The 98% of my friends who don't share my love for whack jazz really seemed to dig last week's OTM "Summer Breeze" by the Isley's. In hopes of keeping them coming back here at least occasionally — as well as keeping the summer vibe going — I'm going to put forth a song that possesses that same kind of laid back groove as that 1973 lost classic. In doing so, One Track Mind will have its first repeat artist: the British retro R&B/funk outfit, Jamiroquai.
Like I said back then, Jamiroquai's lead guy Jason Kay's stock in trade has long been taking the most fun elements of seventies music and using it to convince you all that party music back then wasn't all that bad after all. They do this by drawing their styles from some of the best funk and R&B acts of that era, and it's evident from many of their songs that the Isley's 3 + 3 and other albums from their golden era got a few spins in the Kay household.
From Jay Kay & the Band's last release Dynamite, "Seven Days" uses much of The Isley's playbook for "Summer Breeze": a lazy, mid-tempo groove set with an acoustic guitar and acoustic piano, a soulfully tubed-up electric axe and jazzy chords. But the narrator does not "feel fine," because his love interest just dropped the bomb on him. (Don't ya' just love old slang like that being pulled down from the attic?) I would suppose that this chick was one bad mamma jamma to be causing such heartache, but the bright melody and the gently chugging rhythm won't ever let you feel bummed out in sympathy.
Unlike the last Jamiroquai tune I was pumping up, this one actually saw some chart action: #14 in the UK about two years ago. As far as I know, it was never released as a single on American shores, where "acid" jazz is not quite the rage. All I know is that this song has been an earworm for me since around Memorial Day.
"Seven Days In Sunny June" will go well with your summer party. At least it did for Jay's, and the dude sure knows how to throw one:
"One Track Mind" is a more-or-less weekly drool over a single song selected on a whim and a short thesis on why you should be drooling over it, too.
Article comments
1 - Mark Saleski
this is interesting, because i'd basically dismissed this group after hearing "Virtual Insanity"....because it seemed like warmed over Stevie Wonder.
maybe i should consider another listen?
2 - Pico
Hey, even warmed-over Stevie Wonder is pretty good! Stevie's own last record wasn't even lukewarm, IMO.
I would say that if you don't like this song, you should probably give up on them altogether. If after sampling the video you like it, then play it safe and get last year's compilation High Times, which includes this track.
3 - Christopher Rose
Jamiroquai isn't perfect by any means but when they are good, which is a lot of the time, they are awesome.
I can't get behind the idea of using the concept of "warmed over" as a criticism, it could be applied to literally thousands of artists.
4 - Mark Saleski
all i'm saying is that when "Virtual Insanity" was a hit, i couldn't see what the fuss was all about. it was a style that had been done before and it didn't resonate with me.
i feel exactly the same way about this track here, so apparently this band is not for me.
5 - Christopher Rose
It's okay Mark, don't sweat it.