Past present and future (The Shangri-Las) (LP 4566)

The Shangri-Las  Past Present and Future: Golden Hits of The Shangri-Las (Vinyl, Philips Records, 1971) ****  

Genre: Pop 

Places I remember: Real Groovy Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Leader of the Pack

Gear costume: Give Him a Great Big Kiss

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7

Active compensatory factors: I am a keen listener to and collector of girl groups from the sixties and seventies. A great example is The Shangri-Las - a trio that hit it big for a year or two between 1964 - 1966.

The group was made up of Mary Weiss (who took most of the lead vocals), her sister Betty Weiss and twin sisters Marge and Mary Ann Ganser. Between them, they provided the vocals and the music came from session musicians under the guidance of George 'Shadow' Morton. He produced some lush musical backgrounds for the girls' songs of teenage melodramas.

Leader of the Pack, a tragic tale, was their huge hit but the catalogue contains many terrific songs like Remember (Walking in the Sand), Train from Kansas City, I Can Never Go Home Anymore and Give Him a Great Big Kiss. All of those are on Past Present and Future.

The writing team of Barry/ Greenwich had a great vehicle for their two minute teenage operas in The Shangri-Las.

Where do they all belong? I've had this record for a looooong time. All these boy/girl sagas are timeless (and still relevant).