B-side "Free Lovin'" Length 1:57 Producer(s) Mike Curb | Released 1968 (1968) Label Tower | |
Writer(s) Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil | ||
"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.
Contents
Others who have performed the song include Slade, Rich Kids, Vacuum, Aorta, Third Rail, Paul Revere and the Raiders, Glad, The Pointed Sticks, The Ramones, the Fuzztones, The Urinals, The Diodes, Mod Fun and Marshmallow Overcoat. More recently, the song has been released by Thee Dirtybeats, 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 song originally appeared as the first track on the A side of the Shape of Things to Come LP.
It was subsequently released as a single on Tower 419; it was backed by "Free Lovin'" (written by Guy Hemric and Paul Wibier). The single peaked at #22 on the Billboard Hot 100 during the week of October 26, 1968, and peaked at #2 on the Canadian charts for two consecutive weeks during the second and third week of October, 1968. The song remained on the US Billboard charts for total of 9 weeks.