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
Remember
The Shangri-Las Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My baby went away
He went away 'cross the sea
It's been two years or so
Since I saw my baby go
And then this letter came for me
It said that we were through
Let me think, let me think
What can I do?
Oh, no
Oh, no
Oh, no, no, no, no, no
(Remember) walking in the sand
(Remember) walking hand-in-hand
(Remember) the night was so exciting
(Remember) smile was so inviting
(Remember) then he touched my cheek
(Remember) with his fingertips
Softly, softly we'd meet with our lips
Whatever happened to
The boy that I once knew?
The boy who said he'd be true
Oh, what will happen to
The light I gave to you
What will I do with it now?
(Remember) walking in the sand
(Remember) walking hand-in-hand
(Remember) the night was so exciting
(Remember) his smile was so inviting
(Remember) then he touched my cheek
(Remember) with his fingertips
(Remember) softly
The Shangri-Las's song "Remember" tells the story of a woman who received a letter from her boyfriend who went away for two years and found somebody new. She reminisces about the times they shared together, specifically about a special moment when they walked hand-in-hand on the beach. She wonders about what happened to the boy she once knew who promised to be true to her. The woman is left to wonder about what to do with the light she gave to him. The lyrics are full of nostalgia and regret as the woman thinks about the past that cannot be retrieved.
The song is a poignant reminder of the impermanence of love and the loss that comes with it. The woman is left alone with her memories, trying to hold on to the fleeting moments of happiness they shared. The contrast between the joy of the past and the sadness of the present is stark and powerful, as the woman tries to reconcile herself with the reality of her situation. The repeated refrain of "remember" serves as a reminder of all that has been lost and can never be regained.
Line by Line Meaning
Seems like the other day
Everything still feels fresh in my mind
My baby went away
My beloved left me
He went away 'cross the sea
He left to a foreign land
It's been two years or so
It's been quite a while now
Since I saw my baby go
Since he left my sight
And then this letter came for me
Then I received a letter from him
It said that we were through
The letter conveyed that our relationship was over
He found somebody new (who?)
He found someone else to be with
Let me think, let me think
I need to contemplate what to do next
What can I do?
I'm unsure of how to proceed
Oh, no
Expressing inner turmoil
Oh, no
Expressing inner turmoil
Oh, no, no, no, no, no
Expressing inner turmoil
(Remember) walking in the sand
(Remember) how we used to walk along the beach
(Remember) walking hand-in-hand
(Remember) how we would hold hands
(Remember) the night was so exciting
(Remember) the night was so thrilling
(Remember) smile was so inviting
(Remember) his smile was so appealing
(Remember) then he touched my cheek
(Remember) when he touched my cheek
(Remember) with his fingertips
(Remember) the softness of his touch
Softly, softly we'd meet with our lips
We kissed each other gently
Whatever happened to
Wondering about his present situation
The boy that I once knew?
The person I knew before he left me
The boy who said he'd be true
The person who promised to be faithful
Oh, what will happen to
Thinking about the future of our relationship
The light I gave to you
The love and affection I showed you
What will I do with it now?
Uncertainty about how to handle my feelings
(Remember) walking in the sand
(Remember) the lovely moments we shared
(Remember) walking hand-in-hand
(Remember) how we enjoyed being together
(Remember) the night was so exciting
(Remember) how we felt alive that night
(Remember) his smile was so inviting
(Remember) the warmth and friendliness of his smile
(Remember) then he touched my cheek
(Remember) how his touch made me feel
(Remember) with his fingertips
(Remember) how his fingers felt on my skin
(Remember) softly
(Remember) the tenderness of our moments together
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: George Francis Morton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@IProvideLyrics1924
[Verse 1]
Seems like the other day
My baby went away
He went away 'cross the sea
It's been two years or so
Since I saw my baby go
And then this letter came for me
It said that we were through
He found somebody new
Oh, let me think, let me think, what can I do?
[Bridge]
Oh no
Oh no
Oh no no no no no
[Chorus]
(Remember) walkin' in the sand
(Remember) walkin' hand in hand
(Remember) the night was so exciting
(Remember) smile was so inviting
(Remember) then he touched my cheek
(Remember) with his fingertips
Softly, softly we'd meet with our lips
[Verse 2]
Whatever happened to
The boy that I once knew?
The boy who said he'd be true
Oh, what will happen to
The life I gave to you?
What will I do with it now?
[Chorus]
(Remember) walkin' in the sand
(Remember) walkin' hand in hand
(Remember) the night was so exciting
(Remember) smile was so inviting
(Remember) then he touched my cheek
(Remember) with his fingertips
(Remember) softly
[Outro]
(Remember)
(Remember)
(Remember)
(Remember)
Walkin' in the sand
(Remember)
Walkin' hand in in hand
(Remember)
@zak4166
Seems like the other day
My baby went away
He went away 'cross the sea
It's been two years or so
Since I saw my baby go
And then this letter came for me
It said that we were through
He found somebody new (who?)
Let me think, let me think
What can I do?
Oh, no
Oh, no
Oh, no, no, no, no, no
walking in the sand
(Remember) walking hand-in-hand
(Remember) the night was so exciting
(Remember) smile was so inviting
(Remember) then he touched my cheek
(Remember) with his fingertips
Softly, softly we'd meet with our lips
Whatever happened to
The boy that I once knew?
The boy who said he'd be true
Oh, what happened to
The life I gave to you
What will I do with it now?
walking in the sand
(Remember) walking hand-in-hand
(Remember) the night was so exciting
(Remember) his smile was so inviting
(Remember) then he touched my cheek
(Remember) with his fingertips
(Remember) softly
@EnzymeDestroyer25
Seems like the other day.
My baby went away.
He went across the sea!
It’s been two years or so.
Since I saw my baby go.
And then this letter came for me!
It said that we were through.
He found somebody new. (who?)
Let me think, let me think.
What can I do?
Oh no. Oh no. Oh no, no, no, no, no!
(Walking in the sand)
(Remember) Walking hand-in-hand.
(Remember) The night was so exciting.
(Remember) Smile was so inviting.
(Remember) He touched my cheek.
(Remember) With his fingertips.
Softly, softly, we’d meet with our lips.
Whatever happened to the boy I once knew.
The boy who said he’d be “true.”
Oh, what happened to
The life I gave you.
What will I do with it know?
Walking In The Sand
(Remember) Walking hand-in-hand.
(Remember) The night was so exciting.
(Remember) His smile was so inviting.
(Remember) Then he touched my cheek.
(Remember) With is fingertips.
(Remember) Softly.
@tweenhessiherro3392
Imagine being the lead singer and hearing your song sped up 3x and on every TikTok video 55 years later
@youngKarl007
that .. is sad..... tik tok is evil
@rosebudding235
Honsetly I would be so happy to see so many young people are enjoying the art that I made to entertain other people 55 years ago
@MartinTippie
@Rosebudding finally a sane person in this comment section
@lorenabortolotti9666
TweenHessiHero ho conosciuto questa canzone grazie a mia figlia che la ascoltava su tik tok, mi è piaciuta subito, entrava in testa così ho provato a cercare in internet ed ho scoperto l'originale... Magnifica! ❤️❤️❤️
Non l'avevo mai sentita, la migliore è l'originale senza dubbio ma senza la versione copiata e remixata su tik tok non l'avrei mai cercata, conosciuta e in fondo è bello che dopo più di 50 anni lo stesso brano, anche se modificato, continui a far cantare i giovani, vuol dire che la canzone era ed è molto bella.
@driflooney3750
@Michael McHam I agree with you. They ruin such a classic song! Now I hear it everywhere on Tik Tok and it never stops.
@roseyc.5846
RIP, beautiful Mary...I am SO SAD. 💔 We lost a great one from "our time". Absolutely loved the ShangriLas...the sound track to our teenage years. Much love and prayers up. 🙏🏻✝️❤️😪
@bobvar
RIP! Mary Weiss ! One of the distinctive voices of the girl groups ! Love this song !
@ToxicTurquoise454
R.I.P. Mary Weiss - so sad that TikTok disgraced your song but your memory will never be disagraced! My Grandma loved this song and always used to sing it and it reminds me of when she used to look after me when I was little
@samanthakatecreates6179
Or how amazing that her song is still being played