Shape of Things to Come (song)

For the Audioslave song, see Shape of Things to Come (Audioslave song). For the Yardbirds song, see Shapes of Things.

"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, featuring a lead vocal by Harley Hatcher.^[1] The song was also released without vocals by Davie Allan and the Arrows. The song was a mere 1 minute 55 seconds in length. The song came some 35 years after H. G. Wells' The Shape of Things to Come.

"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 (1968)
Length	1:57
Label	Tower
Songwriter(s)	Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil
Producer(s)	Mike Curb
Max Frost and the Troopers singles chronology
"There Is a Party Going On" (1968) "Shape of Things to Come" (1968) "Fifty Two Percent" (1968)

"Shape of Things to Come"
Single by Slade
from the album Play It Loud
B-side	"C'mon C'mon"
Released	March 6, 1970 (1970-03-06)
Length	2:19
Label	Fontana
Songwriter(s)	Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil
Producer(s)	Chas Chandler
Slade singles chronology
"Wild Winds Are Blowing" (1969) "Shape of Things to Come" (1970) "Know Who You Are" (1970)

Success

The song was produced by Mike Curb for the exploitation film Wild in the Streets, where actor Christopher Jones lip syncs to Hatcher's vocal.^[2] A young Richard Pryor portrayed the drummer in Jones's 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 CHUM Charts for two consecutive weeks during the second and third week of October, 1968.^[6] and #9 on the Canadian RPM Top 100.^[7] The song remained on the US Billboard charts for a total of 12 weeks and on the RPM charts for 12 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.

Other versions

Others who have performed the song include:

• George Benson
• Slade^[8]
• 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
• Future
• Vivian Reed
• Davie Allan and the Arrows
• Marshmallow Overcoat

More recently, the song has been released by:

• Thee Dirtybeats,^[9]
• Toxic Reasons
• Hammer and the Nails
• Janelle Monáe.

In popular culture

• The song was used in the Mexican television show Ensalada de locos (1971 - 1973) among sketches.
• In 2006, the Max Frost & The Troopers version of the song was used in an advertising campaign by Target Stores.
• In 2021, the original version was again used in an advertising campaign by mobile payments company Square Inc.
• In 2022, the original version was used in the film Apollo 10½: A Space Age Childhood.

References

1. "Wild In The Streets at IMDB". IMDb.
2. "Wild In The Streets at IMDB". IMDb.
3. Max Frost And The Troopers: Shape of Things to Come at Discogs
4. "Billboard Album Reviews". Billboard. Vol. 80, no. 39. September 28, 1968. p. 82. ISSN 0006-2510.
5. Hoberman, J. (September 30, 2016). "Are You Over 35? 'Wild in the Streets' Should Scare You". The New York Times.
6. "Canadian Charts for October 1968". March 15, 2006. Archived from the original on March 15, 2006.
7. "RPM Top 100 Singles - November 2, 1968" (PDF).
8. Slade: Shape of Things to Come at Discogs
9. Thee Dirtybeats: Shape Of Things To Come, at Bandcamp

External links

• Max Frost And The Troopers: Shape of Things to Come at Discogs
• "Shape of Things to Come" guitar tabs^{[permanent dead link]}

See also

• Wild in the Streets at IMDb