Simply Saucer splinter group The Shangs return with "Golden Hits"

Early Simply Saucer guitarist David Byers (right) is joined by fellow Saucer members on The Shangs' latest release. 

Long before Hamilton guitarist David Byers formed The Shangs with the sibling rhythm section of Ed and Pat O'Neill in 1989, he was a ground floor member of the mighty Simply Saucer, hanging out and jamming with Edgar Breau and Paul Colilli in 1972, before the group even had a name much less transportation.

Since 1993's self-released Longet album, not much has been heard from The Shangs but Byers and the O'Neil brothers are back with Golden Hits of The Shangs and their Simply Saucer pals Edgar Breau, Kevin Christoff along with Paul Colilli (who passed away in 2018) are credited with musical contributions on the 15 track out now on the band's own Judy Gee! label. Once again, the inspiration of 60s girl groups – specifically The Shangri-Las and The Feminine Complex – figures prominently in the songwriting but Byers found time to pen a few tributes to his cult film heroines.

Along with the previously released "Claudine" concerning singer/actress Claudine Longet who was convicted of negligent homicide in the fatal shooting of her then boyfriend, Olympic skier Spider Sabich, "Patch of Blue" is dedicated to Elizabeth Hartman who was the youngest Oscar nominee for Best Actress for her role in 1965's A Patch Of Blue, "Blue Star" is a homage to troubled stage actress Peggy Entwhistle who infamously killed herself by jumping from the "H" in the Hollywoodland sign in 1932. "The Spell of Arlene Tiger" is actually a nod to the wistful stylings of Brazilian singer Astrud Gilberto which wouldn't seem out of place on the Clay Pitts' Orchestra's soundtrack to 1970's Female Animal starring Arlene Faber aka Arlene Tiger. So it all makes sense.

Perhaps most intriguing is "What Ever Happened To Carol Wayne?" which alludes to the mysterious 1985 death of film and television actress Carol Wayne (I Spy, Hollywood Squares, Bewitched, The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson) who went on vacation with television/film director David E. Durston (Playhouse 90) in Manzanillo, Mexico. Soon after she was found dead in a shallow bay. A coroner's autopsy found no sign of drugs or alcohol in her blood but ruled the death accidental. Incidentally, in 1970, Durston directed I Drink Your Blood starring the aforementioned Arlene Faber and both Carol Wayne and Claudine Longet appeared in Blake Edwards' 1968 film The Party. Listen to a few tracks from Golden Hits of The Shangs below.


LINKS
The Shangs site
VIEW Golden Hits of The Shangs