Mike Vernon (record producer)
Michael William Hugh "Mike" Vernon is an English music executive studio owner, and record producer from Harrow, Middlesex. He produced albums for British blues artists and groups in the 1960s, working with the Bluesbreakers, David Bowie, Duster Bennett, Savoy Brown, Chicken Shack, Climax Blues Band, Eric Clapton, Fleetwood Mac, Peter Green, Danny Kirwan, John Mayall, Christine McVie and Ten Years After amongst others.
Biography
Vernon is best known as founder of the blues record label, Blue Horizon. He worked at Decca Records starting in 1963. He served as producer for the Mayall-Clapton collaboration Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton.In 1971 Mike Vernon released an album on Blue Horizon called Bring It Back Home featuring Paul Kossoff, and Rory Gallagher on one track each.
In 1973 Sire Records, Vernon released a solo album, Moment of Madness. He was also a member of Olympic Runners and acted as producer for them. He was a producer and member of Rocky Sharpe and the Replays. With the Replays he sang bass under the psudonym of Eric Rondo. He founded the Indigo and Code Blue record labels in the 1990s.
Vernon came out of retirement to produce Dani Wilde's album Shine, and the second album by the British blues prodigy, Oli Brown. Brown's album entitled Heads I Win, Tails You Lose was released in March 2010.
In October 2013, Vernon was rewarded with a BASCA Gold Badge Award, in recognition of his unique contribution to music.
On 7 September 2018, Vernon's first album on Manhaton Records, Beyond The Blues Horizon, was released. It featured twelve tracks, including nine new self-penned originals, and three covers from the catalogues of Brook Benton, Mose Allison and Clarence "Frogman" Henry. The release was supported by a European tour under the billing of 'Mike Vernon & The Mighty Combo'. Vernon's band, The Mighty Combo, consisted of Kid Carlos, Ian Jennings, Matt Little, Paul Tasker and Mike Hellier.
Production discography
- 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 – The 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
- 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
- 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 – Long Overdue – Gordon Smith
- 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
- 1968 – Fully Interlocking – The Web
- 1968 – Memphis Hot Shots – Bukka White
- 1969 – 100 Ton Chicken – Chicken Shack
- 1969 – The Biggest Thing Since Colossus – Otis Spann
- 1969 – Blue Matter – Savoy Brown
- 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
- 1969 – Midnight Jump – Sunnyland Slim
- 1969 – O.K. Ken? – Chicken Shack
- 1969 – Fiends And Angels – Martha Veléz
- 1969 – Patent Pending – The Johnny Almond Music Machine
- 1969 – The Pious Bird of Good Omen – Fleetwood Mac
- 1969 – A Step Further – Savoy Brown
- 1969 – Stonedhenge – Ten Years After
- 1969 – Presenting the Country Blues/Furry Lewis
- 1969 – Presenting the Country Blues/Mississippi Joe Callicott
- 1970 – Theraphosa Blondi – The Web
- 1970 – Stars of the 1969–1970 Memphis Country Blues Festival – Various Artists
- 1970 – Grease One for Me – Bacon Fat
- 1970 – White Hot Blue Black – John L. Watson
- 1970 – In and Out of Focus – Focus
- 1970 – The End of the Game – Peter Green
- 1970 – Accept – Chicken Shack
- 1971 – Black Magic Woman – Fleetwood Mac
- 1971 – Bring It Back Home – Mike Vernon
- 1971 – The Original Fleetwood Mac – Fleetwood Mac
- 1971 – Moving Waves – Focus
- 1971 – Rick Hayward – Rick Hayward
- 1971 – Thru the Years – John Mayall
- 1972 – Alvin Lee and Company – Ten Years After
- 1972 – Discovering the Blues – Robben Ford
- 1972 – Focus 3 – Focus
- 1972 – Rocking At the Tweed Mill – Livin' Blues
- 1973 – At the Rainbow – Focus
- 1973 – History of British Blues Vol. 1
- 1973 – Ram Jam Josey – Livin' Blues
- 1974 – Burglar – Freddie King
- 1974 – Hamburger Concerto – Focus
- 1975 – Larger Than Life – Freddie King
- 1975 – Love Is a Five Letter Word – Jimmy Witherspoon
- 1975 – Out in Front – Olympic Runners
- 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
- 1977 – Best of Savoy Brown – Savoy Brown
- 1977 – Edwin Starr – Edwin Starr
- 1977 – Hot to Trot – Olympic Runners
- 1977 – On the Line – Foster Brothers
- 1977 – Ship of Memories – Focus
- 1977 – Soul Survivors – Diversions
- 1978 – Focus con Proby – Focus
- 1978 – Puttin' It Onya - Olympic Runners
- 1979 – Let It Roll – Dr. Feelgood
- 1979 – Out of the Ground – Olympic Runners
- 1979 – Rama Lama – Rocky Sharpe and the Replays
- 1980 – Rock-It-To Mars – Rocky Sharpe and the Replays
- 1980 – Let's Go – Rocky Sharpe and the Replays
- 1981 – Level 42 – Level 42
- 1982 – The Pursuit of Accidents – Level 42
- 1983 – Stop! Please Stop! – Rocky Sharpe and the Replays
- 1983 – Good Rockin' Tonight – Johnny & the Roccos
- 1984 – End of the Line – Pete McDonald
- 1985 – Graffiti – New Jordal Swingers
- 1986 – Mad Man Blues – Dr. Feelgood
- 1986 – On the Loose – Steve Gibbons
- 1987 – Hat Trick – Blues 'N' Trouble
- 1987 – Guitar Guitar – 32/20
- 1988 – Crossroads – Eric Clapton
- 1988 – Great British Psychedelic Trip, Vol. 1, 1966-69 – Various Artists
- 1988 – John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers – John Mayall
- 1988 – Roachford – Roachford
- 1988 – Songs For The Weekend – New Jordal Swingers
- 1989 – Level Best – Level 42
- 1989 – Singles – The UA Years – Dr. Feelgood
- 1989 – Steel & Fire – The Mick Clarke Band
- 1989 - Mick 'Wildman' Pini – Mick Pini
- 1989 – – Rod Stewart
- 1990 – Blues It Up – Dana Gillespie
- 1991 – That's What The Blues Can Do – The Innes Sibun Blues Explosion
- 1991 – Second Sight – Chris Youlden
- 1992 – 25 Years - The Chain – Fleetwood Mac
- 1992 – Attack of the Atomic Guitar – U.P. Wilson
- 1992 – Blue Lightning – Lightnin' Slim
- 1992 – Blues, the Whole Blues & Nothing But the Blues – Jimmy Witherspoon
- 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
- 1995 – Dos Caras Distintas – Los Secretos
- 1996 – A Man Amongst Men – Bo Diddley
- 1997 – Me To You – Eric Bibb
- 1998 – Swango – Candye Kane
- 1999 - Blues Gonna Be My Way – Mick Pini
- 1999 – The Complete Blue Horizon Sessions 1967–1969 – Fleetwood Mac
- 2007 – The Complete Blue Horizon Sessions – Otis Spann
- 2007 – Furry Lewis & Mississippi Joe Callicott – The Complete Blue Horizon Sessions
- 2007 – The 1968 Memphis Country Blues festival – Bukka White The Complete Blue Horizon Sessions
- 2008 – The Complete Blue Horizon Sessions – Jellybread
- 2008 – The Complete Blue Horizon Sessions – Top Topham
- 2008 – The Complete Blue Horizon Sessions – Key Largo
- 2008 – The Complete Blue Horizon Sessions – Gordon Smith
- 2008 – The Complete Blue Horizon Sessions – Eddie Boyd
- 2008 – The Complete Blue Horizon Sessions – Champion Jack Dupree
- 2010 – Heads I Win, Tails You Lose – Oli Brown
- 2010 – Shine – Dani Wilde
- 2010 – Fun to Visit – Mingo & The Blues Intruders
- 2015 - Just A Little Bit - Mike Vernon & Los García
- 2016 – Take Me High – Laurence Jones