Okay, so maybe Mungo Jerry created an anthem for the summer of 1970, but hey, it’s still good!
Seriously, look at those clothes. Is he really wearing a fishnet shirt? Did you see that they are playing a jug?! Look at their long floppy or curly hair. And the facial hair is just awesome, what with the chops and the mustaches! Although, frankly, you can find people that try really hard to look like this today.
‘In The Summertime’ was Mungo Jerry’s first single, and remained, particularly in the U.S., as their most recognizable tune. Ray Dorset is the frontman and composer of the song, which was covered by Shaggy in 1995 and itself went to number one.
I actually kind of like this interview with him on VH1 in the late 1990’s:
Two of Ray Dorset’s original band members actually tried to kick him out of the band in 1973, but the producers instead fired them, making Dorset himself synonymous with Mungo Jerry. The name of the band came from a T.S. Elliot poem.
I wish I would have posted this at the beginning of the Summer, rather than on the eve of Fall, but it’s better late than never.
Ray Dorset of Mungo Jerry has assiduously held onto the rights to his song ‘In the Summertime.’ (Photo from mungojerry.com)