Ronnie Davis And Idren - Come Straight (2018)

Remastered roots reggae classic. Includes 2 previously unissued bonus tracks. New liner notes from Nighthawk co-founder Leroy Jodie Pierson. Previously unseen photos and ephemera. Ronnie Davis was born in Savannah La Mar in Jamaica's Westmorland Parish in July of 1950. He began his professional career as a musician in 1967 when he was recruited to join The Tennors, a vocal group who had already scored a big hit with "Pressure And The Slide" on Coxsone's Studio One label. The group scored another massive hit in 1968 with "Ride Your Donkey" with more hits following in 1973 when Ronnie led the group on "Weather Report" for Duke Reid's Treasure Isle label and "Take Heed" for Bunny Lee. Both records sold well, and with encouragement from Bunny Lee, Ronnie left the group to pursue a solo career. During the mid-'70s Ronnie was among the most prolific of Jamaica's vocalists, recording over 100 titles for a variety of labels and producers including a large body of work for Bunny Lee. By the late '70s Davis was producing his own work for release on his own On Top label while continuing to work for other producers. He bonded with producer Lloyd Campbell who released some of Davis' best work on the Spider Man label and included "Won't You Come Home" which became a minor hit due in part to the superb rhythm track from The Revolutionaires. Ronnie loved this record, and soon returned to Lloyd Campbell with Keith Porter, a friend from Savannah La Mar who had written a new song for the rhythm. Together they cut "In A Dis A Time" with Keith leading the fierce Rastafarian classic with sweet harmony from Ronnie. The song, credited to The Itals, became a massive local hit. They added a third singer, Lloyd Ricketts, and Campbell and continued recording. In late 1979, Robert Schoenfeld and Leroy Jodie Pierson of Nighthawk Records began searching for The Itals and after tracking them down, they found themselves gathered at Aquarius Studio listening to superb Spider Man tracks by the group. A few days later, Keith Porter, Lloyd Ricketts and Ronnie Davis auditioned songs for their very first album, Brutal Out Deh. The group was signed to a five-year contract and began work on their album. Robert Palmer wrote a rave review published in the weekend edition of the New York Times, and sales exploded. The Itals became one of the most successful touring reggae acts in the U.S. Their third album, Rasta Philosophy was among the five final nominations for the 1987 Best Reggae Album Grammy® award. In the 1980's when the group splintered, Ronnie felt that he should create his own vocal group. He had never stopped recording as a solo artist and with the aid of long-established Savannah La Mar vocalists Lloyd Ricketts, Roy Smith and Robert Doctor, he recorded a new album Come Straight, released in 1996 credited to Ronnie Davis and Idren. Now remastered with two bonus tracks, new liner notes from Nighthawk's Leroy Jodie Pierson and previously unseen photos, this acclaimed album has never sounded better!