October 10, 1964 –
The Shangri-Las released their operatic hit, Leader of the Pack, on this date.
This was written by Ellie Greenwich, Jeff Barry and producer Shadow Morton. Morton was looking for a follow-up to the first Shangri-Las‘ hit, Remember (Walking in the Sand). He had a motorcycle and was part of a motorcycle gang in his youth, so he, Greenwich and Barry decided to use that as the theme. Together, they came up with the rather dramatic story, being sure to name the characters in the lyric (Betty and Johnny) so the listener could form an attachment. A hallmark of the song is the spoken dialogue that sets up the story.
Later in 1964, The Detergents recorded a parody of this song called Leader Of The Laundromat.
The Haus of Dcaligari 