| Author | Message | ||
  Jimmy Mack (luke) 5-Doyen Username: luke Post Number: 368 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 68.198.48.201 |
They are not often mentioned in the R and B cetegroy but I think they have elements of R and B--Mary Weiss's voice and the arrangements(eg Give Him a Great Big Kiss-Motown ish). Any other thoughts? They were also "street" girls. | ||
john c (john_c) 2-Debutant Username: john_c Post Number: 23 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 12.2.233.107 |
Jimmy, They have been mentioned quite a bit on the forum believe it or not. The last topic was the Motownish arrangement of "Right Now and Not Later". I am a big fan and Mary Weiss's voice was perfect for the material... that teenage whine with a NY accent. The girls were good. | ||
Jimmy Mack (luke) 5-Doyen Username: luke Post Number: 369 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 68.198.48.201 |
Didnt know they have been talked about here. I think they were vg too--too bad their career got so mismanaged. | ||
Brian T. (mrclemma) 3-Pundit Username: mrclemma Post Number: 39 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 152.163.252.200 |
Why did they go from four to three? Everything I've read on them glosses right over that. "Out in the Streets","Give Him a Great Big Kiss", "Long Live Our Love"...what a great band! | ||
Phil (phil) 4-Laureate Username: phil Post Number: 105 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 213.36.160.235 |
Brian, John Clemente, in his book "Girl Groups", wrote that one of the girls, Betty Weiss "did not like to tour, so she was often left out of photographs-but they were always a quartet on vinyl. Later on in their career, they rotated members in trios, Marge, Betty and Mary, or Mary Ann, Betty and Mary." | ||
Brother Love (brother_love) 4-Laureate Username: brother_love Post Number: 90 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 64.169.118.130 |
 The Shangri-Las were by far one of the best 60's girl groups; they were truly the sound of some "Sophisticated Boom Boom". | ||
Jimmy Mack (luke) 5-Doyen Username: luke Post Number: 380 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 68.198.48.201 |
The above pic of course is before they went boots and pants--a style they were more comfortable with anyway. Ellie Greenwcich says they really were street. | ||
Boynextdoor (boynextdoor) 3-Pundit Username: boynextdoor Post Number: 60 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 4.165.222.120 |
Both of the twins have now passed away. And I call that sad. | ||
Brother Love (brother_love) 4-Laureate Username: brother_love Post Number: 92 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 64.169.118.130 |
 Left to right: Betty Weiss, Mary Ann Ganser, Marge Ganser and Mary Weiss (1964) | ||
Jimmy Mack (luke) 5-Doyen Username: luke Post Number: 381 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 68.198.48.201 |
Thanks Bro. Mary sang on I believe an Aerosmith record a number of years ago. Walkin in the Sands is simply brilliant-as is Marys performance. | ||
Randy Russi (randy_russi) 4-Laureate Username: randy_russi Post Number: 117 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 169.139.180.100 |
These girls could SING!!! Anyone heard their ver- sion of the Ikettes' "I'm Blue"? I saw them per- form in 1966. Too bad their name is being used as the Marvelettes' name. | ||
john c (john_c) 2-Debutant Username: john_c Post Number: 24 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 12.2.233.107 |
Someday I would like to see an extensive interview with Mary Weiss. The information available on the Shangri-La's seem to be second hand at best. It would seem their story would merit a book. Their "teenage anguish" style may cause people to dismiss them (including me until I picked up an lp of theirs in the 80's) but they could really sing. It also would be nice if stereo versions of the tracks were available. I only have 4 or 5 in stereo. | ||
Tony Russi (tony_russi) 5-Doyen Username: tony_russi Post Number: 177 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 68.210.11.3 |
I thought they were cool(but I always HATED "Leader of the Pack")they were "street" and along with the Rightous Bros,Rolling Stones,Chris Clark,Dovells and a few others among the only White acts I purchased records by. | ||
Jimmy Mack (luke) 5-Doyen Username: luke Post Number: 400 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 68.198.48.201 |
It seems Mary and Betty have really distanced themselves-its great they won in court tho apparently they leased the name to others. A book on them would b teriffic. Their catalogue was so badly managed--has Rhino or another issues a good set? | ||
Tony Russi (tony_russi) 5-Doyen Username: tony_russi Post Number: 180 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 68.210.39.5 |
Jimmy Mack, I recently purchased on CD The Shangri-Las 20th Century Masters..the sound is great but the story inside is very lacking, as fans we could have done a much better job.I sure wish someone knew and/or could tell their story. I met them in '66 with my "Tiger Beat Magazine"Press card but there was too much confusion going on around to do a proper interview.I just remember thinking they were cool, smacking their gum and smokin ciggerettes and tellin me they liked Tony Bennett and they missed being home with their friends. | ||
dvdmike (dvdmike) 5-Doyen Username: dvdmike Post Number: 201 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 65.208.234.61 |
Most of their hits were produced by Shadow Morton at Ultra-Sonic Studios in Hempstead, Long Island. B.T. Express would make that studio popular during the seventies. BTW, "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" by Iron Butterfly was recorded at Ultra-Sonic. | ||
Jimmy Mack (luke) 5-Doyen Username: luke Post Number: 403 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 68.198.48.201 |
LOL Tony--gum, Tony Bennett--they sound great. Thanks for cd info--did any of the other girls ever sing lead besides Mary? Last I heard Mary was on Long Island and running a real estate company with her husband I think. (They vanished so quickly post '66 there has to be an itneresting story there.) | ||
john c (john_c) 2-Debutant Username: john_c Post Number: 25 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 12.2.233.107 |
The lead in the verses of What Is Love is not Mary. I've read it is probably Betty. Although the liner notes claims Mary singing on Maybe, it does not sound like her to me. | ||
Brother Love (brother_love) 4-Laureate Username: brother_love Post Number: 95 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 67.113.217.252 |
 Official Shangri-las fan club card from 1964. | ||
Juicefree20 (juicefree20) 6-Zenith Username: juicefree20 Post Number: 1426 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 24.46.184.162 |
You can find a little more info about them & Shadow Morton on the 4 CD Red Bird Set. There has also been conflicting reports about the sisters. Some accounts had them as deceased, some accounts stated that they were alive. It seems as though there is a great deal of confusion regarding the girls. It's amazing & sad because they could be headlining so many shows these days & they are still quite popular. There are are lot of displaced boomers from Queens who would love to see the girls. That Girls Group book is excellent! | ||
Tony Russi (tony_russi) 5-Doyen Username: tony_russi Post Number: 182 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 68.210.25.152 |
From what I remember one of the Ganser twins died many, many years before the other. | ||
girlgroups (girlgroups) 1-Arriviste Username: girlgroups Post Number: 8 Registered: 5-2004 Posted From: 67.125.157.68 |
You can see some photos of the Shangri-Las on my website: "The Girl Groups Fan Club - The Shangri-Las Photo Gallery" http://surf.to/shangrilas where there is a link to John J. Grecco's article about the Shangri-Las: "Out In The Streets - The Story of The Shangri-Las" http://www.redbirdent.com/slas1.htm  | ||
mel(andthensome) (mel) 5-Doyen Username: mel Post Number: 351 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 81.152.20.78 |
Dont know if its mentioned above but I dig The ShangriLas 'right now and not later' on uk Red Bird mel | ||
mel(andthensome) (mel) 5-Doyen Username: mel Post Number: 352 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 81.152.20.78 |
apologies John mentioned the track ( was in a hurry) mel | ||
TD (tmd) 2-Debutant Username: tmd Post Number: 15 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 69.170.13.72 |
Great song- Right Here Not Later- great sounding Motown song- written and produced by ex Motown Robert Bateman. | ||
Randy Russi (randy_russi) 4-Laureate Username: randy_russi Post Number: 119 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 169.139.180.100 |
Yes, I believe the lead on WHAT IS LOVE? is Betty. Interestingly, the opening line of LEADER OF THE PACK is spoken to Betty, yet it is Mary singing lead. Betty did lead on SHOUT which I remember them performing on stage and also was lead voice on SIMON SAYS, their first record as well as several others. Again, those girls could SING!!! I tried through an attorney representing them years ago to do an interview. He told me he would pass it on to them, but that they never accept any offers of interviews. And in the words of Rock & Roll History, that's called sad. |
