September 5th 1966
Ritchie Yorke, Normie’s U.K. manager, was on hand to meet the Golden Boy when he arrived in London. Ritchie spent three months laying the foundations for Normie’s assault on the British pop scene. They were glad the big moment had arrived.

September 12th 1966
Monday was spent visiting the Press people at Australia House, and doing other interviews.

September 16 1966
The date of Normie’s first international recording session. We had a morning rehearsal session at the producer’s office, a big T-bone steak for a morale booster, and then headed off to the Decca studios in Hampstead.

Our first sight was unforgettable – more than two dozen people jammed in a recording studio all bent on one purpose – making a hit record. The session got under way at 2:30, and the first track we recorded was “Mary, Mary” – an uptempo number which is very catchy. It was originally composed by Mickey Keen and Robin Shaw, two promising young London tunesmiths. Neither Normie nor I were too happy about part of the lyrics, so I did a little re-arranging.

Test pressing of single “Mary Mary”