When folks compile lists of Paul Simon’s greatest songs, it’s doubtful that too many would include “Was A Sunny Day”. A lighthearted, nondescript track off 1973’s There Goes Rhymin’ Simon, the song probably doesn’t even show up on the radar of casual Simon fans.
When you listen to it, you might decide that its most distinctive traits are the female backing vocals in the refrains. The two women providing those vocals would eventually form a group of their own, one that gained a cult following and much critical acclaim.
Simon Says
Maggie and Terre Roche were singing together from a young age in their New Jersey haunts. The sisters eventually decided they wanted to try and make a career out of it, leaving high school to head to New York and pursue their dreams.
In the early 70s, they found a songwriting workshop of sorts that was headed by none other than Paul Simon. Simon, at the time, had just departed his partnership with Art Garfunkel and was embarking upon his solo career. He saw talent in Maggie and Terre and became a kind of mentor for them in the early part of their own musical journey.
Simon encouraged the two, who could harmonize instinctively, to study their musical craft by learning songwriting and perfecting their instruments. When Simon headed out on location to record There Goes Rhymin’ Simon, Maggie and Terre tagged along. That’s when they snagged their first big break.
A “Sunny” Future
Simon utilized the sisters as backing vocalists on “Was A Sunny Day”. Their unique harmonies enliven the song, which otherwise is a lark about sudden romance. You can also see a picture of the two women on the inside sleeve of the There Goes Rhymin’ Simon album.
With that exposure in their pocket, the Roche sisters were dealing from a much stronger position when it came to looking for a record deal. It wasn’t too surprising that they signed with Columbia, also the home of Simon, for their debut album.
Unfortunately, Seductive Reasoning, their debut album credited to Maggie and Terre Roche that was released in 1975, didn’t turn out the way the sisters planned. Upset that the record company tried to play up their sex appeal in the marketing, they essentially bolted the label soon after the record was released to little fanfare.
A Terrific Trio
Undeterred, the sisters kept after it. Their sister Suzzy joined the group, and they started performing as a trio now known as The Roches. They built a following playing live in New York City and scored another record deal.
“Hammond Song”, one of the finest songs on their self-titled 1979 album, was a loose retelling of their unfortunate experience with their first album. Produced by Robert Fripp of King Crimson fame, the LP won rave reviews.
Paul Simon didn’t stop looking out for The Roches after that burst of success. He helped them gain an appearance on Saturday Night Live to further bolster their career, which would turn out to span decades of wholly unique music. And those harmonies, evident right from their appearance in that Simon song, remained one of their trademarks.
Photo by Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns
The post Remembering When a Paul Simon Song Featured Two Future Members of a Critically Beloved Group on Backing Vocals in 1973 appeared first on American Songwriter.