VA - Art Laboe's Dedicated to You Volume 3 & 6 (1993-1995)

Art Laboe is a legendary DJ who came to prominence in the '50s in Los Angeles playing doo wop and R&B. He became a promoter, club owner. and syndicated radio star; his Killer Oldies show is still going strong. He is also a label proprietor with Original Sounds. The label's Dedicated to You series is made up of ballads, dance tracks, and classic sides from the '50s to the '80s. The wide range of songs makes for a sometimes disjointed listening experience as not all the segues between eras make sense. Still there is a lot of fine R&B, soul, girl group sounds, and funk that will make you want to dance and reminisce. The highlights of this volume are Jerry Butler's "Only the Strong Survive," Zapp's "More Bounce to the Ounce," Etta James "I'd Rather Go Blind," and Tom Tom Club's "Genius of Love." Just that brief list of songs should give you an idea of how broad the scope of the series is. It is certainly a wild ride that takes you from Etta James to the Tom Tom Club, credit goes to Laboe for making it a ride worth taking.

Art Laboe is a legendary DJ who came to prominence in the '50s in Los Angeles playing doo wop and R&B. He became a promoter, club owner, and syndicated radio star; his Killer Oldies show is still going strong. He is also a label proprietor with Original Sounds. The label's Dedicated to You series is made up of ballads, dance tracks, and classic sides from the '50s to the '80s. The wide range of songs makes for a sometimes disjointed listening experience as not all the segues between eras make sense. Still there is a lot of fine R&B, soul, girl group sounds, and funk that will make you want to dance and reminisce. The highlights of this volume are Mtume's "Juicy Fruit," the Four Tops' "Ain't No Woman (Like the One I've Got)," Barbara Lewis' "Hello Stranger," and Rick James' "Superfreak." Just that brief list of songs should give you an idea of how broad the scope of the series is. It is certainly a wild ride that takes you from Santo & Johnny to the Sister Sledge, credit goes to Laboe for making it a ride worth taking.