Mike Vernon

Michael William Hugh Vernon (20 November 1944 – 2 March 2026) was an English music executive, studio owner and record producer. 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, Focus, Fleetwood Mac, Peter Green, Danny Kirwan, John Mayall, Christine McVie and Ten Years After. Michael William Hugh Vernon was born on 20 November 1944 in Harrow, Middlesex. He is best known as founder of the blues record label, Blue Horizon. He worked at Decca Records starting in 1963, and produced the Mayall-Clapton collaboration Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton (1966). In 1967, Vernon produced David Bowie's debut album for Deram Records. In 1968 he produced Fleetwood Mac's million-selling hit single "Albatross". The 1971 Blue Horizon release Bring It Back Home featured Paul Kossoff and Rory Gallagher, each appearing on one track. Two years later, Vernon released a solo album, Moment of Madness, on Sire Records. He was also a member of 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 pseudonym of Eric Rondo. He founded the Indigo and Code Blue record labels in the 1990s. In 1971, Vernon and his brother Richard opened Chipping Norton Recording Studios as the in-house studio for the Blue Horizon label. The studio became a commercial enterprise and operated until 1999, recording many hit singles including "Baker Street" by Gerry Rafferty, "In the Army Now" by Status Quo, "Too Shy" by Kajagoogoo, "I Should Have Known Better" by Jim Diamond, "Promise Me" by Beverley Craven, "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" by the Proclaimers, "Perfect" by Fairground Attraction, "(I Just) Died in Your Arms" by Cutting Crew, "Eighteen with a Bullet" by Pete Wingfield, "Hocus Pocus" by Focus and "Bye, Bye, Baby (Baby Goodbye)" by the Bay City Rollers.[better source needed]. Duran Duran recorded most of their debut album Duran Duran (1981) with Colin Thurston as producer, and Radiohead recorded their 1993 debut album, Pablo Honey, including their debut single "Creep". Vernon came out of retirement in 2011 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 Blue 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 (guitar), Ian Jennings (upright bass), Matt Little (keyboards), Paul Tasker (saxophone) and Mike Hellier (drums). Vernon was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2020 Birthday Honours for services to music. He died after a short illness at his home in Andalusia, Spain, on 2 March 2026, at the age of 81. 1965 – Five Long Years – Eddie Boyd 1965 – From the Land of Green Ginger – The Green Ginger Three 1966 – From New Orleans to Chicago – Champion Jack Dupree 1966 – Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton – John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers 1966 – Art Gallery – The Artwoods 1966 – "Rubber Band" – David Bowie 1966 – Sound of Sitar – Chim Kothari 1966 – I Tried – Savoy Brown Blues Band 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 (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 – 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 (Liner notes) 1968 – Fully Interlocking – The Web 1968 – Memphis Hot Shots – Bukka White (Production, liner notes, photo) 1968 -- "Albatross" – Fleetwood Mac 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 Veléz 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 – Box Of Surprises – Dana Gillespie (Production) 1969 – Stonedhenge – Ten Years After (Vocals) 1969 – Presenting the Country Blues/Furry Lewis (Production, liner notes) 1969 – Presenting the Country Blues/Mississippi Joe Callicott (Production, liner notes) 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 – Christine Perfect – Christine McVie 1970 – White Hot Blue Black – John L. Watson 1970 – In and Out of Focus – Focus (Liner notes, supervisor) 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 (Harmonica, percussion, vocals) 1971 – The Original Fleetwood Mac – Fleetwood Mac 1971 – Moving Waves – Focus (Liner notes, supervisor) 1971 – Rick Hayward – Rick Hayward (Liner notes) 1971 – Thru the Years – John Mayall 1972 – Alvin Lee and Company – Ten Years After 1972 – Discovering the Blues – Robben Ford 1972 – Focus 3 – Focus (Supervisor, backing vocals) 1972 – Rocking at the Tweed Mill – Livin' Blues 1973 – At the Rainbow – Focus (Supervisor) 1973 – History of British Blues Vol. 1 (Various Artists) (Production, liner notes and on one song) 1973 – Ram Jam Josey – Livin' Blues 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 – 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 – Savoy Brown 1977 – Edwin Starr – Edwin Starr (Tambourine, vibraslap) 1977 – Hot to Trot – Olympic Runners (Percussion, vocals) 1977 – On the Line – Foster Brothers 1977 – Ship of Memories – Focus 1977 – Soul Survivors – Diversions 1978 – Focus con Proby – Focus (Liner notes, supervisor) 1978 – Puttin' It Onya – Olympic Runners (Percussion, vocals) 1979 – Let It Roll – Dr. Feelgood 1979 – Out of the Ground – Olympic Runners (Percussion) 1979 – Rama Lama – Rocky Sharpe and the Replays 1980 – Rock-It-To