It Ain't Necesarily So But It Is Normie Rowe-Normie Rowe and the Playboys

Normie Rowe is an legend of Australian music and entertainment but 47 years he was an newcomer on the Australian rock music scene having performed since he was an boy starting singing in an local church choir and perfomed in an rock'n'roll dance in an local hall and also it was at an Lou Toppano school concert where legendary Melbourne Disc Jockey Stan Rofe who was the compering the show discovered Normie and was impressed with his talent that he arranged for Normie to work with Kevin McLellan an local dance promoter who ran shows in Melbourne which Normie played around the dances in Melbourne working with bands like the Thunderbirds, the Imposter and the Playboys who would back him up until 1967. Normie was popular on the Melbourne dance circut and then began appearing on pop music shows like Teen Scene on the ABC hosted by Johnny Chester and the Go SHow originally hosted by Alan Field, then later on Ian Turpie, Johnny Young and Ronnie Burns and signs up with Sunshine Records with ivan Dayman becoming his manager who had run dances in Adelaide as well as running the family quarry and owned the CLoudland Ballroom in Brisbane as well as other venues including the Bowl in Sydney and Op Pop Disco. In April 1965 Normie released his very first single an cover of a Gershwin song from the musical Porgy and Bess called It Aint Neccesarily So which stan rofe had found it on an album by an British group called Ian and the Zodiacs with Pat Aulton who worked in Adelaide as an singer as record producer and it went to number 1 in Melbourne, no 6 in Sydney, no 5 in Adelaide and no 3 in brisbane and 2SM owned by the Catholic church refused to play it but it did'nt stop the song being an smash hit. in July the album It Aint Neccesarily So But It Is was released which went to number 2 and it is finally out on CD after 47 years as it has never been on CD which it was put together by Aztec Music before it went bust in March this year. This album was produced by Nat Kipner an AMerican who had been around the Australian music scene writing hits for Lonnie Lee(I Found A NEw Love), Hey Little Angel(Johnny Devlin) etc as well as being co owner of Sunshine Records as well as an producer too and on the album there he wrote 3 songs She Used To Be Mine with son Steve Kipner, That's Why I Cry and I Confess with Normie ROwe and and the songs come from the stuff Normie and the Playboys did on stage as well as Stan Rofe inspired choices and also included the 2 other hits for Normie the Follow up I Who Have Nothing (an hit for US soul singer Ben E King in 1963) and Shakin All Over which was originally done by Johnny Kidd and the Pirates an British group in 1960 as well as an hit for AUstralian singer Johnny Chester in 1962 with the Melbourne rock group the Thunderbirds backing him up on the recording. It's an ROCKIN and BRILLIANT album with brilliant songs and it sounds BRILLIANT on CD which as I said it has never been out on CD until MArch this year and I am glad it is out which I hope there will be more AUstralian albums from the 60's come out on CD in the future. Normie sounds so great on this album which he sings the songs very well and the extra tracks on this CD has 4 live tracks which was recorded at the Festival Hall that includes 4 of the songs from the album and an jingle for coca cola which sounds so GREAT. ALso on the album were 2 songs written by John Cartwright who was one of the Playboys guitarist at that time "Let me Tell You" & Gonna Leave this town which was the b-side to It Aint Neccesarily So and the playboys were just a FANTASTIC band with brilliant musicians Graeme Trottman on Drums, Phil Blackmore on organ and piano which his playing on the album is BRILLIANT, Bill Billings on lead guitar, Neil McArthur on bass and JohN Cartwright on guitar. it's an must for any AUstralian rock and roll fans of the 60's as well as Normie Rowe fans and it rocks and rocks and rocks this album so be sure to buy it in the shops somewhere. I give this 5 stars and it's in the shops now as well as the second album Normie ROwe A Go GO.