Michael Lovesmith

Singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Michael Lovesmith is one of the music industry's most underrated talents. He co-wrote two songs with Barry White, "Whatever We Had We Had" and "Don't You Want to Know" for White's 1994 multi-platinum album The Icon Is Love (number 20 pop, fall 1994). Others who have recorded Lovesmith's songs are the Jackson 5 ("All I Do Is Think of You"), Aretha Franklin ("Better Friends Than Lovers" from her 1983 Get It Right LP, number 36 pop, summer 1983), Gladys Knight and the Pips ("Don't Make Me Run Away"), and Bobby Brown ("You Aint Been Loved Right" from his first solo effort King of Stage, MCA, 1987). Lovesmith co-wrote and co-produced several songs with Motown Records founder Berry Gordy for Smokey Robinson's Intimate album, issued in fall 1999 on Motown/UNI. Born Michael L. Smith in St. Louis, MO, the singer/songwriter was a member of the group the Smith Connection, which was comprised of him and his brothers Danny and Louis. They recorded for Motown's '60s hit songwriting/production trio Holland/Dozier/Holland's Music Merchant label where they had a hit single with "(I've Been a Winner, I've Been a Loser) I've Been in Love" which peaked at number 28 R&B in early 1973. When H-D-H returned to Motown in the mid-'70s, they brought along Michael and his brothers, who recorded one album as Lovesmith for the label in the early '80s. Michael Lovesmith was signed to Motown's music publishing firm, Jobete Music, as a staff songwriter. Working with Brian and Eddie Holland, Lovesmith's songs were covered by Motown artists including the Jackson 5. The candy-sweet ballad "All I Do Is Think of You," co-written by Lovesmith and Brian Holland, was originally the B-side of the Jackson Five's 1975 hit cover of Diana Ross and the Supremes' "Forever Came...