Disco Acetates-Sunshine Sound

Sunshine Sound was a studio where DJ's could bring their reel to reel tapes and have acetate copies cut one at a time.Many club DJ's created their own mixes and wanted discs cut instead of using the tape so that they could mix into and out of the acetate platter.There was such a demand for some of these mixes that sometimes 10-25 copies (or more) were made and sold to outlets who did mail order and so they were distributed in NYC, Atlanta, Miami, Chicago and Los Angeles.

Two stores were Sunshine sound acetates were sold in the late 70's were record Connection in Los Angeles and Downstairs Records in NYC.
Sunshine Sound acetates also were sold at a few record stores in Montreal, Canada.

Sunshine Sound started at the end of 1974/beginning of 1975.
The owner was Frank Trimarco and they were located on the twelfth floor of 1650 Broadway in midtown New York.
The building which housed Sunshine Sound was also home to several record labels like Midsong Records and Red Greg Records where people like Greg Carmichael and Patrick Adams made tracks for their various studio projects like Universal Robot Bandand Bumblebee Unlimited.

Frank at Sunshine Sound had a list of the remixes, and the mixers would let him sell them to other DJ's when they would come to the store.The creators got a few dollars for every copy that was sold.
Between 1975 and 1982 a lot of acetates were made at Sunshine Sound. A few people started to make acetates first and got famous after playing those remixes/medleys in the clubs. The two famoust ones are John Morales and Francious Kevorikan.

Walter Gibbons and Patrick Cowley also made acetate cuts at Sunshine Sound.

Famous unreleased mix from Walter Gibbons.

The remix from John Morales.


Sunshine Sound mixes were used by a lot of DJ's.
Here a interview with a DJ (Jerry Bonham) who bought and used the acetates in 1980.

Interview with DJ-Jerry Bonham:

-When did you start as a DJ:
I am a DJ since 1976.

-Were did you buy your records, and were you member of a DJ record pool ?:
In the beginning I would do mail order from New York, stores like Downstairs records and VinylMania, and also check out the local stores in Minneapolis, you could always find great promos back then for next to nothing. Later I joined a record pool in Minneapolis, but that was not untill 1980.

-In Which Disco's did you DJ:
I was DJ'ing in New York at The Ice Palace in the City and The Ice Palace on Fire Island for the Summer of 1979 with Roy Thode. And 14 years in Minneapolis Minnesota at The Saloon, before moving to San Francisco, and eventually to Denver, Colorado.

-Did you had a special DJ name ?:
Yes! My own name Jerry Bonham! I don't think that the DJ "name game" came till much later, back then everyone just went by their own name.

-How did you find out about the existance of the disco acetates:
Another DJ from Minneapolis that I worked with at the Saloon, returned from a trip to New York, and he had the "I Feel Love" acetate, and I think the "Get On The Funk Train" acetate. I remember him playing them the night he returned to very mixed response. To the DJ's they were like little pieces of art, to some of the dancers, they didn't care for the cut ups of some of their favorite songs, other dancers loved the mixes and wanted to know where to get them as well.

-Do you remember the first Sunshine Sound acetate you bought:
The first ones I bought were "Erucu" "Get On The Funk Train", and "I Feel Love"

-Which places besides Sunshine Sound did you buy acetates:
Most of the ones I own I ordered thru the mail directly from Sunshine Sound Studios.

-How did this work, was there a list you could chooses from ?
I would just call them every other week to see if there were any new ones to be purchased.


-Did you hear the acetate mixes before buying, or was it always a surprise what you get, Or did frank has some additional info ?:
I was familiar with the songs that were being remixed / edited, so if I liked the song I would usually get the acetate of it as well. Frank always had suggestions as to which ones were better than the others.

-Did you play the acetates at the disco ?:
Definitely. They also led me to experiment a bit myself with a cassette recorder and make my own edits.

-Did Sunshine Sound advertise in magazines, record stores, flyers in disco, or other way's ?:
I don't recall seeing any ads for the acetates, they were illegal after all. It was all word of mouth as far as I know of.

-You had bought some acetates at the sunshine sound office, can you describe how it looks:
It was a very small and office like, with a cutting lathe in a corner.

-Was it always crowded at Sunshine Sound:
When I went I was the only person there. It was a very small operation.

-Did you know the Owner Frank Trimarco and other personel:
I met Frank and watched him cut my acetates right there while I waited for them. This was in 1979 after I had moved to New York.

-What were the prices of the acetates in that time:
They weren't that expensive, I'm thinking $5.00 - $10.00, Maybe more the 12" acetates as well. I really don't recall what I paid for them, but I know they were a lot cheaper to find then than they are now! - What was the average price of a 12 inch that time ? I believe that they were $2.99 at the most.

-Did you ever consider making your own edit's and presses them on Acetate ?:
I just used Tape Edits myself, never had any of them pressed up, they were for my personal use.

-Did you have friend DJ's who made a mix/edit ?:
My friend Warren Gluck did the "I Will Survive" mix. He told me he did it all live, he did a couple of runs to prepare and then did the whole mix in 1 take. Pretty Impressive I thought. There's phasing and doubling going on with the Gloria Gaynor song, and then the "At Midnight" drums kept as the rhythm under the whole song. Nice Mix, after that came out, I think almost every DJ in the world mixed those 2 songs together.


-Do you also have other Disco acetates labels like Angel Sound or disco Queen, or didn't you knew them:
I did not know of those back in the day.

-Are you still DJ'ing today:
I do a Trocadero event once a year in San Francisco, celebrating the music of The Trocadero, where DJ Bobby Viteritti, Michael Lewis, Rob Kimball, and many other DJ's came to fame.

You can check out the event at: www.remembertheparty.com http://www.remembertheparty.com/

 

Here is a list of Sunshine Sound acetates that i know.

10"

Francois Kevorkian mixes (Numbered with F…)

1

Happy song F10001 (12" and 7")

2

Magic Bird Of Fire F 10002

3

Denise Lasalle-Freedom To Express Yourself F 10003

4

I Feel Love F 10004

5

Disco 77   F 10005

6

Jam On The groove F10006

7

BRA   F10007

8

Erucu F 10008

9

????   F 10009

10

Osiris -4:42 F 10010 Mix By:Ramses II BPM 120

11

Groove City     F 10011

12

????   F 10012

13

Talk That Talk F 10013

 

John Morales mixes

14

Instant Replay-Mix by John Morales

15

Hold Your Horses -Mix by John Morales

16

Lady Bug- Mix By John Morales And Frank Of Sunshine Sound

17

Gotta Find A Disco  Mix by John

18

Date With the Rain Mix By John

19

Chic-Freak Out Mix By John Morales

20

One Of A Kind Gift  Mix By John

21

Hot Shot -Mix By John

22

Do Ya Think I'm Sexy Mix By John Morales

23

Beautiful Bend Mix By John Morales

24

118 bpm Medley Mix By John Morales

25

In The Bush-Mixed by John Morales

26

I Wanna Be Near You- Mix By John

27

The Answer-Mix By John

 

Other remixers:

28

Abba-Lay All Your Love On Me  mono version

29

Abba-Lay All Your Love On Me   Disconet version

30

( same version as issued on disconet vol. 4#1)

31

Amor

32

Accidental Love-Mix By:Nikki

33

Anything Goes

34

Ashford & Simpson Mastermix

35

At Midnight PED 116 BPM time (13:00)

36

B-2 (Max B)

37

B-2 / F**K You

38

B-2/Disco Trukking

39

Back To Music   (Medley)

40

Back To Music     Remix By :Jim Cohn

41

Bad Luck(33)/Ella Ella Mix (45)

42

Bad Luck-Mix By Vince Michaels

43

Bimbo Jet / Palo Bonito

44

Block Party-Anthony White

45

Body Work-Tony Washington

46

Brazil

47

Carmine & Co-Rhythmatism   7:35

48

Choo Choo Train

49

Chatanooga Choo Choo

50

Chequers-Undecided Love

51

Chicago Theme

52

Chic-Mixed By Michel Beauchamp (5:50)

53

Chinese Kung Fu

54

Chinese Kung Fu/Chicago Theme 1975

55

Chinese Kung Fu/Disco Trucking

56

Choosin  You (Lenny Williams)  

57

Columbian Disco (Medley)

58

Come Back

59

Come Into My Heart –Mix By Chuchu

60

Crystal World 1975

61

Crystal World/E Man Boogie (Jimmy Castor)

62

Dance

63

Dance Little Lady Remix By Chuck The Jock

64

Dance with me By Jim Cohn

65

Dance,Dance,Dance -By Bennie

66

Devils Gun   Mix by Keith Dumpson and Ray Perez

67

Disco Choo Choo-Mixed By Michel Beauchamp (10:40)

68

Disco Excitement Mix By Jim Cohn

69

Disco Toure (8:55)

70

Do Your Dance

71

Do It Anyway You Wanna  Mix by:Phil Silverman

72

Do It Anyway You Wanna/When You're Young And In Love

73

Do What You Wanna Do-Mix By Gary baxter 

74

Don't Leave Me This Way

75

Dreaming A Dream -4:48 Mix By:Phil Silverman BPM 122

76

Dreaming A Dream/El Caravanero

77

Ease On Down The Road

78

El Bimbo vocal/El Bimbo instr.

79

Ella Ella

80

Erucu: Mix by Dewane Dixon

81

Every Beat Of My heart(33)/Spree(45)

82

Everybody’s Fool

83

Exodus

84

Extra

85

Faster Faster (Donna Summer)

86

Feel My Love-George Mccrea  Mix By:Steve Thompson and Michale Arato

87

First, Last Everything/Are You Ready For This 1975

88

Flip -6:21 Mix By :P.A.J. BPM 122

89

Footsteps In The Shadows

90

For The Love Of Money

91

Forever Came Today (10:35)

92

Free Style   Mantus

93

Freedom To Express Yourself

94

Funky Dancer    (Medley)

95

Funky Tambourine

96

Garden Of Love-Cerrone

97

Get A Load Of Him (Instrumental)

98

Get A Load Of Him (Vocal)

99

Get Of The Streets Y All / Beggin

100

Get Of The Streets Y All / Mongoose

101

Get On The Funk Train –Canadian Mix By: J.L

102

Get On Up And Boogie-Silver Convention -8:00 BPM 104

103

Girl You Need a Change  / Crystal World

104

Give It Up Turn It Loose

105

Give Me Your Love / A Better Man Than You

106

Good Times

107

Gloria Gaynor 

108

Hanging Out (Kool And the Gang)

109

Happy Brazillia/Ella Ella 1975

110

Helplessly

111

Here Comes That Sound Again

112

Hijack (Barrabas)

113

Hollywood 2   (Medley)

114

Hollywood Hot(33)/Come Back(45)

115

Hollywood Mix By Jay   (Medley)

116

Hooked For Life (Tramps)

117

Hot Shot By Michael Ervin

118

I Can't Turn It Loose Mix By J.L.

119

I Don’t Know- Mix By M.C.

120

I Love The Nightlife-Mixed By Michel Beauchamp

121

Jeremiah-Mix By Roy Crichlow   Dance Master Disco

122

Jungle (different than the one from Bob Drake)   

123

Jungle / Stand Up And Be Counted

124

Jungle -7:58 Mix By:Bob(Robert) Drake BPM 120

125

Just Can't Say Goodbye

126

Jumpin At The Woodside-Gong Show

127

Just begun (Jimmy castor)

128

Keep God On Your Side

129

Keep On Movin

130

Keep On Jumpin

131

Lady bump

132

Lady,Lady,Lady/Falbala (magic band)

133

Land Of Make Believe-Champ boys  Remix By Chuck The Jock

134

Lassie Faire By Gichy Dan

135

Law Of The Land   Mix By :Paul Cassella

136

Let The Music Play -8:17 BPM 130

137

Let The Music Play-(8:17) Giorgio

138

Letter From Miami / Watu Wasuri

139

Lifeline (instr.)-Metaphors

140

Listen To Me

141

Love Can

142

Love Took A Day Off

143

Love Is The Message- Mix By Keith Dumpson

144

Love Shack part II (Friends Of Distinction) 4:10

145

Mannu Dibango

146

Mahogany   Mix By:Dewane Dixon

147

Makes You Blind   mix by:Jorge R.Wheeler

148

Melodies

149

Midnight / Sock It To Em Soul Brothers

150

Misunderstood- Mix By Jay

151

My Baby Loves Lovin -Hyla Parker

152

My Numbers Up  Mix By :Terry Chapman

153

My Sweet Summer Suite -6:30 Mix By:Keith Dumpson BPM 120

154

My Sweet Summer Suite/Chines Kung Fu

155

My Sweet Summer Suite (Different)

156

Nessa  /  Jungle

157

Nessa  /  Law Of The Land

158

Never Can Say Goodbye/In The Pocket 1975

159

Night Fever

160

Oba  / Crystal World

161

On A Day Like Today by Gichy Dan&Beechwood number 9 (August Darnell)

162

One Night Affair/What A Difference A Day Makes-Both sides Ester Phillips

163

Only The Strong Survive-Billy Paul

164

Papa Joe / 1,2,3

165

Peanut Vendor (Ritchie family)

166

Pegaus

167

Phila City

168

Piece Of Mind   after hours

169

Porto Rico

170

Porto Rico/Come Back 1975

171

Pretty Maid /Hey Big John

172

Pull Up To The Bumper (Grace Jones)

173

Pyramid Disco  (7:25)

174

Reach Out

175

Say The Word-The Trammps

176

Sex Machine -6:34 BPM 120

177

Snapshot-Delorus Hall -1979

178

Somebody's Gotta Go  Mix by Joel D

179

Spree

180

Stand Up Part 1 / Black Water Gold

181

Standing In The Rain -6:58 Mix by:Patsy BPM 126

182

Standing In The Rain Again

183

Standing In The Rain PZ-10001

184

Star Wars -4:51 Mix By:Jay BPM 128

185

Staying Alive  different mix

186

Staying Alive  Mix By : M.C.

187

Stubborn Kind Of Fella

188

Summer Of '42/ B-2 Mix By Phil Silverman

189

Super Queen

190

Suspicious Love/Baby Soul

191

Sweet Cream-I Don’t Know

192

Take Me Down    A Lance Dance Edit

193

Take My Love-Music Makers

194

Teamwork-medley-Mix By Jesus And Albie

195

Teddy Pendergrass

196

Teddy Pendergrass -8:01 Canadian mix by P.A.J BPM 124

197

The Diana Ross And Supremes Medley Mixed By PED part 1

198

The Girl From Ipanema

199

Thelma Houston-Don't Leave Me This Way

200

The Visitors-Abba

201

The Zoo / Jungle

202

Thrustmaker

203

Thumb A Ride/El Caravanero 1975

204

Tina Charles-side #1 :Dance Little Lady Dance side #2:You Set My Heart–Remix By Chuck The Jock

205

Tip Top Theme

206

Trouble-maker  /Side #2 Breaking Heart

207

Turn It Around

208

Two Pigs & A Hog  Mixed by Dewane Dixon

209

Wash And Wear Love-Lynn Vanardo   Gator Records 1202

210

Were Is The Love

211

What About Love-The Entertainer(45)/Baby Soul-Brazil-La Balanga(33)

212

Who Is He And What Is He To You

213

You Are A Starr-Jakki (6:46)

214

You Got It Made

215

You Set My Heart On Fire

216

You Set My Heart–Remix By Chuck The Jock  / Side #2    Exodus

217

You Should Be Dancin

218

You Take My Love For Granted-Dennis Bram

219

You're The One (Part 1)-Little Sister

220

Zulema-A Mother Cries (Vocal 4:29)/(Instr. 3:55)

 

 

7"

 

1

Headline News  1975

2

Phila City

3

Breakaway

4

Friends-Harold Melvin

5

Disco Boogie Woman Part 1

6

Disco Boogie Woman Part 2

7

Were Is The Love

8

Thumb A Ride-Earl Wright

9

Bee Free / Happy Brazilia

10

Je Reve A Rio

11

Makayo

12

Tell Me What You Want-Jimmy Ruffin

13

Chocolats-Brasilia Carnaval (instr.)

14

My Suite Summer Suite-Love Unlimited Orch. (Break only)

15

Must Be Going Out Of My Head/I Got The Feeling Now

16

Micky Mouse/Porky Pig

 

 

12"

 

1

Hold Tight/Lady Bump-Mix By Mike Lynch 13:03 128 BPM

2

Hot Stuff /Bad Girls Mix By:Jim Cohn

3

The Ritchie Family-Mix By Keith Dumpson

4

Teddy Pendergrass-Mix by P.A.J

5

It's Better Than Good Time  Mix by John

6

I Feel Love (Mono version-it was issued before it was issued on Disconet)

7

I Feel Love  Mixed by DJ Tommy  (Stereo Disconet version)

8

Only You  Mix By:John Morales

9

Vaughan Mason & Crew-Bounce Rock Skate Roll (No remix it's the original 12" single)

10

Teddy pendergrass (You Can't Hide From Yourself" And "The More I Get")

11

Back In Love Again-Mixed by John

12

Shotgun-Mystery Weapon

13

Love Fever-Gayle Adams  Special Hot Mix By:Mitch Ervin

14

The Medicine Song (11:25)/My Love Is Alive

15

Matts Mood-Remixed By Erik

16

It's A Better Than Good Time   Walter Gibbons Mix (14:20)

17

J'Taime-Donna Summer

18

Abba -The Visitors

19

Run To Me -Candi Staton (6:41)

20

808 State -Cubik & Uero

21

Hills Of Katmandu (album version)

22

Dunn Pearson-Groove On Down

23

Four Flight-All I Want Is You

24

Why Did I Have To Fall In Love -Produced By Al Pizarro/Mike Buccieri

25

I Don't Want To be A Freak-Mixed By :Billy DJ

26

Esmeralda Disco-Mixed By:D.J.Ferny

27

Love Hangover

28

Hills Of Katmandu-Patrick Cowley mix

29

Get On The Funk Train

30

Hold on To My Love (Jimmy Ruffin)

31

Love Is The Message

32

I Need You  (Sylvestor)

33

Don't Stop The Train

34

Age Of Reason

 

 

12 " Medleys

 

 

 

1

I Feel Love Medley Mix By:Terry L.Lind (13:49)

2

Tramps medley

3

Disco Boogie Mix By:Joseph Clark

4

Deadley Medley 1 Mix By:John Morales (11:44)

5

Deadley Medley 2 Mix By:John Morales (9:00)

6

Survive mix Mix By Warren G

7

USA Getting Fruity Mix By DJ Charlie

8

Hot Shot Medley Mix By:Kevin Laform

9

Prince medley   Mix By:John  Morales

10

Tramps medley  Mix By:DJ  Worm (different label but same mix as #2)

11

Tramps III

12

Love And Kisses medley   Mix By:John  Morales

13

Makosa Music   Customix By Blade

14

Do Your Dance

15

Downtown Mix-Volume 1   Mix By:D.J.Ton Flasza

16

Mikes Mix

17

Disco 80

18

TDM Disco mix No.1   Mix By:D.J.Ferny

19

TDM Disco mix No.2   Mix By:D.J.Ferny

20

Thank God It's Friday

21

Flashback Medley Part 1&2

22

First price canadian mix contest

23

He's So Shy-mixed by: DJ Billy 


Some of the medleys were pressed as vinyl copy and issued as thousand or more copies all over the world.The creators of the original Sunshine Sound Acetate never earned any money for the vinyl copies.

Famous is the Hollywood 1 and the Deadley Medley 1.