Johnny Carver was a kid from Mississippi who wound up in the middle of the late-'60s West Coast country scene. He recorded commercial country albums, but played regular gigs as part of the house band in LA's fabled Palomino nightclub, where he absorbed the bouncy, upbeat feel of the Buck Owens "Bakersfield Sound," which he brought to his own Nashville sessions. Carver was one of those Top 40 second-stringers whose career took a long time to develop -- although he started out nearly a decade earlier, his biggest success came in 1974, when his version of "Tie A Yellow Ribbon" became a chart-topping Country hit. Here's a quick look at his work...
Johnny Carver "Really Country" (Imperial Records, 1967) (LP)
Johnny Carver "You're In Good Hands With Johnny Carver" (Imperial Records, 1968) (LP)
Johnny Carver "Leaving Again" (Imperial Records, 1969) (LP)
Johnny Carver "Sweet Wine/Hold Me Tight" (Imperial Records, 1969) (LP)
(Produced by Scott Turner)
Johnny Carver "I Start Thinking About You" (Columbia/Harmony Records, 1973) (LP)
Normally Columbia's budget-line Harmony label featured repackaged oldies from established artists -- obscure (and often fun) stuff they may have done early in their careers. In this case, though, it seems that these are sessions that Carver recorded while between labels, sometime around 1971-72, although I'm not sure if they were originally recorded for the Columbia label, or if the masters just wound up in their hands somehow...
Johnny Carver "Tie A Yellow Ribbon Around The Old Oak Tree" (ABC Records, 1973) (LP)
Johnny Carver "Double Exposure" (ABC Records, 1974) (LP)
Johnny Carver "Please Don't Tell (That Sweet Ole Lady Of Mine)" (ABC Records, 1974) (LP)
Johnny Carver "Strings" (ABC Records, 1975) (LP)
Johnny Carver "Afternoon Delight" (ABC-Dot Records, 1976) (LP)
Johnny Carver "Caribbean Nights" (1979) (LP)
