Five Best Michael Omartian Songs

Illinois-born Michael Omartian is best known as a producer. He was the first person to produce number one hits in three different decades. His number ones include:

• Theme from S.W.A.T. – Rhythm Heritage
• Sailing – Christopher Cross
• She Works Hard for the Money – Donna Summer
• We Are The World
• How Am I Supposed To Live Without You? – Michael Bolton

He’s also notable as a session musican, playing on records by Steely Dan, The Four Tops, and the accordion on Billy Joel’s ‘Piano Man’.

But in this post, I’d like to focus on the two cult albums he made as a solo artist in the mid-1970s. They’re some of the most interesting CCM albums of their era, creative, funky, and featuring the same top-tier musicians who appear on Steely Dan records. They’re now out of print and not on Spotify.

Five Best Michael Omartian songs

#1 White Horse

from White Horse, 1974

“[Toto drummer] Jeff Porcaro…brought up the fact that White Horse was something he and Steve Lukather and all those musicians used to listen to quite a bit. He said they always thought it was a couple steps ahead, even sonically, of everything else that was going on at the time. That kind of blew me away.”

Michael Omartian

Genesis already made a progressive rock album closer about the apocalypse. But Omartian’s is different in tone – it’s wistful and hopeful, rather than dramatic. His synth solos are

#2 Whachersign

from Adam Again, 1976
Omartian’s 1970s albums are eclectic. This playlist jumps from a progressive rock epic about the apocalypse to a snappy disco track mocking astrology. It was also recorded by Pratt & McClain, the duo who recorded ‘Happy Days’. Omartian introduced the duo to each other, and produced ‘Happy Days’.

#3 Jeremiah

from White Horse, 1974
Omartian’s debut opens with a funky portrait of Old Testament prophets. As always, Omartian’s synthesising diverse genres – it comes down between gospel and 1970s funk.

#4 Adam Again

from Adam Again, 1976
Stormie Omartian wrote the lyrics and provided backing vocals for her husband’s albums. She’s also written Christian bestsellers like ‘The Power of a Praying Wife’. Her interests collide on ‘Adam Again’, the portrait of a troubled marriage needing divine reconciliation.

#5 Silver Fish

from White Horse, 1974
The chorus is a little predictable, but there’s some great baroque piano from Omartian on this tune.

“I felt like a kid in a candy store. I recorded it in the early 70’s and I still get letters and e-mails about how people still love it today.”

Have you heard Omartian’s now-obscure 1970s albums?

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