
Billboard 200 The ''Billboard'' 200 is a record chart ranking the 200 most popular music albums and EPs in the United States. It is published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine and is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of art ...
'' entry, where it reached number 24 and it sold 1,400,000 shipments. The album peaked at number 2 in the UK chart and sold 1,219,197 copies. In Japan, it reached number 6, and in the year end charts there, it ranked number 87 in 1996 and number 58 in 1997. It peaked at number 2 in the French SNEP Album charts and number 6 in the year end chart in 1996. In Switzerland, it reached number 3 in the Swiss Albums Charts, and number 37 in the year end chart in 1996. It ranked number 9 in the German Media Control Albums Chart, and It ranked at number 69 in 1996 and number 38 in 1997 in the German year end charts. In the Netherlands, in peaked at 16 in the album chart, and number 48 in the year end chart in 1997. In the Australian
ARIA Albums chart The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...
, it ranked at 6 and in 1997 47 at the end of the year. The album was certified platinum in these countries, except in Germany where it was certified gold. It was also triple Platinum in Europe by the
IFPI The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a non-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland and founded in Italy in 19 ...
denoting sales of 3,000,000 copies. The album overall sold 8,000,000 copies worldwide. In 2013, ''Travelling Without Moving'' was one of the first three albums to be re-issued on the band's 20th anniversary campaign, also containing a bonus disc of remixes, demos, live performances and b-sides. "Do U Know Where You're Coming From" was the first single to be released on 20 May 1996, where it peaked at number 12 in the UK. It is a
drum and bass Drum and bass (also written as drum & bass or drum'n'bass and commonly abbreviated as D&B, DnB, or D'n'B) is a genre of electronic dance music characterized by fast breakbeats (typically 165–185 beats per minute) with heavy bass and sub-ba ...
song by
M-Beat M-Beat (born Marlon Hart) is a jungle musician and producer. He scored three top 20 hit singles on the UK Singles Chart: "Incredible" (featuring General Levy) at No. 8, " Sweet Love" (a cover of the Anita Baker song featuring Nazlyn) at No. 18 ...
which features vocals by Kay. The second single "Virtual Insanity" was released on 19 August 1996, reached number 3 in the single and number 1 the R&B charts in the UK. Its
Jonathan Glazer Jonathan Glazer (born 26 March 1965) is an English film director and screenwriter. Born in London, Glazer began his career in theatre before transitioning into film. Over the course of a career spanning nearly three decades, Glazer's directing ...
directed music video played heavily on
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
, which depicted Kay "perform ngin a room where the floors, walls and furniture all moved simultaneously." "Cosmic Girl" was released as its third single on 20 November 1996, reaching number 6 in the UK and number 7 in the US
Dance Club Songs Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as t ...
charts. Its music video features a
Ferrari F355 The Ferrari F355 (Type F129) is a sports car manufactured by Italian car manufacturer Ferrari produced from May 1994 until 1999. The car is a heavily revised Ferrari 348 with notable exterior and performance changes. The F355 was succeeded by th ...
Berlinetta, a red
Ferrari F40 The Ferrari F40 (''tipo'' F120) is a mid-engine, rear-wheel drive sports car engineered by Nicola Materazzi with styling by Pininfarina. It was built from 1987 until 1992, with the LM and GTE race car versions continuing production until 1994 ...
and a purple Lamborghini Diablo SE30 "on mountain roads and across a desert." "Alright" was issued on 28 April 1997, ranking number 6 in the UK and number 78 in their only ''Billboard'' Hot 100'' appearance. "High Times" was the final single, released on 1 December 1997, and peaked at number 9 the US Dance Club charts.


Controversy

After the album was released, Kay received backlash from the press for his interest in sports cars, because it contradicted his environmental beliefs on ''Emergency on Planet Earth''. The album's visual concept revolved around sports cars, with the Ferrari logo being recreated within band's Buffalo Man logo. ''
Paper Paper is a thin sheet material produced by mechanically or chemically processing cellulose fibres derived from wood, rags, grasses or other vegetable sources in water, draining the water through fine mesh leaving the fibre evenly distributed ...
'' magazine also pointed out this contradiction with the music video for "Alright", "when Kay rolls up in his purple Lamborghini to party on the dance floor with a bevy of bodacious babes, concerns about seals, whales, rain forests and the revolution are checked at the door." He said that he was hesitant to release the album as he expected the backlash, but added "Just because I love to drive a fast car, that doesn't mean I believe in chopping trees down. It doesn't mean I think they should build more roads for my car". Keyboardist
Toby Smith Toby Grafftey-Smith (29 October 1970 – 11 April 2017), known professionally as Toby Smith, was an English musician, most famous for being the keyboardist and co-songwriter for Jamiroquai from 1992 until his departure in 2002. Background and ...
also said "We all want to be an ecologically conscious band, but we like cars €¦We're hypocrites like the rest of the world. But then again, you can only drive one car at a time.


Reception

Critics have generally praised ''Travelling Without Moving'' for its focused and refined sound, as it deepened the acid-jazz and soul styles that were informed from their first two albums. Linton Chiswick of '' Q'' magazine said that this resulted in "a fat, squishy disco feel." Parry Gettelman also wrote that Kay had "evolved into quite a writer." ''
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'' also gave the album 4 out of 5: "''Travelling'' is essentially about the metaphysics of having a good time… Jamiroquai have a thousand musical tricks up their sleeves; edgy horns laced with jazz intricacies, energetic bass lines and disco rhythms, and a wider variety of tempos than usual in British funk."
Tom Moon Thomas Raphael Moon (born November 3, 1960) is an American saxophonist, author, and music critic. He is known for his book ''1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die''. He has won two Deems Taylor Awards from the American Society of Composers, Auth ...
remarked that: "There are no digital samples on ''Traveling Without Moving.'' In fact, just about every sound comes from a vintage analog instrument." Stephen Thompson of ''
The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
'' said that the album "sounds an awful lot like its predecessor", but concluded: "It's a tribute to Jamiroquai that more of the same still sounds pretty damned good." A ''
Music Week ''Music Week'' is a trade publication for the UK record industry distributed via a website and a monthly print magazine. It is published by Future. History Founded in 1959 as '' Record Retailer'', it relaunched on 18 March 1972 as ''Music W ...
'' reviewer wrote: "Jamiroquai still wear their influences firmly on their sleeve but this is their most accomplished and satisfying offering yet." Matt Diehl of ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'' writes, "when it comes to Stevie Wonder, frontman Jason Kay still gets imitation confused with homage." In a 2004 discography review by
Ben Sisario Ben Sisario is an American academic, author, and journalist. Career He is a staff reporter for ''The New York Times'', covering music and culture. Sisario is also the author of ''Doolittle'' (2006) a non-fiction book in the 33â…“ series about t ...
, ''Travelling Without Moving'' is the only Jamiroquai album rated slightly higher than others, with Sisario singling out "
Virtual Insanity "Virtual Insanity" is a song by British funk band Jamiroquai, released on 19 August 1996 as the second single from their third studio album, ''Travelling Without Moving'' (1996). The song interpolates parts of Jocelyn Brown's post-disco hit " S ...
" and " Cosmic Girl" for being radio-friendly, but criticising the album's use of the didgeridoo. David Bennun of ''
Muzik ''Muzik'' was a British dance music magazine published by IPC Media from June 1995 to August 2003. ''Muzik'' was created by two former ''Melody Maker'' journalists, Push and Ben Turner. Push was the editor of ''Muzik'' from its launch until he ...
'' considered it "tepid funk" in an unfavorable review. The album's lyrics have also been criticised, with Matt Diehl writing they "ultimately strip away the soul."


Accolades

For their single, "Virtual Insanity", the music video for it won Video of the Year and Breakthrough Video at the
Video Music Awards The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as the VMAs) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honour the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video category) ...
, and Alternative/Modern Rock Clip of the Year and the Maximum Vision at the ''Billboard'' Music Awards. The song also earned the band a
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
for Best Performance by a Duo Or Group and the album was nominated for
Best Pop Vocal Album The Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality vocal pop music albums. Awards in several ...
. ''Travelling Without Moving'' has won three best album awards at the
MOBO The MOBO Awards (Music of Black Origin, also known as the MOBOs) are an annual British music award presentation honouring achievements in " music of black origin", including hip hop, grime, UK Drill, R&B, soul, reggae, jazz, gospel, and ...
and
Japan Gold Disc Awards The is an award presented by the Recording Industry Association of Japan The is an industry trade group composed of Japanese corporations involved in the music industry. It was founded in 1942 as the Japan Phonogram Record Cultural Associa ...
in 1997, and at the
Hungarian Music Awards The Hungarian Music Awards have been given to artists in the field of Hungarian music since 1992. The award categories are similar to Grammy Awards in the United States and Brit Awards in the United Kingdom. The awards were known as the ''Golden ...
in 1998.
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listed the album in its 2008 list The 1000 Best Albums of All Time, in no order. ''Pause & Play'' ranked the album at number 11 in The 90s Top 100 Essential Albums in 1999. ''
Studio Brussel A studio is an artist or worker's workroom. This can be for the purpose of acting, architecture, painting, pottery (ceramics), sculpture, origami, woodworking, scrapbooking, photography, graphic design, filmmaking, animation, industrial d ...
'' included it in The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time in 2015. ''
Vibe ''Vibe'' is an American music and entertainment magazine founded by producers David Salzman and Quincy Jones. The publication predominantly features R&B and hip hop music artists, actors and other entertainers. After shutting down producti ...
'' called ''Travelling Without Moving'' "the most infectious dance record since the 70’s disco revolution", and ranked it at number 42 in its 2013 list The 50 Greatest Albums Since '93.


Legacy

The high album sales of ''Travelling Without Moving'' earned the band a ''
Guinness World Record ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
'' for the best-selling funk album in history. Paul Sexton of ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' magazine credits this period of Jamiroquai as their American breakthrough: "Long a European success story for the Sony S2 label, the group once accused of being a mere
Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, Pop musi ...
soundalike has grown into its own style and added a substantial American audience in the process." However, the band were unable replicate their success in America since then. The music video of "Virtual Insanity" was described as "one of the most famous music videos ever", making them "icons of the music-video format", according to Spencer Kornhaber from ''
The Atlantic ''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher. It features articles in the fields of politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science. It was founded in 1857 in Boston, ...
''. The song also led to the climax of "1970s soul and funk that early acid jazz artists had initiated", according to writer Kennith Prouty. The Lamborghini Diablo SE30 was also considered a "Nineties icon" in part of the "Cosmic Girl" music video, according to ''
The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was fo ...
''.


Track listing


Notes

* Some editions contain either "Do U Know Where You're Coming From" or "Funktion" as a bonus track. Others have both tracks.


Personnel

Credits adapted from album liner notes. Jamiroquai *
Jay Kay Jay Kay (born Jason Luís Cheetham; 30 December 1969) is an English singer and songwriter. He is best known as the co-founder and lead vocalist of the acid jazz and funk band Jamiroquai, which was formed in 1992. Early life Jay Kay was bo ...
*
Toby Smith Toby Grafftey-Smith (29 October 1970 – 11 April 2017), known professionally as Toby Smith, was an English musician, most famous for being the keyboardist and co-songwriter for Jamiroquai from 1992 until his departure in 2002. Background and ...
* Stuart Zender * Derrick McKenzie * Wallis Buchanan *
Simon Katz Simon Katz (born 16 May 1971) is an English songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, best known for his work with the band Jamiroquai from 1995 to 2000. Katz was a recipient of the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo Or Group With Vocal ...
* Sola Akingbola Additional musicians * DJ D-Zire *
Simon Hale Simon Hale is a British composer, arranger, and keyboardist. Life Hale was born in Birmingham, England in 1964, being dually raised there and in South Manchester before moving to London, where he studied popular music at Goldsmiths College, Uni ...
– string arrangements and conductor *
Gavyn Wright Gavyn Wright is a British violinist and orchestra leader with the London Session Orchestra and Penguin Cafe Orchestra. He is best known for his orchestral arrangements on pop productions (including Elton John, Simply Red, Bush, Mecano, Oasis, ...
and the
London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) is one of five permanent symphony orchestras based in London. It was founded by the conductors Sir Thomas Beecham and Malcolm Sargent in 1932 as a rival to the existing London Symphony and BBC Symphony ...
– strings * Max Beesley – vibraphone *
Gary Barnacle Gary Barnacle (born 1959 in Dover, England) is an English saxophonist, flautist, brass instrument arranger, composer, and producer. Barnacle is primarily noted for his session work and live work, including various Prince's Trust concerts a ...
- saxophone *
John Thirkell John Thirkell is a British trumpet and flugelhorn player, who has appeared on hundreds of pop, rock, and jazz recordings. Through the 1980s and early 1990s he was on at least one album in the UK Charts continuously, without a break, for over ...
- trumpet * Katie – backing vocals * Beverly – backing vocals Production * AL Stone – production, engineering * Blue – design and art direction * Lorenzo Agius – photography


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications and sales

!scope="row", Worldwide , , 8,000,000 , -


References


External links

* {{Authority control Jamiroquai albums 1996 albums Work Records albums S2 Records albums Music controversies