Nov. 28, 1964 - Taking the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 today was “Leader of the Pack,” a single by the Shangri-Las, a girl group from Queens.
The group was formed last year at Andrew Jackson High School in Cambria Heights and consists of two pairs of sisters: Mary Weiss (lead singer) and Betty Weiss, and identical twins Marge Ganser and Mary Ann Ganser.
Initially, the girls performed at school shows, talent shows, and teen hops without a name for their group. However, when they signed a record deal, they began to call themselves the Shangri-Las, after a restaurant in Queens.
“Leader of the Pack,” written by George “Shadow” Morton, Jeff Barry, and Ellie Greenwich is a teenage tragedy song. It deals with a girl named Betty, who is asked by friends to confirm that she is dating Jimmy, the leader of a motorcycle gang, whose ring they see on Betty’s finger.
After singing of love at first sight, Betty’s heart turns to despair as she bemoans her parents’ disapproval. The parents say Jimmy hails from “the wrong side of town” and ask Betty to tell Jimmy goodbye and find someone new.
Betty reluctantly does as she is asked, and a crushed and tearful Jimmy speeds off on his motorcycle. Moments later, Betty’s pleas for Jimmy to slow down are in vain: Jimmy crashes on a rain-slicked surface and dies.
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