Music database

Musician

Mike Vernon

born on 20/11/1944 in Harlow, Essex, United Kingdom

Mike Vernon (producer)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Mike Vernon (born Michael William Hugh Vernon, 20 November 1944, Harrow, Middlesex, England) is an English record producer.[1] He produced albums for British blues artists and groups during the late 1960s, working with the Bluesbreakers, David Bowie, Duster Bennett, Savoy Brown, Chicken Shack, Eric Clapton, Fleetwood Mac, Peter Green, Danny Kirwan, John Mayall, Christine McVie and Ten Years After amongst others.[2]

Biography

Vernon is best known as the founder of the blues record label, Blue Horizon.[1] Several of his recordings appeared there, as well as on the lesser known labels, Purdah and Outasite. Although he is primarily associated with the blues, Vernon produced significant acts outside of that field, including Bowie, Focus, and Bloodstone.

After playing for a while in the Mo Jo Men, Vernon started working for Decca Records in 1963, entering production with an album by the Texan Curtis Jones, and following that up with projects by better known American bluesmen, Champion Jack Dupree and Otis Spann. Vernon encouraged John Mayall to record an album with Clapton for Decca, and in 1966, Vernon was in the producer's chair for Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton. Vernon also produced the Bluesbreakers' only album with Clapton's replacement, Peter Green, A Hard Road.[2]

Vernon championed Americans as well, recording Eddie Boyd, Furry Lewis and Bukka White. In the early 1970s, Vernon released a solo album, Moment of Madness. He was also a member of The Olympic Runners (1974-1979) and acted as producer for them. He was a producer and member of Rocky Sharpe and the Replays (1979-1983). With the Replays he sang bass under the psudonym of Eric Rondo.

Vernon's importance to British music went beyond the mixed results he achieved in the recording studio. In a period of about four years, during which Blue Horizon had distribution from CBS Records and Polydor Records, it issued about 60 singles and more than 100 albums, most of them blues records. In the early 1970s, Vernon produced Focus, before moving into soul music in the mid 1970s with Bloodstone and The Olympic Runners.[2]

Over the next couple of decades, Vernon worked at various points with Dr. Feelgood, Chris Farlowe, Freddie King, Frankie Ford and Jimmy Witherspoon plus Level 42, Dexy's Midnight Runners, The Pasadenas, and The Proclaimers. He revived the Blue Horizon label in the late 1980s, and in the 1990s he set up a couple of other blues-oriented labels, Indigo and Code Blue.[2]

Vernon came out of retirement to produce the second album by the British blues prodigy, Oli Brown. The album entitled Heads I Win, Tails You Lose was released in March 2010.

Productions (and other credits)

  • 1965 Five Long Years Eddie Boyd
  • 1966 Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers
  • 1966 Art Gallery The Artwoods
  • 1966 "The London Boys" David Bowie
  • 1966 "Rubber Band" David Bowie
  • 1966 Sound of Sitar Chim Kothari
  • 1967 Champion Jack Dupree and His Blues Band Champion Jack Dupree featuring Mickey Baker
  • 1967 "Love You till Tuesday" David Bowie
  • 1967 Blues Alone John Mayall
  • 1967 A Hard Road John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers
  • 1967 Crusade John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers
  • 1967 David Bowie David Bowie
  • 1967 Eddie Boyd and His Blues Band Eddie Boyd (Liner notes)
  • 1967 Raw Blues Various Artists
  • 1967 Shake Down Savoy Brown
  • 1967 Ten Years After Ten Years After
  • 1968 The 1968 Memphis Country Blues Festival Various Artists
  • 1968 Roosevelt Holts: Presenting The Country Blues (production)
  • 1968 40 Blue Fingers, Freshly Packed and Ready to Serve Chicken Shack
  • 1968 7936 South Rhodes Eddie Boyd
  • 1968 Bare Wires John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers
  • 1968 Blues from Laurel Canyon John Mayall
  • 1968 Diary of a Band, Vol. 1 John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers
  • 1968 Diary of a Band, Vol. 2 John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers
  • 1968 Getting to the Point Savoy Brown
  • 1968 Last Night's Dream Johnny Shines
  • 1968 Fleetwood Mac Fleetwood Mac
  • 1968 Mr. Wonderful Fleetwood Mac
  • 1968 Undead Ten Years After (Liner notes)
  • 1968 Bukka White - Memphis Hot Shots (Production - Liner notes - Photo)
  • 1969 100 Ton Chicken Chicken Shack
  • 1969 The Biggest Thing Since Colossus Otis Spann (Liner notes)
  • 1969 Blue Matter Savoy Brown (Percussion, arranger, assistant)
  • 1969 Fleetwood Mac in Chicago/Blues Jam in Chicago, Vols. 1-2 Fleetwood Mac
  • 1969 English Rose Fleetwood Mac
  • 1969 First Slice Jellybread
  • 1969 Heavy Blues Champion Jack Dupree
  • 1969 Looking Back John Mayall (Liner notes)
  • 1969 Midnight Jump Sunnyland Slim
  • 1969 O.K. Ken? Chicken Shack
  • 1969 - Fiends And Angels - Martha Velez
  • 1969 Patent Pending The Johnny Almond Music Machine
  • 1969 The Pious Bird of Good Omen Fleetwood Mac
  • 1969 A Step Further Savoy Brown (Percussion, bells)
  • 1969 Stonedhenge Ten Years After (Vocals)
  • 1969 Presenting the Country Blues/Furry Lewis (Production - Lines Notes)
  • 1969 Presenting the Country Blues/Mississippi Joe Callicott (Production - Lines Notes)
  • 1970 Stars of the 1969-1970 Memphis Country Blues Festival Various Artists
  • 1970 Grease One for Me Bacon Fat
  • 1970 In and Out of Focus Focus (Liner notes, supervisor)
  • 1970 The End of the Game Peter Green
  • 1971 Black Magic Woman Fleetwood Mac
  • 1971 Bring It Back Home Mike Vernon (Harmonica, percussion, vocals)
  • 1971 Moving Waves Focus (Liner notes, supervisor)
  • 1971 Rick Hayward Rick Hayward (Liner notes)
  • 1971 Thru the Years John Mayall
  • 1972 Alvin Lee & Company Ten Years After
  • 1972 Discovering the Blues Robben Ford
  • 1972 Focus III Focus (Supervisor)
  • 1973 Live at the Rainbow Focus (Supervisor)
  • 1973 History Of British Blues Vol.1 (Various Artists) (Production - liner notes and on one song)
  • 1974 Burglar Freddie King (Percussion)
  • 1974 Hamburger Concerto Focus
  • 1975 Larger Than Life Freddie King (Percussion)
  • 1975 Love Is a Five Letter Word Jimmy Witherspoon (Percussion)
  • 1975 Out in Front The Olympic Runners (Percussion)
  • 1975 Vintage Years Fleetwood Mac
  • 1976 Do You Wanna Do a Thing Bloodstone
  • 1976 Gold Plated Climax Blues Band
  • 1976 Live Jimmy Witherspoon & Robben Ford (Executive production, editing, mixing)
  • 1977 Best of Savoy Brown [London] Savoy Brown
  • 1977 Edwin Starr Edwin Starr (Tambourine, vibraslap)
  • 1977 Hot to Trot The Olympic Runners (Percussion, vocals)
  • 1977 On the Line Foster Brothers
  • 1977 Original Fleetwood Mac Fleetwood Mac
  • 1977 Ship of Memories Focus
  • 1977 Soul Survivors Diversions
  • 1978 Focus con Proby Focus (Liner notes, supervisor)
  • 1979 Let It Roll Dr. Feelgood
  • 1979 Out of the Ground The Olympic Runners (Percussion)
  • 1979 Rama Lama (Replays) Rocky Sharpe & the Replays (Engineer)
  • 1980 Shout! Shout! Rocky Sharpe & the Replays (Percussion)
  • 1981 Level 42 Level 42
  • 1982 Pursuit of Accidents Level 42
  • 1983 Stop Please Stop Rocky Sharpe & the Replays (Percussion)
  • 1984 End of the Line Pete McDonald
  • 1986 Mad Man Blues Dr. Feelgood
  • 1986 On the Loose Steve Gibbons
  • 1987 Hat Trick Blues 'N' Trouble (Percussion)
  • 1988 Crossroads Eric Clapton
  • 1988 Great British Psychedelic Trip, Vol. 1, 1966-69 Various Artists
  • 1988 John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers John Mayall
  • 1989 Level Best Level 42
  • 1989 Singles/ The UA Years Dr. Feelgood
  • 1989 Steel & Fire The Mick Clarke Band (Engineer)
  • 1989 Storyteller - The Complete Anthology: 1964-1990 Rod Stewart
  • 1990 Blues It Up Dana Gillespie (Percussion)
  • 1991 That's What The Blues Can Do - The Innes Sibun Blues Explosion (Production)
  • 1991 Second Sight Chris Youlden (Vocals, Engineer)
  • 1992 25 Years - The Chain Fleetwood Mac
  • 1992 Attack of the Atomic Guitar U.P. Wilson (Engineer, mixing)
  • 1992 Blue Lightning Lightnin' Slim (Mixing)
  • 1992 Blues, the Whole Blues & Nothing But the Blues Jimmy Witherspoon (Percussion, engineer, mixing, liner notes)
  • 1992 Chiswick Story Various Artists
  • 1992 Delta Bluesman David Honeyboy Edwards
  • 1993 Dog Days Are Over The Scabs
  • 1993 Delta Hurricane Larry McCray
  • 1993 Clima Raro Danza Invisible
  • 1994 Live Dog The Scabs
  • 1994 Sound Like This The Hoax
  • 1994 Al Compás de la Banda Danza Invisible
  • 1996 A Man Amongst Men Bo Diddley (Production, liner notes, percussion)
  • 1999 The Complete Blue Horizon Sessions Fleetwood Mac (Production)
  • 2007 The Complete Blue Horizon Sessions Otis Spann (Production)
  • 2007 Furry Lewis & Mississippi Joe Callicott - The Complete Blue Horizon Sessions (Production - liner notes - photos)
  • 2007 The 1968 Memphis Country Blues festival - Bukka White The Complete Blue Horizon Sessions (Production - liner notes - Photos)
  • 2008 The Complete Blue Horizon Sessions Jellybread (Production - liner notes)
  • 2008 The Complete Blue Horizon Sessions Top Topham (Production - liner notes)
  • 2008 The Complete Blue Horizon Sessions Key Largo (Production - liner notes)
  • 2008 The Complete Blue Horizon Sessions Gordon Smith (Production - liner notes)
  • 2008 The Complete Blue Horizon Sessions Eddie Boyd (Production - liner notes)
  • 2008 The Complete Blue Horizon Sessions Champion Jack Dupree (Production - liner notes)
  • 2010 Heads I Win, Tails You Lose - Oli Brown (Production)
  • 2010 Shine - Dani Wilde (Production)
  • 2010 Fun to Visit - Mingo & The Blues Intruders[3] (Production)

Bibliography

  • Bob Brunning, Blues: The British Connection, Helter Skelter Publishing, London 2002, ISBN 1-900924-41-2 - First edition 1986 - Second edition 1995 Blues in Britain
  • Bob Brunning, The Fleetwood Mac Story: Rumours and Lies, Omnibus Press London, 1990 and 1998, ISBN 0-7119-6907-8
  • Martin Celmins, Peter Green - Founder of Fleetwood Mac, Sanctuary London, 1995, foreword by B.B.King, ISBN 1-86074-233-5
  • Dick Heckstall-Smith, The safest place in the world: A personal history of British Rhythm and blues, 1989 Quartet Books Limited, ISBN 0-7043-2696-5 - Second Edition : Blowing The Blues - Fifty Years Playing The British Blues, 2004, Clear Books, ISBN 1-904555-04-7
  • Christopher Hjort, Strange brew: Eric Clapton and the British blues boom, 1965-1970, foreword by John Mayall, Jawbone 2007, ISBN 1-90600-200-2
  • Paul Myers, Long John Baldry and the Birth of the British Blues, Vancouver 2007, GreyStone Books, ISBN 1-55365-200-2
  • Harry Shapiro, Alexis Korner: The Biography, Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, London 1997, Discography by Mark Troster, ISBN 0-7475-3163-3
  • Mike Vernon, The Blue Horizon story 1965-1970 vol.1, notes of the booklet of the Box Set (60 pages)

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Mike Vernon: Biography. MSN Music. MSN. Retrieved on March 11, 2011.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 [Mike Vernon (producer) at All Music Guide Biography by Richie Unterberger]. Allmusic.com. Retrieved on 21 October 2009.
  3. Mingobalaguer.es

External links

This page was last modified 19.06.2012 01:24:14

This article uses material from the article Mike Vernon (producer) from the free encyclopedia Wikipedia and it is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.