The Itals are a Jamaican reggae vocal group formed in 1976 by Alvin "Keith" Porter, Lloyd Ricketts, and Ronnie Davis (formerly a member of The Tennors), all of whom had previously also recorded as solo artists. All three had worked together in the late 1960s in The Westmorelites. The group recorded several albums through the late 1970s and 1980s, with Ronnie Davis going on to a successful solo career in 1997 as Ronnie Davis and Idren. The Itals' debut single, "In A Dis Ya Time", is regarded as the group's finest work, and topped the Jamaican chart. 1987's Rasta Philosophy was nominated for a Grammy Award as Best Reggae Album. The line-up has changed over the years, with former solo artist David Isaacs joining in 1987 when Ricketts was sentenced to a prison term, preventing him from travelling to the United States. Davis left the group in 1994, and was replaced by Porter's daughter Kada. The Itals continued to tour in 2009 in support of the newly released Let Them Talk. In 2011 original member Lloyd Ricketts was able to obtain a work permit and performed two shows with Porter and Davis before his death. Davis stepped away from The Itals again in 2012 and reunited with the Rocksteady group The Tennors, but Keith continued to tour with two of his children, Darien Porter and Kada Porter, providing harmonies. Porter released Mind Over Matter, the remastered compilation of 22 early Itals songs and a solo album of reggae covers of classic R&B songs, called Let's Get it On in July 2015.
The Itals
Discography (6)
| Artist | Album | Release | Type | Label | Rec | Rel | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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The Itals | Brutal Out Deh | NH 303 | LP | Nighthawk | 1981 | 1981 |
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The Itals | Give Me Power | NH 307 | LP | Nighthawk | 1983 | 1983 |
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The Itals | Rasta Philosophy | NHM 7491 | LP | Nighthawk | 1985 | 1986 |
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The Itals | Early Recording | NH 310 | CD | Nighthawk | 1971-79 | 1987 |
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The Itals | In A Dis Ya Time | VPCD 4141 | CD | 17 North Parade | 197X-8X | 2008 |
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The Itals | Cool And Dread | NH 311 | CD | Nighthawk | 1982-83 |
Credits & Appearances (9)
Production
Producer 3
| Artist | Album | Release | Type | Label | Rec | Rel | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
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The Itals | Early Recording | NH 310 | CD | Nighthawk | 1971-79 | 1987 |
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The Itals | Brutal Out Deh | NH 303 | LP | Nighthawk | 1981 | 1981 |
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The Itals | Cool And Dread | NH 311 | CD | Nighthawk | 1982-83 |
Technicians
Mixing Engineer 1
| Artist | Album | Release | Type | Label | Rec | Rel | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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The Itals | Cool And Dread | NH 311 | CD | Nighthawk | 1982-83 |
Musicians
Backing Band 1
| Artist | Album | Release | Type | Label | Rec | Rel | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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The Itals | Cool And Dread | NH 311 | CD | Nighthawk | 1982-83 |
Vocals 4
| Artist | Album | Release | Type | Label | Rec | Rel | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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The Itals | Early Recording | NH 310 | CD | Nighthawk | 1971-79 | 1987 |
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The Itals | Brutal Out Deh | NH 303 | LP | Nighthawk | 1981 | 1981 |
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The Itals | Cool And Dread | NH 311 | CD | Nighthawk | 1982-83 | |
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The Itals | Give Me Power | NH 307 | LP | Nighthawk | 1983 | 1983 |
Also Appears On (13)
| Artist | Album | Release | Type | Label | Rec | Rel | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Various Artists | Reggae In Your Jeggae | CDTRL 358 | CD | Trojan | 1968-72 | 1996 |
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Various Artists | Music Alone Shall Live | TBL 158 | LP | Success | 1971 | 1971 |
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Various Artists | You Can't Wine & Music Alone Shall Live | DBCD 042 | CD | Doctor Bird | 1971 | 2019 |
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Various Artists | Hits Of 77 | SP 155 | LP | High Note | 1977 | 1977 |
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Various Artists | Hits Of 77 | DBCDD 051 | CD | Doctor Bird | 1977 | 2019 |
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Various Artists | Street Corner Ital Food | GG 019 | LP | GG's | 1979 | 1979 |
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Various Artists | Adults Only Vol 2 | CDTRL 308 | CD | Trojan | 197X | 1992 |
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Various Artists | Real Authentic Reggae Volume One | BBECD 105 | CD | BBE | 197X | 2008 |
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Various Artists | Spotlight On Reggae Vol 6 | CD | Rocky One | 197X | ||
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Various Artists | Wiser Dread | NH 301 | LP | Nighthawk | 1981 | 1980 |
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Various Artists | Calling Rastafari | NH 304 | LP | Nighthawk | 1982 | 1982 |
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Various Artists | Knotty Vision | NH 306 | LP | Nighthawk | 1983 | 1983 |
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Various Artists | Trojan Ras Reggae Box Set | TJETD 152 | CD | Trojan | 198X-9X | 2004 |
6 albums
9 credits
2 labels
1981 - 1987
