![]() The cover of Winston Riley's 2009 "Quintessential Techniques" (VP Records) a compilation album featuring the hits he created over four decades. |
Songwriter and record producer Winston Riley, 65, was shot in the head and arm on Tuesday, Nov. 1, at his home in Kingston, Jamaica; he is currently being treated at an undisclosed Kingston hospital. A consistent hit maker since the late 1960s, Riley has been the victim of a series of unexplained violent attacks this year; he was shot in August and stabbed in September. Jamaica's Constabulary Force is currently investigating the relationship between these incidents.
Riley's career began as a singer in 1962 when he formed the vocal harmony group The Techniques with Keith 'Slim' Smith, Frederick Waite and Franklyn White. The group regularly performed at (future Jamaican Prime Minister) Edward Seaga's venue Chocomo Lawn; their debut single "No One" was released exclusively in the United Kingdom on Columbia Records. The Techniques first Jamaican tracks were recorded for Coxsone Dodd's Studio One label in 1965. The shift in Jamaican music from ska to rocksteady and a move to Duke Reid's Treasure Isle label brought The Techniques a spate of hits in 1967 including "Queen Majesty" and "You Don't Care" which are now regarded as classics.
Riley left the group in 1968; he founded the Techniques record label and met further acclaim as a producer with the 1969 singles "Come Back Darling" by Johnny Osbourne and the Sensations and "Who You Gonna Run To" by the Shades.