Biography
Mary Weiss recorded some of the 1960s’ most enduring singles as a teenager with the Shangri-Las, yet nearly forty years passed after the group’s string of successes before she returned as a solo artist with one of 2007’s most notable comebacks. Known as the “tough girls” of that decade’s pop world, the Shangri-Las reflected Weiss’s own early life: born in Queens, NY, in 1948, she lost her father at six weeks of age, after which her mother pieced together support through scattered employment. During childhood Weiss cultivated a deep interest in music and found she enjoyed singing. In 1963 she assembled a vocal ensemble with longtime grammar-school acquaintances, the Ganser twins Mary Ann and Marguerite (Marge). Weiss took most of the lead parts, and after performing at typical high-school functions the quartet attracted producer Artie Ripp, who secured them a contract.
Their first release, the late-1963 Smash single “Simon Says,” failed to register, and a follow-up, “Wishing Well,” surfaced on the obscure Spokane label. Fortune shifted in 1964 when Red Bird Records—operated by George Goldner along with Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller—signed the Shangri-Las and teamed them with Shadow Morton. Morton fashioned the dramatic “Remember (Walking in the Sand),” which became a substantial hit; its successor, the biker tragedy “Leader of the Pack,” proved larger still and initiated a series of similar Morton productions that kept the group charting and touring for roughly two years. Once established, Weiss’s sister Betty joined the lineup both live and on record. Red Bird folded in mid-1966, prompting a move to Mercury.
Even with stronger promotion, the two 1967 Mercury singles attracted little attention, and the sole album for that company consisted largely of re-recorded Red Bird material. Legal difficulties stemming from unfavorable contracts led the Shangri-Las to disband in 1968; Mary Ann Ganser died in 1971. A 1977 reunion featuring Mary Weiss, Betty Weiss, and Marge Ganser produced an unreleased Sire album produced by Andy Paley—Seymour Stein, the label’s president and a former road manager for the group—and included a lone appearance at CBGB. Sporadic oldies performances continued until a final show in 1989, after which impostor acts forced the original members to seek legal protection of the name.
Weiss had by then married; after a secretarial post at an architectural firm she built a career in interior design and commercial furniture installation, and for nearly twenty years she rarely sang even at home. In 2006, however, she rekindled her interest in music after encountering longtime admirer Billy Miller of Norton Records and agreed to record for the label. Released in spring 2007, the resulting album Dangerous Game was produced by Miller and Greg Cartwright of the Reigning Sound, whose members supplied most of the backing and co-wrote several songs. Weiss promoted the record vigorously on radio and television, projecting power and eagerness after her long absence. She performed a limited number of concerts in the United States and Europe but declined the demands of a sustained career, so no further album materialized. Mary Weiss died on January 19, 2024, in Palm Springs, CA, at the age of 75.
Their first release, the late-1963 Smash single “Simon Says,” failed to register, and a follow-up, “Wishing Well,” surfaced on the obscure Spokane label. Fortune shifted in 1964 when Red Bird Records—operated by George Goldner along with Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller—signed the Shangri-Las and teamed them with Shadow Morton. Morton fashioned the dramatic “Remember (Walking in the Sand),” which became a substantial hit; its successor, the biker tragedy “Leader of the Pack,” proved larger still and initiated a series of similar Morton productions that kept the group charting and touring for roughly two years. Once established, Weiss’s sister Betty joined the lineup both live and on record. Red Bird folded in mid-1966, prompting a move to Mercury.
Even with stronger promotion, the two 1967 Mercury singles attracted little attention, and the sole album for that company consisted largely of re-recorded Red Bird material. Legal difficulties stemming from unfavorable contracts led the Shangri-Las to disband in 1968; Mary Ann Ganser died in 1971. A 1977 reunion featuring Mary Weiss, Betty Weiss, and Marge Ganser produced an unreleased Sire album produced by Andy Paley—Seymour Stein, the label’s president and a former road manager for the group—and included a lone appearance at CBGB. Sporadic oldies performances continued until a final show in 1989, after which impostor acts forced the original members to seek legal protection of the name.
Weiss had by then married; after a secretarial post at an architectural firm she built a career in interior design and commercial furniture installation, and for nearly twenty years she rarely sang even at home. In 2006, however, she rekindled her interest in music after encountering longtime admirer Billy Miller of Norton Records and agreed to record for the label. Released in spring 2007, the resulting album Dangerous Game was produced by Miller and Greg Cartwright of the Reigning Sound, whose members supplied most of the backing and co-wrote several songs. Weiss promoted the record vigorously on radio and television, projecting power and eagerness after her long absence. She performed a limited number of concerts in the United States and Europe but declined the demands of a sustained career, so no further album materialized. Mary Weiss died on January 19, 2024, in Palm Springs, CA, at the age of 75.
Albums
