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Mungo Jerry appeared on the scene in 1970 with their irresistible bubblegum boogie hit In The Summertime, a song that took the world by storm with its simple hypnotic riffs and its catchy tune. It went top ten in both the UK and the USA.

The next year they scored big again with Baby Jump, Lady Rose and You Don't Have To Be In The Army, all catchy numbers with the same buoyant folkie rhythms, engaging melodies and soulful vocals as Summertime. In 1973 they had more hits with Alright Alright Alright and Longlegged Woman. Their happy mix of prominent piano, guitars and banjo gave them a unique and appealing sound. I would call it folk-pop, but the vocals had a distinct bluesy rock feel.

This is a good, but not comprehensive collection, as it omits the band's minor successes like Johnny B Bad and Maggie. Besides the aforementioned hits, my other favorites on this album are Wild Love and San Francisco Bay Blues. This music is a beautiful reminder of the colourful variety of styles that flourished in the early 1970s.

... Mungo Jerry didn't do "The Pushbike Song." That was an original composition by The Mixtures, an Austrailian band that did a cover of "In the Summertime." It sounded like Mungo Jerry, but it wasn't them.

...
In mid-1970, The Mixtures signed to the Fable label and issued a cover of Mungo Jerry's `In the Summertime'/`Where You Are' as a single. Coinciding as it did with the 1970 radio ban on certain major labels and overseas records, The Mixtures' version of the song hit the #1 spot during August unchallenged by the original. The band followed up with an original composition in the same jaunty vein, `The Pushbike Song'/`Who Loves You'. `The Pushbike Song' was a prime summer ditty and caught the tempo of the time by also leaping to the coveted #1 spot. As the single peaked in Australia, Polydor issued it in the UK and Sire in the USA. The British showed their appreciation by sending the single to #2 at the start of 1971, while the Americans placed it at #44 on the Billboard chart.

Now now folks, let's not have a falling out over this. Mungo Jerry did do a version of The Pushbike Song in 1990, I have a copy of it and very good it is too. Check out www.poparchive.com for this info:

MUNGO JERRY
The Pushbike Song
(Idris & Evan Jones)
1990

Just to further confuse those who already believed this was a 'Mungo Jerry song', this version appeared on the Prestige album All The Hits Plus More (1990).

As the MungoMania website tells it:
Mungo Jerry said they were 'flattered' by Pushbike and Ray (Dorset) recorded it years later by way of, um...tribute, his version appearing on All The Hits Plus More in 1990.
Thanks to Alex Petchenev.

I've got it on another CD (not listed here on Amazon). The Push Bike Song was originally an Australian Top 40 song by The Mixtures. It was intentionally an imitative salute to Mungo Jerry's "In The Summertime" that Mungo Jerry later honored with his own cover of "The Push Bike Song", which recieved limited airplay in the U.S. around 1974-75.

Most people in the U.S. are unaware that there was a Jugband revival of sorts in Australia in the early 70's.

I was all excited to receive my very BEST of Mungo Jerry! When it arrived, I played it thru and kept waiting for The Pushbike Song to play.....it wasn't there! I checked over the CD listing again and again....nope. I felt ripped....HOW can it be called the very best without his second biggest hit????....and yes, I know I should have checked before I ordered, but c'mon....some things in life should be a given and THIS is one. Speaking of life, mine will go on BUT I regret my purchase.