Kenny Vernon "On Bandstand" (Trans World Artist Records, 1965-?) (LP)
(Produced by Philip F. Dering II & Irwin Gibson)
This live album showcases Kenny Vernon and his trio holding down their day job in Vegas; the liner notes aren't clear, but this was most likely recorded at the Golden Nugget, where he was a long-running headliner. The trio included Kenny Vernon on vocals and guitar, drummer John Collard, and Kenny Peters on bass, working through an admirably diverse set that included honkytonk classics ("Cryin' Time," "Close Up The Honky Tonks," "Truck Driving Man"), novelty numbers ("King Of The Road"), a little bit of folk/bluegrass material ("Roll In My Sweet Baby's Arms," "Four Strong Winds," "Black Mountain Rag") and even some pop ("I'm A Loser"). Though he continued working in Las Vegas, Vernon broke into the Nashville scene not long after this album came out -- in 1966, a couple of indie singles were soon followed by a brief stint on Epic Records, before Vernon was signed to Chart Records, an assertive indie-major hybrid that signed a full slate of young artists and pushed Vernon's career for several years, despite middling success.
Kenny Vernon "Country Happening" (Chart Records, 1969) (LP)
After releasing a couple of singles on the independent Caravan label, Vernon saw one of them get optioned by Epic Records, and cut a couple more for them... But it was Chart Records that really went to bat for him, singing the youthful singer in 1968 and teaming him up with Lawanda Lindsey. On Kenny Vernon's first Chart album, she duets with him on a couple of tracks, "Eye To Eye" and "Looking Over Our Shoulders," which were both reprised on their subsequent album, below...
Kenny Vernon & LaWanda Lindsey "Pickin' Wild Mountain Berries" (Chart Records, 1970) (LP)
(Produced by Joe Gibson & Cliff Williamson)
A duets album with teenaged LaWanda Lindsey,
another one of Chart's recently-signed younger artists. The somewhat funky title track was one of the biggest hits for either artist, briefly pegging out at #27 on the charts; a cover of a soul hit from '68, it features a relatively funky arrangement punctuated by a brisk banjo run, and Kenny Vernon doing his best Elvis imitation. Showing his Vegas lounge roots, Vernon quickly shifts into George Jones mode, then into what he probably meant as a Porter Wagoner voice, to match Ms. Lindsey's rote approximation of Dolly Parton. Though she has a fine voice, it's completely subsumed by a slavish imitation of Dolly's trilling tones... it would take a while for her to assert herself and find her own recording voice. Overall, though, this is a pretty decent record, with punchy, up-tempo, rock-flavored arrangements that were doubtless meant to appeal to a younger audience. Definitely worth a spin.
Kenny Vernon "Nashville Union Station Depot" (Chart Records, 1970) (LP)
(Produced by Cliff Williamson & Slim Williamson)
Still pitching him as a youngster, this album includes several "hip" covers of hits of the day such as "Polk Salad Annie," CCR's "Lodi," and the Band's "Up On Cripple Creek"; also in the mix is a tune called "Country Music Circus" by Bob Segarini, and one of Kenny Vernon's own songs, "The Part In Between," which closes the album out.
Kenny Vernon "Loversville" (Capitol Records, 1973) (LP)
(Produced by Earl Ball & Biff Collie)
A lesser light on the '60s/'70s country scene, Kenny Vernon's main base of operations was Las Vegas, where he worked as a lounge act for many years, including a long run at the Golden Nugget... Originally born in Tennessee, he made his way back to Nashville and scored a record deal in the late 'Sixties, cutting a string of modestly successful singles for Chart Records and Capitol, but nothing that got out of the back end of the Top 40... Some of his most successful work was with singer Lawanda Lindsey, who was signed to Chart Records around the same time as Vernon. Here's a quick look at his career...
