Through stories of musical innovation, distribution and enjoyment, this series ‘Roots, Rhythms and Records’ celebrates the impact of Hackney’s African and Caribbean communities on music in the borough and beyond. This July, to mark International Reggae Day, we are exploring the role of Ital Records, a record label, distribution business and music shop which was based in Stoke Newington between 1979 and 1984.
Founded by Bert Campbell and his brother Pepe, Ital Records helped introduce new styles of reggae music to the UK that spoke to love, longing, home, and a generation’s roots across three continents. For young listeners in the 1980s, Ital Records was a creative outlet for sounds reflecting their own experiences.
Ital Records: Founders and Foundations
Ital Records began as a reggae music distributor in the 1970s importing newly released vinyl records and providing access to ‘dubplates’, exclusive one-off recordings, from Jamaica. This made new music available to sound system operators and record collectors in the UK; meeting the needs of a growing reggae music audience across the country. The distribution business was made possible by Bert Campbell’s music industry networks both in Jamaica and in the UK, which included some of reggae music’s most celebrated talents. His connections gave the business an advantage it needed to develop in what was an extremely competitive industry.
Ital Records was founded by Herbert ‘Bert’ George Campbell. Born in Trench Town, Kingston, Jamaica, Bert and his younger brother Frank (aka Pepe) were exposed to music from the many local sound systems in the area from an early age. Sound systems were an important part of Caribbean cultural life, featuring a community of DJs, MCs and sound engineers who played music to their audiences using hand built speakers and audio equipment. John Holt and Gregory Isaacs, who both went on to become famous reggae musicians later in life, were among Bert and Pepe’s childhood friends.
Bert left Kingston for London in the mid-1960s when he was 19 years old. He brought with him memories of Jamaica’s vibrant musical culture and a clear ambition to make this music available to people in the UK. He maintained close ties with his music industry connections in Jamaica, and when he and his brother established Ital Records as a distribution business, these contacts supplied them with the latest music hot off the press. For example, popular 1970s and 1980s reggae singer Dennis Brown’s landmark ‘Wolves and Leopards’ album was distributed in the UK by Ital Records.
“I used to import fresh records especially from the artist I knew like Dennis Brown, John Holt, Alton Ellis, I-Roy, Fred Locks, Augustus Pablo, Yabby You, to name a few….sound-system guys dem would come from all over the UK… and we used to get them the new and latest record and… dubplates directly from Kingston Jamaica.”
Bert Campbell
Ital in Stoke Newington
The Ital name was inspired by Bert’s friend, Lloyd Coxsone, a well-known figure on the UK sound system scene. Ital is a word used by Rastafarians to describe their natural, plant-based diet. Coxsone described the music Bert and Pepe distributed as ‘ital’ – pure, natural, and full of life. At a time when Rastafarian culture was an important driving force for reggae, this name captured the spirit and energy behind the music.
By the end of the 1970s, Bert and his brother had decided to expand into retail. In 1977, Ital Records record shop opened its doors to the public for the first time. Situated on West Green Road in Tottenham, it was in operation for two years before moving to 112 Stoke Newington High Street in 1979. The shop was initially called Ital Records but was rebranded Ital Music Force Ltd when it moved from Tottenham to Stoke Newington.
Moving the shop to Stoke Newington made sense for a few reasons. The new unit was larger than their West Green Road premises meaning they had more space for their distribution operation as well as for the newer retail arm of the business. Stoke Newington also had a large African-Caribbean community which provided a strong customer base, and the area offered the opportunity to reach wider audiences in Hackney and surroundings areas.
Ital’s record shop was a cultural hub, a place where music enthusiasts would meet and the emerging UK-born Lovers Rock scene could flourish. As well as the social element, artists would use studio facilities at the back of the shop to rehearse prior to recording their songs at Easy Street Studios in Bethnal Green.
From Retailer to Producer
Surrounded by a thriving music scene it was only a matter of time before Bert ventured into producing and releasing music on the Ital Records label himself. Recognising that second-generation ‘British-Caribbean ’ audiences wanted more music that spoke to love, relationships and everyday life in the diaspora, his productions blended Jamaican reggae rhythms with soul and R&B influences. This fusion contributed to the popular sound that became known as UK Lovers Rock music.
Ital Records gave a platform to artists whose names and music are well-known in UK reggae history today. One of its earliest successes came when Bert encouraged a young British born singer called Trevor Walters to record a track originally created for another singer. Walters added his own lyrics and vocal harmony, and recorded his first hit reggae record Give Love a Try (1981), shortly followed by Lovers Rock classic Love Me Tonight (1981) and later Stuck on You (1984), a crossover track which reached number 9 in the national pop chart and earned Walters a spot on the popular mainstream music television programme Top of the Pops.
Seeing the potential of the Lovers Rock music scene, Bert also established a number of other labels he could release his productions through in order to reach a wider audience and attract a broader range of recording artists; including young, UK-based talent. Bert was responsible for producing popular songs of the genre by artists including Donna Rhoden, Byron Otis, Erica Gayle Jean Adebambo and Carroll Thompson – many remain household names in UK Lovers Rock.
Ital’s Legacy
Bert Campbell’s productions centred the voices of African-Caribbean people in London – helping define a distinct UK reggae identity and providing a platform to artists whose names and music are now enshrined in UK reggae history. This legacy of Ital Records remains an important part of Britain’s musical heritage.
A passion for music that began in Kingston, Jamaica helped shape a genre in London and beyond. For Bert this music was not simply about entertainment, it was a response to the experience of diaspora – younger generations developing a new culture in a different land. The recordings produced, sold and distributed though Ital Records in Stoke Newington continue to be an important part of Britain’s musical heritage.
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Content for this blog was created by in collaboration with Jackie and Judith Campbell, Bert Campbell’s daughters.