Richie Stephens - Luv-A-Dub Style (VPal/Steely & Clevie/Pot Of Gold)

Cleveland 'Clevie' Browne was in charge of production and 'Luv-A-Dub Style' appears the Steely & Clevie label, while being distributed by VPal. In addition to covers of classics like opener 'Feel Good All Over' (Delroy Wilson), 'Let's Dance' (John Holt), 'Rain From The Sky' (penned as 'Rain From The Skies' by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, but in reggae already covered countless times by, among others, Delroy Wilson and Dennis Brown), 'Here I Am Baby' (first recorded by Al Green, but in reggae best known thanks to Owen Gray and UB40), the track list of 'Luv-A-Dub Style' also contains versions over well-known riddims like No No No (title track 'Luv-A-Dub Style'), Every Tongue Shall Tell ('Love Her Up'), Breaking Up Is Hard To Do ('We've Made It'), Larry Marshall's 'I Admire You' ('All Night Long'), and, of course, Skylarking ('Come Back To Bed', just a shame about that jangling keyboard).

'Luv-A-Dub Style' also contains a number of interesting combinations: for 'All Night Long' Stephens joined forces with U Brown, Sister Nancy can be heard in 'Love Her Up', and title track 'Luv-A-Dub Style' is a duet with Bounty Killer: "Richie is always encouraging me to do other types of music. He was the first person to get me to sing and r&b song. Music is our first love. He is Richie and I am Rodney Price, so when we get together, it is like priceless riches!". The album concludes with 'Get Off The Phone', musically speaking perhaps not the best track on the album, but a song Richie wrote after losing a friend in a traffic accident and a plea to motorists not to use mobile phones while driving. We wholeheartedly forgive Richie Stephens for the few minor flaws 'Luv-A-Dub Style' contains, as he's once again produced a great lovers album!