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Welcome to Norm Hacking's
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HOMENEWSCOMING UP
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It's a BOOK!!! see exciting news after the intro paragraph! For more than 30 years, Norm Hacking has been winning loyal fans and critical acclaim for his beautifully crafted songs, with their moving and often humorous insights into life, love, songwriting - and cats! His latest CD Orange Cats Make the Very Best Friends (with fabulous multi-instrumentalist Kirk Elliott) is making many new friends who send him stories of their own feline best friends. One of the songs "When Cats Go Wrong" is the text of an upcoming (Oct. 2004) book illustrated by Cynthia Nugent - bookstores can order from Raincoast now! Norm's songs "capture a very real slice of life. They are easy to relate to yet are neither simple nor boring... Hacking, like John Steinbeck, understands the depths of very simple situations and the simplicity of very complicated events." A stellar group of Canadian and U.S. songwriters recorded 18 of his songs for One Voice: A Tribute to Norm Hacking, Vol. 1, and a second volume is in progress. Norm's 1996 "best-of" CD Skysongs... A Writer's Collection was remastered and reissued in late 2001. Watch for The Ache CD in 2004. Norm created a real musical community as a warmly encouraging host of several fine Toronto open stage series. His performances with his acoustic guitar (often solo), his songs and recitations are totally engaging. This website includes some of Norm's lyrics and prose and lots of information on his recordings (distributed by Festival online or at 1-800-633-8282 or in stores), appearances, upcoming book and more. BREAKING NEWS - Norm's song "When Cats Go Wrong" (from the Orange Cats CD) is an illustrated children's book available in October - preview on TV July 1. Norm plays Northern Lights Festival Boreal in Sudbury July 2-4!
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 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) SEE MORE NEWS, still relevant, on the new separate
NEWS page! 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. Fourteen of Norm's "Race
Track Hack" columns are on this website - most
have been added in February and March 2004, with most recent being for
Rick Fielding, who died on March 20, and Norm's start as a folk singer
(watch for more columns): Norm's latest "Race Track Hack" column for Taxi News is always here. Norm's three CDs are 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...
This page of Norm's website gives an overview of info you can see in more detail by following the embedded links or those on the left - Norm's recordings, the tribute album, some lyrics, a poem, prose, reviews, past open stages, upcoming and past performances. Contact us or subscribe to Norm's email newsletter at info@normhacking.com. 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.
"We speak the language of poetry, when we try to talk to God. Music is God's reply. The courage of song results from just such intimate conversations" - Norm Hacking 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. Orange Cats Make the Very Best Friends The songs
are catchy, cute, sometimes thoughtful... This is homey, friendly music,
just right for Norm's warm cozy voice. David Kidney's review at GreenmanReview
One Voice: A Tribute to Norm Hacking, Vol. 1
rich and varied collection... played and sung by a who's who of Canadian
folk musicians... celebration of a master songwriter... well written,
melodic works. They deal with universal themes of love, and loss, and
stories of people trapped by both... solid folk music... good pickin'
and singin' David Kidney, GreenmanReview.com
Listen to the 19 songs comprising Skysongs and you will hear
first-hand Hacking's warm voice, as eloquent lyrics take flight on the
wings of ear-pleasing melodies... The 18-track
tribute ... demonstrates how good songs lend themselves to a variety
of interpretative approaches. Robert Reid, The Record (Kitchener-Waterloo), April
6, 2002, pE7 Norm Hacking is back with 19 of his country/folk tunes
that shine with refreshing honesty, thoughtful lyrics and sparkling arrangements...
Excellent songwriting and expressive performances make Skysongs
a winner. James Morgan, Dirty Linen (Dec 97 / Jan
98, p91-92)
Gene Wilburn, Northern
Journey 2 (1998)
The best song ever committed to vinyl ("Stubborn Ghost") Greg Quill, The Toronto Star (1988)
For reviews spanning 26 years of recording, see REVIEWS. Also a talented prose writer, Norm has a popular monthly column in Taxi News. See Article on Lloyd for the tribute column he wrote just after the August 2000 death of his close friend Lloyd Landa, a very talented songwriter and musician. The Toronto Star published a major feature article he wrote, "Looking for Christmas: A Songwriter's Journey" (Sunday, December 19, 1999), weaving prose snapshots of Christmas experiences with quotes from seven of his songs. Read it here A poem by Norm Hacking, "I Have Imagined You", is the first to be posted on this website. I have imagined youFor the full poem, go 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 Room more than a dozen years ago and returned there for "Norm's Living Room" open stage series July 24, 2001, through 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 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 Norm's special-occasion open stages. 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.
Web Design, Content and Photography: Shirley Gibson Website first established February 2001
Visitors since October 18, 2001 |
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It's
a book very soon!!! 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 across 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