1 month ago
23
Prolific, veteran producer, Winston ‘Niney the Observer’ Holness, is ready to unveil a new body of work and this time, he has a surprise in store for fans.
“I am both the producer and the artiste. Over the years I have focused mainly on producing songs for other artistes ... and that has been rewarding on many levels ... but it’s time for me to put myself on record again,” an upbeat Niney told The Gleaner.
The album, titled Niney Holness The Observer, will have its official, by-invitation-only launch at the Pegasus Hotel’s Talk of the Town tonight and Niney is looking forward to presenting the project to the world.
“We have been working on this album for a while ... since 2020. The pandemic interrupted it for a while, as I was in the US, but everything is now ready. I went for the best in the business ... best musicians, best backing vocalists, the best engineers, the best studios ... the whole works,” said Niney, who owns one of the biggest catalogues in reggae music.
Among the musicians on Niney Holness The Observer are drummer, Sly Dunbar; saxophonist, Dean Fraser; keyboardist, Robbie Lyn, bassist, Flabba Holt and the late Dalton Browne was playing guitars and doing harmony on this project. Marcia Griffiths, Judy Mowatt and Sandy Stewart, daughter of singer Tinga Stewart are credited with background vocals.
“This album is on the righteous side and I know that people are going to love it,” said Niney.
Niney Holness The Observer comes 23 years after the release of his last album. That one had a rather interesting name – Freaks. It was released by Heartbeat Records in 1992 and classified as roots, reggae, and dub. Among the 10 songs on Freaks were Don’t Test Me, Freaks (Take Two), Money Talks, The Ghost And The Duppy, Groovin’ and the all-important Blood and Fire, a combustible song which caused a stir when it was released in 1971, and sold more than 30,000 copies in Jamaica alone.
LIVE AT THE TURNTABLE
Niney, who started out as a record salesman, later upgraded to producer and was known as “the man with the ideas”. He has worked alongside music industry pioneers such as Coxsone Dodd, Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, Bunny Lee, Joe Gibbs, Duke Reid and Leslie Kong.
He was the first producer to make a live album in Jamaica. It was titled Live at the Turntable and took place at the famous Turntable Club on Red Hills Road, the home of Merritone Disco.
“That was in 1974. Ask Monte [Blake of Merritone] that was the roughest thing. Norma Brown was the emcee. Red Hills Road block. From deso Bob Marley rate mi. Bob come up there with 14 people and him seh ‘Niney yuh beat me to this one, but when I go to England it going to be different’. And he went to England and did Live at the Lyceum,” Niney said.
He continued, “After me keep Live at the Turntable dem start keep show at Bohemia [club] and that’s where I meet Michael Rose and tell him fi check me at 91 Orange Street ... Michael Rose was a wicked tailor. Mi have Michael Rose eight or nine month a sing and when mi think him ready mi carry him up to Joe Gibbs studio and record Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner,” the Grammy-nominated producer told The Gleaner, as he reminisced on his life as a producer.
Niney’s bio notes that he is “a conscious roots reggae singer and producer who is a key figure in the creation of many classic reggae recordings, discomixes and sound system dubplates dating from the 1970s and early 1980s”.
Niney has a history of hit-making with singers and has produced chart busters for Mykal Rose; Gregory Isaacs,( Slavemaster); Dennis Brown, ( Cassandra, Westbound Train); Ken Boothe ( Silver Words); Sugar Minott (( Lover’s Race) and Third World ( Roots with Quality).
In 2015, the Government awarded Niney the Observer the Order of Distinction for his contribution to the development of Jamaican music.
English (US) ·