FEATURE SONG: WALKING MY CAT NAMED DOG by NORMA TANEGA

Where were you in 1966? If it was within earshot of a radio, you might have been listening to this little one-hit-wonder. It's what I call an "amblin' song." An amblin' song is one that makes you get out of your chair, and go outside to dig the day, just the same way hearing a good road song makes you want to fire up your vehicle and follow those white lines. Other motivativational amblin' songs (for me anyway) are "Daydream" by the Lovin' Spoonful, "Go Where You Wanna Go" by the Mamas and Papas, and a few John Denver songs. I see amblin' as a nice free-form saunter. Maybe even some discreet finger-poppin' could be added. Remember Mr. Natural's Keep on Truckin'? (see photo) Kinda like that.

Now, much of the appeal of this song is thanks to the mental image we get of a cat named "Dog" being walked on a leash, just like a...well, a dog. Like many of you, I have had both dogs and cats over the years, and even took my cat out on a leash once, and can vouch for the fact that, generally speaking, a dog is way easier to take for a walkies than a cat. To further illustrate my point, I have a neighbor who regularly took her cat for walks on a leash. The cat was so enthused, he would immediately lie down on his side and go totally limp (but then, his name was Backpack, so perhaps he had expectations of being carried aloft all the time...) Well, whatever your experience is with canines and felines, this song is fun to listen to.

A few facts on Norma Tanega are in order. Norma was born in 1939 in California, to Filipino parents. Although she had a strong musical background, and lots of parental and peer encouragement, her career never quite took off. But she has remained involved in music and art over the years. Here's her website if you want to check it out. http://normatanega.com/artist%20bio.htm Meanwhile, have a listen and an amble down memory lane. And, FYI, Norma did have a cat, and it's name was "Dog." No mention of whether or not she had to drag it along the ground like my neighbor...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPZVrmJ2HH8