The 'Alternating Currents' Legacy Interview: Bobby LaRoche of The Sighs
From 1992: A Northampton seed grows into pure pop... with a 2024 holiday bonus at the end
Prologue
Let me start by saying that I’m just as much a pop music fan as the next person. I revel in pop music: great hooks, beat-me-to-the-eight-bar melody, and the whole shebang. Oh, I know it's not the fashion to say so, but when a band appears out of nowhere – for the second time! – to knock you off your feet with just such hooks, well, pop music is here to stay. In fact, it never really left the town of Northampton, MA. Just ask Bobby LaRoche of The Sighs and he'll admit that he's been doing the pop thing for the past 11 years.
Suppose you're scratching your head over The Sighs. Well, good. Maybe not so good, actually. Having just released their debut What Goes On on Charisma, The Sighs are reintroducing themselves to the public after a prolonged absence. Stardom seemed around the corner in 1985 when the band released the single “She's Not The Girl I Used To Know” and a self-titled EP. But stardom is a funny thing and since LaRoche is much better at charting the history of The Sighs than yours truly, let us delve a little deeper into pop history.
“[Bassist] Tommy Pluta has been my partner since the outset,” LaRoche explained. “The band formed in the winter of 1981-82. We’ve gone through many, many personnel changes over the years. He actually started out drumming for the band.” True to form for a novice group they sent out a single to labels, getting rejections left and right. “But even then,” he continues, “we were aware that to get our music across, we'd have to get a record deal. It just took 11 years!”
The aforementioned EP was released to national critical raves, even landing The Sighs a distribution deal in Europe. 1985 was going to be their year; it was going to happen.
“We had pretty much strictly played in the Northampton area,” LaRoche said. “We tried breaking into Boston a few times. In fact, I remember playing Jumpin’ Jack Flash before it burnt down. We played TT the Bears, The Rat, and Bunratty’s, too.”
But Northampton was not a town where they were going to ‘catch fire,’ so in 1985, the band considered moving to South Boston to establish closer ties to the music scene. They ultimately decided against the move. The reason: “We thought maybe we were too pop,” LaRoche stated. “We weren't grungy or garage-y enough.” The final decision to make a trek to the West Coast proved fateful, as LaRoche and Pluta were the only two willing to make the sacrifice. In 1986, they packed up a van and drove the 3,000 miles to the city by the bay, San Francisco.
Although Pluta was underage at the time, LaRoche managed to scarf around the clubs and eventually secured a drummer and guitarist. The resurrected Sighs ended up gigging again towards the end of 1986, even playing at Wolfgang’s, a club run by the late rock promoter Bill Graham.
This however was to be a short-lived affair. LaRoche was still in contact with his friend Ray Mason (“A pop guru in Northampton,” LaRoche stated) and when he got label interest and showcased in Los Angeles, Mason’s manager arrived and the second coming of stardom awaited The Sighs.
LaRoche, Pluta, and “the two California transplants” moved back to Northampton and signed with Mason's manager in February, 1987. It was a crash-and-burn effort, however, and the two transplants uprooted and headed back west. Undaunted as only veterans of near misses can be, LaRoche and Pluta continued as a contractual duo until 1990. Their drummer Tom Borawski has been a steady since 1988, but guitarist Matt Cullen wasn't an official Sigh until the band played the New Music Seminar in the summer of 1990. This proved the definitive turning point when the group was approached by Tom Allen, who booked New York City’s China Club, and John DeNicola, a songwriter of considerable Top Ten talents (“I’ve Had the Time of My Life”). Allen and DeNicola shopped a production tape around until The Sighs hit the “Big Time.”
The president of Charisma, Phil Quartararo, liked their material and signed them on. The band entered A&M Studios with producer Ed Stasium (The Ramones, The Smithereens) but, lest you think crafting pop is easy...
“Working with Ed? Oh, my God!” LaRoche laughed. “When the work is done, he’s the sweetest guy in the world. But he works you very hard.” The end result shows off a tight unit: the tough, hook-grabbing “Think About Soul,” a distant cousin to the Plimsouls’ “Million Miles Away,” the 1965 Beatles-style harmonies in “Jane” and the tender “Heroes Are Made For Falling.”
“Ultimately, he got the best out of us,” LaRoche concluded. “This record is one hundred percent in tune and perfect.”
The Sighs — Think About Soul/℗© 1992 Charisma Records America/YouTube
In the context of pop, there is a huge backlog to draw from – whether it be inspirational or influential – and LaRoche is unequivocal when listing those past pop passions.
“Paul Collins’ Beat. The Shoes. The Tourists. The Records. The Jags. You name it. Obviously, most of those bands weren’t successful. That whole era. We were big-time into The Neighborhoods. And still are!”
So, that shifts LaRoche and Co. into their next gear: when can we see them play live? They have signed with Triad Entertainment in L.A. and would like to tour with one of that agency's bigger acts. “Nirvana, Red Hot Chili Peppers,” LaRoche jokingly said. “You get the picture. If not, we'll go out and do our own smaller club tour.” What if they caught on in England or Europe sooner? Would The Sighs do the circuit there?
“I would take success if it were in Siberia," LaRoche laughed and kidding aside added, “We certainly have no preference of where it picks up first.” The starting gun has popped off and with a good deal of steam already behind them, The Sighs are hooked into a well-crafted musical future.
Epilogue
The Sighs – going strong in 2024 – are featured on OMAD label head John DeNicola’s compilation Make a Joyful Noise performing “Almost Christmastime” as well as solo tracks “On This Christmas Day” from LaRoche and Pluta’s “Christmas Time (Blues).”
