The Recording of “In The SummerTime” & Mungo Mania: The full story is in my book "There Ain't No Rules In Rock n Roll"

Mungo’ Jerry's greatest triumph was with the track “In the Summertime” which dominated the UK charts for seven weeks during the early 1970s. Additionally, this song clinched the number one position in 26 countries globally. Their subsequent release, “Baby Jump” also claimed the top spot in the UK and maintained its position for two weeks. Initially known as The Good Earth, the band underwent a name transformation to Mungo Jerry on the insistence of Pye’s new label - Dawn Records. Terry Evennett served as the recording engineer for the project and Barry Murray as both the band's producer and label manager. Barry played a pivotal role in the band’s success. While he was initially working on new album tracks, he made the decision to mix a single for an immediate release, with Terry already committed to another recording session, Howard Barrow stepped in to handle the mixing. Barry was unwavering in his insistence, much to the band's displeasure, that the single should be “In the Summertime.” The only challenge was that the recording itself was a mere two minutes long. Howard came up with an innovative idea to solve the problem. He extended a microphone cable from the studio all the way to his Triumph TR6 Roadster parked on the ramp outside the building, placing a microphone near the exhaust. Around ten seconds of the car's revving engine noise were recorded and seamlessly added to the end of the two-minute track. He then edited the entire song back in from the beginning after the engine sound. The edited track could now be faded out at three minutes and 30 seconds, creating the final version. This unconventional approach marked the debut release on the newly established Dawn label. Barry had devised a clever strategy when launching the record, releasing it on a maxi-single. Essentially, this format was akin to an EP, containing three to four tracks played at 33 1/3 rpm. It would be packaged in a picture sleeve and priced slightly higher than a standard 45 rpm single. On release the record skyrocketed to the number one spot, reigning for a remarkable seven weeks and ushering in the era of Mungo Mania. What struck me as curious was that, apart from the lead singer Ray Dorset, the remaining band members still maintained their day jobs. When I queried guitar player Paul King about his continued employment, he offered the response, “Who knows how long this will all last?” I never established whether he referred to the chart success or the dynamics within the band. With each subsequent recording session, the growing tension between Ray and the rest of the group became increasingly evident. Ray basked in the praise from the press and fans, seemingly starting to believe that “Mungo Mania” was solely attributable to his efforts. During one session, Ray rushed into the studio, brandishing a children's music songbook that featured “In the Summertime” among its contents. His excitement inadvertently or perhaps deliberately irritated the rest of the band as he raved about it nonstop. A calmly composed Barry Murray, leisurely enjoying his peanut butter and banana sandwich, astutely pointed out the oddity of a children's songbook incorporating the lyrics “When the sun goes down, you can make it, make it good in a lay-by.” That shut Ray up for a bit, much to the band’s delight.