After working together for a bit, Mary Weiss ended up singing lead. In April of 1964, since the girls were still minors, their parents signed for them with Red Bird Records, with their name coming from the title of a mythical place of wonder. Mary was 15, Betty was 17, and the Ganser twins were 16. That same year, they had their first hit with "Remember (Walking in the Sand)". The song, a U.S. #5 and a U.K. #14, was created after producer George "Shadow" Morton hired the band.
Their songs with "Shadow" Morton featured lavish production with heavy orchestration and sound effects. Their biggest hit, the renowned death disc "Leader of the Pack", climaxes with the sounds of roaring motorcycles and breaking glass. A U.S. #1 and U.K. #11 hit, the tune still gets serious airplay to this day.
According to a Biography episode on various 60s 'Brill Building' songwriters, including retrospective interviews with Greenwich, Barry and Morton among others, Barry said that at the time he was suspicious of Morton's overt attention to Greenwich. Disbelieving Morton was really the songwriter he claimed to be, Barry challenged Morton to prove his legitimacy and bring in samples of his recent work (expecting never to hear again from an embarrassed Morton). Morton stated in his interview that, with an empty song portfolio at the time, he felt sufficiently challenged by Barry, whereupon he left the Brill Building and drove his automobile to a Long Island Beach.
Full of both inspiration and desperation, Morton spent the evening writing his first song, while sitting in the dark in his parked car. Entitled "Remember (Walking In The Sand)", Morton then 'rolled the dice' and recorded a demo of his song with a long-shot, unknown girl-group local club act that he admired, The Shangri-Las (according to Morton, with the then-unknown Billy Joel on piano in the demo recording), and offered the demo recording to Jerry Leiber, who was then setting up Red Bird Records. The recording "Remember (Walking In The Sand)" by the Shangri-Las reached #3 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 1964. Considering the scope of this accomplishment, Morton was transformed overnight from a credential-less industry 'wannabe' into a teen recording songwriter and recording producer. According to Steve Kurutz at Allmusic, "Morton's production work, which included brilliant sound effects and inventive percussion, carried the Shangri-Las to girl-group history."
The band continued to have a string of American hit records, mainly on depressing themes such as death, loneliness, and abandonment. Songs included "Past, Present and Future", "Give Him a Great Big Kiss" and "Long Live Our Love".
In 1966, the Shangri-Las' subsequent two releases on Red Bird failed to make the top 50. That same year the band left Red Bird and Morton after the label folded. At the beginning of 1967, Marge decided to leave the group. Despite signing to Mercury Records that year, the group had no further hits. In 1968, they disbanded.
Mary Ann died of a drug overdose in 1970. Marge succumbed to breast cancer on July 28, 1996 at age 48.
The group experienced a small revival in the UK when "Leader Of The Pack" was re-issued twice, reaching #3 in 1972 and #7 in 1976.
The Shangri-La's 1966 hit "Past, Present & Future" was effectively covered in 2004 by ex ABBA singer Agnetha Fältskog on her 2004 album, "My Colouring Book".
Since the 1980's, the group has had to deal with a group calling themselves The Shangri Las, but having nothing to do with the original group. The group was put together by Dick Fox.
Discography
Standard albums
* 1964: Leader of the Pack (US #109)
* 1965: Shangri-Las-65!
Compilations
* 1966: Golden Hits of the Shangri-Las
* 1975: The Shangri-Las Sing
* 1996: The Best of the Shangri-Las
Singles
* 1964: "Remember (Walking in the Sand)" (US #5, UK #14)
* 1964: "Leader of the Pack" (US #1, UK #11)
* 1965: "Give Him a Great Big Kiss" (US #18)
* 1965: "Give Us Your Blessings" (US #29)
* 1965: "I Can Never Go Home Anymore" (US #6)
* 1965: "Maybe" (US #91)
* 1965: "Out in the Streets" (US #53)
* 1965: "Right Now and Not Later" (US #99)
* 1966: "He Cried" (US #65)
* 1966: "Long Live Our Love" (US #33)
* 1966: "Past, Present and Future" (US #59)
* 1966: "Take the Time"
* 1967: "Sweet Sounds of Summer"
References
* "Shangri-Las 77!", footnote 4, by Phil X Milstein, Spectropop
Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shangri-Las
Out In The Streets
The Shangri-Las Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He don't do the wild things that he did before
He used to act bad, used to, but he quit it
It make me so sad 'cause I know that he did it for me
And I can see
(It's still in the streets)
His heart, is out in the streets
He don't comb his hair like he did before
And he don't wear those dirty old black boots no more
But he's not the same, somethin' about his kissin'
That tells me he's changed, I know that something's missing inside
(Somethin's gone)
Somethin's died
(It's still in the streets)
His heart, is out in the streets
He grew up on the sidewalk, streetlight shinin' above
He grew up with no-one to love
He grew up on the sidewalk, he grew up running free
He grew up and then he met me
He don't hang around with the gang no more
Gee, he doesn't smile like he did before
I wish I didn't care, I wish I'd never met him
They're waitin' downstairs, I know I've got to set him free
(Send him back)
He's gotta be
(Out in the streets)
His heart is out in the streets
He don't hang around with the gang no more
(Out in the streets)
He don't hang around with the gang no more
(Out in the streets)
He don't hang around with the gang no more
(Out in the streets)
He don't hang around with the gang no more
(Out in the streets)
The Shangri-Las' "Out In The Streets" is a heartbreaking song about a girl who has noticed a change in the guy she is with. He is no longer the wild, bad boy he used to be, and he has left his old gang. He has stopped doing the things he did before, like combing his hair and wearing old black boots, which makes the girl sad. However, she can feel that something is missing inside. He grew up on the sidewalk and fell in with a gang, but he met her and changed. The girl knows that something has to be done, and she decides to let him go for his own good.
The song captures the teenage angst and confusion of young love. The girl is torn between her love for the boy, the changes she sees in him and the realization that she has to let him go. The lyrics also speak to the tensions and pressures of growing up in a working-class neighborhood.
Line by Line Meaning
He don't hang around with the gang no more
He no longer spends time with his group of friends
He don't do the wild things that he did before
He no longer engages in reckless behavior
He used to act bad, used to, but he quit it
He used to behave badly, but no longer does so
It make me so sad 'cause I know that he did it for me
I feel sad because I know he changed himself for my sake
(Can't you see now)
Do you not see it now?
And I can see
I can see
(It's still in the streets)
The same behavior can still be found in the streets
His heart, is out in the streets
His true self is still present in his former environment
He don't comb his hair like he did before
He no longer takes as much care of his appearance
And he don't wear those dirty old black boots no more
He no longer wears his old, worn-out boots
But he's not the same, somethin' about his kissin'
He has changed, and even his kisses feel different
That tells me he's changed, I know that something's missing inside
His changed behavior implies that something essential is now gone
(Somethin's gone)
Something is missing
(It's still in the streets)
The same behavior can still be found in the streets
His heart, is out in the streets
His true self is still present in his former environment
He grew up on the sidewalk, streetlight shinin' above
He spent his childhood on the sidewalk, illuminated by a nearby streetlight
He grew up with no-one to love
He grew up without anyone to love him
He grew up on the sidewalk, he grew up running free
He grew up freely roaming through the sidewalk
He grew up and then he met me
He met me after his childhood on the streets
Gee, he doesn't smile like he did before
He no longer smiles as much as he used to
I wish I didn't care, I wish I'd never met him
I regret having met him and caring for him
They're waitin' downstairs, I know I've got to set him free
People are waiting for us to leave, and I know I must end the relationship
(Send him back)
Send him away
He's gotta be
He has to be
(Out in the streets)
His true self belongs on the streets
His heart is out in the streets
His true self belongs in his former environment
He don't hang around with the gang no more
He no longer spends time with his group of friends
(Out in the streets)
His true self belongs in his former environment
He don't hang around with the gang no more
He no longer spends time with his group of friends
(Out in the streets)
His true self belongs in his former environment
He don't hang around with the gang no more
He no longer spends time with his group of friends
(Out in the streets)
His true self belongs in his former environment
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@liamnoone9381
The sheer beauty of this era remains unmatched.
@DA90027
This rare obscure video shows how talented and underrated these girls were.
@davidbrock2871
Best girl group of all time. Nuff said.
@soarornor
Whoever art directed this was a genius. Brilliant set design, lighting, costume and camera. Wow.
@DzaVideo
Yes, I agree! Above and beyond what you would expect fropm a teen pop show of the time.
I think the lighting can be attributed to Vincenzo Cilurzo. The whole episode is superb; the staging and lighting of This Sporting Life by Ian Whitcombe is great, and it segues terrifically from Give Him a Great big Kiss.
@soarornor
@Dazza B Thanks for the info. I’m going to look those bits up. It really was a magnificent time as far as stage artistry in presenting musical acts was concerned. So many amazing contributors that remain unknown. The very temporary nature of so much of it. In most cases there was no surviving record of the event beyond the original broadcast and many extraordinary shows and performances were simply wiped to reuse the video tape. Just amazing.
I was watching the original Jugband Blues/Pink Floyd video the other evening and marveling over every aspect of it. It survives but no one seems to have info on who created such a masterpiece. These things aren’t made in an hour. There’s a lot of trial and error involved to finally get all elements looking right so as to assemble a final edit that shines. There are so many uncredited heroes that really contributed to the magic that was the historic pop scene.
@DzaVideo
@soarornor Yes, it's a miracle that even these episodes of Shindig! still exist, albeit as kinescopes.
Mary Weiss has actually commented on the staging of one of the TV shows they appeared on in the UK in 1964. It was a show called Thank Your Lucky Stars. Long wiped, of course (only two episodes from 1966 still exist). However, we're lucky in that a single colour image of them perorming in the studio exists. This is what Mary said:
"When we went to England we found, the British spent more time setting up everything as far as television goes. They’re meticulous. I walk in the studio and the entire soundstage was filled with sand and a giant grandfather clock for one song. I just could not believe it. It was beautiful."
@soarornor
@Dazza B Wow. That’s a cool quote at the end. I didn’t know all of Thank Your Lucky Stars was wiped. That’s so absurd that they did that to so many shows. I realize that many people thought that whole scene would never last, but that so much creativity and artistry was poured into it should have had someone realizing that much of it was worth archiving. History was truly being made.
@tonylichacz6453
This music will always be history. It stood the test of time.
@jackspry9736
RIP the two members of The Shangri-Las
Mary Ann Ganser (February 4, 1948 – March 14, 1970), aged 22
Marguerite “Marge” Ganser (February 4, 1948 – July 28, 1996), aged 48
You both will always be remembered as legends.