White Knuckle Ride
2009 single by Jamiroquai
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"White Knuckle Ride" is the first single from British funk/acid jazz group Jamiroquai's studio album Rock Dust Light Star.[1] The single was released via Digital Download on 31 October 2010, with a Limited Edition Vinyl release due to appear on 1 January 2011.[2] The song was written by band frontman Jay Kay and Matt Johnson and produced by Kay. It is the band's first record to be released under Mercury Records.[1][3]
| "White Knuckle Ride" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Jamiroquai | ||||
| from the album Rock Dust Light Star | ||||
| Released | 31 October 2010 | |||
| Recorded | 2005–2007 | |||
| Studio | Jam (London) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length |
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| Label | Mercury | |||
| Songwriters | ||||
| Producer | Jay Kay | |||
| Jamiroquai singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "White Knuckle Ride" on YouTube | ||||
The band's official website originally announced that the single would be released on 11 October.[1] The band describe "White Knuckle Ride" as "a hi-octane retrospective on Jay's career experiences – a cautionary tale equally applicable to anyone's life in these pressure cooker times."[3] It appears that the Jamiroquai logo typeface has been stretched vertically for this release. The video for the single was made available on the group's YouTube account on 25 September.[4] The single charted at No.39 in the UK Singles Chart and as of 2025, remains their last UK Top 40 hit.
Music video
The music video shows Jay Kay piloting a helicopter in pursuit of a Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 along a winding desert road. After several unsuccessful attempts at losing the helicopter – including driving in wide circuits to raise a cloud of dust to blind Kay, and taking a detour down a tree-lined dirt road – the driver comes to a halt under a viaduct and escapes on foot. Kay arrives to find the car abandoned with no sign of the driver, whose face is never shown. The helicopter is a Robinson R44 Raven 2 owned by Jay Kay,[5] who is a qualified private helicopter pilot, however a stunt pilot was used for some scenes.[6]
The video was filmed on the Tabernas Desert, in Almeria, Spain and was directed by Howard Greenhalgh.
Track listing
- Digital Download
- "White Knuckle Ride" – 3:35
Remixes
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Live performances
Charts
Weekly charts
| Chart (2010–2012) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[7] | 96 |
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[8] | 37 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[9] | 41 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[10] | 34 |
| France (SNEP) Download Chart[11] | 24 |
| Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[12] | 16 |
| Germany (GfK)[13] | 49 |
| Italy (FIMI)[14] | 1 |
| Italy Airplay (EarOne)[15] | 1 |
| Japan Hot 100 (Billboard)[16] | 11 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[17] | 25 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[18] | 15 |
| Scotland Singles (OCC)[19] | 43 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[20] | 20 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[21] | 39 |
| US Hot Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[22] | 7 |
Year-end charts
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Italy (FIMI)[27] | Gold | 15,000* |
|
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||