Shape of Things to Come (song)
"Shape of Things to Come" is a song written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil from the film Wild in the Streets, performed by the fictional band Max Frost and the Troopers on their 1968 album Shape of Things to Come. The song was also released without vocals by Davie Allan and the Arrows. The song was a mere 1 minute 55 seconds in length.
| "Shape of Things to Come" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Max Frost and the Troopers | ||||
| from the album Shape of Things to Come | ||||
| B-side | "Free Lovin'" | |||
| Released | May 1968 | |||
| Length | 1:57 | |||
| Label | Tower | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil | |||
| Producer(s) | Mike Curb | |||
| Max Frost and the Troopers singles chronology | ||||
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| "Shape of Things to Come" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Slade | ||||
| from the album Play It Loud | ||||
| B-side | "C'mon C'mon" | |||
| Released | March 6, 1970 | |||
| Length | 2:19 | |||
| Label | Fontana | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil | |||
| Producer(s) | Chas Chandler | |||
| Slade singles chronology | ||||
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Others who have performed the song include George Benson, Slade,[1] Rich Kids, Aorta, The Graduates, Third Rail, Paul Revere and the Raiders, Glad, The Pointed Sticks, The Ramones, the Fuzztones, The Urinals, The Diodes, Mod Fun, Roslyn Kind, The Vice Barons, Vivian Reed, Davie Allan and the Arrows, and Marshmallow Overcoat. More recently, the song has been released by Thee Dirtybeats,[2] Toxic Reasons, Hammer and the Nails, and Janelle Monáe.
Success
The song was produced by Mike Curb for the exploitation film Wild in the Streets, where it was lip-synced by Christopher Jones. A young Richard Pryor portrayed the drummer in Jones' band. The film was released on May 29, 1968.
Concurrent with the film's release, the song appeared as a single on Tower 419; it was backed by another song from the film, "Free Lovin'" (written by Guy Hemric and Paul Wibier).[3] The single peaked at #22 on the Billboard Hot 100 in September 1968,[4][5] and peaked at #2 on the Canadian charts for two consecutive weeks during the second and third week of October, 1968.[6] The song remained on the US Billboard charts for total of 9 weeks.
The song subsequently appeared as the first track on the A side of the Shape of Things to Come LP, released in the wake of the single's chart success.
In popular culture
- The song was used in the Mexican television show Ensalada de locos among sketches.
- In 2006, the Max Frost & The Troopers version of the song was used in an advertising campaign by Target Stores.
References
- Slade: Shape of Things to Come at Discogs
- Thee Dirtybeats: Shape Of Things To Come, at Bandcamp
- Max Frost And The Troopers: Shape of Things to Come at Discogs
- "Billboard Album Reviews". Billboard. Vol. 80 no. 39. September 28, 1968. p. 82. ISSN 0006-2510.
- Hoberman, J. (September 30, 2016). "Are You Over 35? 'Wild in the Streets' Should Scare You". The New York Times.
- "Canadian Charts for October 1968". March 15, 2006. Archived from the original on March 15, 2006.
