NORM HACKING
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Please refer to this website in the format
http://www.normhacking.com

Links to key info below:
bio / albums / mp3 excerpts (with lyrics) / book / prose /
hi-res photos / tech info
See links (also at left on all pages) for
reviews / coming up (gigs) / news / "When Cats Go Wrong" BOOK / home
The site map should help find other info quickly.

BIO:

Norm Hacking
August 1, 1950 - November 25, 2007

A bio of any length is available. A short form might be:

Norm Hacking www.normhacking.com
An acclaimed songwriter from Toronto, Norm Hacking wins loyal fans with his moving and often humorous insights into life, love, songwriting - and cats! His latest music CD "Orange Cats Make the Very Best Friends" (with Kirk Elliott, 2002) remains popular and has inspired many new fans to send him stories of their feline best friends. "When Cats Go Wrong" from the CD is now a widely available children's book vividly illustrated by Cynthia Nugent, with a CD single of the song. Canadian and U.S. songwriters recorded 18 of Norm's songs for a tribute released in 2001, with a second volume in the works. His latest recording, "I Am the Night" (Dec. 2005) includes his 33 favourite original poetry and prose selections.

or

For more than 30 years, Toronto-based determinedly-indie songwriter 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!

For a long version, see the Bio Page, which summarizes his musical, open stage hosting, journalism, theatre and other experiences. See also the more promotional summary (including festivals played, etc.).

IN PERFORMANCE: Norm performs beautifully crafted original songs that tell stories, paint the emotional ups and downs of relationships, pay tribute, rage, draw a few laughs and touch the heart. The songs and his engaging performances draw critical acclaim and earn loyal fans.

Norm's melodic songs are delivered in his expressive baritone voice, with his tasteful but not flashy acoustic guitar playing, on his 1970 Yamaha FG180 or on the Storyteller 1 guitar made for him by Gregory Furan ( www.furanguitars.com ). He establishes a direct communication with his audience members. Songs are usually interspersed with original poetry and prose, with his expressive delivery reflecting his past theatre experience.

Family / children stage performances consist of a half-hour or so of stories and songs, primarily about his cats. He also conducts songwriting workshops for adults and students.

For duo or larger group performances, Norm is accompanied by a lead guitarist and other instrumentalists.

Next performance: Sadly, Norm Hacking died on November 25, 2007. Date of a further memorial event to be announced shortly. A memorial / open stage was held December 6, 2007, and on February 9, 2008, Tim Harrison hosted a two-hour tribute "Songs and Stories of Norm Hacking" as part of Winterfolk VI festival. We expect posthumous release of his CD The Ache in early 2008.

Past performances: Most recent performances were in Toronto (several dates June - July 2007). Most recent festivals were Brampton Folk Festival 2007 (Brampton, Ontario), Winterfolk 2005 and 2007 (Toronto), Toronto City Roots, Word on the Street (Toronto), Northern Lights Festival Boreal (Sudbury) and Eaglewood (Pefferlaw, Ontario). Details remain on Norm's website.

NORM HACKING ALBUMS:

Norm has three currently available music CDs and one spoken word CD:

• Orange Cats Make the Very Best Friends (with Kirk Elliott) 3FLAM2003, Dec. 2002
• One Voice: A Tribute to Norm Hacking, Vol. 1 3FLAM2001 Nov 2001 (songwriters perform 18 of Norm's songs; yes, a second volume is in progress)
• Skysongs... A Writer's Collection 3FLAM2002 Nov 2001 (replacing original 1996 edition; a "best of" vinyl from Stubborn Ghost (1988) and Cut Roses (1980) plus 4 solo tracks from 1996)
• I Am the Night, Poetry and Prose by Norm Hacking IMNH 105, Dec.2005
• upcoming, early 2008: The Ache (additional recording and mixing completed; graphic design in progress), 13 original songs.

The Discography Page has an overview of Norm's recordings, with links to details on each album from his first solo vinyl Norm Hacking Live (1977) to the upcoming CD The Ache, along with a list of multi-artist albums that include his performances. A second page lists other artists who have recorded his songs and written songs about him.

The three music CDs are on the Three Flamingos Music label (Wayne Marshall, Brantford, Ontario). They are available through Outside Music's secure web sales at www.outside-music.com/store/ or in stores they supply. The spoken word CD is available from Iridescent Music, Toronto (secure web sales or printable mail-order form). And of course also at events.

LYRICS with mp3 SOUND EXCERPTS:

These songs have sound excepts - click on title for lyrics and on mp3 for sound (all are on this site), or go to lyrics page which also has the mp3 link; album sources for sound are shown:

• Cats Everywhere - mp3 (750k) from Orange Cats (performed by Norm with Kirk Elliott); a different recording is on Skysongs; lyrics page includes a note on chords
• Crazy for Love - mp3 (1.45mb) from One Voice (tribute), performed by Alan Rhody.
• Love at the Free Times Cafe - mp3 (1.28mb) from Skysongs (solo performance)
• Stubborn Ghost - mp3 (1.40mb) from One Voice (tribute CD), performed by Jason Fowler (Norm performs it on Skysongs)
  
• Thunder and Lightning - mp3 (1.37mb) from Skysongs
• When Cats Go Wrong - mp3 (1.22mb) from Orange Cats (performed by Norm with Kirk Elliott); also included as a CD single in the BOOK

The Lyrics and Prose page includes links to additional lyrics, a poem, the book, selected columns and a feature newspaper article.

IT'S A BOOK!
The book "When Cats Go Wrong" incorporates Norm's song lyrics into beautiful vivid illustrations by Cynthia Nugent; the book includes a CD single (from the Orange Cats CD). Published by Raincoast Books in Canada in October 2004 and released in the U.S. in April 2005 (booksellers order from Raincoast in Canada and in U.S. through Raincoast's distributor Publishers Group West). The initial hardcover edition sold out, and a new full-size full-colour paperback including the CD single is now available across Canadia (released February 1, 2006) and in the U.S. (released May 10, 2006). It's a bargain at C$13. Norm has the publisher's permission to sell the book at his performances.

NORM is the columnist "RACE TRACK HACK"
From February 1992 to October 2007, Norm wrote his popular "Race Track Hack" column for Toronto's monthly Taxi News - more than twenty columns are now on this website, including one published posthumously in February 2008. Subjects range from his cats to his musical experiences to flights of fancy to a beautiful tribute to his late mother Kathy O. He often included one or two selections in his full concert sets; two are included on his spoken word CD I Am the Night.

PHOTOS - hi-res for print All photos here, on photo page and elsewhere on this site are by Shirley Gibson, unless otherwise credited. Contact info@normhacking.com (manager / webmaster / photographer) for other formats or other photos.
At Mel Lastman Square June 28, 2003 Peace, Love and Folksongs Festival click here for 855 x 823 jpg (251k)	Norm - August 2003 at his birthday-edition open stage click here for 1280 x 960 jpg (351k)
Norm - November 11, 2006 click here for colour 925 x 1250 jpg (157k) click here for grayscale 925 x 1250 jpg (147k)	Norm - Skysongs CD cover (2001) click here for 1095 x 1114 jpg (159k) (.eps original available on request, 335k)

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