Grooving At Studio One (Heartbeat, 1996)

Inspired by (and aspiring to) the success of UB40's Labour of Love series, this compilation puts together Studio One versions of the tunes that UB40 covered -- some of them the original versions, some of them Studio One remakes.  Thus, you get Dennis Brown singing The Slickers' "Johnny Too Bad," Larry Marshall performing The Melodians' "Sweet Sensation," and a young Freddie McGregor crooning Eric Donaldson's "Cherry Oh Baby."  Also thrown in for extra "grooving" purposes are a few Studio One tracks not covered by UB40, all produced by the legendary Coxsone Dodd.  Rock steady rules Grooving At Studio One, with Dennis Brown's version of the darn catchy "Grooving Out on Life," Ken Boothe's "Just Another Girl," and The Heptones' "Baby" make the album worthwhile, although the more familiar tunes sung by unfamiliar sources are a bit disruptive to your senses.