“Wild In The Streets”

by Robert Wilkinson

Besides the riots going on then and occasionally now, this is the title of a legendary cult flick about teenagers taking over the vote and electing an anarchist kid as president! It was released on May 29, 1968, a few weeks after Martin was assassinated, and gave us one incredible hit song which you'll definitely want to hear!

The hit song, “Shapes of Things to Come,” was written by Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann, and recorded for the movie by “Max Frost and the Troopers.” There were two versions released; the movie/album version and the hit single version. Paul Wibier and The 13th Power gave us the movie and album version, sung by Harley Hatcher, the producer. Jim Donlinger and Aorta did the hit single.

So there were two different “Max Frost and the Troopers.” The group who did the hit single included John Donlinger, Kal David, and Peter Cetera who were in a remarkable psychedelic band known as Aorta. After the movie hit big, Tower Records needed a band called “Max Frost and the Troopers” to go on the road so they enlisted The 13th Power.

This song is menacing and dynamic, and went all the way to #22 on the charts! From the 1968 movie Wild in the Streets, the hit song “The Shape of Things To Come”

Also performed by the band in the opening credits (with Christopher Jones, Richard Pryor, and others pretending to be the band), the very groove-ish “Free Lovin’”

If you want more from the remarkable band which gave us this song, here’s the full 40 minute first album that was definitely part of the psychedelic music landscape in 1969-70, Aorta

© Copyright 2024 Robert Wilkinson