Norm Hacking's Albums:
I AM THE NIGHT
Poetry & Prose by Norm Hacking

Norm Hacking's debut spoken word CD I Am the Night includes 33 original poetry and prose selections from this Toronto-based independent songwriter, poet, columnist and performer. For more than 30 years, he 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! Recently his performances have incorporated more spoken word. Phil Ball of Toronto's Iridescent Music invited Norm to his studio to record some of these works.

Norm chose some of his favourites - ranging from inspiring to humourous reflections on a variety of subjects, from full length columns to very short - poetry, prose and three song lyrics as spoken word.

It was Norm's favoured style of recording, as the studio time was brief - most was done in one long day! Then he carefully considered the order for the tracks. And multi-talented Phil quickly designed the graphics and organized adding the CD to Iridescent Music's fine catalogue of indie CDs.

As fans who attend Norm's concerts know, his readings are expressive and engaging, reflecting his acting experience (but never over-acting). As with his songs, his spoken word pieces are worth hearing many times. Norm left his guitar at home, and no instrumental backgrounds were added - so these tracks are just as you hear them in his concert performances.

The CD release was marked with a concert Monday December 19, 2005 at the Renaissance Cafe (1938 Danforth, just west of the Woodbine subway in Toronto), roots-friendly site of many of Norm's concerts. Launch details are are archived on Norm's past events of 2005 page.

In the list below, direct links are given to works posted on this website. The two longer pieces (tracks 4 and 13) are prose first published in Taxi News as monthly "Race Track Hack" columns, which Norm has written since February 1992. Tracks 6, 15 and 33 are readings of song lyrics. To sample more writings, go to the list of Norm's lyrics and prose on this website.

  "I AM THE NIGHT: Poetry & Prose by Norm Hacking " (click on linked title for text)

  1. I Am the Night (for Kimberly) 1:18
  2. My Dear (for Isabella) 1:05
  3. Crashing Unfixedly Broken 1:05
  4. Dinner with Marilyn (for Norma Jean) 7:14
  5. Equine Valentine (for Joanne and Dancing Minstrel) 1:19
  6. This One's the Dreamer 2:18
  7. I Curse My Generation (for Michael Laderoute and his song "Old Soldiers") 1:23
  8. The Legend of Wiarton Willie 3:04
  9. It's Golf That Takes Guts 2:36
10. Birthday Poem 1:03
11. Intimate Conversations (for Michael Peter Smith) 0:19
12. Skysongs 0:40
13. Maybe One More (for Ella, the Keeper of Christmas) 5:53
14. My Boy (for Ben) 1:33
15. Richer for the Time (for Steve Goodman) 2:02
16. My Spirit's Whisper 1:35
17. The Cheshire Vulture (for T-Pot) 1:05
18. I Have Imagined You (for Kate) 1:21
19. A Stranger's Prayer 1:19
20. Smeed Sets Buggles (for Corby) 0:20
21. Janine at The Silver Dollar 2:34
22. Cemetary Clowns 1:02
23. A Teardrop on My Palm (for Kitty) 0:59
24. Same Dream (for Holmes Hooke, Kevin Fulbrook & the "Ghosts of the Belvedere") 0:28
25. The Game Never Ends (for Bower & Mahovlich, Keon & Horton, & for Ed Mulvihill) 1:43
26. The Prize 2:06
27. Jimmy Don't Cry (for McCuaig) 0:48
28. The Robot Road 1:47
29. Using Your Head 1:52
30. Valentine for a Politician (for Mike Harris and his ilk) 0:33
31. Valentine for the Ex Who Still Wants to Be Friends 0:38
32. We Live (for Red, and for "one breathless moment") 1:07
33. Olya Katarina (for Kathy O.) 1:17
Total time 55:26

Executive Producer: Phil Ball
Recorded by Charlie Agnello
Mixed and Mastered by Steve Grisbrook
at Iridescent Music Studio, Toronto

MORE INFORMATION / ORDERING CDs

I Am the Night, Poetry and Prose by Norm Hacking CD is available from Iridescent Music, with a choice of on-line purchase or printable mail-in order form (on the website).

Norm's music CDs ( Orange Cats, the Skysongs reissue and One Voice: A Tribute to Norm Hacking, Vol. 1 ) are on the Three Flamingos Music label and available through Festival Distribution toll-free (Canada and U.S.) 1-800-633-8282 or through their secure website at www.festival.bc.ca or in stores. For more detail, see Buy CDs / Contact.

To ask a question or to join Norm's email list for updates on gigs, his When Cats Go Wrong book and upcoming CD The Ache,