They continue to be known for their hits "Remember (Walking in the Sand)", "Give Him a Great Big Kiss", and in particular, "Leader of the Pack" which went to number 1 in the United States in late 1964.

The group was formed at Andrew Jackson High School in Cambria Heights, a neighborhood in Queens, New York City, in 1963.

[2] Mary Ann Ganser took lead on most of "I'm Blue",[5] which is a cover of the Ikettes' biggest hit at the time, and was included on their 1965 album Shangri-Las-65!

In April 1964, while the girls were minors, their parents signed the quartet with Red Bird Records; Mary was 15, Betty was 17, and the Ganser twins were 16.

Having been hired by record producer George "Shadow" Morton, they had their first success with the summer hit "Remember (Walking in the Sand)" (US #5, UK #14).

The recordings for Morton featured lavish production with heavy orchestration and sound effects, and their next and biggest hit, "Leader of the Pack" (U.S. #1, UK #11),[9][7] climaxes with roaring motorcycles and breaking glass.

"[11] After the sudden success of "Remember (Walking in the Sand)", The Shangri Las were called upon to make personal appearances, which required them to leave high school.

They performed with the Beatles, a Fall 1964 tour with the Rolling Stones, and R&B artists such as the Drifters and James Brown (who according to Mary Weiss was surprised to discover the girls were white).

[17] They also appeared as headliners on package tours such as Dick Clark's Caravan of Stars, with R&B acts like the Orlons and Joe Tex.

The Shangri-Las continued to chart with fairly successful U.S. hit records, specializing in adolescent themes such as alienation, loneliness, abandonment, and premature death.

Singles included "Give Him a Great Big Kiss", "Out in the Streets", "Give Us Your Blessings", the top ten hit "I Can Never Go Home Anymore", "Long Live Our Love" (a rare example of a song dedicated to the men at the time fighting overseas in Vietnam), "He Cried" and the spoken-word "Past, Present, and Future", featuring a musical backdrop inspired by Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata".

Rumors about supposed escapades have since become legend; for example, the story that Mary Weiss attracted the attention of the FBI for transporting a firearm across state lines.

In March 2007, Norton Records released a solo album by Mary Weiss (backed by garage rockers the Reigning Sound) titled Dangerous Game.

Mary Weiss died in Palm Springs, California on January 19, 2024, at age 75 of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and is survived by her third husband.

By the early 1970s, she married (changing her name to Marguerite Ganser Dorste), worked for NYNEX in Valley Stream, New York, and died of breast cancer on July 28, 1996, at age 48.

Following the successful re-issue of "Leader of the Pack" in the UK in 1976, which renewed interest in the group, Mary and Betty Weiss and Marge Ganser reunited.

They did, however, give a live performance at CBGB; Paley put together a band, including Lenny Kaye, and after two hours of rehearsal, the Shangri-Las returned to the stage for the first time in a decade.

[31] The original group performed for the last time at a reunion show hosted by Cousin Brucie (Bruce Morrow) in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on June 3, 1989.

[32] The streetwise image of the Shangri-Las – initially a promotional device for "Leader of the Pack"[12] – contrasted with other "girl groups" of the 1960s, and they were cited as an influence by 1970s punk rock-era acts such as the New York Dolls, Ramones and Blondie;[33] the latter covered "Out in the Streets" twice.

It was the first ever single released by a British punk band and the intro to the song featured a deadpan quote by singer Dave Vanian of the line "Is she really going out with him?"

[36] Aerosmith released a rock style version of "Remember (Walking in the Sand)" featuring uncredited backing vocals by Mary Weiss[13] on their 1979 album, Night in the Ruts.

Singer/Songwriter Jim Steinman spoke on the influence The Shangri-Las had on him creating the all girl group Pandora's Box during his video promotion for the 1989 album Original Sin.

Gordon also noted in her 2015 memoir Girl in a Band that "I was always a big fan of early songs by the Shangri-Las, with their whispered, almost spoken-word approach leading up to a violent climax, such as in "Leader of the Pack" or "I Can Never Go Home Anymore.

"[39] Kathleen Hanna of the electropunk group Le Tigre has mentioned that the "one girl calling another" motif and the opening sound of seagulls on the 1999 track "What's Yr Take on Cassavetes?"

"[42] In the 2015 documentary Wider Horizons, David Gilmour, guitarist for Pink Floyd, cited the Shangri-Las as an influence, saying their music "painted aural pictures".