Leader of the Pack

Leader of the pack is a single by The Shangri-Las. The song is actually arise by accident. The bosses of Red Bird Records, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller were looking for a successor to Remember (walking in the sand). Music Producer George Morton had already a song Leader of the pack, but another group had in mind: The Bunnies, then also known as The Goodies. Leader of the pack went to The Shangri-Las. Morton saw a ban on a release by The Bunnies. The basis for the recordings were recorded in July 1964. According to tradition played a young Billy Joel piano, but not to this day know that or his game on the single can be heard. His party would have replayed Roger Rossi . Shooting the engine took place in the hotel lobby, which was located on the ground floor of the Ultrasonic Sound Studio.

Subject of the song is the love of Betty for Jimmy, boss of a motor club. The parents of Betty see that not be, Betty breaks the relationship and says to Jimmy, that he is not (more) have to drive so fast. Jimmy racing road and damaged in an accident. By the song to decide with the death of Jimmy was the song of some radio stations kept away. Also the BBC stopped the plate into the ban (1964).

About the copyright is still a struggle. Morton claimed that he had written the song on his own and had shared the royalties for commercial reasons. Greenwich is/was a different view.

There is a number of covers, but none of them had success. The most famous artist who has recorded Bette Midler in 1972. There is also a French version known under the title Le chef de la bande. ==Chart Positions[ Edit] == Despite all the problems in the development of the single rose to first place the image of the Billboard Hot 100. It allowed 12 weeks noted. The spell of the BBC was not, the picture took out nine weeks in 1965 quotation and a eleventh in the British singles chart. They came in 1972 in it back with fourteen weeks and the third place. Again it was a hit in 1976 with a seventh place in eleven weeks. Of the picture is not a Dutch and Belgian chart positions known. ===Radio 2 Top 2000[ Edit] ===