During the 70's Mike Howlett played bass and wrote with esoteric space-funk group Gong, who were only the second signing to the nascent Virgin Records. After leaving Gong Mike put together his own group, Strontium-90, with musicians Sting, Andy Summers and Stuart Copeland, who went on to great success as The Police. In 1997 the recordings of this group were released on Sting's own record label Pangaea.
Mike began producing records in the 1980's and had a string of Top 10 UK Hits including:
MARTHA AND THE MUFFINS - 'Echo Beach';
OMD - 'Enola Gay', 'Souvenir', 'Messages';
BLANCMANGE - 'Living on the Ceiling';
A FLOCK OF SEAGULLS - 'I Ran' (US Top Ten), 'Wishing (If I Had a Photograph...)', 'DNA" (Grammy award winner);
CHINA CRISIS - 'Wishful Thinking';
and other internationally top-selling albums by: JOAN ARMATRADING;
BERLIN (U.S. Platinum);
THE ALARM (US Gold);
GANG OF FOUR;
JULIEN CLERC (France Platinum);
LA UNION (Spain Platinum);
FISCHER-Z (Germany Platinum);
GOWAN (Canada Gold).
In 1982 Mike received a Grammy award from the U.S. National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences for his work on the Flock of Seagulls track "DNA. In 1987 Mike became a founding member of the Record Producers Guild (now known as MPG - the Music Producers Guild) and is currently Chairman.
As international co-ordinator, Mike was instrumental in organising the first ever rock concert in Red Square, Moscow in 1992.
From 1995-1998 MPG representative on the Steering Committee working with the Musicians, Union, Equity and the Music Managers Forum on the setting up of PAMRA - the performers rights organisation.
Mike also currently lectures in Audio Technology at Thames Valley and Glamorgan Universities.