Dean 'Sunshine' Smith - Ask the DJ
Dean ‘Sunshine’Smith is the man behind the reworks label - Soulshare records. He has released a number of original tracks and remixes and is also the producer of the highly successful ‘SUNSHINE REWORKS’ series, which have gained worldwide recognition for their warmth, direction and sound.
He has been DJing, sharing the more eclectic and soulful side of dance music for over a 1/4 century. Over Dean’s colourful history he has played and appeared throughout the globe at some of the most iconic clubs and venues in the world. To ask whom Dean has appeared alongside would be like viewing a who’s who of Dance music culture. He has shared the sounds with them all! From legends such as David Mancuso, Frankie knuckles, Francois K through Andrew Weatherall, Harvey, Derrick Carter, Norman Jay to the new breed with artists like 6th Borough Project, Eats Everything, Nicolas Jaar, Metro area etc...
For the last 2 summers he has been running the Great Outdoors at The Lord Clifden in Birmingham, bringing the spirit of the Balearics to Hockley. With DJ's such as Justin Robertson, Kelvin Andrews, Balearic Mike, Trevor Fung, Nancy Noise, Mark Seven, Phil Mison, Bill Brewster, Luke Unabomber, Leo Mass, Joe's Bakery not to mention Birmingham's very own Robert Johnson. He also plays at Soulshake. A monthly soul, funk, rare groove and Reggae night every Saturday at The Yardbird Jazz Club.
We asked him our 12 acid house questions in Ask The DJ….
1. What was your first acid house moment?
Tough one to answer that! Let's go with one of the first acid house moments that still sits with me...I was really, really young and underage 14 or summat! at some iliegal acid house party I was outside the place a bit worried about getting back home as my pal (also underage) and his older sister had gone awol and I was meant to have been staying at their house - as far as my folks knew. I was telling everyone I had to walk back to Walsall, as I had to do my paper round and my dad was gonna be meeting me to help. Well Walsall was miles away and then some huge black dude laughed, rubbed my head and walked me to a cab guy...pulled out a massive wedge of notes and said to the guy “Get this kid back to alsall will ya!” I climbed in through my bedroom window and got my paper round bag. My older brother who was sharing the room, woke up and said what you doing? I said Bro Ive just been 'acid hous'in!" and I went and did my paper round. My dad still to this day does not know that.
2. Favourite club/night ever?
Again very tough as there have been so many. I guess up there would have to be Venus for a club. For a night I would have to say when I first walked in to Amnesia in Ibiza all those years ago. It was mind blowing! But there have been so many top nights and venues over the years, tough to just pick out actual faves.
3. Best acid house debacherous moment?
It couldn’t have been very debacherous if I can remember it? Definately the finest and most debacherous moments are best left lost and forgotten!
4. Guilty pleasure always in your box?
Dignity - Deacon Blue - always dreamed about playing this track on the boat in Croatia. Still to get around to it! The words sit so well in that setting. Great record!
5. Guilty pleasure not in the box!?
Foreigner - I wanna know what love is.
Catch me at the right time and I always seem to sing along to them daft rock ballads. Why do we always know the fuckin words!
6. Give us one of your favourite and hard to find records in your collection?
Lee Moore – Free And Easy LP. Just impossible to come across. I got one from a gospel soul collector in New Zealand in 2000. Even then I paid a few hundred quid but so worth it.
7. Biggest DJ fail / clear the dance floor moment?
Oh, I’ve taken the needle off the record playing at the height of a banging dance floor a good few times. I can't recall my biggest fail, but I'm too relaxed to be bothered anyway. I have faith that as quick as I may empty a dance floor, especially the places I play, I can always fill it again.
8. Favourite labels?
Too many to mention - Studio one, High Note, Calypso, Irma, Trax, Flying, Compost, Guidance, Dance Mania, Chicago Relief, Bottom line, Motown, Blue Note, CAT, Sofrito … I honestly could go on and on.
9. Favourite producer / producers?
Again too many but off the top of my head - Norman Whitfield, Curtis Mayfield, Mizell Brothers, Andrew Weatherall, Don Carlos, Lee Perry. Again I could go on.
10. Who to watch from the new school?
Andras Fox, Moses Sumney are a couple off the top of my head that I'm diggin'.
11. Current favourite track?
Not sure it counts, but my own unreleased edit of 'Ball of confusion' seems to be going down well whenever I play it. Gotta get it finished and mastered.
12. Can you dance?
Well Kenny "Jammin" Jason and "Fast" Eddie Smith first asked me that question all those years ago and I would say I'm still busy answering them.
Check out his Soundcloud page here and on Mixcloud.
Let Love Flow on Oct 2013 by Dj Dean 'Sunshine' Smith on Mixcloud