From the Vaults: One Kiss Can Lead to Another

June 21st, 2008

To celebrate the weekend (perhaps I’ll do this every Friday/Saturday to herald the weekend), I will be playing selections from the best compilation I’ve purchased this year. I encourage you to research the artists and buy the collection.

One Kiss

Title: Girl Group Sounds
Sub: One Kiss Can Lead to Another
Label: Rhino

Today we have two songs by The Shangri-Las, well know for their song “Leader of the Pack.” They were rough, loud-mouthed girls from Queens who toured with The Beatles, Dusty Springfield, and James Brown. Pretty great stuff.

The Shangri-Las - “Out in the Streets”

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Specializing in teen melodramas, The Shangri-Las covered everything from gangs and rebellion to tragic death and love. The lead singer Mary Weiss (only fifteen when she signed with Red Bird Records) has that rough and sweet voice that makes you immediately sympathize with whatever tragedy she is wailing.

The Shangri-Las - “The Train from Kansas City”

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I miss songs that have recognizable back stories. Simple–it’s true–and a little silly, but this song has that tough sadness I can dig within seconds.

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4 Responses to “From the Vaults: One Kiss Can Lead to Another”

  1. helen on June 23, 2008 3:30 am

    best ever Shangri-Las moment? When
    “Give him a great big kiss” came blasting out of the Fez McDonalds while I was eating my better-than-chicken-nuggets-in-the-states delicious cubes of battered meat.

    is he bad?

    mmm he’s good bad, but he’s not evil.

    LOVE THIS BAND

  2. Miles on June 23, 2008 11:38 pm

    HELEN!! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME?! I can’t stop listening to that song:
    “Is he a good dancer?”
    “What do you mean ‘Is he a good dancer?’”
    “Well, how does he dance?”
    “Close, very very close”

  3. Evan on July 1, 2008 6:42 pm

    Neko Case does a really amazing cover of “Train from Kansas City” on her “The Tigers Have Spoken” live album. Check it out.

  4. Miles on July 2, 2008 8:59 pm

    Hey, Evan! I haven’t been able to get my hands on that song, but I will find it. But it sounds awesome. Thanks for the recommendation.

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