CCMusic.com

• Track Listing

Four CD set. Most recordings not officially available for 5 decades. Includes some of the giants of Jamaican music. Features many of the biggest reggae hits of the late 70s. After first being introduced in the early 70s, the 12" single had become the format of choice for many of Jamaica's leading producers by the decade's close, with few Kingston-based music makers more attracted to it's range and flexibility than Winston Holness AKA Niney the Observer. Between 1977 and 1978, Niney released a series of 'disco-mix' singles in both Jamaica and the UK, with a number of these coming housed in eye-catching 'Observer Master Mix'-branded picture sleeves. Popular among DJs and record buyers on both sides of the Atlantic, the singles showcased the work of some of reggae leading artists, whose number included such Jamaican music luminaries as Gregory Isaacs, Dennis Brown, Horace Andy, Junior Byles and Freddie McGregor. Yet despite the widespread popularity of these extended mixes, most have remained officially unavailable on any format since their original issue almost half a century ago. Now at long last, the best of these recordings can finally be enjoyed once more without the need to pay a small fortune for the privilege, with this anthology comprising a veritable feast of superior roots, dub and DJ sounds. While the tracks range from major hits to painfully rare obscurities, the quality of the material remains of the highest order throughout, culminating in a truly essential collection for all those appreciative of late 70s reggae sounds.