| Dangerous Game | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Studio album by | |
| Released | March 6, 2007 |
| Studio | Coyote, Brooklyn, New York |
| Genre | |
| Length | 40:17 |
| Label | Norton |
| Producer | |
Dangerous Game is an album by Mary Weiss, released by Norton Records in 2007. [2] A positively received album, Weiss was backed by the Reigning Sound. [1]
Mary Weiss was the lead singer of the 1960s girl group the Shangri-Las, that released a number of hit pop songs between 1964 and 1966. After their split in 1968, Weiss gave up singing, and worked for an architectural firm and as a commercial interior designer. [3]
In 2005, Weiss left her job to return to music. She was persuaded to record a solo album, despite having not sung in almost 20 years. She recalled that she did not even sing along to the car radio. [3]
Initially I didn't know how I'd feel about recording again. But when I walked back into the studio, I felt like I was home.
– Mary Weiss, 2007 [4]
Billy Miller, manager at Norton Records met Weiss at a party in 2005 for Rhino Records' box set One Kiss Can Lead to Another: Girl Group Sounds Lost and Found. In 2007 she contacted him, and suggested that she might be up for recording again. Miller proposed the Memphis garage rock band the Reigning Sound as collaborators, and Weiss after download the band's catalog, gave her approval. [5]
Reigning Sound leader Greg Cartwright wrote most of the songs and a co-produced the album with Miller. [1] [6]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [1] |
| Pitchfork | 7.6/10 [7] |
The reception of the album was generally positive.
Pitchfork critic Jess Harvell praised the album, summarizing that "from Cartwright's reverent licks to Weiss' surprisingly sturdy vocals, Dangerous Game is a small, self-contained triumph, an understated comeback", and that "the sunny throwback simplicity of the music is what makes Dangerous Game great." [7]
Will Harris writing for Q magazine, described it as "a collection of songs which took the classic Shangri-Las sound and melded them with garage-rock sensibilities", and noted that "the end result was critically acclaimed, and [...] helped reestablish her reputation as one of the most memorable female vocalists to emerge during the 1960s." [8]
Justin Moyer writing for the Washington City Paper gave a negative review, stating that "Dangerous Game shoves a pop icon into the spotlight but fails to show why she's still relevant". [9]
Dan Forte, at Vintage Guitar magazine, praised Weiss's voice ("Weiss sounds as good as ever"), and considered that "the album is true to Weiss' style but sounds absolutely up-to-date". [6]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "My Heart Is Beating" | Greg Cartwright | 2:59 |
| 2. | "Nobody Knows (But I Do)" | Dave Abramson / Andy Maltz | 2:33 |
| 3. | "Break It One More Time" | Greg Cartwright | 3:10 |
| 4. | "Stop and Think It Over" | Greg Cartwright | 3:18 |
| 5. | "Cry About the Radio" | Greg Cartwright | 2:28 |
| 6. | "You're Never Gonna See Me Cry" | Billy Miller / Andy Shernoff | 3:50 |
| 7. | "Dangerous Game" | Greg Cartwright | 2:30 |
| 8. | "Don't Come Back" | Greg Cartwright | 3:33 |
| 9. | "I Just Missed You" | Andrew Robertson | 2:57 |
| 10. | "Stitch in Time" | Greg Cartwright | 3:20 |
| 11. | "Tell Me What You Want Me to Do" | John Felice / Richard Oakes | 3:90 |
| 12. | "Heaven Only Knows" ( [lower-alpha 1] ) | Jeff Barry / Ellie Greenwich | 2:21 |
| 13. | "I Don't Care" | Greg Cartwright | 2:25 |
| 14. | "You Can Stay with Me" ( [lower-alpha 2] ) | Greg Cartwright | 3:23 |
| Total length: | 40:17 | ||
The streaming version of the album has the song "A Certain Guy" as bonus track.
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 ", "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. Following the death of Mary Weiss in 2024, her sister Betty is the only living member of the group.
Mary Louise Weiss was an American singer and interior designer, best known as the lead singer of the Shangri-Las in the 1960s. Their single "Leader of the Pack" went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1964. She had little involvement in the music scene for decades, returning in 2007 to record her first and only solo album with Norton Records.
"Shout" is a popular song, written and originally recorded by American vocal group the Isley Brothers in 1959. Later versions include a UK Top 10 hit in 1964 by Scottish singer Lulu.
Dave Amels is an American musician and record producer who co-founded music technology companies Voce musical instruments and Bomb Factory. Both companies are known for detailed and realistic mathematical models of complex physical systems. Amels also plays organ in The Reigning Sound, a garage rock band out of Asheville, North Carolina.
George Francis "Shadow" Morton was an American record producer and songwriter best known for his influential work in the 1960s. In particular, he was noted for writing and producing "Remember ", "Leader of the Pack", and other hits for girl group the Shangri-Las.
Norton Records is an American independent record label founded by musicians Miriam Linna and Billy Miller in 1986. The label concentrates on rock, rockabilly, primitive music, punk, garage rock and early rhythm and blues. Most of its output, both new releases and reissues, is issued on vinyl.
"Leader of the Pack" is a song written by George "Shadow" Morton, Jeff Barry, and Ellie Greenwich. It was a number one pop hit in 1964 for the American girl group the Shangri-Las. The single is one of the group's best known songs as well as a popular cultural example of a "teenage tragedy song". The song was covered in 1985 by the heavy metal band Twisted Sister, who had a more modest hit with their version.
"Remember (Walking in the Sand)", also known as "Remember", is a song written by George "Shadow" Morton. It originally was recorded by the girl group the Shangri-Las, who had a top five hit with it in 1964. A remake by Aerosmith in 1979 was a minor hit. There have been many other versions of the song as well.
Reigning Sound was an American rock and roll band originally based in Memphis, Tennessee, United States. As of 2019, along with fronting Reigning Sound, Greg Cartwright also reformed his past band Greg Oblivian and the Tip Tops. In 2020, he also reformed with the original "Memphis lineup" of Reigning Sound once again playing shows with the outfit's first incarnation. In a June 8, 2022, message on the group's Facebook page, Cartwright formally announced the end of Reigning Sound.
From Here We Go Sublime is the debut studio album by Swedish electronic music producer Axel Willner under his alias The Field, released by Kompakt on 26 March 2007.
Cross is the debut studio album by French electronic music duo Justice, first released on 11 June 2007 through Ed Banger Records and Because Music. Recorded during 2005 and 2006 in Paris, Cross was composed as an "opera-disco" album. It features many samples and "microsamples" throughout, with about 400 albums being used as sampled material. These include samples from Prince, Britney Spears and Madonna. The song "D.A.N.C.E." is a tribute to Michael Jackson. French musician Mehdi Pinson appears on "DVNO", and vocalist Uffie appears on "Tthhee Ppaarrttyy". The album was supported by the singles "Waters of Nazareth", "D.A.N.C.E.", "DVNO", "Phantom Pt. II", and "Tthhee Ppaarrttyy". A controversial music video was also released for "Stress".
Gregory Johnathon Cartwright, also known by his stage name Greg Oblivian, is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist from Memphis, Tennessee. From 2001 to 2022 he fronted Reigning Sound which was signed to Merge Records. After moving away from Memphis in the mid-2000s, he has since lived with his family in Asheville, North Carolina.
Dedication is the second studio album by British electronic music producer Zomby, released on 11 July 2011 through 4AD.
Dennis Diken is an American drummer, DJ, author, music historian, and founding member of the band the Smithereens, which he formed in 1980 with Pat DiNizio, Jim Babjak, and Mike Mesaros in Carteret, New Jersey. Besides playing with the Smithereens, Diken is a fill-in DJ on WFMU as well as a liner notes author and reissue project researcher. As a musician, Diken has recorded or toured with, among others, Ronnie Spector, Dave Davies, Nancy Sinatra, Mary Weiss of the Shangri-Las and Ben E. King, and worked with musicians such as Dave Amels and R. Stevie Moore.
"All of My Heart" is a song by English pop band ABC, from their debut studio album, The Lexicon of Love (1982). It was released as a single in the UK on 27 August 1982 and peaked at No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart. The B-side, "Overture", was an instrumental, orchestral medley of songs from The Lexicon of Love, arranged by Anne Dudley.
Leader of the Pack is the 1965 debut album by girl group the Shangri-Las. The album was produced to capitalize on the group's breakthrough hits "Remember " and "Leader of the Pack" which had been co-written by Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich. After the album's focal track went to number one, the Shangri-Las' style and image had evolved into something tougher and earthier.
Home for Orphans is a compilation album by the Reigning Sound. It was released in 2005 on Sympathy for the Record Industry. The album features the original Reigning Sound lineup of Greg Cartwright on lead vocals and guitar; Alex Greene on organ, piano, guitar, and backing vocals; Jeremy Scott on bass, and backing vocals; and Greg Roberson on drums.. This album mainly consists of slower, moodier outtakes from the Too Much Guitar recording sessions, as well as a some covers, including "Without You," a Gene Clark cover. An alternate version of "If Christmas Can't Bring You Home", a Reigning Sound original holiday song, also appears.
The Oblivians are an American garage punk trio that has existed since 1993. In the 1990s, their blues-infused brand of bravado, crudely recorded music made them one of the most popular and prominent bands within the underground garage rock scene.
Reign of Terror is the second studio album by American noise pop duo Sleigh Bells. The album was released on February 21, 2012 by Mom+Pop.
"Give Him a Great Big Kiss" is a song written by Shadow Morton and performed by the Shangri-Las. It debuted at number 83 on the Billboard Hot 100 in late December 1964, and peaked at #18 for two weeks in late January/early February 1965. It was featured on their 1965 album Leader of the Pack. The single was produced by Shadow Morton.