“In the Summertime” by Mungo Jerry

In the Summertime by Mungo Jerry was released in 1970. Throughout the song, you are able to hear numerous different sounds and instruments. When I first heard this song, I continued to be drawn in because of the beat that all the different instruments incorporated shared. They bounced off one another so perfectly that I continued to be drawn in. Due to the video being the original recording that was done in 1970, you can tell that it was done with basic audio and recording equipment, but that doesn’t make the song any less powerful.
To break this song down, Ray Dorset is the vocalist and also plays the acoustic guitar, electric guitar, and cabasa shaker throughout the song. He also uses his mouth to make the “ch-ch-ch” sound. Paul King plays the banjo and jug, Mike Cole played the string bass, and Colin Earl played the piano. Occasionally throughout the song, it sounds like someone is playing the drum but that is actually Paul Dorset stomping his foot. Watching this video and seeing everything that Paul Dorset is capable of doing at the same time amazed me. It was very impressive that he was able to multitask by singing, playing instruments, making noises with his mouth, and stomping his feet at the same time. When it comes to the different instruments used, they all complimented and bounced off one another perfectly which created the perfect rhythm.
Every time I listen to this song, I begin to love it more and more because of how upbeat the rhythm is. It also makes me get excited about the warm weather that we are starting to have as well as summer being around the corner. This song shows the true talent that this band has.