James Anthony Carmichael (born September 14, 1941) is an American Grammy-winning musician, arranger, and record producer.
Carmichael went on to attain fame in arranging and producing artists such as the Commodores, Atlantic Starr, Diana Ross and Lionel Richie.
[3] By 1966, he had started working with producer Fred Sledge Smith at Mirwood Records, with musicians including The Olympics (who had previously had hits with "Western Movies", "Hully Gully" and others), Bob & Earl, and the Soul Runners, who later became the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band.
Reviewer Jason Ankeny at AllMusic stated that Smith and Carmichael together honed "a distinctive style all their own, creating soul music that was both relentlessly energetic and sweetly sophisticated, topped off by trademark vibes that evoked the otherworldly beauty of a Pacific Ocean sunset.
[5] In the late 1960s, Carmichael began working on a freelance basis with Motown artists in Los Angeles, including the Four Tops, the Miracles, and the Supremes.
Featuring their lead vocalist Lionel Richie, the band had a long series of hit singles, again co-produced by Carmichael, over the period, including "Slippery When Wet", "Sweet Love", "Just to Be Close to You", "Easy", "Brick House", "Too Hot Ta Trot", and two US #1 pop hits, "Three Times a Lady" and "Still".
Then by the time I finished the verse, I fell in love with the song again.Carmichael also produced Atlantic Starr's albums Radiant (1981), Brilliance (1982), and Yours Forever (1983).
He contributed to Kenny Rogers' album We've Got Tonight, and he and Richie co-produced Diana Ross' 1985 hit "Missing You", a tribute to Marvin Gaye.