Howdy Gang...
If any of you have been listening to my radio show on Wednesdays, you will know that the Rock N Roll Gods have been very kind to C101.5 FM. The past few weeks have been total reality checks for me. Especially yesterday. 
John Mars was my special guest, and the both of us had the opportunity to speak with the one and only Mary Weiss. Her name should be familiar because she is definitely the COOLEST OLDER SISTER OF ROCK N ROLL!!!
She was a one time member of the Shangri-Las. Last year, she released a new record called Dangerous Game. Its available on Norton Records. I wanted to share with you the interview that was aired live on C101.5 on Wednesday Feb 13th.
This was such a HUGE honour!
Enjoy!!!!
LOU - I have to say that its a huge pleasure to be able to talk to you. I do not mean to sound redundant by saying that I am a huge Mary Weiss fan, but I so happy and impressed to see that we had new Mary Weiss music with the Dangerous Game and it was a great album.
MARY WEISS - Thank you so much.
LOU - It's been a while since we last heard new music from Mary Weiss.
MARY WEISS - A while? Try a life time!
LOU - Was there a reason why you took a hiatus, Mary?
MARY WEISS - A hiatus? Well, I dropped out all together. Too much litigation, and it was thicker than the music. So, I threw my hands up and said "that's enough".
LOU - I am presuming that a lot of people name dropping Mary Weiss and the Shangri-Las as inspiration plus a resurgence of girl led bands may have inspired you to record again?
MARY WEISS - I always felt that I would do it when I felt like it. I have always had many offers over the years, but I felt none of them seemed right to me. So, I just did not want to do it. Then suddenly, I met Billy (Miller from Norton Records) at a party, and that was that.
LOU - You are referring to Billy Miller from Norton Records.
MARY WEISS - Yes.
LOU - I was happy to see that the record was released on Norton Records. Being a fan of Norton Records, I thought it was a no brainer! It definitely seemed like a perfect combination. Mary Weiss' music available on Norton Records.
MARY WEISS - Plus, they are very nice people.
LOU - You had the opportunity to work with a band called Reigning Sound? How did you hook up with those guys?
MARY WEISS - I love those guys!! We had not met each other before going into the studio. We were MP3-ing stuff back and forth. So, all of us were holding our breath to see if this was going to work out, and what this would be like. It was magic.
LOU - I was tipped off a while ago by Andy Shernoff of the Dictators that you were going into the studio to record new music. I was thrilled to know that we would be able to hear your voice again.
MARY WEISS - Aw thank you. I think that its funny that people were saying "Mary, your voice is lower". People don't realize that when I was making demos, I was 14 years old!!! God forbid that your voice stay the same when you are 14 years old. My voice sounded like a human nasal condition...!
LOU - My special guest today, John Mars prepared a bunch of music from either girl led bands or girl groups, and we played a Marianne Faithfull song from 1965 called SUMMER NIGHTS, and he mentioned the same thing that its natural for a lady's voice to change over the years. But there is something truly remarkable at the Mary Weiss voice!
MARY WEISS - Aw, thank you!
LOU - Are you enjoying the fact that you are going out to play live again?
MARY WEISS - Its a whole different thing. When you have a lot of records on the charts, people always look at you and wonder "what's next?". Then they say, "what about the next one? and how about the next one?" I hear it all the time. I watch MTV and I realize that there is no ladder that I am trying to climb. Right now, this is a great place to be, because I don't care about that stuff. I just want to play and perform music that I like. If other people like it, then I am very happy.
LOU - Are you more comfortable about things now because you are calling the shots?
MARY WEISS - Well yeah. Anybody that started out as a kid back then got screwed. You did not have music business attorneys. There was no security, no cellphones. C'mon, think about it. It was a scary place.
LOU - John is my special guest. Did you want to say Hi to Mary?
JOHN MARS - Hi Mary. I was wondering about your sister who was also in the band. At first, you had the 2 pairs of sisters in the Shangri-Las. Was your sister Betty part of the records? I know that she left the group pretty early on.
MARY WEISS - No, actually its funny because she left the band and then came back. Every member of the Shangri-Las went in and out of the group at different times, except me.
LOU - Its interesting that there was a 2 sister team that made the Shangri-Las...
MARY WEISS - (laughing)...Yeah, and it made for some great fights too....hahahhahhaha.
LOU - Any of these sister fights on Youtube? (joking)
MARY WEISS - No, none on Youtube. Maybe if we had cellphones back then!!!....
JOHN MARS - Any pillowfights back then?
MARY WEISS - Any what?
JOHN MARS - Pillow fights.
MARY WEISS - No....sorry no pillow fights.
LOU - John Mars mentioned earlier on the show that Queens New York had a very predominant sound, and the Shangri - Las were definitely the Captains of that team. You met Shadow Morton during those days. How were you introduced to him?
MARY WEISS - I kind of met him as a fluke. We had a manager at the time who wanted Bob Lewis who was a jock in New York, and he wanted to hear us sing. Our manager brought us up to Bob's apartment, and there was a grand piano in the apartment. So we sang for him, and Shadow was there. That was the begining of Red Bird Records.
LOU - How did you feel working with Shadow? While I was preparing for the interview I read somewhere that Shadow was so amazed how well all of you sang, considering your ages.
MARY WEISS - Well, none of us had easy lives, and a lot of what we were feeling came out in our music. Our music was more of a release than anything.
LOU - It seemed that the emotions that we heard sounded natural and true.
MARY WEISS - It was real.
JOHN MARS - I read an anecdote recently that said that George Morton wrote REMEMBER WALKING IN THE SAND on the subway to the recording studio.
MARY WEISS - Ok...that's a different one....I thought that it was written in a car on a Hicksville road or something like that. I am friends with George. We talk all the time.
LOU - There is a cool pic of Bruce Springsteen and yourself on your myspace page.
MARY WEISS - Yeah, he was very nice.
LOU - Where was that taken, Mary?
MARY WEISS - It was taken at a Christine Carr Benefit for Cancer. It was an auction and it was a very nice night.
LOU - Are you enjoying being active in music again? I checked out some Youtube footage of you from recent shows, and you sound great, and you look great. I just hope that we will get more new Mary Weiss music now that you cracked open the safe again.
MARY WEISS - Well, there is a new cd in the works, and I am starting to tour again. I am doing a show in New York on March 22nd and then I am going to New Orleans for the Ponderosa Stomp. I will also be touring Spain and doing something in France too. It should be fun!
LOU - So, all of a sudden, this has become full time again, Mary.
MARY WEISS - Oh yeah! I used to do commercial interiors for years and years for mega buildings and I walked away.
LOU - Were you designing actual designs for the company?
MARY WEISS - No not really. I was pretty much busy with the technical side of things. I was like a senior account manager. We did one building that actually blew up on 9-1-1.
LOU - Wow...how awful!
MARY WEISS - Yeah, that hurt.
LOU - Did your co-workers have any idea of who Mary Weiss was?
MARY WEISS - Unfortunately, yes.
LOU - Unfortunately?
MARY WEISS - It was so weird. Say you walk away from what you are doing and you walk into a Joe Blow private citizen existance. People would show up in the lobby of this company with albums that they wanted signed. How they found me, I would never know. No matter where I went to work, it was weird because that is what I was running away from.
LOU - I guess it is weird because the Shangri-Las were such a sensation, everyone wanted a piece from you girls. Just as they did with the Beatles. People are always sticking records in front of you to sign, or papers to get an autograph from you.
MARY WEISS - Or how about sitting in a restaurant and being bothered. The security was not there. Even in your hotels. People would try to break into your hotel rooms. A lot of it was very scary. There was not the security that musicians have today. Even if you go to a benefit today, you have a wall of people to help. No one really had this back then.
LOU - Well, just food for thought Mary....I weigh 2 and the juice. I am 5 foot 10 and a half, and I am a strong Italian guy. If you EVER need security, I would be more than happy to help you out!
MARY WEISS - I'll think about it....(laughing)
JOHN MARS - Mary, he's actually a teddy bear!
LOU - How long did Dangerous Game take to record?
MARY WEISS - Selecting the music took the longest. It was a process. We went in the studio in the summer, mixed and finalized everything. The whole thing took basically a year. However the recording did not take that long.
LOU - Dangerous Game is such a great way for new Mary Weiss fans to begin to learn about your music. Especially when it opens the door to the Shangri-Las. But, I must admit that I was somewhat hesitant to hear your record, but the more I read about it the more I was excited to hear it.
MARY WEISS - Thanks so much!
LOU - Norton Records is so amazing because they singlehandedly have saved so much Rock N Roll. Looking at the fact that Norton Records are loved by many areas of the world. Did you get the chance to visit a lot of these areas of the world when the Shangri-Las toured?
MARY WEISS - Our schedule was so insane back then. We were constantly working. I never made it France or Spain. I went to London a few times. But this time, it should be a lot of fun.
LOU - When the Shangri-Las came out, you were obviously a target for fashion. Did you work with any fashion-type people back then?
MARY WEISS - No, I did not like what everybody else was wearing. I am not a chiffon dress and high heel person. Most women that I know are not. I just didn't like it. I used to go to a place on 8th street and get low rise pants. I don't have any hips, so they were comfortable. Men's pants were much more comfortable too. At that time, people were so rigid. They would look at you as if you were gay, and I am looking at them back like they're nuts!
LOU - The Shangri-Las did not look like the rest of the other girl groups.
MARY WEISS - Well, we did that. Initially you can tell by the early pictures that we had no money. I remember going into Macy's and buying a wool skirt and a shell. When we had hit records, we went to the village and had things designed for us. We did not want to look like everybody else.
LOU - The Shangri-Las were the cool girls, though.
MARY WEISS - I read so much about how the Shangri-Las were so tough. I just laughed! It was hysterical.
LOU - A lot of us who learn about music in the early 60's in New York learn about street corners with Doo Wop singers. Did that actually exist in Queens?
MARY WEISS - That was very true. When I was in grammer school, there were couple of groups of guys that used to sing harmony on the street corners. Every once in a while, I used to cross the street, jump in and join in. That was kind of a big thing back then.
LOU - Obviously, that had a lot to do with the sound of the Shangri-Las?
MARY WEISS - Yeah, that and the Everly Brothers. They did so much for harmony. They were a very solid 2 part that could easily become a 3 part. Throw in a 7th and a 9th and there you have it. The Shangri-Las were very much into harmony. Everybody always asks, "Did you use any studio musicians for backing vocals?" The answer is no. We did all our own harmony.
LOU - Were they long and tedious sessions?
MARY WEISS - No, not really because we prepared so well.
LOU - So, your pre-production was very important.
MARY WEISS - Absolutely. We worked out the feel of the song and everything else. Back then, everything was all magic. We did not have any synthesizers and stuff like that. When you walked in and there was an orchestra, it was pretty cool.
LOU - Did any of the techniques used during the Shangri-Las recordings get used during the recording of Dangerous Game?
MARY WEISS - Absolutely none!!!!!!!! (laughing)
LOU - Your current band is like a superstar band really, isn't it? You have Sal Maida on bass, Dennis Diken on drums, Richard Heyman on guitars. These guys must be stoked that they are playing with Mary Weiss!
MARY WEISS - Don't forget Dave Amels from Reigning Sound. Yes, we are having a great time. They are all well seasoned musicians!
LOU - Apologies about forgetting about Dave.
MARY WEISS - That's ok. But I also want to say that he is my musical director.
LOU - The front cover of Dangerous Game has a cool picture of you. I mean this in a genuine respectful way, but you have aged very well!!
MARY WEISS - When do I grow up though?
LOU - Don't ever grow up!!
MARY WEISS - Maybe its because I have never had any kids.
LOU - So, you are still a kid at heart?
MARY WEISS - Yeah, Big Time!! Scary isn't it?
LOU - Do you still feel like you have that same drive and desire as you did when you were a kid?
MARY WEISS - Drive and desire as to when I was a kid? Absolutely not. I am much more mellow and in tune with myself now.
LOU - So, its a good progress to where you are now in life.
MARY WEISS - Sure...there is too much drama nowadays. Don't you think?
LOU - Way too much drama. I am not too good with drama either. Even when I get caught up in it. I always tend to tell people to look at something in the opposite direction so, I can scram.
ALL 3 OF US LAUGHING....hahahahhaa
JOHN MARS - I thought you were going to be her body guard!!!!!!
MARY WEISS - I am in trouble if he is....(laughing)
LOU - I just ruined it! But I will let you know that if I am working security for you, I would be like an armoured car! You will not find a better security guard. Then perhaps, you could be my sercurity guard if I am ever in need of one. In the perfect world, that would never be the case.
MARY WEISS - There ya go!
LOU - Mary, I am still somewhat speechless. I am so glad that we are talking to you. David Johansen called us last week, and we were talking about your record, and he loves it.
MARY WEISS - I have heard that. That is so nice!
LOU - We were talking about New York Dolls inspirations, and he mentioned the Shangri-Las.
MARY WEISS - I watched a Youtube clip of David's rehearsing Out In The Streets, and its pretty funny!
LOU - So when The New York Dolls came out and name dropped the Shangri-Las, were you aware of them? What did you think?
MARY WEISS - I took that as a huge compliment. I remember one time I was at CBGB's and a couple of the Ramones came up to me and told me how much they liked our music. Its cool!! I love hearing that from another musician.
LOU - When you get compliments from guys like Johansen and the Ramones, that is major compliments and validity, subjectively speaking.
MARY WEISS - Nice!!!
LOU - So, what does the rest of the week have in store with you, Mary?
MARY WEISS - The rest of this week???
LOU - Yeah...
MARY WEISS - Well.....I have things to do (laughing)
LOU - Mary, I was so excited when I got the word that you were going to do this interview and we have played Dangerous Game a lot on this radio show. Thank you so much for taking to chat with us. I hope that we can speak with you again
MARY WEISS - Thanks for having me.
LOU - Was it fun??
MARY WEISS - Yeah, I had a great time!
LOU - You see, we didn't even get into drama! That's because you have great security!
MARY WEISS - ah ha!
LOU - We are going to play Don't Come Back. Tell us about the song.
MARY WEISS - I love that song!!! Its funny because we were winding down and I seriously wanted another up tempo number, and we did that one last. I rehearsed it for one day, and we went into the studio.
LOU - Mary, I have to tell you again, that it has been amazing for both John and I to be able to speak with you. Thank you so much again! Happy Valentines Day, Mary!
MARY WEISS - Happy Valentines Day!
Mr. Pedler...
Thanks for your kind words!
How are things?
Posted by: Lou | March 04, 2008 at 10:53 AM
Maybe the Older sister,
but STILL the ultimate Cooooolest
to boot !!
GOOD Work,
Lou and John,
yessirs.
Posted by: Gary Pig Gold | February 15, 2008 at 03:45 PM
thanks lou. great interview.
Posted by: dave pedler | February 14, 2008 at 08:53 PM