Can you identify "the shape of things to come"?

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   Ways in which I remember the song being "progressive rock":Heavy use of synthesizers.  Likely there were guitars but I don't really remember them.
Some sort of effects on the voice of the lead singer, possibly some distortion.
Didn't have a simple or repetitive musical structure.  (Can't break it down past that, as I am not really a music expert.)  But basically you wouldn't be able to dance to this.
It was played on "Stone Trek" and it wasn't jazz fusion.  Q.E.D., it was Progressive Rock.  (I'm only partly joking on this last one.)
I really have no idea who it was, but whoever it was, they didn't rip off the style of Genesis, or Pink Floyd, or Yes, or anyone I can think of.  I can't tell you "they sound like Genesis with the serial numbers filed off".  (For example, if it were by Starcastle I would be saying "sounds a lot like Yes"...  And I don't mean to say that Starcastle ripped off Yes, but I think the resemblance there is undeniable.)

Also, they can't be Camel or Saga or Genesis as I have pretty much listened to all the songs and I would have already found it, or at least identified it by the singer's voice.

If someone wants I could record myself whistling it and post the audio file online.  But the odds seem low that someone would recognize the tune from my whistling without remembering any of the lyrics I quoted.

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steveha Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Newbie Joined: May 03 2015 Location: Kirkland, WA Status: Offline Points: 7	Posted: May 03 2015 at 22:48
	Ways in which I remember the song being "progressive rock": Heavy use of synthesizers. Likely there were guitars but I don't really remember them. Some sort of effects on the voice of the lead singer, possibly some distortion. Didn't have a simple or repetitive musical structure. (Can't break it down past that, as I am not really a music expert.) But basically you wouldn't be able to dance to this. It was played on "Stone Trek" and it wasn't jazz fusion. Q.E.D., it was Progressive Rock. (I'm only partly joking on this last one.) I really have no idea who it was, but whoever it was, they didn't rip off the style of Genesis, or Pink Floyd, or Yes, or anyone I can think of. I can't tell you "they sound like Genesis with the serial numbers filed off". (For example, if it were by Starcastle I would be saying "sounds a lot like Yes"... And I don't mean to say that Starcastle ripped off Yes, but I think the resemblance there is undeniable.) Also, they can't be Camel or Saga or Genesis as I have pretty much listened to all the songs and I would have already found it, or at least identified it by the singer's voice. If someone wants I could record myself whistling it and post the audio file online. But the odds seem low that someone would recognize the tune from my whistling without remembering any of the lyrics I quoted.

Progosopher Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: May 12 2009 Location: Coolwood Status: Offline Points: 6467	Posted: May 03 2015 at 19:04
	It is difficult to whistle a melody on a forum such as this. The only thing that comes to mind is the Yardbirds song, Shapes of Things. Jeff Beck also did it with his group with Rod Stewart on the vocals, but I doubt either of these versions was the song you heard. Was it progressive in a Yes sort of way? ELP? Floydish? Eloy? Psychedelic in any way?
	The world of sound is certainly capable of infinite variety and, were our sense developed, of infinite extensions. -- George Santayana, "The Sense of Beauty"

steveha Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Newbie Joined: May 03 2015 Location: Kirkland, WA Status: Offline Points: 7	Posted: May 03 2015 at 16:48
	In the late 70's or early 80's I heard a song on the radio, and I would like to identify the song if possible so I can track it down and maybe other music by the same band. It was progressive rock, played on a radio show devoted to progressive rock and jazz fusion. The show was called "Stone Trek" ("with your host, Greg Stone") and played on the radio in the Silicon Valley area. The lyrics of the song included the words "that's all it takes... but that's not all there is" and the chorus included the words "the shape of things to come" (IIRC that phrase, repeated twice, was the whole chorus). I could actually whistle the melody, but I'm guessing that the lyrics are the more useful part. I used to have this recorded on a tape, and I listened to it over and over, but I think the tape ran out before Greg Stone announced the name of the song. So I've heard the song many times, but never known its name. (Based on the chorus, maybe the song is called "Things to Come" or "The Shape of Things to Come"?) Greg Stone found some obscure stuff sometimes to play so this might be really obscure now. The song might never have been released on CD. It might even have been some local band that was never very famous. But if I can find it, I would be very happy.