Shangri-Las

I just picked up at the Princeton Record Shop ( for those
of you have not been there....you can spend loads of time and money, you name it, it is probably there), the complete, newly released, 2-disc set of the Shangri-Las. The set included an extensive booklet on their history. The CDs contained all their released material. I purchased it as a lark, something I wouldn't pick up normally. But boy, was I totally surprised, it brought back listening to AM radio in the early, mid-60s when Girl Group Rock/Pop was Queen of the radio, eclipsed I guess by the British Invasion. After comparing them to the Phil Spector "Wall of Sound" stuff, man, there is no comparison, Shangri-Las rock!! I think the Ronettes and Crystals had better voices but there was something smouldering in that voice of Mary Weiss, with that "bad" attitude Queens/NYC accent. Those spoken as well as sung lyrics were mini- melodramas that were done with passion and swagger that I don't think any of the other girl groups did. They opened for James Brown once. When he saw them, he was totally surprised. He thought they were a black girl group like the Ronettes. The girls in the group where very young. Mary was only 15 and the rest where only 16 in 1964. By 1966, rock changed of course and their time came and went, but I think everyone has heard "The Leader of the Pack" at least once in their lifetime, and say, hey I know that song..... Personally, I think they should be in the Rock Hall of Fame, but that is just my humble opinion. Heck if the Beatles can make it why not them.....;-)))

OK, when I saw them on Shindig, I did have a crush on Mary......

I assume fans of the Early 60s Girl Group Rock on this forum is probably pretty lean, but I thought I would at least let the youngsters on this site know that rock did not begin with Aerosmith....;-)))