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
You Cheated You Lied
The Shangri-Las Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You said that you love me
You cheated, you lied
You said that you want me
Oh, what can I do
But just keep on loving you
Love is something you know nothing aboutLove is something you can't know about
So please try to love me
Love me like I love you
Oh please try to love me
Love me like I love you
You cheated, you lied
You said that you want me
You cheated, you lied
You said that you love me
Oh what can I do...
Oh what can I do...
Oh what can I do...
The Shangri-Las's song "You Cheated You Lied" is a heartbreaking ballad about a woman who is deeply hurt by her partner's infidelities and lies. The lyrics express a sense of desperation and confusion as the woman struggles to come to terms with the betrayal of her lover. At the same time, she is unable to stop loving him, even though she knows that he is not worthy of her affection.
The opening lines of the song, "You cheated, you lied, you said that you love me, you cheated, you lied, you said that you want me," set the tone for the rest of the lyrics. The repetition of the phrases "you cheated, you lied" emphasizes the woman's disbelief and hurt at her partner's actions. She struggles with the realization that the person she trusted and loved has betrayed her.
The chorus of the song, "Oh what can I do, but just keep on loving you," highlights the woman's helplessness in the situation. Despite her partner's lies and infidelities, she cannot stop loving him. This is because love is something that she feels deeply, something that she cannot help but feel. The chorus also suggests that love is something that her partner does not understand or appreciate, as he is incapable of loving her in return.
In the second part of the chorus, the woman pleads with her partner to try to love her, "Love me like I love you." This shows that she is willing to forgive him and move past his transgressions if he is willing to reciprocate her love. However, it is unclear whether her partner is capable or willing to change his ways, and the song ends on a note of uncertainty and sadness.
Line by Line Meaning
You cheated, you lied
You were unfaithful and dishonest.
You said that you love me
You claimed to have affection for me.
You said that you want me
You professed a desire for me.
Oh, what can I do
I am unsure of what actions to take.
But just keep on loving you
Despite your deceit, I continue to feel strongly for you.
Love is something you know nothing about
You lack understanding of what love truly means.
Love is something you can't know about
You are incapable of comprehending the concept of love.
So please try to love me
I implore you to attempt to feel affection for me.
Love me like I love you
Return my feelings of love in equal measure.
Oh please try to love me
I beg of you to try and reciprocate my love.
Oh what can I do...
I am still uncertain of what action to take in this situation.
Oh what can I do...
My confusion and uncertainty persist.
Oh what can I do...
I am left with no clear solution to the problem at hand.
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: LEVON HELM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@bobalan3179
MaryAnn sat next to me in a A.J.H.S Geometry class in 1963. She was a very nice person. May she and her sister Marge R.I.P.
@TGTSTS
Hands down THE best version of this song. The Shangri-Las are entirely underrated. Love, love, love.
@jimmig8542
lets not get crazy here! the shields own this song-sorry.
@MeanOlHepCat
with Jesse Belvin doing the falcetto ... simply the best
@doowopfiend
@@jimmig8542 that is just not true
@rossiniangelini7751
Listen to that piano. Listen to the harmony. Only a stone would not be moved. Listening makes my eyes well up with tears. Oh where did the years go?
@RaananVolesPianist
A good version, but the original version has the falsetto, And the falsetto is what makes the song.
@gao1258
I adore the "Shangs, this track standouts for Mary's lead, the doo-wop backing vocals, and that lead guitar...wonderful
@adrygonzalez3700
Doo wop por siempre. Siempre estará en nuestros corazones. Yo tengo 48 años y ni siquiera nací en esa época. Pero esta música me causa una gran nostalgia por aquella gran época perdida.
@SENORITA1666
omg i cant get over how amazing this music is! old music from the 60's, with real emotion and lyrics with meaning, and just awesome intruments and talent! god i was born in the wrong era love the 60's!