Byron Contostavlos
| Mungo Jerry | |
|---|---|
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Colpington, England |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1969–present |
| Labels | Janus Records, Dawn Records, Polydor, Scratch Records, Stage Coach Records, Mach 1 Records, Orbit Records, Illegal Records, Universal Music, Mercury Records. |
| Website | www.mungojerry.com |
Mungo Jerry are a British rock group who experienced their greatest success in the early 1970s, with a changing line-up that has always been fronted by Ray Dorset. The group's name was inspired by the poem "Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer", from T. S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats. The group's biggest hit was "In the Summertime". It remains their most successful and most recognisable song. They had nine charting singles in the UK, including two number ones, and five top 20 hits in South Africa.
Mungo Jerry came to prominence in 1970 after their performance at the Hollywood Festival at Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire on 23 May, which was their first gig under this name, alongside Black Sabbath, Traffic, Ginger Baker's Airforce, Grateful Dead (their first performance in the UK) and José Feliciano. Their show was very well received and the organisers asked them to perform again on the following day. The band's first single, "In The Summertime", the first maxi-single in the world, released on 22 May, entered the UK charts at No. 13 and the following week went straight to No. 1. Ray Dorset had to ask his boss for time off to do the UK TV Show, Top of the Pops.
Ray Dorset and Colin Earl had previously been members of The Good Earth. Bassist Dave Hutchins left to join Bobby Parker's band and the drummer was dismissed so Dorset and Earl decided to fulfil the one remaining gig, an Oxford University Christmas Ball in December 1968, as a three-piece with Joe Rush, one of Dorset's work colleagues, on double bass. Also on the bill was Miller Anderson, making his debut as a singer and guitarist, and Mick Farren and the Social Deviants. Though booked for only one set, Good Earth were asked to perform another after the bands had finished, playing a selection of American folk/blues/skiffle/jug band music from Lead Belly, Woody Guthrie and others, and some of Dorset's songs.
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