Dorset and Colin Earl had previously been members of The Good Earth. Soon after recruiting Paul King and Mike Cole, they made their national debut at the Hollywood Festival at Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire in May 1970, the week their first single, "In the Summertime" was released. They stole the show and the record topped the UK Singles Chart for seven weeks, made number one in almost every other country around the world, and to date has sold around 23 million copies. After John Godfrey replaced Cole, their second single "Baby Jump" also topped the UK chart in March 1971. A third hit, "Lady Rose" (also in 1971), gave the group the image as a band for producing summertime based hits.
In time Dorset found the group's good-time blues and jug band repertoire a little restricting, and in 1972 he released a solo album Cold Blue Excursion, with his songs backed by strings and brass and, in one instance, a jazz band. His intention to broaden the group's appeal by recruiting a drummer led to King and Earl trying to sack him, but the management, regarding Dorset as inseparable in the public eye from Mungo Jerry, fired them both instead. Dorset and Godfrey, the bassist, recruited new members and presented a new sound, heard on the fourth album Boot Power. King and Earl went on to form the King Earl Boogie Band.
Mungo Jerry's hits continued through to 1976 with "Open Up" (Top Twenty in Europe and number one in Brazil); "Alright Alright Alright" (a rewrite of an old French hit for Jacques Dutronc, and again a major hit worldwide reaching the Top 3 in the UK); "Wild Love"; "Long Legged Woman Dressed In Black"; "Hello Nadine" (European hit and Top Five in Canada); and "It's a Secret" (European hit).
In 1975 Earl, who had played piano with Foghat in between, returned to play keyboards, and percussion player Joe Rush, part-time member of the band in earlier days, also came back for a while.
The group's line-up has changed constantly over the years. Among those who have played with them are bassist Bob Daisley, drummers Dave Bidwell, Paul Hancox and Boris Williams, guitarist Dick Middleton and keyboard/accordion player Steve Jones. They have remained particularly popular throughout Europe. Mungo Jerry was the first western band who had live TV gigs, in all countries behind the Iron Curtain. Their famous "Golden Orpheus" gig in Bulgaria, also gave them a lot of new fans.
In 1980 another Dorset song, "Feels Like I'm in Love", originally written for Elvis Presley, and recorded by the band as a B side of a single, became a British number one hit for Kelly Marie. They remained successful with overseas hits like "On A Night Like This", "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" and "Sunshine Reggae" (British version by Mungo Jerry & Horizon). But Dorset had to wait until 1995 for a real comeback, when "In the Summertime" was recorded by reggae vocalist Shaggy, who topped the charts worldwide. The last UK chart entry for Mungo Jerry was "Toon Army", a song for Newcastle United F.C. in 1999.
In 1983 "Mungo Jerry" Ray Dorset was part of the blues supergroup Katmandu, which recorded A Case For The Blues, with guitarist Peter Green, formerly of Fleetwood Mac, and keyboard player Vincent Crane, formerly of Atomic Rooster and The Crazy World of Arthur Brown.
In 2003, with German musicians, Dorset recorded Adults Only album under the name Mungo Jerry Blues Band, widely acclaimed as one of the best of his career. 2005 saw him performing with three Mungo Jerry line-ups: The British Mungo Jerry Band (pop/rock), the German Mungo Jerry Blues Band (blues/rock) and Mungo Jerry & the Goodtime Gamblers (jug/blues/skiffle).
Also in June 2005, Ray Dorset had a gig again as a duo with Mike Cole - the original double bass player from the early Mungo days - as a highlight of the "35 Years Of Mungo Jerry" event in both Newcastle and Stoke.
In March 2006 Mungo Jerry released their new single "Mr Midnight" from Phantom of the Opera on Ice (http://www.plazarecords.co.uk); produced by Roberto Danova - who had mixed in the past the old continental Mungo Jerry hits "Lana" and "It's a Secret" - and is well-known for his work with rock and pop music, in combination with big orchestras.
Cold Blue Excursion
Mungo Jerry Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Darkness covers my face and my mind floats up in space,
No one protects me from the wild beasts in the trees,
Through the forest, frozen lakes, 'cross the wide open space,
Fears, I have none, on my Cold Blue Excursion
The lyrics of Mungo Jerry's song "Cold Blue Excursion" appear to describe a solitary journey taken by the singer through a landscape of snow and darkness. The imagery of the valley filled with snow and the singer's face being covered by darkness suggests a sense of isolation and vulnerability. The reference to the singer's mind floating up in space could be interpreted as a feeling of detachment from reality that might accompany a long, cold walk in the wilderness.
Despite the potential danger of encountering wild beasts, the singer claims to have no fear on this trip. It's possible that the "cold blue excursion" represents a personal challenge or a quest for self-discovery that requires a certain amount of risk-taking and courage. A journey through a desolate, snow-covered landscape could also be seen as a metaphor for a journey through the darker periods of life, with the singer bravely facing whatever obstacles may arise.
Overall, the lyrics of "Cold Blue Excursion" leave plenty of room for interpretation, but they paint a vivid picture of a solitary journey through a harsh winter landscape.
Line by Line Meaning
At night I walk alone, through valleys filled with snow,
During the nighttime, I stroll unaccompanied through a landscape covered with snow-filled ravines.
Darkness covers my face and my mind floats up in space,
While darkness enshrouds my face, I allow my thoughts to wander aimlessly like a satellite in orbit.
No one protects me from the wild beasts in the trees,
Nobody safeguards me from the feral creatures lurking within the trees.
Through the forest, frozen lakes, 'cross the wide open space,
I traverse through the vast open spaces, frozen lakes, and dense forest during my journey.
Fears, I have none, on my Cold Blue Excursion
I embark on my cold, blue excursion without any apprehension or anxiety.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: RAY DORSET
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Shawn Buettner
I'm late to the party, but I'm just now discovering how amazing, versatile, and talented Ray is. I'm trying to catch up. I was missing out.
dolgalw8114
From the greatest album ever recorded - this is Mr Mungo Jerry - oh those halcyon days of the early 70s
guillermo martinus
great stuff... discovered this while checking some info about Mungo Jerry on Wikipedia.
Clinton Parker
at night i walk alone thru vallys filled with snow, darkness covers my face, and my mind floats up in space. no-one protects me from the wild beast's in the tree's, to the forest frozen lakes,cross the wild open space,fears i have none on my cold blue excursion
Mungovision
@dolgalw8114 Hello It is a great album - ray needs to re - release this album take care marc
Kevin Bennett
50 years old next month.
Chelsea fan
used to love baby jump, long legged woman dressed in black, don't have to be in the army to fight in the war, and the superb in the summertime dj. taylor
emily linderssen
hehehh. Ok, I won't. Yes, there are some pictures I haven't seen. Niiice ones too.
Mungovision
@g74ui78ll88ermo Hello Thank you for stopping by i just posted my 100th mungo jerry video take care marc
Mungovision
@margothz Thanks for coming by MERRY CHRISTMAS marc