eMusic

Start Your Trial

Niney the Observer

Niney the Observer

Rate it!

Avg: 4.0 (2 ratings)

  • Born: 1951 in Montego Bay, Jamaica
  • Years Active: 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s

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

Related Artists Ancestors, Peers and Acolytes

Similar Artists:

Chaka Demus

“ The indie iTunes — Hardcore music fans are migrating to eMusic, the iTunes Music Store's cheaper, cooler cousin.”


Rolling Stone
Start Your Trial

Recently Viewed

Back
Forward

© 1998-2009 eMusic.com Inc. eMusic and the eMusic logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks in the USA or other countries. All rights reserved.

All Music Guide © 1992 - 2009 All Media Guide, LLC
Portions of content provided by All Music Guide, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC

Facebook®, YouTube, Flickr™ and Wikipedia® are registered trademarks of their respective owners, Facebook Inc., Google, Inc., Yahoo! Inc. and Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Neither Facebook Inc., Google, Inc., Yahoo! Inc. nor Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. are partners or sponsors of eMusic. eMusic uses the Facebook, Flickr, YouTube and Wikipedia API but is not endorsed or certified by Facebook, Flickr, YouTube and Wikipedia. eMusic does not pre-screen, monitor, endorse nor assume any liability for websites, contents, products, services or claims made by Facebook, YouTube, Flickr™ and Wikipedia®.

Legal or copyright question regarding Facebook, YouTube, Flickr or Wikipedia content on eMusic? Please email us.