Sometime in the late 70s or early 80s you were opening for Boz Scaggs in southern California. We went to see YOU. When your set was getting short I was bummed that the Hammond Song hadn't been performed yet. My then husband shouted out at the top of his lungs THE HAMMOND SONG! Maggie & Terry, and maybe you as well changed guitars and played it. Made my evening, made the whole concert. ❤ Thank you for all the music. ❤
After discovering the Roches in 1979 I fell in love with a girl from Hammond. She broke my heart, and I never found another one that I loved as much. This song is so bittersweet to me. Love you still Rhonda.
I literally “went down to Hammond” and lived there for five years (attended the university there, 1977-1982). This song has always held a special place in my heart. Thank you for this lovely cover.
I remember this song from way back, when Terry Hall/Colorfield covered it in the mid-80's. It does seem to be a song that's difficult to cover. None of the covers that I've heard seem to have added anything much in terms of production or interpretation. Including this one..., imo. I like the original best.
Holy CHRISTMAS! That was a delicious cover!! Why doesn’t this have more views? The Roches are not a Big Nothing! And Fleet Foxes turn in a pitch-perfect cover. WTAF! Why isn’t this a hit? Am I living under a rock? What is going on here? I’m so delight and simultaneously confused! 🥰🤩😵💫🫠
What a truly beautiful cover!! Am new to the Roaches and only heard Hammond Song on bbc radio 6 here in the UK just before Christmas. I was literally scrambling for pen and paper to get the bands name etc. Now I find one of my favourite bands of all time in the truly wonderful Fleet Foxes have covered this astounding song. Absolutely delighted to hear this. Thank you for posting this. A lovely song sang with clarity and the usual FF harmonies 😊
First heard this song by the Colourfield over 30 years ago and spent most of those years since then thinking it was a Terry Hall song. This is a great version but I guess you just love the one you heard first, the pathos in Terry's voice and the harmonies were just exquisite. I still think the LP Virgins and Philistines is a great piece of work and remains their best work. Always hoped I'd get to see Terry play once more, sadly not to be. Rest in peace Mr Hall x
This was written by Maggie Roche. She and her sister, Terre, left their home in New Jersey when they were pretty young (maybe around 20) and went to live in Hammond, Louisiana. I think this song was expressing the point of view of some of their family members, who didn't think that they should go. I think that's the gist of it.
Following the release of their first LP, Terre & Maggie were not happy with the record company’s treatment and basically balked doing any more promotion, and moved to Louisiana in a show of incredible independence. This song is (in part), the record execs response to them, threatening like angry parents.
What I read years ago, (or maybe it was Suzzy's video on Maggie a couple years back) Maggie wrote it from her Father's perspective when she and Terre left home for Hammond.
