40 years later, Mary Weiss -- the genius lead vocal of The Shangri-Las -- is back. And with a new record. After a full post-girl-group career as a woman, wife & commercial interior designer, Mrs. Weiss teamed up with the soon-to-be-legendary Reigning Sound and released the fruits of that labor, Dangerous Game. With the Reigning Sound backing & songwriting help from Greg Cartwright (RS, The Oblivians), Dangerous Game harnesses the same no-bullshit, dropdead gorgeous feeling captured on those early Shangri-Las songs. As a band, Cartwright & co. don't shoot to carbon copy the Shangri-Las sound or Shadow Morton's arrangements, and for that we're better off. This is grown-up garage rock, which of course shares its form with early rock & roll, which can also be said for the original Shangri-Las songs.
One way I think about The Shangri-Las is they make you feel like you're having a crush on some aimless someone or something -- you can't exactly place the feeling or what direction it's traveling in. Maybe it's like your first crush (or maybe all crushes feel the same), but when you're in the throes of it nothing feels more terrific. On this new record it's a little different, since this Shangri-La is four decades older. If she wasn't less teenage & less doe-eyed, there'd be cause for concern (see Ronnie Spector at the recent R&R Hall Of Fame induction ceremony).
For me, this Shangri-La offers some proof that puppy love can grow up, marry, live a life & have a career, and come back still sounding like love.
Apparently though, she never had kids.. which is probably the missing variable.
Mary Weiss - "My Heart Is Beating" [written by Greg Cartwright]
Mary Weiss - "Stop and Think It Over" [written by Greg Cartwright]
Mary Weiss - "Tell Me What You Want Me To Do" [written by John Felice]
Special props to the lovely Billy & Miriam of Norton Records for putting in the elbow grease needed to get this record out. After you check-out your online shopping cart (Dangerous Game, QTY 1, $12), look for the in-depth interview they conducted with Mary over on the Norton website.
2 comments:
Dude - thanks for the tracks and the awesome write-up - this is a total score for anyone who happens upon the HBBB.
I gotta pick this one up myself.
Nice man, I cant wait to pick this up. Cartwright could record himself farting while backing up Joan Rivers and Id want to hear it.
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