Song:Walkin' My Cat Named Dog
Album:Feline Groovy: 24 Purrfect Tracks For Kool Kats
You might remember this song if you were around back in the mid 60s. It was a one hit wonder novelty hit. Norma Tanega was born Jan. 30, 1939 in Vallejo, CA and she grew up in Long Beach. Her father was Filipino and her mother was from Panama. Her dad was a US Navy bandmaster. After graduating from art school, Norma moved to New York City and got involved in the Greenwich Village folk music scene. She worked in the Catskills as a summer camp counselor. One day producer Herb Bernstein was visiting the camp and he saw Norma perform. He brought her to legendary producer Bob Crewe and he let Bernstein produce an album for her on his New Voice label. Bernstein had a long career but probably the biggest thing he ever did was discover Laura Nyro. Walkin' My Cat Named Dog was the first single and it reached #22 on the Billboard Hot 100. Norma wrote the song because her apartment building didn't allow dogs so she got a cat and named him dog. I'm not making this up. Norma toured and appeared on TV but this was her only hit. Part of the problem was she was a terrible singer. She had trouble holding pitch and musicians didn't like working with her. Norma moved to England in 1967 and got into a relationship with Dusty Springfield. She wrote several songs which Dusty recorded. She mostly worked on her painting. Norma recorded an album for RCA in England in 1971 but it went nowhere. She moved back to California in 1972 and she taught at Claremont College. She has been involved in music as a percussionist. I don't think she sings anymore. You can get Walkin' My Cat Named Dog on this Ace Records various artists comp aimed at cat lovers. Here's Norma Tanega performing Walkin' My Cat Named Dog on Where The Action Is 1966.
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