Mary Weiss, lead singer for the ’60s girl group the Shangri-Las, died recently at age 75. The group had a strong chart run in 1964 and ’65, including this No. 1 hit from 1964. Unlike most girl groups, the Shangri-Las – two sets of sisters from a sketchy neighborhood in Queens – had a tough-girl image that was bolstered by the tale of romance with a biker. Producer Shadow Morton admitted, “I was asking her to be an actress, not just a singer.”
The song had a long history in Britain. Initially banned by the BBC for its morbid theme, it nevertheless reached No. 11 in 1965. It was re-released in 1972 and, with the BBC ban lifted, hit No. 3, then made it to No. 7 after another re-release in 1976.
Weiss stayed away from the music business for decades until she released a solo album, “Dangerous Game,” in 2007, and toured behind it. Her voice had deepened in the intervening years, but the songs sounded much the same.
Love the original version of this by Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles. She played at the Queen a few years back. https://youtu.be/IkFxxfK8gBc?si=LUCGbc0fGzA2RySH
Always KNEW you had great taste–including in husbands.
I booked Sarah twice in Arden, then saw her a few years ago at the Queen, and just last year at the Green River Music Fest in Massachusetts. She had Eric ‘Roscoe’ Ambel, a great roots-rocker, performing in her band.
My fave song by her?:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4t_NA_1v9kE
Her booking agent once said about her: “She worships at the altar of X.”
“She worships at the altar of X.”
Nobody’s perfect.
Do I KNOW you??
Never cared for it. I preferred real punk.