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Norm Hacking's
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HOMENEWSCOMING UP
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BREAKING NEWS -Norm's song "When Cats Go Wrong" (from
the Orange Cats CD) is an illustrated
children's book available in October 2004 - preview on TV July 1.
For Canada Day reading on this web site: Stories for July 1st (written for Canada Day in July 2002) about his grandparents and uncle relates "three stories, three more patches for the quilt, the Great Canadian Mosaic." Lyrics of "This One's the Dreamer" (Norm's anthem to Canada; on Orange Cats CD and One Voice tribute album, where it's performed by Rick Fielding) EARLIER STILL RELEVANT NEWSOn Thursday June 17 NORM featured at a NEW OPEN STAGE: Norm was the very first feature performer at Dr. B's Acoustic Medicine Stage at Renaissance Cafe in Toronto (on the Danforth subway). It was an evening of fine music - for more info on Brian Gladstone's new series, see his Dr. B's website. Norm has been spending time with his Mom, who is ill. He appreciates the concerned wishes of many lovely friends and so does his Mom. In his June "Race Track Hack" column for Taxi News "A Folk Singer's Riches" Norm recalls his start in folk music - it's still on-line here. Norm's latest "Race Track Hack" column for Taxi News is always here. We were very sad to learn that our friend Eddie Baltimore (solo artist / writer and leader of Slowpoke; aka Ed Hutchison) passed away on May 30, 2004. Our photo page includes Eddie's last visit to one of Norm's events (in January). For more info and to post your thoughts and memories, visit the Eddie Baltimore Memorial Page and see the Slowpoke profile. A musical tribute date will be announced. Sat June 5 - Rick Fielding - friend, superb musician, excellent songwriter, fine teacher, radio host and caring person - passed away on Saturday March 20, 2004, after a lengthy and courageous battle with cancer. A celebration of Rick's life and music was held on Saturday June 5 at the Tranzac (Toronto) - details at Borealis website. Norm performed a new song he wrote about Rick. Be sure to read Norm's column "For Rick Fielding" (Race Track Hack, published in April) on this website here. Our thoughts are with Heather. See below for more, including Rick's wonderful new CD, released on February 16. NEW RECORDING of a song by
Norm: Heather
Katz released her CD Tell Mama on Tuesday May
11 at 8 pm at the Orangeville Opera House (in Orangeville, northwest
of Toronto), with a Toronto release concert in the fall (tba). The CD
includes Norm's "Let's Rub Each Other" (on his CD The
Ache available again later this year). Fabulous concert and CD!!
Heather's beautiful and often sultry vocals made her visits to Norm's
Living Room events welcome and memorable. UPDATE from March 3 awards at CMW: Norm Hacking & Kirk Elliott were one of five nominations for a 2004 Canadian Independent Music Award in the "Favourite Children's Artist / Group category!! Etienne won in this category, and his "thank you" to the assembled audience on March 3 was delivered through a cell phone his representative held up to the microphone! The winners in 20 categories were chosen by voting at the Canadian Music Week website January 26 - February 15. THANKS to everyone who voted!! Congrats to all the nominees - and the WINNERS, who are listed at www.cmw.net/indies.htm The CD Orange Cats Make the Very Best Friends by Norm Hacking & Kirk Elliott has made many new friends of all ages. More than a year after release the CD is still in Festival Distribution's "Top Titles" list (click on tab, then the album for a great feature page on this CD). Last year the duo Kirk and Magoo won (tied with another CD) in this Indie award category with their CD Mars Rocks! NEW: A note on chords for "Cats Everywhere" has been added to the lyrics. Reminder - links to lyrics for nine of Norm's songs, a poem and his prose are here. Rick Fielding (1944-2004) was an incredible musician, songwriter, teacher, mentor, with musical friends and fans world-wide. Rick's new CD Acoustic Workshop was celebrated in a fabulous three hour virtual on-air web-cast CD release on Monday February 16 at www.ciut.fm or in Toronto 89.5 FM. This special broadcast featured many of Rick's wonderful musical friends and a phone conversation with Rick. Phone and email messages poured in from around the world during the boardcast. His CDs are available from www.borealisrecords.com Norm was very honoured that Rick recorded his "This One's the Dreamer" as the title track of his previous CD, and contributed it to the tribute album. Rick wrote a moving song "The Poet in the Corner" about Norm for the 1999 tribute concert; it will be on the upcoming second volume of the tribute album. Rick will be missed by many and we remember his music and his joy in sharing / teaching music and bringing people together. Heather Fielding is continuing the Acoustic Workshop radio program on CIUT 7-8 pm Mondays. For Rick and Heather's favourite musical discussion group see Mudcat Cafe. Norm's fans know that when he sings his moving anthem "The Songwriters' Song" (not yet recorded), he almost always explains that it's inspired by his close friend Lloyd Landa who died suddenly the day after helping Norm celebrate his 50th birthday. Norm's tribute column for Taxi News (including a verse from the song) is on this website here. A brand new CD To Touch the Stars: A Musical Celebration of Space Exploration includes two moving songs co-written and performed by Karen Linsley and Lloyd Landa: "Pioneers of Mars" which won the Mars Society contest for the song to be played when man lands on Mars and "The Challenge." More on this excellent collection of rootsy and sometimes humorous songs about space exploration from Prometheus Music and dedicated to Dr. Ralph Nash and to Lloyd is at www.totouchthestars.com and at Karen and Lloyd's site at www.roadtoroswell.com "Pioneers of Mars" was played by the Jet Propulsion Labratory as part of the wake-up routine for Mars rover "Opportunity" on February 14 2004! Norm's three CDs are now available via SECURE WEB SALES through Festival Distribution - just click on catalogue and search on "Hacking" (faster if you specify CD and Canadian) - with Canadian or U.S. prices! Festival continues to offer telephone orders via their toll-free number (1-800-633-8282 in U.S. and Canada) and supply major stores in Canada. Festival's top-30-album description of the Orange Cats CD is linked by clicking the "top titles" tab at the top of their website. More info on Festival and other sources for Norm's CDs here. URGENT:
If you're in Toronto and can adopt a cat or kitten or make a tax-receiptable
donation, see below or go directly to the
Annex Cat Rescue
website for profiles and photos of felines needing a home, lots of
tips on cats. NORM HACKING is...
Added in March and April 2004: Norm's popular monthly "Race Track Hack" column in Taxi News is in the print edition and on-line at www.taxinews.com/racetrackhack.html Several columns are now on Norm's website! In April his column was For Rick Fielding His thoughts for February turned to a tale of real (not Hollywood) love in his Big Hearts column. January has Norm pondering the movie-like possibilities of alternate endings to some scenes from life. December's moving article Maybe One More is about someone special finding the strength to carry on. November found Norm exploring and predicting the ever-expanding ocean of specialty TV channels (cats anyone? also...). For the October issue, Norm is thankful for angels he finds on earth and warns us to be careful not to brush them off our shoulders by mistake. September's issue has Norm carried away with phone menu choices. In August Norm approached his birthday (August 1) with May I Reflect? - contemplations on life's elusive lessons - they all rhyme with the title! July's column was about his recent musical transformation to Catman! Norm says it should be subtitled "The artist formerly known as Norm Hacking" - his songs about cats have overwhelmed everything else from his three-decade songwriting reputation. Dates with the Dead - Lunch with Bogie and Dinner with Marilyn - were cherished contest prizes for this movie buff. Norm's September 2000 tribute to My Friend Lloyd (the late Lloyd Landa) was the first column posted here. Stories for July 1st (Canada Day, July 2002) about his grandparents and uncle is now added. And the latest to be added are Who is Race Track Hack? (by Syd The Cat, March 1996), A Reminiscence with Friends about Syd (September 1998) and The Cat Came Back (April 1999). See www.taxinews.com/archives for a few past issues in .pdf (start looking from the back of each issue).
URGENT: Cats and kittens need adopting. If you're in the Toronto area and can adopt (or provide a temporary foster home to) a kitten or cat rescued from Toronto streets by the fine non-profit Annex Cat Rescue, call 416 410-3835 or see their website for profiles of rescued felines seeking permanent homes and great info on cats. Or consider a donation (tax receiptable). Yes, this is the wonderful organization that gets a donation for every Orange Cats CD sold.
Life with a naughty kitty / Isn't very pretty.
NORM'S ALBUMS and TRIBUTE CD OVERVIEW
All three albums are on the Three Flamingos Music label and are NOW AVAILABLE with distribution through Festival at their toll-free number (from Canada and U.S.) 1 800 633-8282 or in stores - or at Norm's gigs. For details of several methods of buying them, see Buy CDs / Contact which includes some stores and a new address for Three Flamingos Music label and recording services. The Ache had limited pre-release in 1999, and will be issued in 2004. Watch for Volume 2 of the tribute album. For details on Norm's CDs, his earlier albums (vinyl) and a number of other artists whose CDs include Norm's songs, click here.
Norm is also a warm and caring person, well known for the support and encouragement he gives fellow artists, including those just getting started. He started his first open stage (at Toronto's Silver Dollar) a dozen years ago and returned there on July 24, 2001 for "Norm's Living Room" open stage series, which ended on March 28, 2002. See Norm at Dollar for a look at our evenings and terrific features. Before returning to the Silver Dollar, Norm had a popular high-quality open stage on Tuesdays October 26, 1999 through June 26, 2001, and performances by invitation at "Norm's Living Room" on Saturdays January 29, 2000 through June 2, 2001 at the Tranzac, 292 Brunswick Avenue, Toronto. Both series attracted talented perfomers and developed a real sense of community which was transported along with the virtual furniture to his new and larger "Living Room" Thursdays at the Silver Dollar. See Norm at the Tranzac page for a look at the earlier series, including feature artists February through June 2001. Hint: some features at both Silver Dollar and Tranzac were regulars at Norm's evenings, so look for them at new events. Subscribe to Norm's email newsletter to be sure you keep up on Norm's news (see next paragraph). BUYING CDs / MORE INFORMATION
Find out how to get Norm's CDs by looking here.
Secure web sales and toll-free phone orders are through Festival
Distribution. OR to join Norm's email list, ask a question, get updates
on gigs or notices of the upcoming CD releases (The Ache), send an email to info@normhacking.com.
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It's
a book very soon - October!!! Thursday July 1 - CTV
national television news includes an interview with Cynthia Nugent, illustrator
of Norm's upcoming "When Cats Go Wrong" book 6 - 7 p.m.
(around 6:40?) local time in Canada. "When Cats Go Wrong"
is a favourite from the Norm Hacking & Kirk Elliott 
a
determinedly-independent folk singer-songwriter from Toronto, Ontario,
Canada, who for more than thirty years has been winning loyal fans and
critical acclaim for his beautifully crafted songs, with moving and often
humorous insights into life, love, songwriting - and cats! His songwriting
was recently honoured with One Voice: A Tribute to Norm Hacking,
Vol. 1, an album of North American songwriters performing his
songs (Volume 2 is in progress). See 
The
newest CD Orange Cats Make the Very Best Friends, by Norm Hacking
and fabulous multi-instrumentalist 
Norm
had previously released one CD, Skysongs... A Writer's Collection
(1996), a "best of" his vinyl LPs, 1984 Cut Roses
and acclaimed 1988 Stubborn Ghost, with 4 new (in 1996)
tracks. This recording was also reissued at the tribute album launch on
November 14, 2001, remastered with lyrics and full credits. See