Between 1965 and 1967 Normie was Australia's most popular male star but his career was cut short when he was drafted for compulsory military service in late 1967. Rowe's subsequent tour of duty in Vietnam effectively ended his pop career, and he was never able to recapture the success he enjoyed at his peak.
Normie's first single, released in April 1965, was a brooding 'beat' arrangement of Gershwin's "It Ain't Necessarily So" (from Porgy & Bess) a choice suggested by Stan Rofe. It was a Top Ten hit in most capitals (#6 Sydney, #1 Melbourne, #3 Brisbane, #5 Adelaide)[1] , even though Sydney pop station 2SM (then owned by the Catholic Church) banned it because of its supposedly sacrilegious lyrics.The inspiration for Normie Rowe's version was apparently a 1963 version by UK band Ian & The Zodiacs. Some references cite the course as a version by The Merseybeats, but that band never recorded "It Ain't Necessarily So". The name of the Ian & The Zodiacs' album This Is Merseybeat has apparently been confused with the name of the band The Merseybeats.
Normie's first LP was released in July. His second single (also 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 (#10 Sydney, #4 Melbourne, #23 Brisbane, #6 Adelaide)[2].
Normie Rowe's version of "Que Sera Sera" on the Sunshine Record label
Although Normie's third single, "I Confess" / "Everything's Alright" was apparently withdrawn before or soon after release, the next single became the biggest hit of his career.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 #1 hit in most capitals (#1 Sydney, #1 Melbourne, #1 Brisbane, #1 Adelaide [3]) in September, charting for 28 weeks and selling in unprecedented numbers -- rock historian Ian McFarlane reports sales of 80,000 copies [4] while 1970s encyclopedist Noel McGrath claimed sales of 100,000[5], and it is reputed to be the biggest-selling Australian single of the 1960s. Normie 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).[6]
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, #1 in Brisbane and #2 in Adelaide[7]. It was followed by his version of Bacharach & David's "The Breaking Point" (b/w "Ya Ya", Feb. '66) which became his second double-sided hit, making the Top Ten in all mainland capitals, peaking at #8 in Sydney, #2 in Melbourne, #1 in Brisbane, #9 in Adelaide and #2 in Perth[8].
"Pride & Joy" (June '66) was also Top Ten in most state capitals [9]. This single is also notable for its B-side, a cover of "The Stones That I Throw", written by Robbie Robertson, a song originally recorded in 1965 by Levon & the Hawks, later known as The Band.[10] 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
Normie 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 Playboys lineup. Several members wanted to stay in Australia for family reasons, so Normie replaced them with Brian Peacock (bass) and Rod Stone (guitar), both from the rececntly defunct New Zealand band The Librettos. Arriving in London ahead of his band, Normie took on Ritchie York as his London agent, and began to record with producers Trevor Kennedy and John Carter, using the cream of London's session musos, 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 Normie's absence in London, his run of chart success in Australia continued. His next single, "Ooh La La" / "Ain't Nobody Home" (Nov. 1966) became yet another double-sided hit Top 5 hit in most capitals -- #2 in Sydney, #1in Melbourne and Brisbane and #4 in Adelaide[11].
The Breaking Point
Normie Rowe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Why are we apart?
I need you to take away
This pain in my heart
This pain is so bad
It's driving me mad
I'm at the breaking point
I'm at the breaking point
Can't go on this way
If you don't hurry back
I'm gonna crack up
And then I'm gonna fade away
You know, you know
I'm gonna fade away
Searching day and night for you
Rememb'ring the magic
Of the love that we knew
Without your caress
There's no happiness
I'm at the breaking point . . .
The lyrics of Normie Rowe's song, The Breaking Point, express the pain and desperation felt by a man who has been left by his lover. He is searching for answers to why they are apart and cannot bear the pain in his heart any longer. The love he once had brings memories of happiness that he is now yearning for but is unable to achieve on his own. He pleads for his lover to return, as he is at his breaking point and cannot continue without her. The constant search has caused him to be exhausted and mentally unstable, and he fears that he will fade away if his lover does not return quickly to heal his broken heart.
The repetition of the phrase "I'm at the breaking point" emphasizes the urgency and seriousness of the man's situation, while the use of imagery and emotion in the lyrics adds depth and relatability to the song. The song speaks to the common experience of heartbreak and the overwhelming feeling of helplessness that can come with it.
Line by Line Meaning
Where are you
Asking the whereabouts of the person he loves
Why are we apart?
Wondering why they are separated
I need you to take away
Expressing the necessity to have the person he loves to ease his pain
This pain in my heart
Describing the emotional pain he's feeling
This pain is so bad
Stressing on the severity of his pain
It's driving me mad
His pain is causing him to lose his sanity
I'm at the breaking point
He has reached his limit and can't take it anymore
Can't go on this way
He cannot continue to live with this much pain
If you don't hurry back
Putting the responsibility of his pain on the person he loves
I'm gonna crack up
He's going to fall apart emotionally
And then I'm gonna fade away
He'll slowly lose himself if the person he loves doesn't come back
You know, you know
A plea for the person he loves to understand the gravity of the situation
I'm gonna fade away
Stating that his suffering will eventually consume him
Searching day and night for you
Desperately trying to find the person he loves
Rememb'ring the magic
Reflecting on the good times he had with the person he loves
Of the love that we knew
Remembering the love they had shared
Without your caress
Prefacing that the person he loves plays a key role in his life
There's no happiness
He can't be happy without the person he loves
I'm at the breaking point . . .
Reiterating that he is at his limit and can't handle the pain anymore
Contributed by Amelia A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.