Leader of the Pack (album)

Leader of the Pack
Studio album by
the Shangri-Las
ReleasedFebruary 1965
Genre
Length28:18
LabelRed Bird
ProducerGeorge "Shadow" Morton
The Shangri-Las chronology
Leader of the Pack
(1965) 		Shangri-Las-65!
(1965)
Singles from Leader of the Pack
  1. "Remember (Walking in the Sand)"
    Released: August 1964
  2. "Leader of the Pack"
    Released: September 1964
  3. "Give Him a Great Big Kiss"
    Released: December 1964
  4. "Maybe"
    Released: December 1964

Leader of the Pack is the debut album by girl group the Shangri-Las, released in 1965 by Red Bird Records. The album was produced to capitalize on the group's breakthrough hits "Remember (Walking in the Sand)" and "Leader of the Pack", the latter of which had been co-written by Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich in addition to George "Shadow" Morton.[1] After the album's focal track went to number one, the Shangri-Las' style and image had evolved into something tougher and earthier.[2]

Much of the material for Leader of the Pack such as "Bull Dog" and "It's Easier to Cry" emphasized their new style. Other songs on the album include cover versions of "Maybe" originally by the Chantels with Betty Weiss on lead vocals, along with "Shout" by the Isley Brothers and "Twist and Shout" by the Top Notes.[1] Also on the album is "Give Him a Great Big Kiss" which the Shangri-Las had released as a single in December 1964.[3] Although the group had scored two major hits, the album only charted at 109 on the U.S. albums chart.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[4]
Record Mirror[5]

In a contemporary review, Record Mirror wrote that Leader of the Pack was "one of the most interesting albums we've heard for a long time" and that it "proves that the girls CAN sing well without seagulls or motorcycles" (a reference to the sounds heard on their first two hit singles).[5] In 2017, it was rated the 49th best album of the 1960s by Pitchfork.[6] In 2024, it was ranked 247th best album of all time by Paste magazine.[7]

Track listing

Side one

  1. "Give Him a Great Big Kiss" (George Morton) – 2:12
  2. "Leader of the Pack" (Morton, Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich) – 2:48
  3. "Bull Dog" (Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller) – 2:22
  4. "It's Easier to Cry" (J. J. Jackson, Joe DeAngelis, Robert Steinberg) – 2:35
  5. "What Is Love" (Morton, Tony Michaels) – 2:55
  6. "Remember (Walking in the Sand)" (Morton) – 2:18

Side two

  2. "Twist and Shout" (Phil Medley, Bert Russell) – 2:39
  3. "Maybe" (Arlene Smith, Richard Barrett) – 2:40
  4. "So Much in Love" (Billy Jackson, Roy Straigis) – 2:16
  5. "Shout" (Rudolph Isley, Ronald Isley, O'Kelly Isley, Jr.) – 2:10
  6. "Good Night, My Love, Pleasant Dreams" (George Motola, John Marascalco) – 1:15
  7. "You Can't Sit Down" (Cornell Muldrow, Dee Clark) – 2:18

Personnel

The Shangri-Las

  • Mary Weiss – lead and backing vocals
  • Betty Weiss – lead and backing vocals
  • Marge Ganser – backing vocals
  • Mary Ann Ganser – backing vocals

Additional personnel

Singles history

References

  1. ^ a b Warner, Jay (2006). American Singing Groups: A History from 1940 to Today. Milwaukee: Hal Leonard. pp. 447–448. ISBN 9780634099786.
  2. ^ Grecco, John C. (2002). "Out In The Streets: The Story of the Shangri-Las". Red Bird Entertainment. Archived from the original on 14 September 2012.
  3. ^ Patrick, Mick (February 2002). Myrmidons of Melodrama (album liner notes). The Shangri-Las. RPM Records (United States).
  4. ^ Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th ed.). Omnibus Press. p. 1741. ISBN 9780857125958.
  5. ^ a b Jones, Peter; Jopling, Norman (3 April 1965). "The Shangri Las" (PDF). Record Mirror. No. 212. p. 11. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 April 2022. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
  6. ^ "The 200 Best Albums of the 1960s | Pitchfork". Pitchfork. 22 August 2017. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
  7. ^ "The 300 Greatest Albums of All Time". Paste. 3 June 2024.
  8. ^ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990. Record Research. ISBN 0-89820-089-X
  9. ^ a b "Shangri-Las | Official Singles Charts". Official Charts. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
  10. ^ Bronson, Fred (2003). The Billboard Book of Number 1 Hits. New York: Billboard Books. p. 160. ISBN 0823076776. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
  11. ^ "Hot 100" (PDF), Billboard, p. 32, 6 February 1965, retrieved 8 December 2021
  12. ^ Aitch, Iain (14 April 2007). "The Leader's Back". The Telegraph.