John S. Carter

Who was John S. Carter?

John S. Carter, Jr., better known as simply Carter, was an American music producer, writer, arranger, instrumentalist, and A&R man.

Carter was born the son of an oil wildcatter in East St. Louis, Illinois. His music career began in 1967 when he co-wrote "That Acapulco Gold" with Tim Gilbert of The Rainy Daze. Also with Gilbert, he co-wrote "Incense and Peppermints" by the Strawberry Alarm Clock, a group whose name he created by picking words from song titles on the Hot 100.

He first worked for Atlantic Records and was recruited to the A&R department of Capitol Records. There he worked with Bob Seger and the Steve Miller Band during the periods of their commercial breakthroughs. He also signed Sammy Hagar, Bob Welch, and The Motels to Capitol, and co-wrote and produced some of their early output.

Carter is credited with relaunching the career of Tina Turner in the 1980s. In 1983, despite opposition from within Capitol, he signed her and A&Red her first Capitol album, Private Dancer, and produced the title song. The album went on to sell more than 20 million copies and made Turner a global superstar.