Norma Tanega Walkin' My Cat Named Dog LP Sky Blue Vinyl 2020 RE New Sealed

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Norma Tanega  Walkin' My Cat Named Dog LP Sky Blue Vinyl 2020 RE New Sealed Bent Corner
One of those lost Classic Folk / Pop records Fantastic
Norma Cecilia Tanega (January 30, 1939 – December 29, 2019) was an American folk and pop singer-songwriter, painter, and experimental musician. In the 1960s, she had a hit with the single "Walkin' My Cat Named Dog" and wrote songs for Dusty Springfield and other prominent musicians. In later decades, Tanega worked mostly as a percussionist, playing various styles of music in the bands Baboonz, hybridVigor, and Ceramic Ensemble. She also wrote "You're Dead", which was used as the theme song of the film What We Do in the Shadows and the TV series of the same name.

Her first single, "Walkin' My Cat Named Dog", became an international hit in 1966, peaking at number 22 on both the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Charts, and #3 in Canada. Tanega's impetus for the song came from living in a New York City apartment building that did not allow dogs; instead she owned a cat which she named "Dog" and took for walks. The single's success landed her appearances on American Bandstand and Where the Action Is, and a slot as the only woman on a North American tour with Gene Pitney, Bobby Goldsboro, Chad and Jeremy and The McCoys. During the tour, Tanega was initially backed by members of the Outsiders. Since they were unable to follow Tanega's more idiosyncratic music, the Outsiders were later replaced by session musicians accompanying her onstage. While some of her songs riffed on traditional tunes like "Hey Girl", derived from Lead Belly's take on "In the Pines", many of her songs diverged from the structure of typical pop and folk music, such as her song "No Stranger Am I", set to a 5/4 time signature.

The album kicks off with "You're Dead," a song about the down-trodden that's found new life as the theme to FX's What We Do In the Shadows. With a syncopated rhythm, unusual shifts in time signature, and frantic, bluesy guitar work, the track demonstrates many of the key characteristics that make Tanega's work so compelling. "Treat Me Right" explores similar territory, alternating between minor-tinged verses and a jubilant gospel chorus complete with organ solo.

"Waves," meanwhile, shows Tanega embracing the baroque-folk leanings of the day, at times channeling her contemporary Ruthann Friedman ("Windy").  The lyrics extoll the virtues and inherent freedom of nature, and are paired with a delicate yet increasingly upbeat blend of guitar, harpsichord, woodwinds, and drums.

"No Stranger Am I" is another highlight, a delightful alternate-tuned acoustic guitar ballad.  Tanega's vocal lies veiled in reverb behind a light harpsichord line and orchestral flourishes.  The track features some Joni Mitchell-like chord changes, and precise fingerpicking, evoking the ethereal sound of the former's "Marcie," which would be released two years later.  One wonders what influence Walkin' My Cat Named Dog may have had on Mitchell and the growing number of songwriters and singers who would, later in the decade, find that stardom that Tanega never seemed to attain.

That's not to say that Walkin' My Cat Named Dog is without hits.  Indeed, the most well-received track from the album is the title track with its jaunty rhythm, jangly pop backing, catchy country harmonica support, an infectious melody, and uplifting (if somewhat nonsensical) lyrics. Tanega performed the radio-friendly folk-pop record on a number of television performances, and eventually "Walkin' My Cat Named Dog" hit No. 22 on the Billboard Pop chart in 1966, and even hit the top ten in Canada.

The album's other lead single, "A Street That Rhymes at 6 A.M." opens Side Two.  Its arrangement blends many of the key features of Tanega's writing:  a memorable melody, bluesy guitar riff (reminiscent of Fleetwood Mac's "Oh Well"), and a perky arrangement that was made for AM radio.

Tanega further explores those blues influences with a rendition of "Hey Girl" (not the Goffin and King soul standard).  Though the song, also known as "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" or "In The Pines," dates back to the 1800s, Tanega takes inspiration from Lead Belly's version with a slow, mournful rendering.

Add to it the joyous waltz "I'm the Sky," the jazzy and distant "Don't Touch," a warlike march called "What Are We Craving," and an evocative guitar ballad "I'm Dreamin' A Dream," and the result is a dozen prime examples of folky introspection (before it became en vogue) and mementos of the baroque pop era.