1. Norma Cecilia Tanega was an American folk and pop singer-songwriter, painter, and experimental musician.
20 Facts About Norma Tanega
1. 2.
In later decades, Tanega worked mostly as a percussionist, playing various styles of music in the bands Baboonz, hybridVigor, and Ceramic Ensemble.
3.
Norma Tanega wrote "You're Dead", which was used as the theme song of the film What We Do in the Shadows and the TV series of the same name.
4.
Norma Tanega was born in Vallejo, California, near San Francisco, and grew up in Long Beach.
5.
Norma Tanega entered Long Beach Polytechnic High School in 1952 and in her senior year directed the school's art gallery.
6.
Norma Tanega spent a summer backpacking in Europe and moved to New York City to pursue her artistic career.
7.
Norma Tanega worked for a short time at a mental hospital, where she sang and played songs for patients.
8.
Norma Tanega spent her summers working as a camp counselor upstate in the Catskill Mountains.
9.
Brooklyn-based record producer Herb Bernstein saw Norma Tanega performing while visiting the camp one summer.
10.
In 1966, Norma Tanega traveled to England to promote her music.
11.
The couple took up residence in London's Kensington district, where Norma Tanega continued to paint and play music.
12.
Norma Tanega penned the English language lyrics for Springfield's version of "Morning", a cover of the song "Bom Dia" by Gilberto Gil and Nana Caymmi.
13.
In 1970, Norma Tanega teamed up with jazz pianist Blossom Dearie to write a song about Springfield for Dearie's album That's Just the Way I Want to Be.
14.
Many of Norma Tanega's songs appeared as non-album B-sides to Springfield's singles.
15.
Norma Tanega went uncredited for many of her collaborations with Springfield, and by 1970 their relationship was deteriorating.
16.
When Norma Tanega returned to the US before the album's promotion, it failed to achieve the chart success of her earlier work.
17.
In 1972, Norma Tanega moved back to Claremont, California, and took jobs teaching music and English as a second language.
18.
In 1998, Norma Tanega formed the Latin Lizards with Robert Grajeda, and the duo released the album Dangerous in 2003.
19.
Norma Tanega died of colon cancer on December 29,2019, at her home in Claremont, California, aged 80.
20.
Beyond the mid-1960s buzz around Norma Tanega's sole hit single and the number of songs she contributed to Dusty Springfield's repertoire, many other musicians have continued to record their own versions of Norma Tanega's early work.