Representative Albums: "Microphone Attack: 1974-1978", "Observation Station", "Niney and Friends: Blood and Fire 1971-1972
Representative Songs: "All Rounder Dub", "Blood and Fire", "Space Flight Dub
Biography
Producer Niney the Observer was among the chief architects behind the classic reggae sound of the early 1970s. Born Winston Holness in Montego Bay, Jamaica in 1951, he acquired the Niney moniker when he lost a thumb in a workshop mishap; he entered the music industry during the late 1960s as a protégé of producer Bunny Lee, later working with Lee "Scratch" Perry. Upon establishing his own Observer label, Niney's first hit was the 1970 Dennis Alcapone single "Mr. Brown"; later that year he unleashed the seminal "Blood and Fire," which sold some 30,000 copies in Jamaica alone while forever earning the enmity of Bob Marley, to whose "Duppy Conqueror" the record bore more than a passing resemblance. Niney's greatest success came in partnership with singer Dennis Brown, with whom he first teamed in 1973; in the months to follow, their collaboration yielded a series of innovative smashes, among them "Westbound Train," "I Am the Conqueror," "Cassandra" and "No More Will I Roam." He also produced material for figures including Gregory Isaacs, Horace Andy, Junior Delgado and Delroy Wilson. Niney left the music business during the late 1970s, finally resurfacing in Paris around 1982; by the midddle of the decade, he had returned to Kingston to briefly work at Channel One studios. He returned to active musical duty in 1988, producing records for Andrew Tosh and Frankie Paul; projects with Little John, Yami Bolo and Baby Wayne maintained his visibility during the decade to follow. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide
Winston Holness, better known as Niney the Observer (born George Boswell, 1951, Montego Bay[1]), is a Jamaicanrecord producer and singer who was a key figure in the creation of many classic reggaerecordings dating from the 1970s and early 1980s.
Holness gained his nickname "Niney" after losing a thumb in a workshop accident.[1] In the latter half of the 1960s he worked as an engineer at KG records, where he began producing. His first release was his own composition "Come on Baby" issued on his Destroyer label.[1] He moved on to work with Bunny Lee in 1967, then for Lynford Anderson's studio, then working for Joe Gibbs as chief sound engineer, replacing his friend Lee "Scratch" Perry. While working for Gibbs he produced Dennis Alcapone and Lizzy's "Mr. Brown", and played a major role in launching the career of Dennis Brown.[1] After leaving Gibbs' setup, his first major success as a producer was "Blood & Fire" in December 1970, initially released in a pressing of 200 on his Destroyer label, but reissued the following year on his Observer label, and going on to sell over 30,000 copies in Jamaica.[1][2] Inspired by Perry's nickname of "The Upsetter", Holness adopted "The Observer", using the name for his new Observer label, and the name of his house band, The Observers (actually the Soul Syndicate).[1] Several singles followed, some reusing the "Blood & Fire" rhythm, including Big Youth's "Fire Bunn".
In the early 1970s, Holness became one of Jamaica's most sought after producers, with the likes of Dennis Brown, Delroy Wilson, The Heptones, Johnny Clarke, Slim Smith, Jacob Miller, Junior Delgado, and Freddie McGregor all using his services.[1] He also continued to record himself, on collaborations with Dennis Alcapone, Max Romeo, and Lee Perry. By the mid-1970s, he was also working with Ken Boothe, Junior Byles, Gregory Isaacs, Horace Andy, I-Roy, and Dillinger.[1] The late 1970s saw him still very active as a producer, but his output in the early 1980s was significantly less after relocating to France. He re-emerged in 1982 with the Ital Dub Observer Style album, and returned to Kingston in 1983, taking on the role of house producer for the Hitbound label at Channel One Studios.[1] In this capacity he was one of the first to work with Beenie Man, and also produced Third World and Sugar Minott. In the mid-1980s, he relocated to New York, returning to Kingston again in 1988, and working with Yami Bolo, Frankie Paul, Andrew Tosh, and Junior Byles. He began an association with Heartbeat Records, working on reissues of much of his back catalogue, as well as new recordings. He continued to produce new material through the 1990s.