In the Summertime

"In the Summertime" is the debut single by British rock band Mungo Jerry. Written and composed by its lead singer, Ray Dorset, it celebrates the carefree days of summer. In 1970, it reached number one in charts around the world, including seven weeks on the UK Singles Chart, two weeks on one of the Canadian charts, and number three on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in the US. It became one of the best-selling singles of all-time, eventually selling 30 million copies.[3][4][5]

For other uses, see In the Summertime (disambiguation).

"In the Summertime"
Single by Mungo Jerry
from the album Electronically Tested
B-side"Mighty Man"
ReleasedMay 16, 1970
Recorded
GenreSkiffle[1][2]
Length3:40
LabelDawn
Songwriter(s)Ray Dorset
Producer(s)Barry Murray
Mungo Jerry singles chronology
"In the Summertime"
(1970)		 "Baby Jump"
(1971)
Audio sample
"In the Summerime"
  • file
  • help

Background

Dorset has said that the song only took ten minutes to write, which he did using a second-hand Fender Stratocaster while he was taking time off from his regular job, working in a lab for Timex.[6]

The initial UK release was on Dawn Records, a new label launched by Pye. It was unusual in that it was a maxi single, playing at 33​1⁄3 rpm, whereas singles generally played at 45 rpm. It included an additional song also written and composed by Dorset, "Mighty Man," on the A-side, and a much longer track, the Woody Guthrie song "Dust Pneumonia Blues," on the B-side. As the record was sold in a picture sleeve, also not standard at the time, and only sold at a few pence more than the normal 45 rpm two-track single, it was considered value for money. A small quantity of 45 rpm discs on the Pye record label, with "Mighty Man" on the B-side, and without a picture sleeve, were pressed for use in jukeboxes. These are now rare collector's items.

In 2012, Dorset sued his former management company Associated Music International, run by his former friend and business manager Eliot Cohen, claiming over £2 million in royalties from the song that he believed had been withheld from him.[7]

In an interview with Gary James, Dorset explained the origin of the "motorcycle" sound towards the false ending in the middle of the song: "I said, 'We'll just get a recording of a motorcycle, stick it on the end of the song and then re-edit the front and then put the front off to the motorcycle so it starts up again.' But I couldn't find a motorcycle. Howard Barry, the engineer had an old, well, it wasn't old then, a Triumph sports car, which he drove past the studio while Barry Marrit was holding the microphone. So, he got the stereo effects from left to right or right to left, whatever. And that was it."[8]

Personnel

Credits adapted from the single liner notes for "In the Summertime".[9]

Charts

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[43] Silver 200,000
United States (RIAA)[44] Gold 1,000,000^

^shipments figures based on certification alone
sales+streaming figures based on certification alone

The Mixtures version
"In the Summertime"
Single by The Mixtures
from the album In the Summertime
B-side"Where You Are"
Released1970
Length2:37
LabelFable
Producer(s)June Productions Of Australia Pty. Ltd.
The Mixtures singles chronology
"Here Comes Love Again"
(1969)		 "In the Summertime"
(1970)		 "The Pushbike Song"
(1970)

In 1970, Australian rock band The Mixtures covered and released the song. The song replaced Mungo Jerry's version at number 1 on the Australian chart, where it remained at number 1 for 6 weeks. It was the biggest-selling single by an Australian artist in Australia in 1970 and number 3 overall.

Weekly charts
Chart (1970) Peak
position
Australia (Go-Set National Top 40)[10] 1
Australia (Kent Music Report)[32] 1

Year-end charts
Chart (1970) Rank
Australia (Kent Music Report)[32] 3
Australian Artist (Kent Music Report)[32] 1

Shaggy version
"In the Summertime"
Single by Shaggy featuring Rayvon
from the album Boombastic and Flipper Soundtrack
B-side
  • "It No Matter"
  • "Gal You a Pepper"
Released1995
Recorded1995
1996 (re-recorded)
GenreReggae[45]
Length3:46
LabelVirgin
Songwriter(s)Ray Dorset
Producer(s)Shaggy, Rayvon
Shaggy singles chronology
"Lately"
(1994)		 "In the Summertime"
(1995)		 "Boombastic"
(1995)
"In the Summertime" ('96 Version)
Single cover for the re-recorded version

In 1995, Jamaican-American rapper Shaggy covered the song, and released it as the lead single from his third studio album, Boombastic.[46] Aside from the addition of rap lyrics, Shaggy's version also substitutes other lyrics for the song's original line containing the very politically incorrect "have a drink, have a drive." Shaggy also performed the song on an episode of Baywatch.[47] A year after its release, the song was re-recorded and released specifically for the film Flipper under the title "In the Summertime" ('96 Version).

Track listing
United Kingdom
  1. "In the Summertime" (Single Edit) – 3:46
  2. "It No Matter" – 3:56
  3. "Gal You A Pepper" – 3:37
  4. "In the Summertime" (Sting vs. Shaggy Remix) – 4:40
  • 7" vinyl / Cassette[49]
  1. "In the Summertime" (Single Edit) – 3:46
  2. "It No Matter" – 3:56
  1. "In the Summertime" (Sting vs. Shaggy Remix) – 4:40
  2. "In the Summertime" (LP Version) – 3:55
  3. "In the Summertime" (Drum Dancehall Mix) – 3:54
  • 1996 "Flipper" CD single[51]
  1. "In the Summertime '96" (Original Version) – 3:52
  2. "In the Summertime '96" (Instrumental) – 3:52
  3. "Flipper Main Theme" – 3:58
United States
  1. "In the Summertime" (Single Edit) – 3:48
  2. "In the Summertime" (LP Version) – 3:55
  3. "In the Summertime" (Drum Dancehall Mix) – 3:54
  4. "In the Summertime" (Funk Dance Mix) – 3:58
  5. "Boombastic" (LP Version) – 4:05
  6. "Boombastic" (Sting Remix) – 4:18
  1. "In the Summertime" (LP Version) – 3:55
  2. "In the Summertime" (Drum Dancehall Mix) – 3:54
  3. "In the Summertime" (Funk Dance Mix) – 3:58
  4. "Boombastic" (Sting Remix) – 4:18

Charts
  1. Charted as a double A-side with "Boombastic".

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
New Zealand (RMNZ)[71] Gold 5,000*
United Kingdom (BPI)[72] Silver 200,000

*sales figures based on certification alone
sales+streaming figures based on certification alone

In other media

The song's lyric "have a drink, have a drive, go out and see what you can find" led to its use in a UK advert for the campaign Drinking and Driving Wrecks Lives. It featured the first verse against people enjoying drinks in a pub during summer, then stopped to show a fatal car accident caused by drink driving.[73]

See also

References
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  2. McCormick, Moira (18 May 1996). "Elfin's Listening-Post Towers Bring Children's Artists To Upscale Market". Billboard. Vol. 108 no. 20. p. 50. ISSN 0006-2510.
  3. Harris, Craig. "Ray Dorset – Artist Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
  4. "The essential summer mix". The Guardian. 29 July 2006.
  5. Nightingale, Laura (7 October 2015). "Mungo Jerry celebrates 45 years of In the Summertime at Camberley Theatre". Get Surrey. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  6. Robertson, Peter (26 April 2014). "Whatever happened to In The Summertime singer Mungo Jerry". Daily Express. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
  7. "Mungo Jerry Star Suing Over Alleged Unpaid Royalties". Contactmusic.com. 22 January 2012. Retrieved 25 May 2014.
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  9. In the Summertime (liner notes). Mungo Jerry. Dawn. 1970. Retrieved 31 July 2017.CS1 maint: others (link)
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  14. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 4532." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
  15. "Billboard – Hits of the World". Billboard. Vol. 82 no. 32. 8 August 1970. p. 49. ISSN 0006-2510.
  16. "Hits of the World". Billboard. 19 September 1970. p. 61. ISSN 0006-2510.
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