Memoirs Of A Stockbroker
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Album Summary
Memoirs Of A Stockbroker was Mungo Jerry's second studio album, released in 1971 on the Dawn Records label — and honey, when this record dropped, Ray Dorset and his band were riding one of the biggest waves in British pop history. Born out of the enormous commercial momentum that followed their earth-shaking debut and the summer anthem that had the whole world humming, this record was cut with the kind of confidence that only comes when a band knows the people are listening. The group brought their signature jug-band soul right back to the studio — acoustic guitars, skiffle rhythms, and that loose, good-time energy — while stretching their songwriting wings wider than they'd ever dared before. Dawn Records had themselves a live wire, and this album was the proof.
Reception
- The album charted in the UK, riding the coattails of the band's massive international breakthrough and the goodwill audiences had built up for Mungo Jerry's distinctive sound
- Commercially, it found a solid footing in Britain, though it never quite caught the lightning-in-a-bottle magic that had made the group a household name the previous summer
- Critical reception was measured — reviewers acknowledged the band's charm and energy but noted that the album settled into respectable rather than revelatory territory compared to the phenomenon of their debut single
Significance
- Memoirs Of A Stockbroker stands as a genuine artifact of the early 1970s British skiffle-rock revival, a moment when acoustic folk textures and jug-band warmth were finding their way into the commercial mainstream with remarkable ease
- The album reveals Mungo Jerry's serious ambitions as songwriters and performers beyond the novelty-hit label the press had tried to pin on them — tracks like 'Baby Jump' and 'Have A Whiff On Me' show a band with roots running deep into blues and American folk tradition
- This record captures a fleeting cultural window when rustic, acoustic-driven rock carried genuine chart weight in Britain, reflecting the post-summer-of-love appetite for something earthy, unpretentious, and real
Tracklist
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A1 Memoirs Of A Stockbroker 82
4:05
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A2 You Better Leave That Whiskey Alone 164
4:00
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A3 Somebody Stole My Wife 108
2:55
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A4 Coming Back To You When The Time Comes 152
3:14
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A5 Follow Me Down 202
3:14
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A6 She Rowed 126
3:40
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B1 Baby Jump 129
4:10
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B2 Have A Whiff On Me 90
3:05
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B3 The Man Behind The Piano 113
3:30
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B4 Daddie's Brew 118
3:40
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B5 I Just Wanna Make Love To You 83
8:58
Artist Details
Mungo Jerry burst onto the British music scene in 1970, a loose jug band-meets-skiffle collective fronted by the irresistible Ray Dorset, cooking up that raw, foot-stomping blend of rock and roll, blues, and boogie that just made everybody move. Their smash hit In the Summertime became one of the best-selling singles of all time, a sun-soaked anthem that captured the carefree spirit of early 70s Britain like nobody's business. They reminded the world that music didn't have to be complicated to get deep under your skin and stay there forever.
