Biography of The Shangri-Las

A small but significant niche in proto-punk/girl-group history is occupied by The Shangri-Las, who hit it big with the bizarre surprise smash "(Remember) Walkin' in the Sand" in 1964.Marge and Mary Ann Ganser and Mary and Betty Weiss were authentically tough high-school girls from Queens, and their string of singles are brief passion plays that depict teen angst to an extreme that is unmatched in the girl-group genre. Masterminded by oddball writer/producer George "Shadow" Morton, these narratives have a disturbing edge -- tales of girls who run away from home, doomed girls who go all the way with bad boys; the spectre of death hangs over most of their songs. Eerie and creative production makes fatalistic melodramas such as "I Can Never Go Anymore" (1965) truly haunting -- and the girls" voices, ranging from New York-snotty to wistful and breathy, are ideally utilized.In their corner of recorded music they are absolutely without peer. ~ George Bedard