|
Ray Dorsett a.k.a. Mungo Jerry
Mungo Jerry are a band that defined a mood and a
moment in pop music history. We were at the tail-end of the Swinging
Sixties and the Peace and Love movement was waning. There was a
vacuum, soon to be filled by Glam Rock, Supergroups and teen idols.
Group founder Ray Dorset had formed a skiffle group (in the same vein
as the origins of America's Loving Spoonful) and was writing some very
good material. As a renamed Mungo Jerry, with sideburns, flairs and
BIG hair, the band had an instantaneous smash hit with In The
Summertime, which catapulted them into the headlines and the
spotlight.
The song was a song to get you involuntarily foot-tapping, humming and
feeling summery and good. In the same way as Ian Anderson was always
mistaken as Jethro Tull, Ray was always erroneously, though
understandably, recognised as Mungo Jerry! Two further hits followed -
Baby Jump and Lady Rose, both showing the consistency and quality of
his songwriting. But then the band's moment of fame was over and Glam
Rock took over. The band continued in various formats and Ray has been
busy with various projects over the years as well as reaping the
rewards of writing a classic.
Ray very kindly agreed to talk to Digger for Retrosellers.com:
Digger: Please
tell us about your current projects.
Ray: I'm working on promotion
for the UK, US and German release of the album “Adults Only” by
Ray Dorset aka Mungo Jerry Blues band. Also, recording the new album with
the UK band, “The Emperors New Clothes – Uncovered”. And “In the
Summertime” musical. As well as setting up the label “Blues Route”
Digger: Who are
the most important musicians/actors/writers from the sixties and
seventies?
Ray: Jack Nicholas, Robert De Niro, Marilyn
Monroe, The Beatles, Lennon, McCartney, Lieber Stoller, Elvis
Presley, Little Richard, Gene Vincent, Jerry Lee Lewis, Fats Domino,
B.B. King, Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, The Doors, Andy Warhol, Lou
Reed, David Bowie, The Stones, William Burroughs, ETC.
Digger: What is
your philosophy on life?
Ray: Life’s for Livin’, most important is
health and safety for self, family and friends.
Digger: What do
you think of the current music scene?
Ray: The current underground scene is cool -
corporate rock, manufactured “bands and artists”, and crazy
expensive marketing sucks.
Digger: If you
could create a supergroup of musicians living or dead, who would be
in it and why?
Ray: Half of the Who, great rhythm section -
Scotty Moore - best guitar sound, ever. King Curtis on sax, Prince,
best all round muso writer, singer, performer.
Digger: You
started in a skiffle/jug band outfit. Was your inspiration Lonnie
Donegan? Who and what were your musical influences?
Ray: Elvis, all the rock n rollers.
Lonnie, Woody Guthrie, Leadbelly, John Lee Hooker, Howlin’ Wolf,
Buddy Holly many more. The Shadows, Ventures, Peter Green, Eric
Clapton, Jeff Beck, Van Morison, Jim Morison, James Brown, Sam Cook,
Sly and Family Stone, Otis Reading, Al Green, Al Jarreau, The
Temptations, Marvin Gaye, The Four Tops, The Drifters, Bill Withers,
Stevie Wonder, Love (Albert Lee), Lynyrd Skynyrd, Jimi Hendrix, The
Yardbirds, The Who, Rod Stewart, Tom Jones, Burt Bacharach & Hal
David, and many more.
Digger: Mungo
Jerry were the biggest commercially successful act of '70/'71. How
did you deal with the pressures? Did you have fun?
Ray: I read a lot to develop
a philosophy about life and handling all the bullshit in the music
and entertainment business. Don’t succumb to the rock n roll
lifestyle as perpetrated by the media. Lot's of fun was had, in
retrospect some of the fun should not have been had.
Digger: How did
it feel when you got the news that In The Summertime was a smash
hit?
Ray: Great!
Digger: I
personally prefer Lady Rose to In The Summertime. Where did you get
the ideas for your songs? Can you let us know where the inspiration
for any of the lyrics or music came from?
Ray: Digging deep into the imagination.
Inspiration from newspapers, movies, meeting people, personal
experience.
Digger: The
lyrics of Summertime seem a little 'non politically-correct' these
days, with talk of drink/driving
and chasing anything in a skirt! (ha ha). Do you think music
reflects the times it is created
in or does it also have the ability to influence those times?
Ray: Music and the lyrics both reflect and
can have the effect of influencing public opinion and moods,
nationally and internationally.
Digger: What are
your biggest achievements and what do you still want to accomplish?
Ray: The worldwide popularity of
ITS (international summer anthem, celebration of life) is
obviously my biggest achievement. I would like to make the ultimate
successful and meaningful album and be accepted as a versatile
musical concert artist in a creative sense.
Digger: What
makes you laugh, what makes you cry and what makes you angry?
Ray: Intelligent humour,
Monty Python type and social comment, toil suffering and cruelty to
all living things, the same and hypocrisy, disrespect to people and
things.
Digger: What are
your happiest memories? Are you nostalgic?
Ray: My childhood, bike rides, picnics,
summer holidays, performing at the Hollywood and Rotterdam festivals
and my early college and university gigs. Yes, but you can’t go
back, there is only the NOW.
Digger: What has
been the legacy of In The Summertime for you?
Ray: Worldwide travel, fame, knowledge and my
pension.
Digger: What
does music mean to you?
Ray: The groove and the vibe is the
thing, being able to change my own and other peoples mood, hopefully
into a positive sense.
Digger: Apart from music, what else
is most important to you?
Ray: Health, nutrition, fitness,
creativity and peace of mind.
Many thanks to Ray and
Manager Roland Dunne for the interview.
For more Mungo information, visit:
http://www.mucho-mungo.freeuk.com/
http://www.sixtymusic.dk/mungo-jerry/
For details of Mungo's appearances and gigs, please contact Roland
Dunne
.jpg)
This page layout and
content is the intellectual property of www.retrosellers.com and cannot be reproduced without express
permission.
Retrosellers are not responsible for the content of
external websites.
If we have inadvertently used any image on this web site which is
in copyright and for which we, or our retailers on our behalf, do not have permission for
use, please contact us so that we can rectify the situation immediately. Images in this
article are, to the best of our knowledge, either in the public domain or copyrighted
where indicated.
|
