Synkronized

Synkronized
Studio album by Jamiroquai
Released 8 June 1999 (United States)
14 June 1999 (UK)
Recorded 1998-1999 Chillington Studio, Buckinghamshire
Genre Funk rock, disco
Length 53:06
Label Sony Soho Square (UK)
Work (US)
Producer Al Stone / Jason Kay
Jamiroquai chronology
In Store Jam
(1997)		 Synkronized
(1999)		 1999 Remixes
(1999)
Singles from Synkronized
  1. "Deeper Underground"
    Released: 13 July 1998
  2. "Canned Heat"
    Released: 24 May 1999
  3. "Supersonic"
    Released: 13 September 1999
  4. "King for a Day"
    Released: 29 November 1999
  5. "Black Capricorn Day"
    Released: 2 February 2000

Synkronized is the fourth studio album released by funk/acid jazz band Jamiroquai. It was released on 8 June 1999 on Work Group in the United States and on 14 June 1999 in the United Kingdom under S2 Records. The album contains funk rock, acid jazz and disco elements. It is also known for being the last Jamiroquai album featuring the band's more traditional line-up and sound.

Album information

The album was originally intended to be titled Symphonized and recording sessions began at Jay Kay's home studio in 1998 with Stuart Zender still on bass. About 9 tracks[1] were written and recorded, but Zender left partway through the recording in late 1998 over a dispute of album credits.[2] Rather than credit Zender for the tracks he had played on, Jay Kay hired a replacement, Nick Fyffe. Kay decided to scrap all the tracks and start the album over. The new project was called Synkronized and the whole album was finished and released within 6 months.[1] Clips of two of the tracks from Symphonized which Zender played on were shown on MTV before the 1998 MTV Video Music Awards, prior to Zender's departure, in a segment looking back at past winners. The clips display a much more Latin and fusion sound than the songs that made it on the final album track listing. An outtake from Synkronized, "Snooze, You Lose", was later released on the mini-album "An Online Odyssey". "Where Do We Go from Here?" was described as the point of change within the group's sound, using rocks with a leap-frogging blues piano and tangy bongos. The final song on the album, "King For A Day", is a regal rock-operatic excursion embellished with fully orchestrated piano and strings, with lyrics relating to Stuart Zender. It is noticeable that there is no bass guitar or bass synth sound within the song. Didgeridoo player Wallis Buchanan made his last appearance on the song "Supersonic".

The UK version of the album includes the bonus track "Deeper Underground", which was released as a single the previous year and became Jamiroquai's only number one single in the UK.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
Entertainment WeeklyB−[4]
Robert ChristgauC–[5]
Rolling Stone[6]
Q[7]
NME6/10[8]
Spin6/10[9]
Vibefavorable[10]

Rolling Stone gave the album 3 out of five stars, claiming "Synkronized is fifty minutes of sleek, sexy fun, a party album delivered with something like conviction. It's not exactly irresistible, but, really, what's the point of resisting it?"[6] Spin gave the album the same rating, claiming "...redirects the band's British tendency toward smoothed-out old black jams....soaring strings, gyrating congas, hell-bent wah-wah's, and an undeniably live rhythm section that'll hustle your muscles and make you freak to the beat..." Entertainment Weekly claimed "Imagine if [Stevie] Wonder had made a disco album in 1977!....Synkronized is a hat trick done with the sharpest chapeau in the store."[4] College Music Journal claimed "This incessantly upbeat expedition travels into the regions of Travolta-era disco...feverish funk...and instrumental iridescence...keeping your ears tuned to their funktastic audio adventures." Mojo claimed "Synkronized proves Jamiroquai...are capable of knocking up fluid and thrilling grooves at the drop of an enormous hat....Jay's voice is wonderful throughout, delivering his admittedly toe-curling lyrics with...conviction." Q magazine claimed the album was one of the "50 Best Albums of 1999".[11] In his consumer guide for The Village Voice, critic Robert Christgau gave the album a C– rating in his annual "Turkey Shoot",[5] indicating "a bad record of some general import".[12]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Canned Heat"  Jay Kay5:31
2."Planet Home"  Jay Kay, Toby Smith4:44
3."Black Capricorn Day"  Jay Kay5:41
4."Soul Education"  Jay Kay, Toby Smith4:15
5."Falling"  Jay Kay, Toby Smith3:45
6."Destitute Illusions"  Jay Kay, Toby Smith, Derrick McKenzie5:40
7."Supersonic"  Jay Kay, Toby Smith5:15
8."Butterfly"  Jay Kay, Toby Smith4:28
9."Where Do We Go from Here?"  Jay Kay5:13
10."King for a Day"  Jay Kay, Toby Smith3:40
Total length:48:12
UK Bonus Track
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
11."Deeper Underground"  Jay Kay, Toby Smith4:46
Japanese Bonus Track
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
11."Getinfunky"  Jay Kay, Wallis Buchanan5:35
Australian Bonus Disc
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Deeper Underground"  Jay Kay, Toby Smith4:46
2."Getinfunky"  Jay Kay, Wallis Buchanan5:35
3."Wolf in Sheep's Clothing"  Jay Kay, Wallis Buchanan4:00

Personnel

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart Position
Australian ARIA Album Chart[13] 1
Austrian Albums Chart[14] 2
Belgian Albums Chart (Flanders)[15] 4
Belgian Albums Chart (Wallonia)[16] 6
Canadian RPM Albums Chart[17] 10
Dutch Albums Chart[18] 6
Finnish Albums Chart[19] 4
French SNEP Albums Chart[20] 2
German Media Control Albums Chart[21] 1
Italian Albums Chart[22] 7
Japanese Oricon Albums Chart[23] 2
New Zealand Albums Chart[24] 12
Norwegian Albums Chart[25] 8
Swedish Albums Chart[26] 9
Swiss Albums Chart[27] 2
UK Albums Chart[28] 1
U.S. Billboard 200[29] 28

Year-end charts

Chart (1999) Position
Australian Albums Chart[30] 63
Austrian Albums Chart[31] 42
Belgian Albums Chart (Flanders)[32] 42
Belgian Albums Chart (Wallonia)[33] 36
Dutch Albums Chart[34] 50
French Albums Chart[35] 30
Italian Albums Chart[22] 57
Japanese Albums Chart[36] 32
Swiss Albums Chart[37] 25

Preceded by
Californication by Red Hot Chili Peppers		 Australian ARIA Albums Chart number-one album
21 June 1999 		Succeeded by
Songs from Dawson's Creek by various artists
Preceded by
By Request by Boyzone		 UK Albums Chart number-one album
26 June 1999 		Succeeded by
Surrender by The Chemical Brothers

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/Sales
Australia (ARIA)[38] Gold 35,000^
Canada (Music Canada)[39] Gold 50,000^
France (SNEP)[40] Platinum 293,200[41]
Germany (BVMI)[42] Gold 250,000^
Japan (RIAJ)[43] 4× Platinum 800,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[44] Gold 7,500^
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[45] Gold 50,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[46] Platinum 50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[47] Platinum 300,000^
Summaries
Europe (IFPI)[48] Platinum 1,000,000*

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

References

  1. 1 2 Jay Kay MTV interview 1999
  2. ↑ Official Stuart Zender leaving announcement
  3. ↑ Bush, John. "Jamiroquai: Synkronized > Review" at AllMusic. Retrieved 23 August 2011.
  4. 1 2 Browne, David (11 June 1999). "Synkronized (1999): Jamiroquai". EW.com.
  5. 1 2 Christgau, Robert (23 November 1999). "Turkey Shoot". The Village Voice. Village Voice Media. Retrieved 2012-01-27.
  6. 1 2 DeCurtis, Anthony (8 July 1999). "Jamiroquai: Synkronized". RS 816-817. Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 29 June 2007.
  7. ↑ Q (7/99, pp.102-3) - 4 stars (out of 5) - "...[consolidates] the group's irrepressibly catchy old-skool funk with something darker and stranger....the most obtuse and best things the band have put down..."
  8. ↑ NME review
  9. ↑ Spin (8/99, p.154) - 6 (out of 10) - "...redirects the band's British tendency toward smoothed-out old black jams....soaring strings, gyrating congas, hell-bent wah-wah's, and an undeniably live rhythm section that'll hustle your muscles and make you freak to the beat..."
  10. ↑ Vibe review
  11. ↑ "1999: Q Magazine Recordings of the Year". rocklistmusic.co.uk. Retrieved 28 August 2011.
  12. ↑ Christgau, Robert (15 October 2000). "CG 90s: Key to Icons". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 2012-01-27.
  13. ↑ "australian-charts.com Jamiroquai - Synkronized" (ASP). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
  14. ↑ "austriancharts.at Jamiroquai - Synkronized" (ASP). Hung Medien (in German). Retrieved 7 January 2014.
  15. ↑ "ultratop.be Jamiroquai - Synkronized" (ASP). Hung Medien (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 18 December 2013.
  16. ↑ "ultratop.be Jamiroquai - Synkronized" (ASP). Hung Medien (in French). Ultratop. Retrieved 18 December 2013.
  17. ↑ "Top Albums/CDs - Volume 65, No. 4, March 31, 1997". RPM. Retrieved 2012-02-27.
  18. ↑ "dutchcharts.nl Jamiroquai - Synkronized" (ASP). Hung Medien. MegaCharts. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  19. ↑ "finnishcharts.com Jamiroquai - Synkronized" (ASP). Retrieved 2 February 2010.
  20. ↑ "lescharts.com - Jamiroquai - Synkronized" (ASP) (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  21. ↑ "Album Search: Jamiroquai - Synkronized" (in German). Media Control. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  22. 1 2 "Hit Parade Italia - Gli album più venduti del 1999" (in Italian). hitparadeitalia.it. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  23. ↑ "ジャミロクワイ-リリース-ORICON STYLE-ミュージック" [Highest position and charting weeks of Synkronized by Jamiroquai]. oricon.co.jp (in Japanese). Oricon Style. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  24. ↑ "charts.org.nz Jamiroquai - Synkronized" (ASP). Hung Medien. Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  25. ↑ "norwegiancharts.com Jamiroquai - Synkronized" (ASP). Retrieved 18 December 2013.
  26. ↑ "swedishcharts.com Jamiroquai - Synkronized" (ASP) (in Swedish). Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  27. ↑ "Jamiroquai - Synkronized - hitparade.ch" (ASP). Hung Medien (in German). Swiss Music Charts. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  28. ↑ "Jamiroquai > Artists > Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  29. ↑ "AllMusic ((( Synkronized > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums )))". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  30. ↑ "ARIA Charts - End of Year Charts - Top 100 Albums 1999". aria.com.au. Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
  31. ↑ "Austriancharts.at - Jahreshitparade 1999" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
  32. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten 1999". Ultratop (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 January 2014.
  33. ↑ "Rapports annuels 1999". Ultratop (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
  34. ↑ "JAAROVERZICHTEN – ALBUM 1999". Retrieved 25 January 2012.
  35. ↑ "Les Albums (CD) de 1993 par InfoDisc" (PHP) (in French). infodisc.fr. Retrieved 18 December 2013.
  36. ↑ "1999年 アルバム年間TOP100" [Oricon Year-end Albums Chart of 1999] (in Japanese). Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  37. ↑ "Hitparade.ch - Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1996" (ASP). Swiss Music Charts (in Swedish). Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  38. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1999 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association.
  39. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Jamiroquai – Synkronized". Music Canada.
  40. ↑ "French album certifications – Jamiroquai – Synkronized" (in French). InfoDisc. Select JAMIROQUAI and click OK
  41. ↑ "Les Albums Platine". infodisc.fr. SNEP. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
  42. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Jamiroquai; 'Synkronized')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  43. ↑ "RIAJ > The Record > September 1999 > Certified Awards (July 1999)" (PDF). Recording Industry Association of Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved 20 June 2013.
  44. ↑ "New Zealand album certifications – Jamiroquai – Synkronized". Recorded Music NZ.
  45. ↑ "Solo Exitos 1959–2002 Ano A Ano: Certificados > 1995–1999". Iberautor Promociones Culturales. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  46. ↑ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (Jamiroquai; 'Synkronized')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
  47. ↑ "British album certifications – Jamiroquai – Synkronized". British Phonographic Industry. Enter Synkronized in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Select Platinum in the field By Award. Click Search
  48. ↑ "IFPI Platinum Europe Awards – 1999". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry.
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