When You Gonna Learn

"When You Gonna Learn" is the debut single released by British funk/acid jazz band Jamiroquai. It was originally released in 1992 by Acid Jazz Records, then re-released on Sony Records in 1993 as the lead single from the band's debut studio album, Emergency on Planet Earth. The lyrical 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 it's respective single, especially the Acid Jazz Records release, is a rare collectible, also valued much among fan circles.

History

The oldest demo tape of the song dates back to 1989. The demo version has a different chorus to the released song, and a largely different feeling to itself. The demo was recorded without didgeridoo player Wallis Buchanan. While the most commonly known version of the song lasts for 3:50, and can be found on the band's album, another, longer version exists. Known as the "J.K. mix", it lasts for 6:28 and appears on the vinyl version of the Emergency on Planet Earth album as well as on the "When You Gonna Learn" and "Blow Your Mind" singles. "When You Gonna Learn" was performed a great number of times during the band's tours and a live version can be found on a bootleg called Songs For Manitu. During the Emergency on Planet Earth and The Return of the Space Cowboy tours, the song had a very lengthy didgeridoo introduction which almost always overshadowed the rest of the song in length. 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 segueing seamlessly into one another.