Teenage love and tragedy were told through many of the Shangri-Las songs which propelled the two sets of sisters to the very top of the US charts in the 60s…
OBITUARY by Ian Woolley
Mary Weiss
The group came together when they met at school in the tough Queens district of New York City. Mary and Betty Weiss, along with Marge and Mary Ann Ganser stood out from other girl groups of the time with their tough street-wise image and clever interwoven songs that sometimes needed spoken moments to emphasize the heartbreak that the singer was feeling. “Remember (Walking In The Sand)” became their first major US chart success when Weiss was only 15 years of age.
Unlike the chiffon dresses of many of their contemporaries at that time, they chose to wear tailored black pants.
The Shangri-Las in London. Extreme left and right sisters Margie and Mary Anne Ganser (1947 – 1971) and in the centre Mary Weiss whose sister Betty the fourth member of the group stayed at home in the USA because of illness. (Photo by Ron Case/Getty Images)
Weiss told Fresh Air host Terry Gross in 2007, “You saw other groups where they had money and support behind them were extremely well dressed from the beginning — we were out there pretty much in our street clothes,” Weiss said.
“But then when we started making money, we designed our own clothes and had them made.”
Weiss told the New York Post in 2014, “We rehearsed constantly until the harmonies were perfected. I think our voices blended so well because we were two sets of sisters. In a brief period of time, we had a manager, and we started doing small gigs.”
Coming to the attention of local producer Artie Ripp, he arranged the group’s first record deal and in 1963 “Simon Says” became their first release which didn’t chart.
In 1964, “Leader Of The Pack” reached the top of the US charts with Mary Weiss singing lead, and although others in the group sang lead on other songs they recorded, all the big hits were sung by Weiss. The song with sound effects to emphasise the tragic story being sung, epitomized the many death discs at the time.
Songs like “Give Him A Great Big Kiss” and “I Can Never Go Home Anymore” continued their success and the Abbey Travis penned “Past, Present, and Future” (consisting of spoken dialogue) was one of the songs covered by Agnetha Fältskog on her 2004 album “My Colouring Book”.
In their heyday, they toured with the Beatles and Rolling Stones along with UK tours with Del Shannon, Herman’s Hermits and Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders.
In the face of litigation, the group disbanded in 1968 but due to the ever popularity of their timeless songs, had greater success in the UK when “Leader Of The Pack” made the top 10 in 1972 and 1976. One of the reasons cited for their break up was not seeing most of the Royalties they had earned. For decades Weiss avoided the limelight or to elaborate on the reasons why the group broke up. but at the age of 58 In 2007, she returned to music with her debut solo album “Dangerous Game”.
Weiss’s husband confirmed her death on Friday to the press. She was 75 years of age and the cause of death has not been disclosed.