He has worked with many artists such as The Crusaders, Minnie Riperton, Lionel Richie, Simply Red, Hugh Masekela, Huey Lewis and the News, Patti LaBelle, Sly Stone, Boy George, Oleta Adams, Killing Joke, Jon Anderson, Boz Scaggs, Womack and Womack, The Marshall Tucker Band and Curiosity Killed the Cat.
At the age of seventeen Levine entered the Manhattan School of Music alongside musicians Herbie Hancock, Donald Byrd, and South African trumpet player Hugh Masekela.
Levine left the Manhattan School of Music after one year to pursue a career as a horn player and arranger.
They began producing records that were a hybrid of South African township grooves crossed with rhythm and blues and jazz.
Levine signed them to Chisa Records with the idea of combining the funk of their native Texas alongside the jazz for which they were known.
Due to the success of this album, Levine moved to London and began working with a wide range of acts including the bands Blancmange and Killing Joke.
He describes the moment: "The lead singer was magical but the music sounded like a retro American soul revue.
The result was Simply Red's début album Picture Book, which became a huge hit in both the UK and the United States.
He followed this with Boy George's first solo album, Sold, containing the reggae influenced #1 hit single “Everything I Own.” Next came Simply Red's A New Flame, which included the international #1 version of "If You Don’t Know Me By Now."
Levine returned to England to produce Simply Red's next album, Life, which included the group's only UK #1 single, "Fairground".
Levine followed this by producing the Dr. John's N'Awlinz: Dis, Dat or D'udda, which featured New Orleans musicians alongside guests such as B.B.