BLUES BEFORE SUNRISE FOR 3/8/26 FAREWELL TO MIKE VERNON
This week on BBS we’ll note the passing of Mike Vernon of Blues Horizon Records. I guess the most logical salute would have been to pick selections from a 3-CD anthology, which featured a mix of things Mike produced for the Blues Horizon Label along with sides from other Blues/R&B labels that he acquired and reissued on Blues Horizon. What I’ve done instead is dig out a pair of LPs. The first, produced by Mike was originally on Deram and then reissued on American London Label – Otis Spann, Cracked Spanner Head – with Muddy, Ransom Knowling, and Willie Big-Eyes Smith + overdubbed horns & Jimmy Page on selected tracks. Also, it was an oppor-tunity to dust off an LP from his Blues Masters Series – 10 LPs featuring American Bluesmen and issued in LP covers that looked like brown grocery/garbage bags. We’ll play selected tracks from the Johnny Young album. Mike didn’t produce the session but had the great taste to include it in his series. And I can’t let the occasion pass without mentioning that it was Albatross which he produced by Peter Green/Fleetwood Mac – the single track that led me to the world of Blues. Our tribute to Mike Vernon, such as it is, during Hour #4. Only on BBS!
HOUR #1
FRANKIE & JOHNNY BOOGIE	TINY GRIMES
DID YOU SEE JACKIE ROBINSON	BUDDY JOHNSON
TIL MY BABY COMES BACK	ELLA JOHNSON
YOU’LL GET THEM BLUES(1947)	ELLA JOHNSON
DR JIVE JIVES	BUDDY JOHNSON
JUMPIN’ THE BLUES	JAY McSHANN
LONELY BOY BLUES	JAY McSHANN
SWINGMATISM	JAY McSHANN
WHEN A WOMAN CRIES	HADDA BROOKS
DON’T CALL IT LOVE	HADDA BROOKS
JUKE BOX BOOGIE	HADDA BROOKS
DEACON DASH	JULIAN DASH
BLUE VELVET	JULIAN DASH
PREACHIN’	JULIAN DASH
HOW HIGH THE MOON	DELTA RHYTHM BOYS
MONDAY STRUGGLE	ALBERT AMMONS
MY CHOCOLATE SOLDIER	Lt JIM EUROPE
SMOOTH SAILIN’	LUCKY THOMPSON
HOUR #2
THE WALK	JIMMY McCRACKLIN
CONVERTBLE CADILLAC	TRENIERS
ROCK & ROLL PRESIDENT	TRENIERS
REAL LOVIN’ MAMA	FLOYD DIXON
WALK ON BY	LULU REED
WHEN MY LOVE WAS DOWN	LULU REED
NOBODY’S GONNA HURT YOU	ANNIE LAURIE
HOLD ONTO WHAT YOU GOT	ANNIE LAURIE
STOP TALKIN’ – START WALKIN’	ANNIE LAURIE
ROOTIN’ & TOOTIN’	SMILEY LEWIS
ON YOUR WAY	BARRELHOUSE BUCK
DO YOU CATCH ON	HOKUM BOYS
GEORGIA MULE	HOKUM BOYS
COME UP & SEE ME SOMETIME	ETHEL WATERS
YOU’VE SEE HARLEM AT IT’S BEST	ETHEL WATERS
RING THEM GOLDEN BELLS	PILGRIM TRAVELERS
LET GOD FIGHT YOUR BATTLES	T-N-T BURTON
CARELESS SOUL	SWAN SILVERTONE
HOUR #3
SATURDAY BLUES	ISHMAN BRACEY
WOMAN WOMAN	ISHMAN BRACEY
STRANGER BLUES	ROSA MAE MOORE
MISSISSIPPI BOLL WEEVIL	CHARLEY PATTON
LORD I’M DISCOURAGED	CHARLEY PATTON
PRAYER OF DEATH PT I	CHARLEY PATTON
CHAIN GANG BOUND	BUMBLE BEE SLIM
PATROL WAGON BLUES	ST LOUIS JIMMY
PAT THAT BREAD	GEORGIA TOM DORSEY
ALL ALONE BLUES	GEORGIA TOM DORSEY
EVERYBODY LOVES MY BABY	ALBERTA HUNTER
ADA JANE BLUES	TRIXIE SMITH
HIGH BROWN CHEATER	JOSH WHITE
POOR BOY LONG WAY FROM HOME	GUS CANNON
HOUR #4
CRACK YOUR HEAD	OTIS SPANN
ICED NEHI	OTIS SPANN
ROCK ME MAMA	OTIS SPANN
NO SENSE IN WORRYIN’	OTIS SPANN
DOLLAR TWENTY FIVE	OTIS SPANN
EVERYTHING’S GONNA BE ALRIGHT	OTIS SPANN
LUCKY SO & SO	OTIS SPANN
SOMETIMES I WONDER	OTIS SPANN
MR HIGHWAY MAN	OTIS SPANN
WHAT WILL BECOME OF ME	OTIS SPANN
MOANIN’ & GROANIN’	JOHNNY YOUNG
TRAINFARE OUT OF TOWN	JOHNNY YOUNG
WALKING SLOW	JOHNNY YOUNG
DEAL THECARDS	JOHNNY YOUNG
LITTLE GIRL	JOHNNY YOUNG
HOUR #5
ROSE ANN OF CHARRING CROSS	FOUR VAGABONDS
HAUPE	DUKE ELLINGTON
WITH EVERY BREATH I TAKE	JOE WILLIAMS
I DON’T KNOW YOU ANYMORE	DINAH WASHINGTON
ST LOUIS BLUES	JIMMY SMITH
24 HOURS A DAY	EUNICE DAVIS
GET YOUR ENJOYS	EUNICE DAVIS
HONEY WHERE YOU GOING	JIMMY REED
DOWN IN VIRGINIA	JIMMY REED
I’M GONNA GET MY BABY	JIMMY REED
GOIN’ DOWN	FREDDY KING
FEVER	BUDDY GUY
PEEWEE SPECIAL	PEEWEE CRAYTON
FORGIVE ME BABY	ELMORE NIXON
LITTLE WILLIE’S BOOGIE	LITTLE WILLIE LITTLEFIELD
ALBATROSS	FLEETWOOD MAC

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