Out In The Streets The Shangri Las

Out in the Streets is a song written by Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry.
It was first recorded by the American girl group the Shangri-Las in 1965 and released as their fifth single. The song was produced by Shadow Morton, arranged by Artie Butler and released on Red Bird Records (RB 10-025) with the Morton composition “The Boy” on the B-Side. It reached # 53 on the US Billboard Top 100.
It was performed on the TV show Shindig! in 1965.
The Shangri-Las were an American girl group of the 1960s, consisting of Mary Weiss, her sister Elizabeth "Betty" Weiss and twin sisters Marguerite "Marge" Ganser, and Mary Ann Ganser. Between 1964 and 1966 several hit pop songs of theirs documented teen tragedies and melodramas. 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 #1 in the United States in late 1964. Following the death of Mary Weiss in 2024, her sister Betty is the only living member of the group.
The Shangri-Las' "tough girl" persona set them apart from other girl groups. From a blue collar area of Queens, they were less demure than their contemporaries. 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 her defense, she said someone tried to break into her hotel room one night and for protection she bought a pistol. Whatever truth the stories may have, they were believed by fans in the 1960s, and they helped cement the group's bad-girl reputation. According to Weiss, that persona helped fend off advances from musicians on tours.
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". Noteworthy B-sides included "Heaven Only Knows", "The Train from Kansas City", "Dressed in Black" and "Paradise" (written by Harry Nilsson).
Popular songs include "I Can Never Go Home Anymore", the story of a girl who leaves home for a boy; her pride keeps her from returning to her mother who "grew so lonely in the end/the angels picked her for their friend". Lines from "Give Him a Great Big Kiss" include "When I say I'm in love, you best believe I'm in love, L-U-V", and "Well I hear he's bad." "Hmm, he's good-bad, but he's not evil." "Past, Present, and Future" has been said to be about rape, something Weiss disagrees with. She has said it is about "teenage angst," heartbreak, and "being hurt and angsty and not wanting anyone near you."
Members:
Mary Weiss (1963-1968, 1977, 1989; died 2024)
Marguerite "Marge" Ganser (1963-1968, 1977, 1989; died 1996)
Mary Ann Ganser (1963-1966, 1966-1968; died 1970)
Elizabeth "Betty" Weiss (1963-1964, 1965-1968, 1977, 1989)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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