Norma Tanega - "A Street That Rhymes At 6 A.M."

I love this lil' song and her "Walkin' My Cat Named Dog", both from 1966!! Since I didn't see this one posted by anyone, here it is!!

[@debraashley8831]

How did I live half a century without hearing this woman's name or music??

[@Christ0hell]

Wow..simply wow. What we do in the shadows got me here and dayum. What a sound.

[@anthonyrotolo8062]

It's so great seeing actual live footage of her. She's so wonderful.

[@Anonymous-km5pj]

it's a creature. God bless

[@tbonesviddyzone]

good god, where has she been all my life?

[@GoatDust]

Ty Hunt I agree

[@neilcam]

Yep, same thought! Only discovered her through the kiwi vampire comedy flick "What We Do In The Shadows" which used her song "You're Dead" over the opening titles. She's a brilliant song-writer.

[@Offmedication]

Wow.... never heard of her in my life until today. I am an instant fan.

[@HowBrownPhiladelphia]

Films listen to 'You're Dead' by this singer. First time I ever heard of was three days ago too !

[@Offmedication]

I have, I love that song it's wonderful dark and beautiful. to me, a classic

[@anthonymerola1489]

Norma operated on a totally different level than everyone else. She was a supremely talented artist and composer who should have gotten more publicity and adulation. RIP, Norma. You're with Dusty now. ❤

[@dennisleporte2327]

Ashamed to say it took me , a supposed music guru, 53 yrs to find this amazing lady.

[@cherylz1553]

She died on Dec. 29. RIP sweet lady with the sweet guitar and the sweet voice. :(

[@fannycraddock99]

Norma should have been a real big star.

[@mayamarin4947]

***** Yeah. She's Amazing

[@jackanthony976]

Yes I agree she should have been a big star as she was talented as both a singer and songwriter. She even wrote several songs for Dusty Springfield her long time lover.

[@annieh2900]

I wonder if Kacey musgraves got her influence from her?

[@raymondmakklostkey4364]

so sadly underrated.

[@noslost-z7r]

Let’s make her one finally 🙌

[@biedronkagirl]

she is so stunning and THAT VOICE! she is truly incredible

[@daschwah]

Arguably the greatest album that nobody’s ever heard of.

[@user-ry6ki1cn9r]

Just discovered Norma having read about her in Mojo Magazine. Cannot stop listening to her two LPs. Truly wonderful songs and unique voice.

[@iamtheman7018]

I've been on this planet for 57 years and I ever heard of this woman or any of these wonderful songs. And the first song I ever heard her sing was "Your Dead Norma Tanega" - and I really loved it and quickly jumped to this song and it is just as awesome. And now I find that she left us 13 days ago. Dang It. I miss her already. Rest in Peace Norma Tanega.

[@marcusdaviso]

Same here chap, I'm 53 and this has just popped up on my feed in 2021. Great artist, how did I not here of her until now?

[@thomhardcastle9897]

I found out about her ten minutes ago, and I'm upset that she's dead.

[@LendallPitts]

I had a bit of correspondence with Norma a few years ago. She's a very cool person. She made a few CDs since the sixties, very different, all good.

[@barbrazavalasolimano9432]

woooowww, what is she doing now??? Where???? Her performance is freedom, thaaaanksss

[@john111257]

@@barbrazavalasolimano9432 she passed away last year, aged 80 rip

[@kylegreen3247]

She was Dusty Springfield’s lover.

[@sunnyjim1355]

Really? All very different? OK. Can you tell me which of those CDs she sings the songs of Josquin des Prez, or Bulgarian 'throat signing' or even plays the Mongolian 'nose flute'. I can't wait to hear those. Thanks.

[@joel_cain]

@@sunnyjim1355 All of them

[@anonymousbl0bfish]

Her smile when she plays is so infectious

[@adhamh]

This lady was waaaay ahead of her time!

[@monstergirl7695]

I'm falling in love with her, she's so great. Can't believe I've never heard of her. Great stuff.

[@torgosaves427]

Just randomly clicked on the video for the song "You're Dead". Had no idea that wasn't a modern song made for the show. She's so cool! What a crime she didn't get more recognition.

[@guilhermepalacios187]

what show?

[@kevinoquigley5837]

@@guilhermepalacios187 what we do in the shadows. It’s like the Office, plus Buffy

[@Barbarian857]

​@@kevinoquigley5837Lol! Good way to describe it!

[@OlymPigs2010]

"Norma Cecilia Tanega (born January 30, 1939, Vallejo, California) is an American folk/pop singer/songwriter. She was a camp counselor in the Catskills when she signed to New Voice Records in 1966. Her debut single, "Walkin' My Cat Named Dog", reached No. 22 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, but she never came close to charting there again.[1] In Canada it reached No. 3 in the RPM Magazine charts and in the United Kingdom it peaked at No. 22 on the UK Singles Chart.[2] Not overtly comedic, the tune's title lyric contributed to its success as a novelty song, but one that was quickly forgotten as a one-hit wonder. Tanega continued recording folk and folk pop material, however, including an album for RCA Records after moving to the UK in the 1970s. When she returned to the U.S., she got her Master of Fine Arts in painting and began teaching art in Claremont, California. She also began working with ceramic percussion instruments, and recorded with Brian and Amanda Ransom. She was also a member of world music ensemble Hybrid Vigor.[citation needed] During the late 1960s Tanega had a romantic relationship with singer Dusty Springfield.[3] Tanega wrote lyrics to a number of songs Springfield recorded during this period: "No Stranger Am I", "Earthbound Gypsy", "Midnight Sounds", "The Colour of Your Eyes", "Morning (Bom Dia)" and "Go My Love". They remained friends until Springfield's death in 1999. She co-wrote "Dusty Springfield" with Blossom Dearie".

[@mfb3042]

I remember her name and her song Walkin My Cat Name Dog. Forgot all about it.

[@ivycompton]

God, how rare is this?!? I never dreamed I'd seen anything by Norma Tanega on youtube, much less this song. Wonder if I'll find her great "Don't Touch" from the same LP as "Walking My Cat Named Dog?" A beautiful woman and a great, underrated talent. Thank you so much for posting this!

[@geodez2959]

How is it possible I hadn't heard of her till now. Such a great sound.

[@ricjan58]

I'm in the midst of reading 1966 by Jon Savage, and I'm sure glad I am because I never would have heard of this incredible woman.

[@jerryclack2019]

Just come across Norma.... I have led a very shelter life. Great music I am now hooked 👍👍👍👍🎶🎶🎶🎶

[@bryantparker7390]

I saw this very clip playing in a movie theatre that I just started working at about two weeks ago. Haven't been able to get it out of my head since. Timeless

[@666UFO666]

WOW hOW COME IT TOOK ME TILL I WAS 45 TO HEAR OF HER sHE'S AWESOME

[@BryanSalyersXD]

i KNOW, RIGHT? sHE'S SO FANTASTIC. lOVE HER.

[@ChrisSeahorse]

Just discovered her today and I've been listening to all the music there is of hers on YT. I'm staggered. She is like Vashti Bunyan, Janis Ian, Nick Drake and Joni Mitchell all rolled into one. Except I think I like her music even more than any of those great talents. She is quite simply an amazing talent. How I haven't come across her before baffles me but I am pretty chuffed that I now have the rest of my life to enjoy listening to all her music.

[@butnutmikami147]

I'm 64. I grew up listening to top 40 hits on the transistor radio...never heard of her till today! Pure 60s gold! So good, hit's all the right buttons.

[@ronwess]

Exactly same here.... I love the what we do in the shadows show but the theme is perfect 👌 for it I just to research this..... Awesomeness

[@miyoric492]

Ditto!!

[@adamlucas2203]

I love Norma so much. I walk a couple times a day and she's always my go to when walking.

[@terrywitzu7874]

Why am i hearing this, just now. This is the 3rd song I've heard by her in the last 10 minutes "Walking my Cat..." wasn't mind-blowing, but this and "Your Dead" are unbelievably great! (I can't wait to cover em'!)

[@MrJamesrnolan]

@kofola1973 After her hit, she continued recording. She went to the UK and had a relationship with Dusty Springfield which eventually ended, but they remained friends until Dusty's death. When Norma returned to the US in the early '70s,she went back to school and earned a MFA in art and became an art teacher in Claremont, California. She kept her hand in music, recording an album for RCA in 1977, and later went into world music, recording with an ensemble called Hybrid Vigor. She's 72 this year.

[@jaydock1]

Man I got gay vibes! She’s awesome

[@danielfenner5499]

people always live and die in 4/4 time. holy shit

[@wgb01001]

Right!?

[@eldiegoasecas]

and then the smile

[@WhiskeyRichard.]

Syncopate your life and move against the grain; don't let them tell you that we're all the same

[@stephenwalker850]

Thief

[@sunnyjim1355]

But seven is a jolly good time. kzbin.info/www/bejne/oquuooqritachas

[@mixedplate7080]

What a hidden treasure!

[@leonelquintanilla479]

Her guitar work is awesome.love her 60s sunshine hippie smile.people actually had smiles .not like now.everyone looks angry today.im so glad I was 60s kid.talents like hers made us happy.

[@thefuppits]

Holy shit. This is next level purity. This gal is something else. No one plays guitar like that. It's like Jimmy Hendrix acoustic meets...a loss for words. And that voice, indelible as is her smile. Ditto on Ty Hunt's comment below!

[@Begotranspo-ii8tv]

She was popular in summer 1966 in Boston and NYC.

[@Turtle152]

"Don't you let them tell you that they're all the same." That line wound up, almost verbatim, in Led Zeppelin's "Goin' To California" 5 years later.

[@MyMotherTheCar]

So what?

[@theparalexview785]

Led Zep always stole from the best.

[@no_wire_hangers]

Omg, I was thinking that it sounds familiar, now I know

[@adamriggs2698]

Led Zeppelin stole everything so I wouldn’t put it above the talentless thieves.

[@sloburnjo6835]

@@adamriggs2698 Exaggerate often? they can plagiarize AND be quality musicians etc.

[@heatherferreira4225]

Holy hell this woman's song is so going on the soundtrack of my TV series. As in right now. This f--king instant. I feel so cheated by mainstream American radio right now. How in the name of leaping blue Moses did we all manage never to hear this incredible single?

[@jackanthony976]

Because the radio dj's had a lot of power and they would not place this single on the playlists. This song was released as a single and did manage to reach #123 on the national Billboard record sales charts of singles releases despite its lack of promotion.

[@tiki_trash]

Heather Frerreira, You've been cheated your whole life and only now you complain?

[@andrewpearson1903]

What TV series are you making?

[@anusdotcom2660]

Heather Ferreira woah is your tv series lodge 49? If so can I get a part on it?

[@matthewcooper3535]

@@jackanthony976 #23 on hot 100

[@lawrencefeldman7744]

I heard "Walkin' a fair amount growing up and dug it but never had a clue about the rest of it. Yipes! Great stuff!

[@jg6698]

Yeah. "Walkin" was one that stuck with me. Ethereal effort

[@chrisjeffries2322]

R.I.P Norma Tanega.

[@floydjr3189]

She's so gorgeous

[@wormknuckles]

RIP Norma

[@mikeyg8568]

I wish more people would discover her. I'm here from WWDITS

[@tonicordova1122]

So glad to find this tune on KZbin. Purchased Norma's CD years ago and fell in love with this song! Thanks.

[@blackjakko]

Thank you for posting!!! Got here from What We Do in the Shadows - Your Dead. She's so cool!!!

[@pretorious700]

She had a strange intelligence and was beautiful too.

[@yasminx16]

What a beautiful description. I’d be extremely happy if someone described me like that.

[@biedronkagirl]

her smile!!!

[@patrickwilliams7078]

Man if it hadn't been for the film "What We Do in The Shadows" I wouldn't have known about Norma Tanega. I can't believe she was doing this kinda stuff when I was only 5 yrs old going on 6. Incredible voice especially in the song "You're Dead"

[@gabbyj.p9026]

I’ll never forget her eyes♥️

[@citrusandclove340]

She is memorizing

[@jjgrey1488]

I love her mix of jazz/folk/broadway...this is too kool

[@MikeBlitzMag]

This was the follow up single to "Walking My Cat Named Dog" on New Voice records (1966). Herman's Hermits were fans of hers and used to do that song live in concert. Norma Tanega grew by leaps and bounds with this single. Like Nancy Ames' "Friends And Lovers Forever" (which was out around the same time), it's smart, loaded with attitude and well written. How odd that her hit streak ended so prematurely.

[@Ndlanding]

Many thanks for this!

[@nigel900]

Great!

[@fisterklister]

She's great

[@park7854]

so amazing

[@styxcreek]

Why is this amazing artist languishing in obscurity?

[@thedwightguy]

back in the sixties everyone was goin gto California and getting a contract. not all moved forward. I worked with a guy in Canada named Dan Yard, and he played duo with Frank Soda (Soda Pop; Toronto) and they had the place jumping. Heard his demo tape from 1968; amazing, but we had enough bands in my LA high school to put on our own "battle of the bands", enormous talent pool in those days, with real talent, not sticking your bum in the camera or abusing the English language and milking millions out of the "suckas".

[@jackanthony976]

She was a big star for a hot minute and then she just vanished.

[@mrbassman4]

Rest In Peace Norma

[@granthurlburt4062]

Great guitarist. Original, bold, and independent woman. Emerging from the beatnick spirit into a world that is adopting latin american rhythms.

[@Khultan]

I've never heard of this artist, this is fantastic, and she seems to be getting a real kick out of her catchy song, I'm loving it, too : )

[@jackanthony976]

She also wrote songs for Dusty Springfield who was her lover for a while.

[@michaelmccarthy4615]

RIP Norma...

[@mckinleymorganfield8494]

How great is this! Unbelievable talent. I neva knew.

[@frankpeter6851]

aside from her cool voice and great songwriting, she's really pretty and magnetic and really good on the 🎸!

[@fretnesbutke3233]

A truly unique talent. She's out there and up there with Syd Barrett and Sixto Rodriguez.

[@beelzebrat]

this song is what my soul sounds like. will forever love Norma Tanega.

[@aniger33334]

This should have been a hit ....

[@dave99887]

Heeeaaaavyyyyy!!!!! Incredible. I am living in the wrong era...

[@MrDomenic1974]

This is better than any wedding ring. Put it on your finger

[@leafkiller551]

To many to name!

[@HillareeGypsyHips]

1:28 when she smiles I just bursted into big happy tears

[@thomhardcastle9897]

That is an incredible smile.

[@EBOWARRIOR]

One of the most underated artists of her generation.

[@limpbiskit4lyf95]

she's so cute, i love that you can hear her smile when she sings! may her memory be a blessing

[@ottowes]

Such a cool, witty song! She appearred on 'The Lloyd Thaxton Show' in an African cloth tunic and turban to sing this tune and 'Walking my cat named dog.' Her cat was an ocelot, and was for real, not just a stage gimmick!

[@alexanderwood3465]

Heard this playing at my barbers today and had to Shazam it immediately - can't believe I'd never heard it before

[@ALISTOSmc]

Yo dis girl so gangsta! God Bless

[@dontknocktherock1263]

Sadly, Norma passed away on December 29th 2019.

[@lyricessence]

Thanks, I hadn't heard. Always loved her.

[@somewhereherenowherethere]

she dodged 2020

[@iowa61]

@lakeseminole She's alive and well. An artist and college professor in Southern California.

[@Lulugirard94]

I love this song and remember when it was on one of those A Go Go shows. Norma Tanega was definitely an underrated talent.

[@Multi1628]

Love this singer & thanks for posting THIS COOL SONG, her follow-up to "Walkin...! " Tanega had 4 singles on New Voice label U.S. 1966-67. All but 2 of those songs, A & B sides, are on her 1966 "Walkin'..." LP. She & Dusty Springfield were close in the 60s and beyond, and she wrote at least 3 songs for Dusty (1968). If anyone knows if there is an LP with "Bread" or "Run on the Run" available, or if anyone knows about an RCA LP Norma Tanega released in Europe, please advise! . DAVEDJ

[@xjfop]

Never heard this song when it was "new"...like it...great song. Thanks for putting it here.

[@theblackvelvets4345]

she's f*ckin' amazing! all the adores!!

[@neilmansfield8329]

This pop song is great

[@billyhill3614]

Norma is amazing

[@peternyc]

This is awesome!

[@Phoenix85006]

OK, I'm hooked. I need some Norma Tanega music in my life, starting with this song!

[@theKurtHoffmann]

So great! Thank you!

[@bobair2]

What a great message this song has!

[@aicarpool]

great song - Norma is so good

[@edenator8763]

this is cool, never heard of her before

[@morganfisherart]

Thank you so much for this. She is one smart and utterly likeably lady!

[@geodez2959]

2021 I was looking for a new skyline and found Norma 💚.

[@frankandrews1005]

This is the stuff that usually surfaces in a Quentin Tarantino film. Such a cool track!

[@druflo6775]

Smart lyrics, beyond her time, I think she knew her truest adeance was not yet born, such boldness! ❤

[@gerardfinnigan1539]

this is so good

[@clarkewi]

Awesome.

[@jonkimball]

Wonderful

[@johnniescarlett]

This is a very haunting song. Nice one!

[@LisaODavis]

beautiful!

[@MadMaxGamer]

Hi Vladislav ! :))

[@croiners4166]

Wow!

[@kylegreen3247]

From Vallejo, CA.

[@otherpatrickgill]

I'm not wildly enthusiastic about the type or music, but her voice and smile are truly enchanting

[@EdKazO-Vision]

Oh my God I love this.

[@erixxxblue2698]

there's a certain genius to her songs

[@ForgottenSouls666]

I can’t change history but it’s changed far beyond anymore of today or tomorrow

[@CindyMeitle]

Relationship: With Dusty Springfield? Girlfriends? I'm stunned!

[@davesouthwick970]

My beautiful daughter qualified as a medical doctor a few days ago & is in a wonderful relationship with another girl named Louise, who recently graduated as a mechanical engineer. I am so proud of Dr Lauren Southwick & hope her & Lou share a wonderful life. A truly memorable year for a doctor to graduate 😃

[@jg6698]

Who cares?

[@KelseyJoMusic]

Unreal good