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Steven Fredrick Smith
California DJ and Art of Mix Remixer (b. 19--(??) - d. 1992)
Steven Smith grew up in Lansing, Michigan. Smith had a degree in music, moved to Flordia where he played at the Copa under Bobby Viteritti then moved to LA, played at the "Hollywood Spa" where one of the owners of The NEW "Odyssey 1" in West Hollywood hired him to spin from 1976 to 1982.
Steven was a Billboard reporter and was the first person in the USA to play the B-52's Rock Lobster in 1979 when it CLEARED 1500 people off the Dance floor. Steven also mixed many albums including Bonnie Pointer's "Heaven Must Have Sent You," ( with out credit) and Ethel Merman background singing on "Boys in the Band." Steven also was the head DJ at at Studio One, The Back Lot, Trocodero Transfer in San Francisco, Dreamland, I-Beam, The End UP, and executive producer of "Art of Mix Records" one of the first remix record labels.
Steven Smith produced forty-one 12 inch singles, and fourteen CDs including Madonna, Pet Shop Boys, 808 state, Lizi, and UB40 to only name a few. Steven passed away in 1992 of AIDS and dedicated CD 12 to all those who have died of AIDS and to keep the faith.
Steven was one of the founders of the New Wave and Techno (before it was techno) craze. He would be mixxing live with four turntables, and a reel to reel, and a packed dance floors for years and years. his "Art of Mix" collection is still commanding top dollar on eBay. The photo attached is of Steven Smith in 1979. with his Light man Richard Lindeman, on his left and Ross Kenzer co founder of AOM.
Submitted by ArtofMixRecords (1)
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Jun 01, 09 | 1:13 amI sat in that booth one night, although I cannot remember now if it was when Steve was DJ or Check Starr. It was a while ago and those days are a bit 'hazy' for some reason. ;-) I was there when Rock Lobster first came out, but I don't recall empty dance floors. Great memories. Good times.
I did not know Steve had passed away. Another friend of mine, Steve Augustine, a bartender at "The O" also passed away in the late 80s. A lot of my old friends are gone.
Thanks for the flashback.
It's great to see Odysseys Steven Smith who had to be one of the top DJs of the 70-80's era and a member of SCDDJA.
Being the other DJ Steve Smith in SCDDJA(OC mid 70's to early 90's), it could be rather confusing for both of us, especially for him.
In 1979 we both attended the Billboard Disco Forum in NYC and stayed in same hotel. Whenever I returned to my room I would have messages and recieve early morning calls from his buds who had called the wrong room. You could hear the shock when I started letting my "girl" friend answer those calls in a very soft, sexy voice.
I too had a night to remember when I "finally" agreed to try playing a new wave song. That night I mixed into a brand new 12" copy of "Whip It" by Devo, and my floor cleared with the exception of a couple of girls. Within 30 seconds of mixing into that song, one of the girls, doing the pogo at high speed fell backward and cracked her head, on one of our rather large bass bin tables, knocking her out cold, with her little skirt thrown up around her head. It took several weeks before I had the guts to try another.
A few years later Poor Man from KROQ was standing in my booth, at a dance club in Laguna Beach. At his request I put on that same old copy of Devo. When I tried to mix out I blew the mix and to his utter shock I took that vinyl disk and snapped it sending shards of vinyl all over the DJ booth and him. The look on his face made me immediately forget my personal humilation of that poorly time segue.
I am sure glad still had another copy.