All Day Long Singin' His Song

June 5, 2009 12:54 PM

60s Pop Friday! Ladies and Gentlemen, from Queens, NY, it's the Shangri-Las! Mostly known for their grandly melodramatic songs about teen love gone awry, they aren't all downers. They've been covered by bands from France to Japan.
posted by The Whelk (12 comments total)

Love, love, love me some Shangri-Las. "Remember (Walkin' in the Sand)" is a masterpiece of Brill Building melodrama. Thank you.
posted by blucevalo at 1:14 PM on June 5, 2009

"Past, Present And Future" must be one of the most chillingly intense pop songs of all times.
posted by Dee Xtrovert at 1:37 PM on June 5, 2009

Dee, yah, the Shangri-Las hid a lot of downright creepy/powerful notes at times. I think there is a direct line from "Out In the Streets" to "Lou Reed's "Walk On The Wild side."
posted by The Whelk at 1:40 PM on June 5, 2009

> "Past, Present And Future" must be one of the most chillingly intense pop songs of all times.

I played that song at one of our music nights, and it kind of harshed everyone's buzz.
posted by The Card Cheat at 1:50 PM on June 5, 2009

"What color were his eyes?"

"I dunno. He was always wearin' shades."
posted by Mental Wimp at 1:55 PM on June 5, 2009

And they were popular enough to be lampooned.
posted by Danf at 1:57 PM on June 5, 2009 [1 favorite]

Oh you want lampoons?

You get lampoons.

And loving homages!
posted by The Whelk at 2:03 PM on June 5, 2009

My very favorite is Never Again (unfortunately only listenable to at that site), a glorious major-7th fest in the best-of-Bacharach tradition. Also, there's a documentary mostly available on YouTube with recent interviews with Mary Weiss and Shadow Morton. Greatest girl group ever.
posted by grounded at 2:16 PM on June 5, 2009

Props to The Whelk for posting this! Seconding grounded: The Shingri-Las are the best of the girl groups. The dark subtext to their ouevre (yeah--I used it) gives their pop a gravitas (yeah--I used that, too!) that The Supremes and the rest can't touch.
posted by barrett caulk at 2:58 PM on June 5, 2009

Much L-U-V to you Whelk!
posted by bonobothegreat at 3:09 PM on June 5, 2009

Love Neko Case's cover of their "Train From Kansas City". Too bad the only YT I can find sucks.
posted by MrChowWow at 3:41 PM on June 5, 2009

Props to The Whelk for posting this!

"Yeah, well I hear this post is bad."

"Well, it's good/bad, but it's not evil."
posted by Snyder at 9:31 PM on June 5, 2009