- published: 08 Nov 2014
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The Roches (Maggie, Terre, and Suzzy Roche) are a vocal group of three songwriting Irish-American sisters from Park Ridge, New Jersey, known for their "unusual" and "rich" harmonies, quirky lyrics, and casually comedic stage performances.
The Roches have been active as performers and recording artists since the mid-1970s, at various times performing as a trio and in pairs.
In the late 1960s, eldest sister Margaret and middle sister Terre (pronounced "Terry") quit school to tour as a duo. Maggie wrote most of the songs, with Terre contributing to a few. The sisters got a break when Paul Simon brought them in as backup singers on his 1973 #2 album There Goes Rhymin' Simon. They got his assistance (along with an appearance by The Oak Ridge Boys) on their only album as a duo, Seductive Reasoning (1975). Shortly after that, youngest sister Suzzy (rhymes with "fuzzy") joined the group to form The Roches trio.
Around this time, they parlayed bartending jobs at famous Greenwich Village folk venue Gerde's Folk City into stage appearances, an experience they commemorated in their song, "Face Down at Folk City" (from Another World, 1985). It was here that they met many of their future singing and songwriting collaborators. Terre was now writing songs as well, and by the time of their first album as a trio, The Roches (1979), Suzzy had also begun writing. Robert Fripp produced the album. Maggie's "The Married Men" from this album was eventually to become the biggest hit of the songwriting trio — not for them, but for Phoebe Snow. After Snow and Linda Ronstadt performed the song in a duet on Saturday Night Live, the Roches were invited themselves to perform on the show a few months later in 1979 at the behest of Paul Simon. They did two songs, both unreleased at the time, "Bobby's Song" and "The Hallelujah Chorus".
The Roches is the 1979 eponymous debut album by The Roches, produced by Robert Fripp, who also plays guitar and Fripperies (a variation of his Frippertronics). Also playing on the album are Tony Levin, Larry Fast and Jimmy Maelen of King Crimson and Peter Gabriel fame.
The album was well received. Jay Cocks in Time magazine wrote that their music "is startling, lacerating and amusing".Robert Christgau's review stated "Robert Fripp's austere production of this witty, pretty music not only abjures alien instrumentation but also plays up the quirks of the Roches' less-than-commanding voices and acoustic guitars. Thus it underscores their vulnerability and occasional desperation and counteracts their flirtations with the coy and the fey. The result is not a perfect record, but rather one whose imperfections are lovingly mitigated." It was voted #11 for the year in The Village Voice Pazz & Jop Critics Poll.
Provided to YouTube by Warner Records The Train · The Roches The Roches ℗ 1979 Warner Records Inc. Recording Engineer: Ed Sprigg Shaker, Triangle: Jim Maelen Assistant Engineer: Jon Smith Programmer, Synthesizer: Larry Fast Acoustic Guitar: Maggie Roche Vocals: Maggie Roche Electric Guitar: Robert Fripp Producer: Robert Fripp Acoustic Guitar: Suzzy Roche Vocals: Suzzy Roche Acoustic Guitar: Terre Roche Vocals: Terre Roche Bass: Tony Levin Writer: Suzzy Roche Auto-generated by YouTube.
Provided to YouTube by Universal Music Group For Unto Us A Child Is Born · The Roches We Three Kings ℗ 1990 Geffen Records Released on: 1990-09-18 Producer: Jeffrey Lesser Producer: The Roches Composer Lyricist: George Frideric Handel Auto-generated by YouTube.
An early `80's performance by The Roches of the Handel classic.
The Roches - Full Concert Recorded Live: 10/21/1978 - Capitol Theatre (Passaic, NJ) More The Roches at Music Vault: http://www.musicvault.com Subscribe to Music Vault: http://goo.gl/DUzpUF Setlist: 0:00:00 - We 0:03:06 - Hallelujah Chorus 0:06:32 - The Mountain People 0:10:10 - Vote The Democratic Way 0:11:19 - Mr. Sellack 0:15:38 - Outro by Chevy Chase Personnel: Maggie Roche - guitar, vocals Terre Roche - guitar, vocals Suzzy Roche - vocals Summary: Possessing one of the most distinctive, diverse and original vocal blends in modern music, Maggie, Terre and Suzzy Roche take to the stage of New Jersey's Capital Theater in support of Bill Bradley's Senatorial campaign in October of 1978. Introduced by Saturday Night Live superstar Chevy Chase, the sisters (who originally hail from Ne...
Provided to YouTube by Warner Records The Troubles · The Roches The Roches ℗ 1979 Warner Records Inc. Recording Engineer: Ed Sprigg Shaker, Triangle: Jim Maelen Assistant Engineer: Jon Smith Programmer, Synthesizer: Larry Fast Acoustic Guitar: Maggie Roche Vocals: Maggie Roche Electric Guitar: Robert Fripp Producer: Robert Fripp Acoustic Guitar: Suzzy Roche Vocals: Suzzy Roche Acoustic Guitar: Terre Roche Vocals: Terre Roche Bass: Tony Levin Writer: Maggie Roche Writer: Suzzy Roche Writer: Terre Roche Auto-generated by YouTube.
Music video by The Roches performing Big Nuthin'. (C) 1989 Geffen Records
Provided to YouTube by Warner Records The Married Men · The Roches The Roches ℗ 1976 Warner Records Inc. Recording Engineer: Ed Sprigg Shaker, Triangle: Jim Maelen Assistant Engineer: Jon Smith Programmer, Synthesizer: Larry Fast Acoustic Guitar: Maggie Roche Vocals: Maggie Roche Electric Guitar: Robert Fripp Producer: Robert Fripp Acoustic Guitar: Suzzy Roche Vocals: Suzzy Roche Acoustic Guitar: Terre Roche Vocals: Terre Roche Bass: Tony Levin Writer: Margaret A. Roche Auto-generated by YouTube.
THE ROCHES Rock Goes to College Season 04 Episode 05 (BBC, 1981) Loughborough University of Technology, England Aired 9th Feb. 1981 The complete set for this concert was: * Bad For Me (beginning cutoff) * We * One Season * Nurds * The Troubles * My Sick Mind * Hallelujah Chorus * Hammond Song * Mr. Sellack I originally downloaded this from TheBox.bz. Many many thanx go to IronMan2008 for the rip. This TV recording was ripped from an old betamax tape. The opening titles and the start of 'Bad for Me' are missing. The video and sound quality are not the best, but we should be thankful that this exists at all! I attempted to clean up the audio the best that I could. The Roches are: Maggie, Terre & Suzzy! visit: http://www.roches.com/ Enjoy!
Provided to YouTube by Warner Records The Death of Suzzy Roche · The Roches Nurds ℗ 1980 Warner Records Inc. Percussion: Bob Conti Assistant Engineer: Dave Alhard Bass: Fred Smith Synthesiser: Gabriel Katona Masterer: Greg Calbi Drums: Jay Dee Daugherty Recorded by: Jon Mathias Acoustic Bass: Lincoln Goines Acoustic Guitar: Maggie Roche Vocals: Maggie Roche Engineer, Producer: Roy Halee Acoustic Guitar: Suzzy Roche Vocals: Suzzy Roche Acoustic Guitar: Terre Roche Electric Guitar: Terre Roche Vocals: Terre Roche Composer, Lyricist: Suzzy Roche Composer, Lyricist: Terre Roche Auto-generated by YouTube.
The Roches (Maggie, Terre, and Suzzy Roche) are a vocal group of three songwriting Irish-American sisters from Park Ridge, New Jersey, known for their "unusual" and "rich" harmonies, quirky lyrics, and casually comedic stage performances.
The Roches have been active as performers and recording artists since the mid-1970s, at various times performing as a trio and in pairs.
In the late 1960s, eldest sister Margaret and middle sister Terre (pronounced "Terry") quit school to tour as a duo. Maggie wrote most of the songs, with Terre contributing to a few. The sisters got a break when Paul Simon brought them in as backup singers on his 1973 #2 album There Goes Rhymin' Simon. They got his assistance (along with an appearance by The Oak Ridge Boys) on their only album as a duo, Seductive Reasoning (1975). Shortly after that, youngest sister Suzzy (rhymes with "fuzzy") joined the group to form The Roches trio.
Around this time, they parlayed bartending jobs at famous Greenwich Village folk venue Gerde's Folk City into stage appearances, an experience they commemorated in their song, "Face Down at Folk City" (from Another World, 1985). It was here that they met many of their future singing and songwriting collaborators. Terre was now writing songs as well, and by the time of their first album as a trio, The Roches (1979), Suzzy had also begun writing. Robert Fripp produced the album. Maggie's "The Married Men" from this album was eventually to become the biggest hit of the songwriting trio — not for them, but for Phoebe Snow. After Snow and Linda Ronstadt performed the song in a duet on Saturday Night Live, the Roches were invited themselves to perform on the show a few months later in 1979 at the behest of Paul Simon. They did two songs, both unreleased at the time, "Bobby's Song" and "The Hallelujah Chorus".
(Words & Music by Maggie,Terre & Suzzy Roche)
We are Maggie and Terre and Suzzy
Maggie and Terre and Suzzy Roche
we don't give out our ages
and we don't give out our phone numbers
give out our phone numbers
sometimes our voices give out
but not our ages and our phone numbers
Guess which two of us made a record
guess what the other one did instead
the two who made the record
have been a singing group for ten years
singing group for ten years
and now a trio we are
born on the fourth of December
We come from deepest New Jersey
but now we live in New York City
we better get outa there
before the shit hits the fan
shit hits the fan
you might say where have they played
all over the country and in EnglandWho have we worked with
do we know anybody famous
anybody famous
do we know anybody famous
anybody famous
and as a point of interest
we spell our last name R-O-C-H-E
We are Maggie and Terre and Suzzy
we spell our last name R-O-C-H-E