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steveha 
Forum Newbie 
Joined: May 03 2015 Location: Kirkland, WA Status: Offline Points: 7 |
 Topic: Can you identify "the shape of things to come"?Posted: May 03 2015 at 16:48 |
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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.
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Progosopher
Forum Senior Member 
Joined: May 12 2009 Location: Coolwood Status: Offline Points: 6467 |
Posted: May 03 2015 at 19:04 |
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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?
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The world of sound is certainly capable of infinite variety and, were our sense developed, of infinite extensions. -- George Santayana, "The Sense of Beauty"
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steveha
Forum Newbie
Joined: May 03 2015 Location: Kirkland, WA Status: Offline Points: 7 |
Posted: May 03 2015 at 22:48 |
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Ways in which I remember the song being "progressive rock":
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. |
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steveha
Forum Newbie
Joined: May 03 2015 Location: Kirkland, WA Status: Offline Points: 7 |
Posted: May 03 2015 at 22:54 |
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Through the magic of the Internet and the Rhapsody music streaming service, I just listened to "The Shape of Things" by The Yardbirds. Heavy guitars, a toe-tapping melody, and the lyrics don't match. Also, a Google search finds it, so it's not obscure enough to be the one I'm looking for... I have Googled for those lyrics many times over the years without finding my song.
If I can ever find the tape that has the song, I will try posting the actual song somewhere and see if anyone can identify it or at least guess at the band.
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dr wu23
Forum Senior Member
Joined: August 22 2010 Location: Indiana Status: Offline Points: 20625 |
Posted: May 04 2015 at 09:03 |
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I know this isn't the right song but love this old fossil from the past.....
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One does nothing yet nothing is left undone.
Haquin |
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42ndAGE
Forum Groupie 
Joined: April 14 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 40 |
Posted: May 04 2015 at 18:13 |
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FM did a cover version of that song around 1980. The album was called surveillance. I bet that is what you heard. Good album, by the way.
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zravkapt
Special Collaborator 
Honorary Collaborator Joined: October 12 2010 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 6446 |
Posted: May 04 2015 at 18:23 |
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^Really? So this is what the OP is looking for?
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Magma America Great Make Again
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SteveG
Forum Senior Member
Joined: April 11 2014 Location: Kyiv In Spirit Status: Offline Points: 20609 |
Posted: May 04 2015 at 18:26 |
Max Frost and The Troopers was a fictional rock music group created for the exploitation film Wild in the Streets, released in 1968. The film featured Christopher Jones as the highly influential singer Max Frost. The songs performed by Frost and his band, a group that was never formally named in the film, was credited to Max Frost and the Troopers in subsequent singles and album. The band name "Troopers" is based on the term "troops," the designation Frost used in the film to refer to his friends and followers. A studio group appeared on the soundtrack album for the film, along with incidental music penned by Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann, and composed by Les Baxter, however the songs were not originally credited to Max Frost and the Troopers, but rather to The 13th Power. Due to the success of the song "Shape of Things To Come" as a single, an accompanying album by Max Frost and The Troopers, Shape of Things to Come, was issued on the Tower record label in 1968. Musicians playing on the album are believed to include members of Davie Allan and The Arrows (who also released the "Shapes of Things to Come" without lyrics), with lead vocals by Paul Wibier (who also wrote a majority of the songs on the album). The music is high-energy rock with some psychedelic touches. |
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Dean
Special Collaborator
Retired Admin and Amateur Layabout Joined: May 13 2007 Location: Europe Status: Offline Points: 37575 |
Posted: May 04 2015 at 19:12 |
Different different song. FM covered The Yardbirds' "Shapes of Things"
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What?
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steveha
Forum Newbie
Joined: May 03 2015 Location: Kirkland, WA Status: Offline Points: 7 |
Posted: May 04 2015 at 21:27 |
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Thank you for trying to help me, but no, it's not the FM song from Surveillance. The lyrics don't match, and it's got a toe-tapping beat, and it's just not the song.
I like it though, and I'm going to listen to the whole album. I'm digging "Seventh Heaven", the next song on the album after "Shapes of Things".
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Dean
Special Collaborator
Retired Admin and Amateur Layabout Joined: May 13 2007 Location: Europe Status: Offline Points: 37575 |
Posted: May 05 2015 at 02:05 |
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This isn't it either, but it's another curiosity track:
...all the other's I've found are instrumentals. Sorry.
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What?
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richardh
Prog Reviewer 
Joined: February 18 2004 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 28107 |
Posted: May 05 2015 at 02:48 |
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I'm pretty sure this was a punk/prog crossover band called The Headboys. The track was called The Shape Of Things To Come and has some excellent Wakeman style keyboards but with a typical hard driving punk rhythm section. Its a gem! I have it permanently on my I-POD. It was a so called 'radio hit' in 1979 but I don't think it charted in the UK.
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dr wu23
Forum Senior Member
Joined: August 22 2010 Location: Indiana Status: Offline Points: 20625 |
Posted: May 05 2015 at 09:07 |
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For Richard......;)
here's the track |
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One does nothing yet nothing is left undone.
Haquin |
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Dean
Special Collaborator
Retired Admin and Amateur Layabout Joined: May 13 2007 Location: Europe Status: Offline Points: 37575 |
Posted: May 05 2015 at 09:11 |
 that doesn't sound like it fits Steve's description either. |
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What?
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The Dark Elf
Forum Senior Member
VIP Member Joined: February 01 2011 Location: Michigan Status: Offline Points: 13065 |
Posted: May 05 2015 at 09:21 |
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I racked my brain and even did a tentative google search with the parameters the OP suggested. My thought at this point in time is that he/she is disremembering the song that he/she thought he/she heard.
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...a vigorous circular motion hitherto unknown to the people of this area, but destined
to take the place of the mud shark in your mythology... |
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Slartibartfast
Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator / In Memoriam Joined: April 29 2006 Location: Atlantais Status: Offline Points: 29630 |
Posted: May 05 2015 at 11:28 |
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Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
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Dean
Special Collaborator
Retired Admin and Amateur Layabout Joined: May 13 2007 Location: Europe Status: Offline Points: 37575 |
Posted: May 05 2015 at 11:35 |
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What?
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Padraic
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator Joined: February 16 2006 Location: Pennsylvania Status: Offline Points: 31169 |
Posted: May 05 2015 at 11:52 |
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steveha
Forum Newbie
Joined: May 03 2015 Location: Kirkland, WA Status: Offline Points: 7 |
Posted: May 05 2015 at 19:34 |
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I have concluded that my only hope is to find the old cassette tape that has the song on it. I must still have it... somewhere?
I remember the lyrics I quoted quite clearly. So I will be very surprised if I have them wrong or if I imagined the song. But who knows, I'm a human and fallible. I'm glad I asked about this though... I'm going to buy FM's albums Black Noise and Surveillance now. They both had songs on them that I remember fondly from Stone Trek. (In fact I would say that FM is a good candidate for being the correct band. Much of their stuff is synth-heavy and light on guitars, and they put effects on the singer, and I could totally picture them doing a song like I remember. But I haven't found the track I remember on any of their albums yet.) P.S. Here for the record is how I remember the lyrics: [Synth intro] [More synth intro] X x x x x x, [pause] x x x x x; X x x x x x, x x x x x x x x; X that's all it takes, [pause here for a bit of synth] But that's not all there is. [pause again for more synth] [then above four lines pretty much repeats one time, probably with different lyrics for the first two lines] X x x x x x, x x x x x; X x x x x x, x x x x x x x x; X that's the shape of things to come, X that's the shape of things to come. [And I guess all of the above repeats at least once] That's all I got. I can guess at some of the words (I think one of the early lines ended with "answer" and I think it might be "*And* that's the shape of things to come") but mostly I remember the tune, the rhythm, and the lyrics that repeated. Like I said, I think my only hope now is to find the cassette tape. I'd better start looking.
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mathman0806
Forum Senior Member
Joined: June 06 2014 Location: United States Status: Online Points: 6442 |
Posted: May 07 2015 at 13:57 |
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I used to listen to Stone Trek - making it's way KOME and KSJO(?) - but don't remember that track (though it was 30+ years ago). Hadn't thought about that in ages...
Anyway, if you are feeling nostalgic, found a guy streaming old tapes of Stone Trek (plus music he thinks would be played on Stone Trek) at http://www.progtrek.com/ |
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Can you identify "the shape of things to come"?
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dr wu23 wrote: