In 1966, US singer songwriter Norma Tanega traveled to England to promote her music. During the tour, she appeared on the TV show Ready Steady Go!, where she met British pop singer Dusty Springfield. On a later visit to New York, Springfield began a romantic relationship with Tanega. They returned to England together and lived as a couple for five years.

On Tanega’s 1966 album Walkin’ My Cat Named Dog, you’ll find a cover version of Hey Girl. Hey Girl is a traditional folk song with centuries-old roots, made widely known through Lead Belly and his version of In the Pines.

Some time later, the same traditional material reached a new audience through Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged performance, where the song appeared as Where Did You Sleep Last Night.

Norma Tanega’s version of Hey Girl on Walkin’ My Cat Named Dog is therefore more than just a cover. It shows how traditional folk themes evolve over decades and are reinterpreted again and again. From Lead Belly to Tanega to Nirvana.

With CoverLove through music history.