SUMMER'S GREATEST SONGS COUNTDOWN: Mungo Jerry - "In the Summertime"

0:03 Caalaroga Shark Media Summer nineteen seventy. I'm Garrett Fisher, and if you had to pick a moment when the optimism of the nineteen sixties finally died, this might be it. The Beatles announced their breakup in April. On May fourth, National Guard troops open fire on student protesters at Kent State University, killing four. The Vietnam War had expanded into Cambodia, fracturing the country even further. The counterculture's peace and love ethos was giving way to something harder, angrier, more desperate. And into this heavy moment came a song so light, so care free, so utterly unconcerned with the weight of the world, that it felt like a transmission from another planet, or maybe just a reminder of what joy used to feel like. Coming in at number two on our countdown of the top twenty songs of the Summer, as voted by the staff of Calaroga Shark Media, Mungo Jerry's In the Summertime represents one of popular music's most fascinating paradoxes, a song that captured pure, uncomplicated happiness during one of the darkest periods in modern history, proving that sometimes what people need most is permission to forget their troubles and just feel good. Before Mungo Jerry became an unlikely sensation, there was Ray Dorsett, a guy working in a laboratory for TIMEX watches in England, dreaming of musical success while testing waterproof seals and timing mechanisms. Dorset had been playing

1:37 music since he was eleven, when he formed the Blue Moon skiffle group with a young drummer who would later become somewhat famous himself, Phil Collins. By nineteen sixty eight, Dorset had formed a group called Good Earth with Colin Earl on keyboards, playing a mix of blues, jug band and skiffle music. After some lineup changes, they added Joe Rush on washboard and adopted a more acoustic rootsie sound that drew from American folk traditions. Woody Guthrie led Belly the Whole tradition that had also inspired Bob Dylan. The transformation from Good Earth to Mungo Jerry happened almost by accident. Barry Murray, a producer who would become crucial to their success, caught them performing and saw potential, but he insisted they needed a new name for the Hollywood Festival in May nineteen seventy. They couldn't agree on anything, so Murray literally pulled a name out of a hat, Mungo Jerry from ts Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats. They misspelled it as Mungo Jerry, but it stuck. As for the song that would change everything, its creation story is almost comically simple. Dorset wrote In the Summertime in about ten minutes during a break from his day job at TIMEX.

2:54 Using a secondhand Fender stratocaster, he captured a feeling, a mood, a cell libration of life that seemed to flow out fully formed. Producer Barry Murray heard the demo and immediately knew they had something special. His instincts would prove spectacularly correct. So what made in the Summertime such a perfect crystallization of carefree joy? Let's break it down musically. In the Summertime is deceptively simple, and that's precisely its genius. The track features no drums at all. Instead, the rhythm comes from Dorset stomping his foot, a technique he borrowed from blues legend John Lee Hooker. This gives the song an organic, homemade quality that perfectly matches its unpretentious message. The instrumentation is sparse but perfectly chosen, Dorset's acoustic and electric guitars, Colin Earl's boogie woogie piano that bounces along like sunshine on water, Paul King's banjo adding that jug band flavor, and Mike Cole's upright bass providing the foundation. Dorset also played kabisa, a shaker that adds texture without overwhelming the mix.

4:03 The production, handled by Barry Murray at Pie Studios, was clever in its simplicity. Initially, it was only two minutes long. To make it longer, Murray played the recording twice, slightly remixing the second half, and put the sound of a motorcycle in the middle. This wasn't just padding. It created a structure that mirrored a lazy summer day where time seems to stretch and repeat in the best possible way. What's remarkable is how the lack of drums makes the song feel more immediate and intimate. You can practically picture the band gathered in someone's backyard making music for the sheer joy of it. The foot stomping becomes almost hypnotic, creating a groove that's impossible to resist. The structure of In the Summertime is brilliantly uncomplicated. There's no complex verse, chorus, bridge arrangement, just a flowing stream of consciousness celebration that mirrors the lazy, unstructured nature of summer itself. The song opens immediately with that distinctive piano and guitar combination, no lengthy intro needed. We're thrown right into summer from the first note. The verses flow one into another without clear demarcation, creating a sense of continuity and endless possibility. The use of the motorcycle sound effect in the middle isn't just a gimmick. It's a sonic representation of freedom of hitting the road without a destination. It breaks up the song while maintaining its essential character, preventing any sense of monotony, while keeping the laid back vibe intact. The repetition in

5:34 the song works because it captures how summer days can feel, one flowing into another, each similar but perfect in its simplicity. The structure doesn't build to a dramatic climax, because that would work against the song's essential message. Sometimes just being is enough. The lyrics of in the Summertime are where things get interesting and controversial. On the surface, there a simple celebration of war and weather in good times, but there's one line that's aged particularly poorly, have a drink have a drive. Even in nineteen seventy, this raised eyebrows, and it would later lead to the song being used ironically in UK drunk driving PSAs. But looking beyond that problematic line, what Dorset captured was a philosophy of pure hedonistic joy. The lyrics celebrate simple pleasures swimming, driving, being with friends, enjoying nature. There's no deeper meaning being pursued, no profound statements about life or love. It's purely about being present in the moment and enjoying what's right in front of you. This lack of pretension was actually radical in its own way in nineteen seventy, when every songwriter seemed to be trying to be Bob Dylan or John Lennon, writing profound statements about war and society. Dorset just wanted to celebrate feeling good. Sometimes that's the most rebellious thing you can do. The conversational nature of the lyrics adds to their charm. They feel improvised, like someone making up a song on the spot, which isn't far from the

7:06 truth given the ten minute writing session. This spontaneity is part of what makes the song so infectious. What truly brings in the summertime to life is Ray Dorset's distinctive vocal delivery. His voice has a gravelly lived in quality that prevents the song from feeling saccharin despite its upbeat message. There's a slight growl, a bluesy edge that grounds the sunshine in something real. Dorset doesn't over sing or try to impress with vocal gymnastics. His delivery is conversational friendly, inviting you feel like you're being personally invited to join the party rather than watching someone perform. This accessibility was crucial to the song's universal appeal. The way he phrases certain lines, the little vocal quirks and inflections, make the song feel alive and spontaneous. When he sings about the various activities of summer, you can hear the smile in his voice. It's impossible to listen without feeling at least a little bit happier. The backing vocals from the band members add to the communal feeling. This isn't a solo artist backed by session musicians. It's a group of friends making music together, and that chemistry comes through in every note.

8:21 More in a Moment in the Summertime was released as a Maxi single on May twenty second, nineteen seventy, a new format that played at thirty three and one third rpm instead of forty five, allowing for more music at the same price as a regular single. It became the first MAXI single in the world as well, which was a seven inch vinyl played at thirty three and one third rpm in a paper bag. The timing couldn't have been more perfect. Released just weeks after the Kent State shootings, the song offered a three minute escape from the harsh realities of the day. It rocketed to number one in the UK, staying there for seven weeks, and reached number three in the US. Worldwide, it would go on to sell somewhere between eight and sixteen million copies, though some estimates put it as high as twenty three million, making it one of the best selling singles of all time.

9:25 The band's breakthrough performance at the Hollywood Festival at Newcastle Underlyme on May twenty third to twenty fourth was legendary. The sky was a mass of flying paper plates, and the spectators that were viewing the stage from the branches of the trees that were on the periphery of the festival site rock to the addictive groove that was created by the Mungo Jerry Band. To fully appreciate the impact of in the summertime, we need to understand the weight of the historical moment it entered. Nineteen seventy was a year of profound disillusionment and tragedy in the Western world, particularly in America. The year began with The Beatles recording what would be their final album together. By April, Paul McCartney announced he was leaving the band, effectively ending the group that had defined the nineteen sixties. If the Beatles couldn't stay together, what hope was there for anyone else.

10:16 On April thirtieth, President Nixon announced the invasion of Cambodia, expanding a war that was already deeply unpopular. This triggered massive protests on college campuses across America. Then came May fourth, Kent State, twenty eight National guardsmen fire their weapons at a group of anti war demonstrators on the Kent State University campus, killing four students and wounding nine. The image of Mary Vechio kneeling over Jeffrey Miller's dead body became one of the most haunting photographs of the era. Neil Young would write Ohio in response Crosby Still's Nation. Young would rush release it, and the generational divide in America would become a chasm. This was also the year Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin would both die at twenty seven, adding to the sense that the party was truly over.

11:08 The Age of Aquarius had given way to the Age of anxiety. Into this darkness came in the Summertime, a song so relentlessly upbeat it almost felt like denial. But maybe that's exactly what people needed. The success of in the Summertime had profound implications for popular music. It proved that in times of trouble, people still, maybe especially need songs that simply make them feel good. Not every song needs to carry the weight of the world. The song's influence can be heard in countless summer anthems that followed. It established a template. Keep it simple, keep it catchy, and don't overthink it. Sometimes the best songs are the ones that seem effortless, even if that effortlessness is an illusion.

11:56 For Mungo Jerry, the success was both a blessing and a curse. They'd never again match the phenomenal success of in the Summertime, though they had several other hits. Ray Dorset would later write Feels Like I'm in Love, which became a number one hit for Kelly Marie in nineteen eighty, making him one of the few songwriters to top the charts with different artists performing their songs. The song's longevity is remarkable. It's been covered countless times, sampled in hip hop tracks, and used in commercials and movies. In nineteen ninety five, Shaggy covered it and had another worldwide hit, introducing the song to a new generation. Looking back on in the Summertime today, it's both a time capsule and something timeless. The production sounds vintage but not dated. The message, apart from that unfortunate drinking and driving line, remains universal.

12:50 Summer still means freedom, and freedom still feels good. What makes in the Summertime the nearly perfect summer anthem It's number two, after all, is its complete lack of self consciousness. Dorsett wasn't trying to write a hit or make a statement. He was just capturing a feeling in the simplest, most direct way possible. That authenticity cuts through any cynicism. The song works because it acknowledges a fundamental truth. No matter how dark things get, summer still comes, the sun still shines, Simple pleasures still exist, and sometimes for three minutes and twenty seconds, it's okay to forget your troubles and just enjoy being alive. In nineteen seventy, with the world seemingly falling apart, that message wasn't naive. It was necessary. It wasn't escapism. It was survival. It wasn't ignoring reality. It was remembering what we're trying to preserve when we fight for a better world. So as we continue our countdown of the top twenty songs of the Summer, at number two, let's raise a glass but not car keys to Mungo Jerry and their glorious Ramshackle anthem. In just ten minutes, Ray Dorset captured something that teams of professional songwriters spend careers chasing, pure, uncomplicated joy, Because in the summertime isn't just a song. It's a three minute vacation from whatever's troubling you, a reminder that happiness doesn't always need a reason, and proof that sometimes the best songs are the ones

14:22 that sound like they've always existed, just waiting for someone to discover them. More than fifty years later, when that jug band groove kicks in and that foot starts stomping, resistance remains futile, which is why it absolutely deserves its place at number two in our summer song's pantheon. This is Garrett Fischer for hit Maker Chronicles counting down the top twenty songs of the summer, as voted by the staff of Calaroga Shark Media. Keep that summertime feeling alive and join me next week for our number one song of the Summer.