Norman John RoweAM (born 1 February 1947)[1] is an Australian singer and songwriter. He rose to national prominence in the mid-1960s as a pop star and teen idol, backed by The Playboys. His 1965 double A-side "Que Sera Sera"/"Shakin' All Over" was one of the most successful Australian singles of the decade.
Born in Melbourne, Rowe was inspired by rock and roll as a teenager and began performing while still in high school, leaving his job to become a professional entertainer. He was signed by local label Sunshine, where he released his biggest hits; he was credited for his bright and edgy tenor voice and dynamic stage presence. Rowe was named "King Of Pop" by Go-Set in 1967 and 1968. Many of his most successful recordings were produced by Nat Kipner and later by Pat Aulton, house producers for the Sunshine label. His string of consecutive top ten singles in the mid-1960s made him the most popular solo performer of the era, although attempts to break into the United Kingdom were unsuccessful.
Rowe was drafted for National Service in late 1967. His subsequent tour of duty in Vietnam, which lasted from 1968 to 1970, effectively ended his pop career, and his reputation was affected by the anti-war movement and stigma around returning soldiers. Unable to recapture the musical success he enjoyed at his peak in the 1960s, he pursued a career in theatre and television, including a role on Seven Network soap opera Sons and Daughters. In 1991, he was involved in a physical fight on live television with broadcaster Ron Casey after the latter made derogatory remarks regarding Rowe's service in Vietnam.
In October 1979 Rowe's first child, Adam, died in a tragic accident, and later his daughter, Erin, died just before Christmas in December 2022.[citation needed]
Biography
Early life: 1947–1964
Rowe was born and raised in Northcote in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.[1] He was drawn to music early in life, and began singing with his local church choir in Melbourne while at primary school. He was hooked on rock and roll music even before his teens, and Col Joye became one of his early idols and inspirations. He took up guitar and formed his first amateur band, The Valiants, whilst attending Northcote High School. The band performed once a month at Alphington Methodist Hall. He concentrated on singing and made his first stage appearance as a lead vocalist in a school concert, aged 14.
When I was just aspiring to be a singer, only nine years of age, Col Joye was my idol. He was the boy next door that I could identify with, not the wild Johnny O'Keefe. In fact it was as my first concert, at the Lou Toppano Music School end of the year concert in 1959 or '60, that I sang Col's "Rock 'n' Rollin' Clementine". I still have the trophy I received for that show. It reads: "The Best Performance of the Night".
—Norman Rowe
By luck, the show was compered by top Melbourne radio DJ Stan Rofe. Rofe was impressed by Rowe's talent and arranged for him to work with local dance promoter Kevin McClellan. He began performing regularly at Melbourne dances and discos, backed by instrumental groups like The Thunderbirds, The Impostors and, finally, The Playboys, who became his permanent band until 1967.
After leaving high school at the end of 1962, Rowe joined the Postmaster-General's Department (PMG) on 14 January 1963. He worked as a trainee technician but, in late 1964, his long hair became an issue with his employers and, in the face of a "cut it or quit" ultimatum, he left the PMG to become a professional entertainer. Working on the Melbourne dance circuit, he became a popular attraction and it was not long before he was picked to become a regular on Melbourne pop TV shows like Teen Scene and The Go!! Show. According to music historian Ed Nimmervoll, EMI had the chance to sign him but turned him down, claiming that he could not sing. He was signed to a recording deal with the independent label, Sunshine, which included a management deal with the Ivan Dayman organisation.
Music career
Sixties stardom
Rowe's first single, released in April 1965, was a brooding "beat" arrangement of George Gershwin's "It Ain't Necessarily So" (from Porgy & Bess) a choice suggested by Stan Rofe. It was a Number 1 hit in Melbourne and a Top Ten hit in most other capitals cities (No. 6 in Sydney, No. 5 in Adelaide, No. 3 in Brisbane),[2] even though Sydney pop station 2SM, then owned by the Catholic Church, banned it because of its supposedly sacrilegious lyrics. The inspiration for Rowe's version was apparently a 1963 version by the United Kingdom band Ian and the Zodiacs. Some references cite the source as a version by The Merseybeats, but that band never recorded "It Ain't Necessarily So". The name of the Ian and the Zodiacs' album, This Is Merseybeat, has apparently been confused with the name of the band The Merseybeats.
Rowe's first LP was released in July 1965. His second single, apparently discovered while trawling through Rofe's vast record collection, released in August, was a cover of Ben E. King's "I (Who Have Nothing)". It became his second Top 10 hit (No. 10 in Sydney, No. 6 in Adelaide, No. 4 in Melbourne) (and a Number 23 in Brisbane).[3]
Although Rowe's third single, "I Confess" / "Everything's Alright", was apparently withdrawn before or soon after release, the next single became the biggest hit of his career. The A-side was a cover of "Que Sera Sera" (best known from the Doris Day original), which was given a "Merseybeat" treatment, in the manner of The Beatles' "Twist & Shout". Paired with a powerful version of the Johnny Kidd & The Pirates classic "Shakin' All Over", the single became a double-sided No. 1 hit in most capitals (#1 Sydney, #1 Melbourne, #1 Brisbane, #1 Adelaide[4]) in September, charting for 28 weeks and selling in unprecedented numbers—rock historian Ian McFarlane reports sales of 80,000 copies[5] while 1970s encyclopedist Noel McGrath claimed sales of 100,000,[6] and it is reputed to be the biggest-selling Australian single of the 1960s. Rowe scored another first in October by having three hit singles in the Melbourne Top 40 simultaneously.
An oft-repeated story that the whistle used in the arrangement was an innovation by the record's producer appears to be unfounded, because very similar arrangements, complete with whistle, had been recorded on earlier versions by Earl Royce & The Olympics (UK, 1964) and by The High Keys (USA, 1963).[7]
Rowe's success continued through late 1965 and into the first half of 1966, during which time he scored another three consecutive Top Ten singles. "Tell Him I'm Not Home" (Nov. 1965), a cover of a song originally recorded by Chuck Jackson in 1963, was a Top 5 hit in most mainland capitals, reaching #4 in Sydney, #2 in Melbourne, #2 in Adelaide and #1 in Melbourne[8] It was followed by his version of Burt Bacharach and Hal David's "The Breaking Point" (b/w "Ya Ya", Feb. 1966) which became his second double-sided hit, a number #1 in Brisbane and making the Top Ten in all mainland capitals, peaking at #9 in Adelaide, #8 in Sydney, #2 in Melbourne and Perth, #1 in Brisbane[9]
"Pride & Joy" (June 1966) was also Top Ten in most state capitals.[10] That single is also notable for its B-side, a cover of "The Stones That I Throw", written by Robbie Robertson, originally recorded in 1965 by Levon & the Hawks, later known as The Band.[11] He appeared in the 1966 musical comedy film Don't Let It Get You. In the mid-year, he joined The Easybeats, Bobby & Laurie and MPD Ltd on "The Big Four" national tour that played to huge crowds around the country.
United Kingdom: 1966–1968
Rowe was by this time the most popular solo performer in Australia so, in August 1966, he left to try his luck in the UK. In preparation, he revamped the line-up of his backing band, the Playboys. Several members opted to stay in Australia for family reasons, so Rowe replaced them with bassist Brian Peacock and guitarist Rod Stone, both from the ex-New Zealand band The Librettos, which had recently split.
Arriving in London ahead of his band, Rowe engaged Ritchie Yorke as his London agent and began to record with producers Trevor Kennedy and John Carter, using the cream of London's session musicians, including Big Jim Sullivan, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, famed drummer Clem Cattini, and vocal group The Breakaways. The sessions produced several strong new recordings, including "Ooh La La", "It's Not Easy", "Mary Mary", "Turn on the Love Light" and "Can't Do Without Your Love". Despite his absence in London, Rowe's run of chart success in Australia continued. His next single, "Ooh La La" / "Ain't Nobody Home" (November 1966) was another double-sided hit in Melbourne and a Top 5 hit in most capitals, reaching #2 in Sydney, and #4 in Brisbane and Adelaide.[12]
Up to that time, there was no national pop chart in Australia, with most pop radio stations and newspapers in state capitals and major cities publishing their own competing charts. However, on 5 October 1966, Go-Set magazine, which had been launched in February, began publishing a weekly national Top 40, compiled by Ed Nimmervoll. "Ooh La La" / "Mary, Mary" debuted at #6 on the new Go-Set chart on 7 December 1966,[13] and reached #1 in the 21 December chart,[14] hence becoming Rowe's first official national #1 hit. It stayed at #1 for two weeks before being briefly supplanted by The Easybeats' "Friday on My Mind" on 4 January, but returned to the top for the next two weeks.
While "Ooh La La" was at #1 in Australia, Rowe's next single, the ballad "It's Not Easy" was also climbing the chart. It debuted at #17 in the Go-Set chart in the last week of December 1966,[15] and reached the Top 10 in the second week of January. Through the end of January and into February, Rowe achieved a first for an Australian popular recording artist by having two of the top three singles simultaneously for three consecutive weeks.[16] Rowe worked in England for ten months and toured with acts including Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger & The Trinity, The Spencer Davis Group, Kiki Dee, Gene Pitney and The Troggs. High hopes were held for a British breakthrough and, in the early months of 1967, the pages of Go-Set featured predictions of his imminent UK stardom, though that never materialised.
The new Playboys lineup arrived in London in December, but Rowe flew home for Christmas, which coincided with the release of "It's Not Easy" / "Mary Mary". He returned to England in January and, in March 1967, the group embarked on a tour of the UK, supporting The Troggs, Gene Pitney and Sounds Incorporated. That same month, Phil Blackmore left the group for family reasons and returned to Australia, being replaced by English organist Trevor Griffin. Rod Stone left in mid-1967 and returned to Australia, after which he joined band The Groove. He was replaced by former Adam Faith sideman Mick Rogers. At the end of 1966, Rowe was voted Australia's best male singer in the inaugural Go-Set Pop Poll.
Meanwhile, The Playboys secured a one-off single deal with Andrew Loog Oldham's Immediate Records label, releasing the single "Sad" / "Black Sheep RIP" in August. Written by Brian Peacock, "Sad" is now considered a 'freakbeat' classic and has been widely anthologised, appearing on the British collection Chocolate Soup For Diabetics Vol III, Raven Records' Kicks and Rhino's Nuggets II. In June, Normie Rowe and the Playboys travelled to North America, supporting Roy Orbison on a US tour and, along with The Seekers, he represented Australia in performance at Expo '67 in Montreal. He returned to Australia in July, where he appeared as a special guest at the national finals of the 1967 Hoadley's Battle of the Sounds.
Rowe had more national chart success in late 1967 with the Graham Gouldman song "Going Home" (b/w "I Don't Care"), assumed to be about the Vietnam War, but really about a migrant's return to Australia from Britain,[17] which debuted at #22 in the Go-Set chart in late April and stayed in the national Top Ten until the end of May, peaking at #7 in the second week of May.[18] "Sunshine Secret" / "But I Know", and another single, "Turn Down Day" charted in Melbourne. However, in September 1967, any questions about his career future were dramatically stalled when he received his call-up notice for national service.
Rowe was inducted into the army in February 1968, although he continued to perform part-time until leaving for Vietnam in January 1969, making various television appearances. On 19 October 1968, he appeared on ATV-0's Uptight with a cropped haircut. He also began working with a new backing band, Nature's Own, who also regularly backed Johnny Farnham and other members of the Sunshine roster. His only charting record during that period was the ballad "Penelope", written by former Playboys member Brian Peacock.
Rowe's basic training at Puckapunyal army camp was extensively covered by the Australian media. In Vietnam, Rowe rose to the rank of corporal and was crew commander of an armoured personnel carrier. He was discharged from the army in February 1970. Rowe's final minor hit was "Hello", written by Johnny Young, released in May 1970, and he subsequently released an album of the same name. Rowe was later revealed to have inspired the song "Smiley", written by Johnny Young and recorded by Ronnie Burns, which was a major hit in Australia in 1969 and 1970. The Hello album marked the end of Rowe's Sunshine contract, although the label had been taken over by Festival several years earlier after it had run into financial problems. Rowe signed to Festival Records in 1971, and cut three singles. "Que Sera Sera" was re-released in January 1971 and, on 6 March, he married his girlfriend, Sue Powlesland.
Rowe's pop music career was effectively ended by his time in Vietnam effectively and, in his absence, Ronnie Burns and John Farnham (then billed as Johnny Farnham) replaced him as King of Pop. The strong anti-war sentiment of the period affected him, and like many Vietnam vets, Rowe suffered considerably because of his service. He said that he was treated like a pariah by the very people who had been buying his records and screaming at his concerts only a couple of years before.[citation needed] One of the people he remembers fondly from that period, who stuck by him and gave him encouragement in tough times, was Meteors drummer Stewie Speer. Rowe remembers that Speer would often wear "King Normie" and "We Love Normie" badges on his jacket.[citation needed]
Variety
Although his pop career was effectively over, Rowe was able to fall back on the training from his dance hall days, and began to concentrate on a varied career playing the club and hotel circuit, as well as making TV performances. He became a popular participant on variety programs such as The Don Lane Show and The Mike Walsh Show. Continuing to record through the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, he switched to Astor Records in 1975, and had considerable success with the single "Elisabeth", which won the "Best Song" category at that year's Tokyo Music Festival.
Theatre and television
In the 1980s, Rowe began to expand his career into acting and musical theatre. He studied at the Sydney's famous Ensemble Theatre and took roles on stage and TV, including an extended role in the TV soapie Sons & Daughters. In 1987, he won great acclaim in his central role of Jean Valjean in Cameron Mackintosh's Sydney production of the musical Les Misérables.
Among other musical roles in the 1980s and 1990s, Rowe played the lead role in the world premiere concerts and on the associated recording, and of a new Australian musical, Cyrano de Bergerac, which he helped develop. He played Daddy Warbucks in Annie, Freddie Trumper (the American) in Chess, and Juan Perón in Evita. One of the highlights of his career was his appointment as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for services to Vietnam veterans, the entertainment industry and the community.[19] Rowe has had a long association with many charity and community groups, his major concern being the welfare of children. He is a long-serving member of Variety Clubs of Australia, for which he became a National Ambassador, and he won several awards for his work with them, including 1996's "Heart and Soul of Variety" award.
In the 1990s, Rowe remained a popular attraction at clubs, corporate functions and on the rock-&-roll revival circuit. He also kept up regular appearances on TV variety shows, which led to one infamous incident in 1991 that briefly took him back into the headlines. During a forum on republicanism on the Midday show with Ray Martin, he was involved in an on-air melée with Sydney journalist and talkback-radio host Ron Casey. Notorious for his highly controversial comments on immigration and other issues, Casey enraged Rowe with remarks about his service in Vietnam, which led to Rowe shoving him. Casey jumped out of his chair and punched Rowe hard enough to knock him backwards. In 1998, Casey and Rowe re-united, filming a TV commercial for Bushells tea in which the Midday incident was reflected upon.
Personal life
Rowe has also had to endure other public hardships, including family problems involving his teenage daughter, which resulted in a great deal of intrusive and unwelcome publicity, and the end of his marriage to his first wife, Sue.[20] In October 1979, Normie's son, Adam John Rowe, died after being accidentally knocked down by a motorist while he was riding his bicycle home from his school fete when he was eight years old. Unknown to many, Rowe has another son, born in Melbourne in November 1965, who has remained anonymous.[citation needed]
2002–current
In 2002, Rowe received national acclaim for his performance in the Long Way to the Top concert tour, Rowe's 2007 album, Missing in Action, included his own version of Ronnie Burns hit "Smiley".
In 2009, as part of an installation art titled Enshrining the Vestiges – Speaking Stones, Rowe participated in a video interview that is on display in "The Shrine of Memories World War II memorial" in ANZAC Square, Brisbane.[22] by artist Natalie Billing. In October 2010, Rowe's 1965 album, Ain't Necessarily So, was listed in the book, 100 Best Australian Albums.[23]
Rowe was one of the lead acts in the Go Show reunion concerts held in Melbourne and Adelaide during February 2011.
In January 2012, Rowe appeared in a television advertisement for Coles Supermarkets promoting their products to the reworked tune of "Shakin' All Over".
In 2015, he told Noise11.com that he was drafted as a political move to help the popularity of Harold Holt, the Australian Prime Minister, whose death by drowning in December 1967 was never confirmed. Apparently, Rowe was contacted by the son of a military officer who had been, at that time, the military attaché to the prime minister. Just before he died, the officer told his son that he had been in Holt's office when the PM was struggling with declining popularity and the anti-war movement. The officer had advised Holt: "What you need is an Elvis Presley, so get Normie Rowe called up".
In June 2017, Rowe wrapped the shooting of a short film entitled Holt, in which he played the titular Harold Holt for the third time. Filming took place around Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast.[24]
Charity
In 2009, Rowe became a Patron of Kidney Health Australia, the not-for-profit peak body promoting good kidney health through education, advocacy, research and support.
Discography
Albums
1965 – It Ain't Necessarily So, But It Is Normie Rowe (Sunshine released July 1965 QL 31734/Calendar re-release late 1965 R 66–73)
1965 – Normie Rowe a Go Go (Sunshine QL 31802)
1965 – A Wonderful Feeling (Sunshine QL 31871/Calendar R66-335)
1966 – Normie's Hit Happenings (Sunshine QL 32198/Calendar R66-553)
1966 – So Much Love From Normie Rowe (Sunshine QL 32144)
1968 – Everything's Alright (Universal UP 768) (Compilation of Rowe's first two LPs)
1969 – Normie's Top Tunes (Universal)
1973 – Hello (Sunshine L 25093)
1974 – Out of the Norm
1970 – Normie Rowe's Greatest Hits (Harlequin L 25138)
2007 – Missing in Action
1974 – Come Hear My Song (Summit SRA 250152)
1975 – Normie's Hit Tunes (Summit SRA 249 9020)
2000 – The Early Anthology (Festival D46111) Double CD
The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music. They commenced in 1987. Rowe was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005.[25]
The Go-Set Pop Poll was coordinated by teen-oriented pop music newspaper, Go-Set and was established in February 1966 and conducted an annual poll during 1966 to 1972 of its readers to determine the most popular personalities.[26]
Johnny Young is a Dutch Australian singer, composer, record producer, disc jockey, television producer and host. Originally from Rotterdam, The Netherlands, his family settled in Perth in the early 1950s. Young was a 1960s pop singer and had a number-one hit with the double-A-sided single, "Step Back" and a cover of the Strangeloves' "Cara-lyn" in 1966. Young's profile was enhanced by a concurrent stint as host of TV pop music program The Go!! Show. Also in the mid-1960s, Young toured with the Rolling Stones and supported Roy Orbison.
"Que Sera, Sera " is a song written by the team of Jay Livingston and Ray Evans that was first published in 1955. Doris Day introduced it in the Alfred Hitchcock film The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956), singing it as a cue to their onscreen kidnapped son. The three verses of the song progress through the life of the narrator—from childhood, through young adulthood and falling in love, to parenthood—and each asks "What will I be?" or "What lies ahead?" The chorus repeats the answer: "What will be, will be."
The Purple Hearts were an Australian R&B, rock group, formed in Brisbane as the Impacts in 1964. The band included lead vocalist Mick Hadley, lead guitarist Barry Lyde, rhythm guitarists Paul Steffen (1964–65) and Fred Pickard (1965-66), bassist Bob Dames, and drummers Adrian "Red" Redmond (1964–66) and Tony Cahill (1966-67). The group issued an extended play, The Sound of the Purple Hearts (1966), and several singles, including "Long-legged Baby" (1965) and "Early in the Morning" (1966). They disbanded early in 1967.
Marcie & The Cookies were an Australian musical ensemble, made up of Marcie Jones and the three Cook sisters. The all girl, vocal only group, were a rarity in Australia's "mod" music scene of the 1960s, dominated as it was by all male rock bands and solo artists.
Go-Set was the first Australian pop music newspaper, published weekly from 2 February 1966 to 24 August 1974, and was founded in Melbourne by Phillip Frazer, Peter Raphael and Tony Schauble. Widely described as a pop music "bible", it became an influential publication, introduced the first national pop record charts and featured many notable contributors including fashion designer Prue Acton, journalist Lily Brett, rock writer / band manager Vince Lovegrove, music commentator Ian "Molly" Meldrum, rock writer / music historian Ed Nimmervoll and radio DJ Stan Rofe. It spawned the original Australian edition of Rolling Stone magazine in late 1972.
The Go!! Show was an Australian popular music television series which was produced before a live audience and aired and on Network Ten ATV-0, Melbourne, from August 1964 to August 1967, running one hour three nights a night.
Ronald Leslie BurnsAM is an Australian retired rock singer-songwriter and musician.
Procession were an Australian psychedelic band formed in Melbourne in 1967. The band was composed of Australian Craig Collinge (drums), New Zealander Brian Peacock (bass), and Englishmen Trevor Griffin (organ) and Mick Rogers, all members of previous bands. They were described by Glenn A. Baker as one of the most ambitious bands in the Australian music scene in their time, although they enjoyed only moderate commercial success. They were regularly championed in Go-Set magazine and had their own segment on music TV show Uptight, of which their manager was the producer.
Peter John Doyle was an Australian pop singer who had success with a number of Top 40 hits in Australia in the 1960s, then success internationally as a member of the New Seekers in the early 1970s, before resuming a solo career in 1973.
Sunshine Records was an Australian independent pop music record label of the mid-1960s. It was established in late 1964 by promoter Ivan Dayman in collaboration with musician-producer-arranger-songwriter Pat Aulton and entrepreneur, producer and songwriter Nat Kipner. Although his enterprise was short-lived, Dayman was arguably the first Australian popular music entrepreneur to create a fully integrated pop music company that included artist management and bookings, record production, record labels, venue management and concert promotion.
New World was an Australian pop band formed in Brisbane, Queensland in 1965. They are best known for their top 10 hit single, "Tom-Tom Turnaround", which was released in 1971. Most of their biggest successes were written by Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman.
The Groove was an Australian R&B, pop group which formed in early 1967 with the lineup of Geoff Bridgford on drums, Jamie Byrne on bass guitar, Tweed Harris on keyboards, Rod Stone on guitar and Peter Williams on lead vocals and guitar. In December 1967 their single, "Simon Says", peaked at No. 17 on the Go-Set National Top 40 Singles Chart. They followed with "Soothe Me", which peaked at No. 14 in April 1968. Also in April they released their self-titled debut album. In July that year they won the national final of the Hoadley's Battle of the Sounds competition with the prize including a trip to London. They relocated there in March 1969, and early the following year they changed their name to Eureka Stockade, they disbanded in 1971. On 13 October 2004 Tweed Harris died of throat cancer, aged 63.
Ivan Howard Dayman was an Australian music promoter, record producer, label owner and talent manager of the 1960s and 1970s, based first in Adelaide, then Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. Although his career was brief – ca. 1964 to 1968 – he is significant in the history of Australian popular music as the first person to establish an integrated entertainment group that included artist management, a booking agency, a chain of venues in major cities, and a recording label. He is also notable for the many successful artists he managed, including his flagship act, Australia's 1960s TV Week "King of Pop", Normie Rowe, whom he managed from 1965 onwards.
Michael Alexander Furber was an English-born Australian entertainer popular in the mid-1960s as the lead singer of Mike Furber and the Bowery Boys. Furber's group had hits with "Just a Poor Boy", "You Stole My Love" and "That's When Happiness Began". In the Go Set Pop Poll, Furber was voted in the top 5 as most popular Male Vocalist in both 1966 and 1967. Furber's subsequent solo singing career was less successful and in the early 1970s he turned to stage musicals: including Godspell and Nuclear. According to police investigators Furber committed suicide on 10 May 1973, by hanging, in the garage of his home. Rock music historian, Ian McFarlane, writes, "Reputedly in the depths of depression, he hanged himself... It has been suggested, however, that Furber was actually murdered because he had befriended a Kings Cross prostitute."
Kommotion was a popular Australian "Top 40" pop music TV show that premiered in December 1964. The program was hosted by popular disc jockey Ken Sparkes, who was one of the main presenters at Melbourne pop radio station 3UZ. In 1965, after the end of his previous series, Teen Scene, pop singer Johnny Chester became the associate producer of the program.
April Elizabeth Dove Potts, known professionally as April Byron, was an Australian pop singer and songwriter. She was the first female artist to collaborate with the Bee Gees after their formation as a band, on the 1966 single "He's a Thief" / "A Long Time Ago".
The Librettos was a New Zealand pop/R&B group, active from 1960 to 1966. They were one of New Zealand's most popular bands in 1964-65, and after relocating to Sydney they gained recognition in Australia for their polished live performances and their 1966 version of the Paul Revere & The Raiders song "Kicks". Several members of the group went on to other notable bands of the 1960s and 1970s - bassist Brian Peacock co-founded the highly regarded Anglo-Australian "progressive pop" band Procession, Rod Stone joined popular Australian '60s soul group The Groove, and drummer Craig Collinge later played with Manfred Mann Chapter Three and UK 1970s "proto-punk" band Third World War.
Nathan Kipner was an American songwriter and record producer with a considerable career in Australia. He is remembered as the producer of the Bee Gees' first hit "Spicks and Specks". He was the father of Steve Kipner who is also a songwriter and music producer.
"Tell Him I'm Not Home" is a song written by Tony Bruno, Brenda Bruno, and Sanford Bellini. The song is about a lover lamenting about a relationship that has lost its flame. It was first recorded by R&B singer Chuck Jackson, and released as a single from his album Encore! on Wand Records in 1963. The single reached No. 42 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 12 on the Hot R&B Singles chart.
MPD Ltd or M. P. D. Limited were an Australian pop music band formed in 1965 by core members Mike Brady on lead vocals and guitar, Pete Watson on bass guitar and lead vocals, and Danny Finley on drums. They used their first initials to provide the name. Their popular singles were "Little Boy Sad" and "Lonely Boy" (October). MPD Ltd issued an album, The Best of MPD Ltd, in 1966 on Go!! Records before disbanding in 1967. Pete Watson died of an illness on 30 April 1972.
↑ Douglas, L. and Geeves, R. (1992) 'Music, counter-culture and the Vietnam era' in Hayward P. (ed.) From Pop to Punk to Postmodernism, Sydney: Allen and Unwin, p. 103, cited in Homan, S. (2003) The Mayor's a Square: Live Music and Law and Order in Sydney, Newtown, NSW: Local Consumption Publications, p. 73.
Vernon Joyson: Dreams, Fantasies and Nightmares from Far Away Lands: Canadian, Australasian and Latin American Rock and Pop, 1963–75 (Borderline Books, 1999)
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