1971
1971, a very busy year for Mungo Jerry with three UK hit singles – Baby Jump, Lady Rose and You Don’t Have To Be In The Army To Fight In The War.
There two albums – Electronically Tested and You Don’t Have To Be In The Army released.
1st January | Portugal (3, concerts & TV) |
8th January | Top Rank, Bristol |
9th January | Melody Rooms, Norwich |
10th January | Roundhouse, London |
14th January | Showboat, The Mumbles, Swansea |
15th January | Flamingo, Hereford |
16th January | Glen Ballroom, Llanelli |
18th January | Midem Festival, Cannes, France |
23rd January | Wilton Hall, Bletchley |
29th January | Y.M.C.A, Cambridge |
30th January | Glasgow University |
5th February | Trent Polytechnic, Nottingham |
6th February | High Hall, Birmingham |
12th February | Nice, France |
13th – 25th February | Italy – also Top Of The Pops televised – Baby Jump – 18th February |
25th – 27th February | San Remo Song Festival |
2nd March | Stone Manor Hotel, Kidderminster |
3rd March | Bumpers, London |
BUMPERS, LONDON : 3rd March, 1971.
Mungo’s music is so simple you have to smile, stamp your feet and join in.
Scores of bands could play their numbers but are too conscious of the simplicity to try it. But Mungo forge ahead with no worries.
Intellectual audiences may put them down. But Mr Average in search of a good time need look no further.
Last Wednesday London’s Bumpers Club was barely half full to receive them.
There’s something strange about that place. The Kinks the previous week had failed to pack’em in. Even Elton John wasn’t a sell-out.
Mungo plodded through some Mississippi blues with Ray Dorset stamping his foot to hide the absence of drums. Colin Earl making weird noises.
Simple 12-bars, In The Summertime and the odd joke kept all amused.
At times, Dorset’s shrieking made me cringe. More than once things seemed to come unstuck midway through a number.
But, dammit, who cares when folk are enjoying themselves”?
Chris Charlesworth, Melody Maker, 1971.
4th March | B.B.C’s Top Of The Pops televised – Baby Jump |
5th March | Durham University |
6th March | Scene Two, Scarborough |
11th March | B.B.C’s Top Of The Pops televised – Baby Jump |
12th March | Mistrale, Beckenham |
13th March | Stepmothers, Sutton Coldfield
German TV ‘Disco’ televised – Baby Jump |
16th March | Plaza, Hanley |
17th – 29th March | Germany/Holland/Yugoslavia |
2nd April | Borough Polytechnic, London |
3rd April | Imperial, Nelson |
6th April | The Marquee Club, London |
8th April | Music Hall, Aberdeen |
9th April | Memorial Hall, Kilbernie |
10th April | Kilmardinny House, Bearsden, Kilmardinny |
11th April | Electric Garden, Glasgow |
12th April |
Caird Hall, Dundee |
16th April | Rebecca’s, Birmingham (also Granada TV’s ‘Doing Their Thing’ televised) |
19th April | St.George’s Hall, Bradford |
24th April | Assembly Hall, Melksham |
28th April | Israel |
5th May | ABC, Cambridge |
6th May | ABC, Plymouth |
7th May | ABC, Exeter |
8th May | Melody Rooms, Norwich |
11th May | (Recording LWT TV’s ‘Whiitaker’s World Of Music’ – Lady Rose) |
12th May | Hampstead Country Club |
13th May | Temple Club, London |
14th May | Top Rank, Hanley |
15th May | Glen Ballroom, Llanelli – (also LWT TV’s ‘Whittaker’s World Of Music’ televised – Lady Rose) |
16th May | King’s Club, Blighs Hotel, Sevenoaks |
19th – 25th May | Sweden |
28th May | Leeds Polytechnic |
29th May | East Anglia College, Norwich |
3rd June | B.B.C’s Top Of The Pops televised – Lady Rose |
4th June | Winter Gardens, Blackpool |
THE EMPEROR ROSKO SHOW
Mungo Jerry recorded a live set for the legendary DJ, Emperor Rosko. The exact date is unknown to us, but we do know the songs played by the band.
SET LIST:
Milk Cow Blues/Lady Rose/Statesbro’ Blues/Peace In The Country/Bottle Up & Go/Mighty Man.
16th June | Top Rank Suite, Cardiff |
18th June | Chesford Grange, Kenilworth |
20th June | Winter Gardens, Bournemouth |
24th June | B.B.C’s Top Of The Pops televised – Lady Rose |
29th June | The Marquee Club |
1st July | Montpelier Disco and Blues Club, Brighton (See photos) |
MONTPELIER ROOMS : BRIGHTON : 1st July, 1971.
“The gig was held at a big house called the Montpelier Rooms. The band were actually playing in a large room.
“The house was packed with people standing in the doorways, and on the stairs. The atmosphere was VERY electric!
“As you can imagine, it was very hot in there. They were selling small glasses of Coke for 20p a time. A lot of money in 1971.
“The band sang a lot of songs from their album, Electronically Tested plus Lady Rose and Have a Whiff On Me.
“Banned by the B.B.C because of the cocaine references. Ray told us that the song was written about the cowboys who used to snort cocaine up their noses.
“By the time they reached their late twenties, early thirties, their guts would have fallen through their arses.
“It was a memorable concert. One I shall remember for the rest of my life”!
Graham Knight, Portslade.
9th July | Sportpalast, Berlin, Germany |
16th July | City Hall, Newcastle & Top Hat, Spennymoor |
17th July | The Viking Club, Seahouses |
18th July | Pavillion, Westcliff |
24th July | Public Hall, Wimbledon |
26th July | Chelsea Village, Bournemouth |
27th July | Town Hall, Truro |
28th – 30th July | Barbarella’s, Birmingham |
31st July | Community Centre, Slough |
4th – 6th August | Barbarella’s, Birmingham |
WEELEY FESTIVAL : 28th August, 1971.
New Musical Express said, “MUNGO JERRY is a typical festival band.
It’s happy-go-lucky brand of music featuring the famous stomp always goes down best in the open air.
The group made its name at the Hollywood Festival last year (1970) and has been livening up get togethers all over the world ever since.
SET LIST:
Midnight Special/O’Reilly/Have A Whiff On Me/I’m The Urban Spaceman/Lady Rose/Statesbro’ Blues/In The Summertime/Bottle Up & Go/We Shall Be Free/I Just Wanna Make Love To You/Going Down Slow/Baby Jump/Mighty Man..
28th August | Weeley Festival – For more info |
PRESS REVIEW
The six-man Mungo Jerry went on in the early afternoon and grabbed one of the best spots of the entire shebang.
The audience was in the right mood, the sun was out and the open-air feel of Mungo Jerry’s music took over.
After a couple of numbers like, Midnight Special and Have a Whiff On Me, the crowd was clapping and yelling and banging cans and things.
Joe Rush was drafted in from Country Jug to play bass drum, cymbal, skiffle board and assorted wooden blocks. Roadie ‘Bizz’ sang and banged a tambourine on odd numbers.
Colin Earl played barefoot and Ray Dorset occasionally got up and jogged about the stage.
During the act, an alsatian came and laid along the front of the stage panting and shooting the odd glance at the band.
He seemed to enjoy, Urban Spaceman, In The Summertime, Lady Rose, Bottle Up & Go, Mighty Man, We Shall Be Free, I Just Wanna Make Love To You and all the others as much as everyone else.
Once Mungo Jerry get a rhythm going, it’s hard to break it, and the stomping, ‘have a good time’ treatment they give.
NME Review.
Ray Dorset on Weeley…“I had a good time at the festival hanging around on the red bus with Rod Stewart.
“He gave me a copy of his latest album. It included the great hit, Maggie May. We filmed the promo to You Don’t Have To Be In The Army To Fight In The War .
“The gig was OK.”
7th September | Palermo Pop Festival, Sicily |
12th September | Longleat Home Festival |
16th September | B.B.C’s Top Of The Pops televised – You Don’t Have To Be In The Army To Fight In The War |
23rd September | B.B.C’s Top Of The Pops televised – You Don’t Have To Be In The Army To Fight In The War – (audio recording only) |
29th September | Music Now TV Show, Germany (played Midnight Special) |
3rd June | B.B.C’s Top Of The Pops televised – You Don’t Have To Be In The Army To Fight In The War |
4th October | Casino Club, Bolton |
8th October | Royal Holloway College, Egham |
9th October | Chelsea College Freshers Ball |
19th October | Winter Gardens, Bournemouth |
22nd October | Technical College, Luton |
23rd October | Festival Hall, Corby |
2nd November | Roundhouse, Chalk Farm |
3rd – 4th November | London Weekend TV – You Don’t Have To Be In The Army To Fight In The War |
5th November | Wincanton Race Course |
6th November | Dorothy Ballroom, Cambridge |
7th – 8th November | Recording – Ray Dorset solo |
10th November | New Century Hall, Manchester |
11th November | Glen Ballroom, Llanelli |
12th – 14th November | Yugoslavia |
16th – 17th November | Recording |
19th November | City University, London |
20th November | Civic Hall, Guildford – (also LWT TV Top 20 Special televised – You Don’t Have To Be In The Army To Fight In The War) |
22nd November | City Hall, Sheffield |
25th November | Mayfair Suite, Birmingham |
26th November | Lancaster University |
27th November | Cambridge Technical College |
28th November | Victoria Rooms, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent |
29th November |
Guildhall, Portsmouth |
3rd December | Gibus Club, Paris, France |
9th December | Melody Rooms, Norwich |
11th December | University Of Essex |
25th December | B.B.C’s Christmas Top Of The Pops televised – Baby Jump |