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Mungo Jerry
During the early 70’s viewers tuning into their regular weekly fix of then, un-missible Top of the Pops would have regularly been greeted by a smiling, mutton-chopped, gap-toothed singer by the name of RAY DORSET, more commonly known as the singer, song-writer and guitarist of MUNGO JERRY. In a two year hit span, MUNGO JERRY contributed four Top Twenty singles, (including two Number One’s) and two Top Twenty albums in their first flush of success. But after a long worldwide tour and on the way home from Australia, two other members of the band decided that RAY DORSET was out. On hearing this both the record company Pye, and the bands management Red Bus, would have none of it. They had a better idea, the others were out and RAY DORSET, the leader would now be MUNGO JERRY the Man!
The song most associated with MUNGO JERRY is the global hit 'IN THE SUMMERTIME', it sold over six million copies worldwide in the first six months of release and over thirty years later, that total is now near, a staggering thirty million sales, making it officially the most played summer song of all time. Winning for itself and it’s writer RAY DORSET, prestigious Sony / MTV and Ivor Novello awards.
In describing the music of MUNGO JERRY as pure pop would be an insult to the varying styles of rock, blues, boogie and skiffle that has graced the stages of concerts and festivals which have seen MUNGO JERRY sharing and indeed at times topping the bill with the likes of JIMI HENDRIX, ROD STEWART, GENESIS, STATUS QUO, CANNED HEAT, FREE and THE GRATEFUL DEAD.
Hit singles and albums followed at regular intervals for MUNGO JERRY in the following years, songs never released in the UK also made large dents in charts as far flung as Europe and South Africa. But to say MUNGO JERRY were just a hit-making machine would be denying the many diverse musical projects the MUNGO JERRY man RAY DORSET has been involved with. A song for ELVIS, an album with PETER GREEN of FLEETWOOD MAC, a cover by SHAGGY of 'IN THE SUMMERTIME'. And a CD with top comedian Johnny Vegas
The story does not end there and in 2007 a 60 plus years young Ray Dorset is still in recording studio's releasing the much acclaimed 'NAKED FROM THE HEART' CD in addition to the Mungo Jerry extensive UK and European commitments on stage and TV, which now Include the Marc Bolan 30th anniversary tribute gig at the Shepherd's Bush Empire in September.
Check out the website's biography for the full story, it's full of interesting facts and topics. It is a great story of someone who has - "Never sold their soul for Rock‘n’Roll."
Friday night from 6.30
Leatherat
Leatherat are five musicians dedicated to playing original folk-rock music loud, fast and to the highest standard.
"The 'ats" (as they are affectionately known) are based in Banbury, Oxfordshire. The current line up consists of
Pete Bailey (Vocals, Mandolin & Guitar), Jono Watts (Violin), Bret Nicholls (Guitar), Jeremy Paul Carroll (Bass)
& Hugh Edwards (Drums).
Leatherat's live show captures the excitement of a rock gig combined with the influences of traditional and original folk tunes. Their show has a high level of energy that is instantly communicated to their audience spanning all generations, from teenagers, to hardcore rockers, punks and nostalgic folkies! With a stage presence to challenge any contemporary band their carefully crafted songs combine with their own sheer enjoyment of the music to fuel their powerful performance.
Leatherat played their first gig in 2004. Since then, they've been playing venues all over the UK, building up their ever-increasing fan base. 2005 / 2006 saw the band record their debut album with guests such as Ric Sanders (Fairport Convention) P J Wright (Dylan Project) Gareth Turner (Little Johnny England) and Dan Plews (Dansall) to name a few.
The album, 'Temporary Immortality' published by High Score Productions, launched to a capacity audience at the Mill Banbury in 2006 and provided the spring board to playing their first festivals, culminating in a triumphant performance at the Cropredy Fringe Festival and sharing the stage with world famous acts such as Fairport Convention and King Pleasure and the Biscuit Boys at Emma's Trust Festival.
On the forming of Leatherat, Pete Bailey say's "...I was sick of ['Nice Folk Music'] and formed a band to put a hard rock beat behind the mandolin and violin, giving rise to Punk/Folk (or POLK!) And thus, for want of a better name, and already being known for my distinctive headwear, Leatherat was born!" .
"I have to convey my thanks to the rest of the band and to everyone that has helped supported, encouraged or inspired us, including yourself, Carl Lake, Andy Shaw, Pangea Studios, Stargoat Music, The New Flyer, The Lock Stock and Barrel, etc (the list of pubs is endless)............ The 'at's in the chair!!"
Rodney Branigan
"Rodney Branigan is one of the most amazing artists you will ever see. Not simply because he's unique, but rather because he's impossibly talented." - Bernard Baur (Music Connection Magazine, June 2005).
We tend to use the word "artist" rather loosely in the musical community. Not to take away anything from the talent of any of them, but many of those whom we call "artist" are really just very accomplished musicians. They are technicians who have mastered a specific musical craft as done by many others before them. A true artist does more than simply recreate that which has been similarly created by others. A true artist creates something unique and beautiful that we have not seen before. Every now and then, somebody comes along who not only earns the title of "artist," but also contributes to the definition of the word. Such a person was Sunday's first artist, Rodney Branigan.
Like the first man who transformed his Italian violin into an Irish fiddle, Rodney Branigan has redefined the role and limits of his instrument; the guitar. The evening began with Rodney walking onto the stage, rolling up his pant legs and sitting on a chair, center stage. He then picked up two Martin acoustic guitars. He clenched a carbon fiber bodied six-string upright between his calves, and held a spruce twelve-string (specially strung and tuned with only 7 strings) traditionally in front of him. Then the extravaganza began. Unfortunately, there is simply no way to adequately describe this performance with mere words. Only seeing it for yourself will do the trick. Strumming the body of the twelve-string, while picking the neck of the six-string, Rodney creates music by himself that sounds like it is coming from a trio. Not surprisingly, the title of that song is "One Man, Two Guitars," and it appears on his third CD, "Broken Guitars".
Later Rodney performs with two guitars while standing. One lays horizontally, Dobro style, across the top of a traditionally strapped guitar. And, again, the results are amazing from both a technical and artistic viewpoint. Mid-performance, in a move that takes only a split second, he goes from the standing position, back to a seated position, continuing to play both guitars masterfully during the transition.
During those songs that Rodney performs with only one guitar, he still does so in a way that is unique to him. Even then, his right and left hand frequently seem to be disassociated from each other, performing rythym and lead parts, independently. And in many occasions, one or both hands become percussionists, utilizing different parts of the guitar as drums. Although the short time allotted him this evening did not allow for it, Rodney is also known to perform with two guitars and a mandolin simultaneously. He acknowledges that we may not want to know which part of his body he uses to play the mando!
These almost acrobatic guitar performances are quite obviously the reason that Rodney calls his style "Full Contact Folk Music". It is indeed a very physical performance. And the duct tape patches covering the bodies of his guitars - as well as a couple of scars on his face - are silent testament to the "full contact" nature of his performances. But dont think for a second that Rodney Branigan is a mere sideshow freak. When he steps up to the microphone, he displays a mastery of the "folk music" nature of his art. Although I hate to compare artists to artists, for fear of slighting the originality of either artist, Rodney's musical style reminds me quite a bit of a male Tracy Chapman. His vocal cadence is quite similar, as is the way he takes lyrical inspiration from the seemingly mundane occurrences of everyday life.
Rodney's original songs included "Middle Class America," a non-political observation of the almost narcotizing, predictable mediocrity of suburban American life that many can identify with. "She Bled" is a heart wrenching musical tale of abuse that touches the audience, and then grips them with a twist of the final verse. Also thrown in is a humorous musical reflection on a night in jail, which qualifies his performance as "country music". Rodney played two well chosen cover songs, Radiohead's "Creep," and The Beatles, "Come Together".
If even one line of this review has caused you to grin, widen your eyes, drop your jaw, or back up to re-read it, then I encourage you to check out the tour schedule at www.brokenguitars.com to find a Rodney Branigan show coming to a town near you. At the very least, you MUST check out his DVD, "Full Contact Folk Music," available at www.lonestarmusic.com.
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