Motown smashes line between old and new

By Donna Marbury
Contributing Writer
Urban Edition

Hearing Stevie Wonder’s voice behind his beats during halftime at the recent NBA Finals was a humbling experience for Wayne Hunter.
“Only thing I was thinking was, ‘I did that remix in my living room, and now it’s on national television,’” says Hunter, also known as DJ Smash around black music circles.
The DJ, whose knowledge of black music spans decades and countries, is featured on Motown Remixed, Vol. 1, a collection of classic Motown songs reworked by some of the hottest deejays. Smash notes that this is not a typical remix compilation.
“A lot of critics and cynical people feel that this is just another remix project, but it was actually started about five years ago,” says Smash during an interview with Urban Edition. The CD also features mixes of Gladys Knight & the Pips’ “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” by the Roots’ ?uestlove and James Poyser, and the Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back” by DJ Z-Trip. DJ Green Lantern remixes Rick James’ “Mary Jane,” and late-night staple “Quiet Storm” by Smokey Robinson is revamped by Groove Boutique (Rafe Gomez and David Baron, featuring Roy Ayers.) DJ Jazzy Jeff and Pete Kuzma do up the Temptations’ “Papa Was a Rolling Stone,” and Easy Mo Bee gives a facelift to the group’s “Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me).”
Stevie would be proud (and seems to be as Smash’s remix will be the b-side of his new single “What’s the Fuss.”) Smash describes the feeling behind the song and working with Wonder, though he wasn’t even in the studio.
“When I did the mix, I thought about him in terms of trying to impress him and show the song the utmost respect. I kept in mind what I would do in the studio with Stevie, and it was like he was there. I had all his parts and his voice,” says Smash. “I just knew I had to keep it funky and use what was there. I did a lot of mixes and ended up keeping the last one. It’s like when you’re looking for something and in the last place you look, there it is.”

To read more buy the Columbus Post