Shangri-Las-65!
| Shangri-Las-65! | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 1965 | |||
| Recorded | 1965 | |||
| Label | Red Bird | |||
| Producer | George "Shadow" Morton, Jeff Barry, Robert Bateman, Ronald Moseley | |||
| The Shangri-Las chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Shangri-Las-65! | ||||
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Shangri-Las-65! is the second album by the Shangri-Las. Released in September 1965, it serves as the follow-up album to Leader of the Pack, which was released earlier in the year.[1]
Content and reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [2] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [3] |
Releases and singles
The original pressing of the album contains the singles "Out in the Streets", "Give Us Your Blessings" and "Right Now and Not Later". The second pressing includes the hit single "I Can Never Go Home Anymore", and excludes the album track "The Dum Dum Ditty". The second pressing was later repackaged and re-released as I Can Never Go Home Anymore.[4][5]
Other songs
"The Dum Dum Ditty" and "Sophisticated Boom Boom" had been released first as a single by another American female band, the Goodies, also in 1965, but failed to chart.[6][7] In retrospective reviews, AllMusic called the Shangri-Las version of "Sophisticated Boom Boom" a classic and highlighted its wry humor, "the freakout scat solo" and "the funky James Brown groove" that permeates the track.[2][8]
Another of the album's songs, "What's a Girl Supposed to Do?", had also been released previously by another artist, Lesley Gore, in 1965. Dave Thompson compared the two versions in AllMusic: "whereas Gore recites the song with becoming innocence, the Shangri-Las sound, characteristically, somewhat raunchier – 'kiss him, hold him, hug him, love him'... and then a silence so suggestive that any further detail seems unnecessary."[9]
Mary Ann Ganser sang the lead vocal on "I'm Blue",[10] which is a cover of the Ikettes' 1961 hit song. "Heaven Only Knows" was the only Shangri-Las song that lead singer Mary Weiss recorded again, 42 years later, for her only solo album, Dangerous Game.[11]
British musician Miki Berenyi named Shangri-Las-65! as one of her top 10 favorite albums: "I loved the album's mix of headstrong emotion ('Never Again'), melodrama ('The Train from Kansas City'), and cool banter ('Sophisticated Boom Boom')."[12] She added that "it was a great record for acting out," singing and dancing with a female schoolmate.
The song "Sophisticated Boom Boom" gave name to two female bands that were active in the early 1980s: a Scottish five piece and a Swiss trio.[13][14] It also gave name to a 2003 book by John Kelly and a 2013 compilation album of songs written or produced by Shadow Morton.[15][16]
Track listing
Side one
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Right Now and Not Later" | Robert Bateman, Ronald Moseley, Kenny Hollon | 2:38 |
| 2. | "Never Again" | Tony Michaels, Vinny Gormann, Robert Racano | 2:20 |
| 3. | "Give Us Your Blessings" | Ellie Greenwich, Jeff Barry | 2:12 |
| 4. | "Sophisticated Boom Boom" | George Morton | 2:08 |
| 5. | "I'm Blue" | Ike Turner | 3:27 |
| 6. | "Heaven Only Knows" | Ellie Greenwich, Jeff Barry | 2:10 |
Side two (first pressing)
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7. | "The Train from Kansas City" | Ellie Greenwich, Jeff Barry | 3:04 |
| 8. | "Out in the Streets" | Ellie Greenwich, Jeff Barry | 2:44 |
| 9. | "What's a Girl Supposed to Do?" | Ellie Greenwich, Jeff Barry | 2:20 |
| 10. | "The Dum Dum Ditty" | Bobby Hart, Tommy Boyce, Larry Martire, Steve Venet | 2:21 |
| 11. | "You Cheated, You Lied" | Levon Helm | 2:21 |
| 12. | "The Boy" | George Morton | 2:20 |
Side two (second pressing and I Can Never Go Home Anymore)
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7. | "I Can Never Go Home Anymore" | George Morton | 3:11 |
| 8. | "The Train from Kansas City" | Ellie Greenwich, Jeff Barry | 3:04 |
| 9. | "Out in the Streets" | Ellie Greenwich, Jeff Barry | 2:44 |
| 10. | "What's a Girl Supposed to Do?" | Ellie Greenwich, Jeff Barry | 2:20 |
| 11. | "You Cheated, You Lied" | Levon Helm | 2:21 |
| 12. | "The Boy" | George Morton | 2:20 |
Personnel
Shangri-Las
- Mary Weiss – lead and backing vocals
- Betty Weiss – lead and backing vocals
- Mary Ann Ganser – lead and backing vocals
- Marguerite Ganser – backing vocals
Technical
- George "Shadow" Morton – producer
- Jeff Barry – producer
- Robert Bateman – producer
- Ronald Moseley – producer
- Artie Butler – arranger
Charts
Albums
| Year | Title | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | Shangri-Las-65! | US Billboard 200 | — |
| US Cashbox Top 100 Albums | 103 | ||
| US Record World 100 Top Lp's | 108 | ||
| I Can Never Go Home Anymore | US Billboard 200 | — | |
| US Cashbox Top 100 Albums | — | ||
| US Record World 100 Top Lp's | — |
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | "Out in the Streets" | US Billboard Hot 100 | 53[1] |
| US Cashbox Top 100 | 73 | ||
| Canada R.P.M Top 40 & 5 | 7 | ||
| "Give Us Your Blessings" | US Billboard Hot 100 | 29[1] | |
| US Cashbox Top 100 | 33 | ||
| Canada R.P.M Top 40 & 5 | 21 | ||
| "Right Now and Not Later" | US Billboard Hot 100 | 99[17] | |
| US Cashbox Top 100 | 150 | ||
| Canada R.P.M Top 40 & 5 | — | ||
| "I Can Never Go Home Anymore" | US Billboard Hot 100 | 6[7] | |
| US Cashbox Top 100 | 7 | ||
| Canada R.P.M Top 40 & 5 | 2 |
References
- ^ a b c Patrick, Mick (February 2002). Myrmidons of Melodrama (album liner notes). The Shangri-Las. RPM Records (United States).
- ^ a b Planer, Lindsay. "Shangri-Las-65! – The Shangri-Las – Review". AllMusic.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th ed.). Omnibus Press. p. 1741. ISBN 9780857125958.
- ^ Viglione, Joe. "I Can Never Go Home Anymore – The Shangri-Las – Review". AllMusic.
- ^ Santelli, Robert (1985). Sixties Rock: A Listener's Guide. Chicago: Contemporary Books. p. 61. ISBN 0809254395.
- ^ Thompson, Dave. "The Dum Dum Ditty – The Shangri-Las – Review". AllMusic.
- ^ a b Grecco, John C. (2002). "Out In The Streets: The Story of the Shangri-Las". Red Bird Entertainment. Archived from the original on February 1, 2013.
- ^ Mason, Stewart. "Sophisticated Boom Boom – The Shangri-Las – Review". AllMusic.
- ^ Thompson, Dave. "What's a Girl Supposed to Do? – The Shangri-Las – Review". AllMusic.
- ^ Miller, Billy; Linna, Miriam (March 28, 2006). "Mary Weiss Interview". Norton Records. p. 5. Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved September 6, 2018.
- ^ DeLuca, Dan (March 25, 2007). "Shangri-Las' Weiss, leader of a comeback". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on April 12, 2024.
- ^ Berenyi, Miki (March 20, 2020). "My Favorite Album: Miki Berenyi of Piroshka on The Shangri-Las' "Shangri-Las-65!"". Under the Radar.
- ^ English, Paul (October 12, 2024). "Band wouldn't play with me as pregnant singer". Daily Record.
- ^ "Sophisticated Boom Boom". Tapete Records. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
- ^ Poster, Jem (June 28, 2003). "Books – Review: Songs of experience". The Guardian.
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Sophisticated Boom Boom: The Shadow Morton Story – Various Artists – Review". AllMusic.
- ^ Thompson, Dave. "Right Now and Not Later – The Shangri-Las – Review". AllMusic.