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The Shangri-Las
Origin New York, New York, United States
Genre(s) Pop
Years active 1963 to 1968
Label(s) Red Bird Records (1964-66)
Mercury Records (1966-67)
Associated acts Mary Weiss
Former members
Mary Weiss
Elizabeth "Betty" Weiss
Marguerite "Marge" Ganser
Mary Ann Ganser

The Shangri-Las were a "girl group", an American pop group of the 1960s. The City of New York New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other Pop music as a genre features a noticeable rhythmic element catchy melodies and hooks, a mainstream style and conventional structure In the Music industry, a record label can be a Brand and a Trademark associated with the Marketing of music recordings and Music Red Bird Records was a Record label started Mercury Records is a Record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Music Group in the US and are both subsidiaries of A girl group is a Popular music act featuring several young Female Singers who generally harmonize together The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Pop music as a genre features a noticeable rhythmic element catchy melodies and hooks, a mainstream style and conventional structure The 1960s decade refers to the years from the beginning of 1960 to the end of 1969 Between 1964 and 1966 they charted with a string of often heartbreaking teen melodramas, and remain best known for "Leader of the Pack" and "Remember (Walkin' in the Sand)". Melodrama refers to theatre in which music is used to increase the spectator's emotional response or to suggest character types " Leader of the Pack " is a 1964 Pop song recorded by Girl group The Shangri-Las. " Remember (Walking in the Sand " is a song written by George "Shadow" Morton and originally recorded in 1964 by The Shangri-Las.

Contents

Early career

The group was formed at Andrew Jackson High School in Cambria Heights, a part of Queens in New York in 1963. Cambria Heights ( Zip Code 11411 is a neighborhood in the southeastern portion of the New York City borough of Queens. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. They consisted of two sets of sisters: Mary Weiss (lead singer) (born 1948 (age 59–60)) and Elizabeth "Betty" Weiss (born 1946 (age 61–62)), and identical twins Marguerite "Marge" (1947-1996 (aged 48–49)) and Mary Ann Ganser (1947-1970 (aged 22–23)[1]). The Shangri-Las were a Girl group, an American pop group of the 1960s Year 1948 ( MCMXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1946 ( MCMXLVI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Twins are Offspring resulting from the same Pregnancy, either of the same or opposite Sex. Year 1947 ( MCMXLVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) Year 1947 ( MCMXLVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1970 ( MCMLXX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. More often than not the girls appeared in public as a trio, because Betty Weiss rarely appeared on stage with the other group members until 1966, preferring to avoid the rigors of touring. Trio is generally used in any of the following ways Three Musicians playing the same or different Musical instrument.

They began playing school shows, talent shows and teen hops, coming to the attention of Artie Ripp, who arranged the group's first record deal with Kama Sutra. Kama Sutra Records was started in 1964 by Arthur "Artie" Ripp, Hy Mizrahi and Phil Steinberg as Kama Sutra Productions a production Their first recording in December 1963 was "Simon Says", later issued on the Smash label, on which Betty Weiss sang lead. They also recorded "Wishing Well" / "Hate To Say I Told You So", which became their first release in early 1964 when leased to the small Spokane label[2].

Initially, the girls performed locally without a group name. But when they signed their first record deal, they began calling themselves the Shangri-Las, after a Queens restaurant.

Some discographies incorrectly list The Beatle-ettes and The Bon Bons, who both issued singles in 1964, as early versions of The Shangri-Las. However, they are completely different groups. [3]

Success at Red Bird Records

In April 1964, when the girls were still minors, their parents signed for them with Red Bird Records; Mary was 15, Betty was 17, and the Ganser twins were 16. Red Bird Records was a Record label started Year 1964 ( MCMLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the 1964 Gregorian calendar. Red Bird Records was a Record label started Having been hired by record producer George "Shadow" Morton, they had their first success with the summer hit, "Remember (Walking in the Sand)" (U.S. #5, UK #14). In the Music industry, a record producer or music producer has many roles among them controlling the recording sessions coaching and guiding the musicians organizing George 'Shadow' Morton (b 3 September 1944 Richmond Virginia) is an American Record producer and songwriter best known for his influential work in the In Popular music, a chart-topper is an extremely popular recording, identified by its inclusion in a ranked list&mdasha Chart &mdashof top " Remember (Walking in the Sand " is a song written by George "Shadow" Morton and originally recorded in 1964 by The Shangri-Las. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Billy Joel, an unknown working as a session musician at the time, played on the original demo recording of "Remember (Walkin' In The Sand)" [4]. William Martin Joel (born May 9 1949 is an American Pianist and Singer-songwriter. The original demo recording was nearly seven minutes long, far too long for Top 40 radio airplay. Morton had originally hired the group to just perform on the demo, but Red Bird liked their sound, and decided to release a re-recorded version by them after cutting it down to proper length for a 45 RPM single. Rather than edit the original song, Morton simply faded the new version out around the 2:16 mark.

The group's recordings for Morton featured lavish production with heavy orchestration and sound effects, and their next and biggest hit, the renowned 'death disc', "Leader of the Pack" (U. Orchestration is the study or practice of writing Music for Orchestra (or more loosely for any Musical ensemble) or of adapting for orchestra music composed For the album by The Jam see Sound Affects. Sound effects or audio effects are artificially created or enhanced Sounds Death is the termination of the biological functions that define living Organisms It refers both to a specific " Leader of the Pack " is a 1964 Pop song recorded by Girl group The Shangri-Las. S. #1, UK #11), climaxes with the sounds of roaring motorcycles and breaking glass. MotorCycle is the title of a 1993 album by Rock band Daniel Amos, released on BAI Records. UK re-issues of the single peaked at #3 in 1972 and at #7 in 1976. Year 1972 ( MCMLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1976 ( MCMLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The song epitomized the "death disc"; other examples of the era including Ray Peterson's "Tell Laura I Love Her", Jan and Dean's "Dead Man's Curve", and Twinkle's "Terry". Ray T Peterson ( April 23 1935 &ndash January 25 2005) was an American Pop music singer Jan and Dean were a Rock and roll duo, popular from the late 1950s through the mid 1960s consisting of William Jan Berry ( April 3, Twinkle (born Lynn Annette Ripley, 15 July 1947, Surbiton, Surrey, England) was an English Singer-songwriter

By the end of 1964 the group were an established hit act. They performed on a live bill with the Beatles, toured with R&B artists such as The Drifters and James Brown (who, according to Mary Weiss, was surprised to discover the girls were white when he met them), and Cashbox magazine listed them as best new R&B group. The Beatles were a pop and rock band from Liverpool, England formed in 1960 The Drifters were a long-lived American Doo wop / R&B vocal group with a peak in popularity from 1953 to 1962 though several splinter Drifters continue to perform today James Joseph Brown Jr (May 3 1933 – December 25 2006 commonly referred to as "The Godfather of Soul" the "King of Funk" and "The Cash Box (or Cashbox) magazine was a weekly publication devoted to the music and coin-operated machine industries which was published from July 1942 to November They also promoted Revlon cosmetics. Revlon ( is an American Cosmetics company History Revlon was founded in the midst of the Great Depression, 1932, by Charles In March 1965 they toured the UK with Dusty Springfield and The Zombies[5]. Mary Isabel Catherine Bernadette O'Brien OBE ( 16 April, 1939 &ndash 2 March, 1999) professionally known as Dusty Springfield For the Undead creature of Vodou lore see Zombie. For other meanings see Zombie (disambiguation.

Because Betty did not tour regularly with the group until 1966, and because she often and mysteriously did not appear in promotional photos despite the fact that she continued to sing on the records, many fans believed the Shangri-Las were a trio.

The group would alternate between touring with their own band, and hiring various local bands to back them. Among the latter were the Sonics, as well as the Iguanas, featuring a young Iggy Pop. See Seattle SuperSonics for the basketball team The Sonics are an American Garage rock band that were part of the Pacific James Newell Osterberg Jr (born April 21, 1947) better known by his Stage name Iggy Pop, is an American rock singer Songwriter

The Shangri-Las had a 'tough girls' persona that set them apart from other girl groups. Having grown up in a rough part of Queens, they were by nature feisty and outspoken, and far less demure than many of their contemporaries. Rumors about their supposed escapades have since become the stuff of rock and roll legend, including:

Whatever degree of truth these stories may have, they were firmly believed by many fans in the '60s, and they helped cement the group's reputation. According to Weiss, that reputation helped fend off unwanted advances from various male musicians on tours.

The Shangri-Las continued to chart with a run of fairly successful U. S. hit records, specialising in adolescent themes such as alienation, loneliness, abandonment and death. A gramophone Singles included "Give Him a Great Big Kiss", "Out in the Streets", "Give Us Your Blessings", the top ten hit "I Can Never Go Home Anymore", "Long Live Our Love", "He Cried" and the spoken-word cult favourite "Past, Present and Future", featuring music from Beethoven's "Moonlight" Sonata". Ludwig van Beethoven ( English ˈlÊŠdvɪg væn ˈbeɪtoÊŠvÉ™n, 16 December 1770 &ndash 26 March 1827 was a German Composer and Pianist. The Piano Sonata No 14 in C-sharp minor "Quasi una fantasia", Op Noteworthy B-sides included "Heaven Only Knows", "The Train from Kansas City", "Dressed in Black", and "Paradise" (written by Harry Nilsson) . Harry Edward Nilsson III ( June 15, 1941 – January 15, 1994) was an American Songwriter, singer Pianist, and

The group are generally recognized as distinctive purveyors of emotionally convincing melodrama. Among their titles that occasionally appear in music critics' all-time-favourites lists is the tragic ten-hanky drama "I Can Never Go Home Anymore", which recounts the story of a girl who leaves home for the love of a boy; her pride keeps her from returning to her mother who "grew so lonely in the end, the angels picked her for their friend". Memorable lines from "Give Him A Great Big Kiss" include the introductory "When I say I'm in love, you best believe I'm in love, L-U-V", and the much-quoted "Well I hear he's bad. " "Hmm, he's good-bad, but he's not evil. "

Disintegration and retirement

The group toured and appeared on several major TV shows, but in 1966 two of the Shangri-Las' three releases on Red Bird failed to crack the U. Year 1966 ( MCMLXVI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. S. top 50 (although they remained popular in England and Japan). For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Mary Ann Ganser left for a short while, but returned when Marge — who, as the most outspoken member, was sometimes considered the group's leader[6] — decided to leave early in 1967. By that time, Red Bird Records had folded. The group recorded some more tracks with Morton (some of which remain unreleased) and signed with Mercury Records[7]. Mercury Records is a Record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Music Group in the US and are both subsidiaries of However, Morton had begun working with Janis Ian and Vanilla Fudge, diverting his attention from the Shangri-Las, and Mercury executives had little enthusiasm for the group. Janis Ian (born Janis Eddy Fink, April 7 1951 is a Grammy Award -winning American Songwriter, Singer, multi-instrumental Musician Vanilla Fudge was an American psychedelic band that recorded albums from 1967 to 1970 During their brief Mercury stint, the Shangri-Las had no further hits. In 1968, they disbanded amid a blizzard of litigation. Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

All the members of the Shangri-Las then withdrew from the spotlight. Shadow Morton said "The Shangri-Las vacated, they vanished". Reportedly, they were angry and disillusioned by the fact that they received comparatively little royalty money over the years, despite the millions of records they had sold. Lead singer Mary Weiss moved first to New York's Greenwich Village, then to San Francisco. Returning to Manhattan a few years later, and legally prevented from recording because of ongoing lawsuits, she worked as a secretary while taking college classes. She then went into the architectural industry, starting out working in the accounting deparment of a New York architectural firm she eventually moved up to be the company's chief purchasing agent and later ran the company's commercial furniture dealership. In the late eighties she was the manager of a furniture store and a freelance interior designer. By 2001 she was working as a furniture consultant to New York businesses. [8] [9]. She married in 1974 and divorced her first husband in 1985; she married again several years later, and her second husband now manages her music career. Betty Weiss also married and had a daughter, she was the only member of the group to have a child, worked for a cosmetics company in Manhattan and later started her own business in Long Island. Mary Ann Ganser died on March 14, 1970 from an overdose of barbiturates. Year 1970 ( MCMLXX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Barbiturates are drugs that act as central nervous system Depressants and by virtue of this they produce a wide spectrum of effects from mild Sedation According to her mother, Mary Ann had been battling a heroin addiction for two years. Heroin ( INN: diacetylmorphine, BAN: diamorphine) is a semi-synthetic opioid synthesized from Morphine, a derivative Confusingly, many years later, Mary Weiss claimed that Mary Ann had died from encephalitis[10], brought on by a mosquito bite. Encephalitis is an acute Inflammation of the Brain, commonly caused by a viral Infection. Marge Ganser married (becoming Marguerite Ganser Dorste), worked for a telephone company, and succumbed to breast cancer on July 28, 1996 at the age of forty-eight[11]. Breast cancer is a Cancer that starts in the cells of the Breast in women and men Events 1540 - Thomas Cromwell is executed at the order of Henry VIII of England on charges of Treason. Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar)

The group declined offers to reform and tour the oldies concert circuit throughout the '70s, although they did a few random live performances from time to time. But following the successful re-issue of "Leader of the Pack" in the UK in 1976 and renewed interest in the group, Mary and Betty Weiss and Marge Ganser reunited. Contacting Seymour Stein of Sire Records, they spent the summer of 1977 in a New York City recording studio with producer Andy Paley. Seymour Stein (born 1942 in Brooklyn New York) is an entrepreneur in the music industry who has been a part of the business since getting his first job as a clerk for Billboard Sire Records Company is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group and distributed through Warner Bros Andy Paley is a noted record producer and musician who has been active since the late 1960's Paley has said the sessions went well, and the trio had fun being back in the studio again, but by the end, they weren't satisfied with all of the material, and they declined to release the record (the tapes now appear to be lost). They did, however, decide to give a spur-of-the-moment live performance at CBGBs; Paley quickly put together a band, including Lenny Kaye, and after only two hours worth of rehearsing, the Shangri-Las returned to the stage for the first time in a decade. CBGB ( Country, Blue Grass, and Blues) was a music club at 315 Bowery at Bleecker Street in the borough of Manhattan Lenny Kaye (born December 27, 1946) is an American Guitarist, Composer and Writer who is best known as a member of Although the Sire sessions came to naught, the group still toyed with the idea of signing with another label and trying to record again. But they were put off by the insistence of the record executives that they adapt themselves to be a disco vocal group, which was the prevalent musical trend of the day, and one which did not appeal to the group at all (Mary has said that she envisioned the proposed latter day Shangri-Las to be more like punk singer Patti Smith). Disco is a Genre of dance-oriented music whose origins are hard to define Patricia Lee Smith ( born December 30 1946 is an American Singer-songwriter and poet Once again frustrated with the recording industry, the Shangri-Las split up and returned to retirement. However, since the 1980s the group has had to deal with a trio calling themselves the Shangri Las, who have nothing to do with the original group. The tribute act was put together by Dick Fox, who claimed to have bought the rights to the group's name, and resulted in years of legal actions from both sides. The original group performed for the last time at a reunion show hosted by Cousin Brucie (Bruce Morrow) in East Rutherford, New Jersey on June 3, 1989. Bruce Morrow (born Bruce Meyerowitz on October 13 1937 in Brooklyn New York) is an American Radio personality, known East Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States.

In March 2007 Norton Records released a new solo album by Mary Weiss (backed by garage rockers, The Reigning Sound) called Dangerous Game. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Norton Records, a New York City based Independent record label founded by musicians Miriam Linna and Billy Miller maintains a focus on primitive retro In Music, a solo (from the Italian solo, meaning alone) is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer The Reigning Sound is a Garage punk band originally based out of Memphis, Tennessee, now located in Asheville, North Carolina

Influence

The tough street-wise image of The Shangri-Las — which was initially set up as a promotional device for "Leader of the Pack"[12] — contrasted with many other "girl groups" of the 1960s, and they were cited as an influence by later bands and artistes, particularly 70s punk rock-era acts such as the New York Dolls and Blondie, who twice covered "Out in the Streets," and Aerosmith, who covered "Remember (Walking in the Sand). For the self-titled debut album see New York Dolls (album The New York Dolls are an American Glam rock band formed in Blondie is an American rock band that first gained fame in the late 1970s and has so far sold over 60 million records Aerosmith is an American Hard rock band sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston " and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band" " Interestingly, Debbie Harry of Blondie is older than any of the Shangri-Las. Deborah Ann "Debbie" Harry (born July 1 1945 is an American Singer-songwriter and Actress, most famous for being the lead singer for the Punk And The Go-Go's, since their early punk rock days in Los Angeles clubs, have been performing live "Remember (Walking in the Sand)". For the 1960s band see The Go-Go's (1960s. The Go-Go’s are an all-female American Pop band formed in 1978

The line from "Give Him A Great Big Kiss" — "When I say I'm in love, you best believe I'm in love, L-U-V" — was used by the New York Dolls on their 1973 recording "Looking For A Kiss". The New York Dolls' guitarist Johnny Thunders included a cover of ". . . Great Big Kiss" on his first solo album "So Alone". Ian Svenonius also used the line at the beginning of "Today I Met The Girl I'm Going to Marry" by his band Nation of Ulysses on the album 13-Point Program to Destroy America. Ian Svenonius is an American musician notable as the singer and mouthpiece of various Washington D Nation of Ulysses was a Post-hardcore band from Washington DC More recently, Ryan Adams (and the Cardinals) paid homage to that line in their song "Beautiful Sorta" off the album Cold Roses, but they changed it to "When I say L-U-V, you better believe me L-U-V. David Ryan Adams (born November 5, 1974) is an American alt-country / rock Singer-songwriter from Jacksonville Cold Roses is Ryan Adams ' sixth studio album and his first with backing band The Cardinals. Give me a beer!"

The opening line from "Leader of the Pack" — "Is she really going out with him ?" — was recycled both as the opening lines of 1976's "New Rose" by the Damned, the first British punk rock single, and of "Kill" by the parody punk group Alberto Y Lost Trios Paranoias, as well as the title of the 1979 hit song by Joe Jackson. " New Rose " was the first single by British Punk rock group The Damned, released on October 22 1976. The Damned are an English band formed in London in 1976 notable for being the first Punk rock band from England to release a single (" New Rose " an Alberto y Lost Trios Paranoias (often erroneously spelled Alberto y Los Trios Paranoias) were a comedy rock band formed in Manchester, England in Joe Jackson (born David Ian Jackson, 11 August 1954 Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire) is an English Musician and Singer-songwriter

The Shangri-Las' "Past, Present and Future" was covered in 2004 by ex-ABBA singer Agnetha Fältskog on her album, My Colouring Book. In Popular music, a cover version, or simply cover, is a new rendition ( Performance or Recording) of a previously recorded commercially released "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Agnetha Åse Fältskog (aŋneta osɛ fɛltskug (born Agneta Åse Fältskog) is a Swedish pop Singer-songwriter and Record An album or record album is a collection of related audio or Music tracks distributed to the public My Colouring Book is the name of a 2004 Album by Swedish singer Agnetha Fältskog.

Although most covers and remakes of the Shangri-Las material focus on the groups well-known hit singles, some of the more adventurous acts have chosen instead to express the groups' influence on them by recording songs from The Shangri-Las catalog which were never released as singles by group. Among these, the Los Angeles area based rock group Red Kross covered "Heaven Only Knows," an album cut from The Shangri-las second album "Shangri-las '65," and the alternative rock group Superchunk recorded a version of "The Train From Kansas City," which was a b-side, and an album cut from the Shangri-las debut album "Leader Of The Pack. Redd Kross, a rock band from Hawthorne California had their roots in 1978 in a band called The Tourists begun by Jeff and Steve Superchunk is an Indie rock band from Chapel Hill North Carolina, consisting of singer/guitarist Mac McCaughan, guitarist Jim Wilbur, bassist "

British singer Amy Winehouse also has cited the Shangri-Las as an influence in several interviews.

Faris Badwan of The Horrors has listed The Shangri-Las as an influence in The Horrors' sound and lyrics. Faris Badwan (formerly known as Faris Rotter) is an English musician best known for being the lead vocalist for the English garage rock band The Horrors The Horrors are a British Garage rock band who formed in mid-2005

Kathleen Hanna of the feminist electropunk group Le Tigre has mentioned that the "one girl calling another" motif and the opening sound of seagulls on the track "What's Yr Take On Cassavetes?" were inspired by The Shangri-Las[13]. Kathleen Hanna (born 12 November 1968) is an American Musician, Activist, and Zine writer Le Tigre ( French for "The Tiger" is an American Dance-punk band formed by Kathleen Hanna (formerly of Bikini Kill

Discography

Studio albums

Compilation albums

Singles

All released on Red Bird label except where stated.

References

  1. ^ See Category talk:1970 deaths and http://www.redbirdent.com/slas4.htm for evidence of 1970 rather than 1971 date of death.
  2. ^ The Shangri-Las!
  3. ^ Dicrography
  4. ^ Shadow Morton-4
  5. ^ The Shangri-Las!
  6. ^ The Shangri-Las!
  7. ^ The Shangri-Las!
  8. ^ Welcome to Norton Records!
  9. ^ The Shangri-Las: Leaders of the Pack – Sixties Music Remembered
  10. ^ http://http://www.redbirdent.com/slas4.htm
  11. ^ Obituary
  12. ^ The Shangri-Las!
  13. ^ http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1111419

External links

Listening

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