the avid collectors’ guide to wild in the streets part 4

Estimated reading time is 18 minutes.

THIS IS PART 4 of the Avid Record Collector’s Price Guide to Wild In The Streets. It addresses in detail the four albums associated with that movie and its music. The first three parts have been published, and with this part I finally get around the a labelography and price guide for the records.

So, here are the most detailed listings that I could compile for the four albums associated with the movie Wild In The Streets.

The records are listed chronologically by their catalog numbers. I included illustrations of each record’s labels as best as I was able to hunt them down on the Internet.

Several key images were provided by Frank Daniels. The assigned values are explained in the preceding post (Part 3.)

Wild In The Streets – Original Soundtrack 

WITS_Cover

East Coast Pressing

This version of Tower SKAO-5099 was manufactured at Capitol’s plant in Scranton and may have been released as early as May or as late as September 1968. Five tracks on the record’s labels are credited to Max Frost & The Troopers; there is NO mention of 13th Power on the labels.

 

WITS_EC_1st_NoK2_

WITS_misspell

Some first East Coast pressing labels (above) had an error in the printing: on the first line at the top, “Original Soundtrac” is misspelled without the ‘k’ at the end. These may be the legitimate first pressings, and all subsequent pressings were corrected. But that is an assumption at this time.

 

WITS_EC_label

The record has plain orange labels with the smaller inner circle indented around the spindle hole. The print is in tall, thin letters. The title at the top is on two lines with the movie title in larger print:

WILD IN THE STREETS ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK
FROM THE AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL MOTION PICTURE

On the right side of the spindle hole is “STEREO / SKAO-5099 / (SKAO1-5099)” in upper case letters on three lines as:

STEREO
SKAO-5099
(SKAO1-5099)

There is a numeral 1 or 2 to the right of the second and third lines, just below the “O” in “STEREO.” At the bottom of the label is a statement in tiny upper case letters that reads:

MFD. IN U.S.A.

Technically, a perfect East Coast album would have an East Coast pressing of the record housed in an East Coast jacket with a number 2 or 3 in the lower right corner of the back cover.

•  White label promos are not known to exist.
•  Stock copies have a suggested NM value of $15-20.
•  Designated promos have a suggested NM value of $20-25.
•  Factory-sealed copies have a suggested NM value of $25-30.

 

WITS_Cover

West Coast Pressing

This version of 5099 was manufactured at Capitol’s plant in Los Angeles and was released no later than June 1968. The album sold well, reaching Billboard’s Top 20 on their LP survey. Five tracks on the record’s labels are credited to 13th Power; there is NO mention of Max Frost & The Troopers on the labels or the jackets

 

WITS_WC_labl

The record has plain orange labels with the title information at the top in upper case letters (with the title in larger print) in dark, bold print on three lines as:

WILD IN THE STREETS
ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK
FROM THE AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL MOTION PICTURE

On the right side of the spindle hole is “STEREO / SKAO-5099” in upper case letters on two lines as:

STEREO
SKAO-5099

There is a numeral 1 or 2 to the right of the two lines. At the bottom of the label is a statement in tiny upper case letters that reads:

MANUFACTURED IN THE U.S.A. BY CAPITOL RECORDS, INC.

Technically, a perfect West Coast album would have a West Coast pressing of the record housed in a West Coast jacket with a number 5, 6, or 8 in the lower right corner of the back cover.

•  White label promos of the West Coast record are not known to exist, even though Capitol was pressing them at this time for other Tower albums at the Los Angeles plant.
•  Stock copies have a suggested NM value of $15-20.
•  Designated promos have a suggested NM value of $20-25.
•  Factory-sealed copies have a suggested NM value of $25-30. 1

Copies of both West Coast and East Coast albums can be found with a large sticker on the shrink-wrap that reads “in this album / 2 Hit Singles / SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME / & / LISTEN TO THE MUSIC” on five lines affixed to the front cover.

 

WITS_sticker

As these singles were apparently released in August and September—after the release of the album—then albums with this sticker are technically later issues. Nonetheless, these be-stickered albums are sought after by some collectors and have a suggested NM value of $20-25.

This album was issued in Canada as Capitol SKAO-6284, part of the highly collectable Capitol 6000 series. Original pressings have glossy black labels with a rainbow color-band around the perimeter and have a suggested NM value of $20-30.

It was also manufactured in Canada as Capitol ST-6284; these were strictly for exporting to the UK for sale there. Original pressings have glossy black labels with a rainbow color-band around the perimeter and have a suggested NM value of $30-40. 2

Two first pressings?

There are several differences on the labels of East Coast records pressed in Scranton and those of the West Coast records pressed in Los Angeles that require addressing, as one of them is major. Here is the issue: Scranton records have labels that read “Mfd. In U.S.A” at the bottom, words associated with Tower labels since 1964. Los Angeles labels have “Manufactured in the U.S.A. by Capitol Records, Inc.” at the bottom, a new credit that would find its way onto all new Tower records beginning in August 1968.

 

The name Max Frost & The Troopers was actually resurrected from another album released earlier in the year, where it was also fake name!

 

So, one could assume that because the Scranton records have older label stock, they were pressed before the Los Angeles records, thereby making them the legitimate and only FIRST PRESSINGS of this title!

But the Scranton labels also credit five tracks to Max Frost & The Troopers, instead of 13th Power. Here is why that is an issue: the group 13th Power recorded their tracks for the soundtrack as 13th Power. The original intention of Sidewalk Productions and Tower Records was not to credit the fictional and unnamed band in the movie on the album. In fact, the name Max Frost & The Troopers was resurrected from THE GLORY STOMPERS album, released earlier in the year.

So, all album jackets and all Los Angeles record labels, which were apparently done prior to the Scranton records, credit 13th Power. So, one could assume that because the Los Angeles records have original artist credits on the labels (that coincide with all of the know jackets), they were pressed before the Scranton records, thereby making them the legitimate and only FIRST PRESSINGS of this title!

Then I came upon this:

 

Allan_Frost_Shape_1

Allan_Frost_Shape_2

Allan_Frost_Shape_PS

Allan_Frost_Shape_PS2

Because Shape Of Things To Come did not enter the national surveys until the last week of August, many historians (myself included) assumed that the single had been pulled from the album due to popular request. Therefore, the promotional picture sleeve preceded the release of the record to the public. Not so—the sleeve includes a note on the back that reads in full (typos and inconsistencies included) as:

The movie “WILD IN THE STREETS” is a fantastic success. Breaking box office records in major theatres is a producers’ dream . . . and that’s what WILD IN THE STREETS is doing.

“THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME” from the American International picture “WILD IN THE STREETS” is becoming one of the most requested cuts from the Tower soundtrack album.

We are re-servicing this record, which was originally released the first week of May, because of the many requests received from D. J.’s and promotion people across the country.

In the glaring light of recent tragic events, “WILD IN THE STREETS” projects today’s problems into tomorrow’s possibilities, and “THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME” is an excellent example.

So, Shape Of Things To Come was originally issued as a 45 in May 1968 in advance of the LP by weeks. It failed to light the night on fire. Then, due to the success of the LP, it was rereleased (“re-serviced”) in August 1968, and stock copies were shipped to radio stations in a picture sleeve.

The “recent tragic events” in the note could almost certainly refer to the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. (April 4) and Robert Kennedy Jr. (June 5). The record and the sleeve were being received by many radio stations just prior to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The pictures sleeve has a Scarcity Index rating of 6 and a suggested NM value of $40-50.

 

Allan_Frost_Shape_Capitol

Shape Of Things To Come / Free Lovin’ was issued in Canada on the collectable Capitol 70000 series.

Allan_Frost_Shape_PS4

Allan_Frost_Shape_PS_German

For this release, Max and the boys rated picture sleeves from Capitol in two countries: France (top) and West Germany (bottom). “Les Troupes De La Colere” translates as “The Troops Of Color.”

Assuming this chronology is accurate, then the East Coast/Scranton records for SKAO-5099 with the older labels but the newer artist credits are legitimate first pressings.

The West Coast/Los Angeles records for SKAO-5099 with the newer labels but the older artist credits are legitimate first pressings.

So, putting aside the pressing with the missing ‘K,’ the question then is: Are then any legitimate second pressings of SKAO-5099 from either side of the continent? @@

 

The Arrows Play Music From The Score Of The Motion Picture Wild In The Streets

ArrowsWITS.cover

East Coast Pressing

This version of Tower ST-5139 was manufactured at Capitol’s plant in Scranton and was probably released in July or August 1968.

 

ArrowsWITS.EC

The record has plain orange labels with the smaller inner circle indented around the spindle hole. The print is in tall, thin letters. The title at the top is on two lines:

THE ARROWS PLAY MUSIC FROM THE SCORE
OF THE MOTION PICTURE “WILD IN THE STREETS”

The record has plain orange labels. On the right side of the spindle hole is “STEREO / ST-5139 / (ST1-5139)” in upper case letters on three lines as:

STEREO
ST-5139
(ST1-5139)

There is a numeral or 2 to the right of the second and third lines, just below the “O” in “STEREO.” At the bottom of the label is a manufacturer’s statement in tiny upper case letters that reads:

MFD. IN U.S.A.

Technically, a perfect East Coast album would have an East Coast pressing of the record housed in an East Coast jacket with a number 2 or 3 in the lower right corner of the back cover.

•  White label promos are not known to exist.
•  Stock copies have a suggested NM value of $20-30.
•  Designated promos have a suggested NM value of $25-35.
•  Factory-sealed copies have a suggested NM value of $30-40.

 

ArrowsWITS.cover

West Coast Pressing

This version of 5139 was manufactured at Capitol’s plant in Los Angeles and was probably released in July or August 1968. This album sold so meagerly that it failed to even reach Billboard’s Top 200 LPs. Consequently, it is the least common of the three released titles discussed here. Alas, it is also the least sought after among collectors.

 

ArrowsWITS.WC

The record has plain orange labels with the title information at the top in upper case letters in dark, bold print on four lines as:

THE ARROWS
PLAY MUSIC FROM
THE SCORE OF THE MOTION PICTURE
“WILD IN THE STREETS”

On the right side of the spindle hole is “STEREO / SKAO-5139” in upper case letters on two lines as:

STEREO
SKAO-5139

There is a numeral 1 or 2 to the right of the two lines. At the bottom of the label is a manufacturer’s statement in tiny upper case letters that reads:

MANUFACTURED IN THE U.S.A. BY CAPITOL RECORDS, INC.

Technically, a perfect West Coast album would have a West Coast pressing of the record housed in a West Coast jacket with a number 5, 6, or 8 in the lower right corner of the back cover.

•  White label promos have a suggested NM value of $40-50.
•  Stock copies have a suggested NM value of $20-30.
•  Designated promos have a suggested NM value of $25-35.
•  Factory-sealed copies have a suggested NM value of $30-40.

This album was issued in Canada as Capitol ST-6296, part of the highly collectable Capitol 6000 series. Original pressings have glossy black labels with a rainbow color-band around the perimeter and have a suggested NM value of $30-40.

“I can’t listen to The Arrows Perform Music From The Motion Picture ‘Wild In The Streets’ at all—what a stupid mistake. Once I got into the fuzz, that’s all I wanted to use and then I found myself agreeing to do an album without it!” (Davie Allan3

 

WITS_SecondTime

Listen To The Music

Unlike so many other Sidewalk artists listed on soundtrack records, the Second Time was a real group from Costa Mesa, California. They hooked up with Mike Curb in 1967 and recorded some sides, two of which were released as a single in early 1968 (Shadows / Magic Man, Sidewalk 943). Two more were included in the Wild In The Streets soundtrack, Listen To The Music and Sally Le Roy.

In an attempt to pull a second hit single from the soundtrack album, Listen To The Music was backed with Psychedelic Senate by the Senators and issued in mid-‘68 (Tower 434). In the movie, Listen To The Music is ‘performed’ (mimed) by Max Frost and his regular band:

Apparently, Curb had scheduled a Second Time album (Tower ST-5146) for release after the movie’s soundtrack album had been marketed. The album’s track line-up would have been the four previously released tracks—Listen To The Music, Sally Le Roy, Shadows, and Magic Man—along with Changes In My Lady, John’s Song, Memories, Mr. Duffy, Sail To You, Sugar And Ice, and Two-Faced Madonna.

While Tower 5146 is listed in discographies and even some price guides, there is no evidence to cause the Avid Record Collector to believe that it was manufactured, let alone released. There have been no registered sales on Popsike, Collectors Frenzy, or Amazon; there are no offers of a copy for sale on the Internet. Nothing more is known about the group’s sessions.

 

Shape Of Things To Come

This album credited to Max Frost & The Troopers (Tower ST-5147) was reviewed in the November 2, 1968 issue of Billboard. The reviewer called it a “hot item” and predicted that “this disk should follow the single to chart contention.” Such was not the case and the album is a modest collectable today.

 

FrostLP.cover

East Coast Pressing

This version of 5147 was manufactured at Capitol’s plant in Scranton, and was probably released in October 1968.

 

Frost_label_EC1

The record has plain orange labels with the smaller inner circle indented around the spindle hole. The print is in tall, thin letters. The title at the top is on two lines with the artist credit in larger print:

SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME
MAX FROST AND THE TROOPERS

On the right side of the spindle hole is “STEREO / ST-5147 / (ST1-5147)” in upper case letters on three lines as:

STEREO
ST-5147
(ST1-5147)

There is a numeral or 2 to the right of the second and third lines, just below the “O” in “STEREO.” At the bottom of the label is a manufacturer’s statement in tiny upper case letters that reads:

MFD. IN U.S.A.

Technically, a perfect East Coast album would have an East Coast pressing of the record housed in an East Coast jacket with a number 2 or 3 in the lower right corner of the back cover.

•  White label promos of the East Coast record are not known to exist.
•  Stock copies have a suggested NM value of $25-35.
•  Designated promos have a suggested NM value of $30-40.
•  Factory-sealed copies have a suggested NM value of $40-50.

 

FrostLP.cover

West Coast Pressing

This version of 5147 was manufactured at Capitol’s plant in Los Angeles.

 

Frost_WC?

The record has plain orange labels with the title information at the top in large, upper case letters (with the artist credit larger) in dark, bold print on two lines as:

SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME
MAX FROST AND THE TROOPERS

On the right side of the spindle hole is “STEREO / ST-5147” in upper case letters on two lines as:

STEREO
ST-5147

There is a numeral 1 or 2 to the right of the two lines. At the bottom of the label is a manufacturer’s statement in tiny upper case letters that reads:

MANUFACTURED IN THE U.S.A. BY CAPITOL RECORDS, INC.

Technically, a perfect West Coast album would have a West Coast pressing of the record housed in a West Coast jacket with a number 5, 6, or 8 in the lower right corner of the back cover.

•  White label promos have a suggested NM value of $50-60.
•  Stock copies have a suggested NM value of $25-35.
•  Designated promos have a suggested NM value of $30-40.
•  Factory-sealed copies have a suggested NM value of $40-50.

NOTES: Two tracks on this album—Shape Of Things To Come and Fifty Two Percent—are the same as those on the previously released WILD IN THE STREETS soundtrack album, there credited to either 13th Power or Max Frost & The Troopers. Another track, Captain Hassel, is the same as that credited to 13th Power on a previously released single (Sidewalk 927).

The rest of the tracks appear to have been written and recorded by Paul Wibier and 13th Power, probably with the assistance of Mike Curb’s ubiquitous studio musicians. (Thanks again to The Seth Man.)

This album was issued in Canada as Capitol ST-6303, part of the highly collectable Capitol 6000 series. Original Canadian pressings have glossy black labels with a rainbow band of color around the perimeter. This pressing is in more demand than the US original with a NM value of $50-60.

For more on this album and this conversation in general, refer to an earlier post titled “the return of max frost & the troopers” on this site.

 

Arrows ShapesOfThingsToCome PS dj 500

This is one tough picture sleeve to add to your collection, especially if you want a near mint copy. This promo sleeve was a low-budget affair, made of low-quality, uncoated paper. Most copies of this sleeve are in VG condition and can still sell for an easy $100.

Some odds & some ends

In 1968, the underground radio phenomenon was in full swing on FM radio stations around the country, and LP tracks were being played instead of singles. Album tracks getting a lot of play and a lot or requests did lead companies to pull tracks from LPs and issue them as 45s.

I assume that 13th Power’s recording of Shape Of Things To Come received such air-play and Tower subsequently released the track as a single and found themselves with a reasonably good-sized hit. I also assume that 13th Power not only was screwed out of fame but also fortune.

When the powers-that-be at Sidewalk/Tower got it in their heads to throw a bone in Davie Allan’s direction, they allowed him to overdub his lead guitar onto the previously recorded and released tracks for the soundtrack album.

“I wish I could say that [the Arrows] were Max Frost & The Troopers, but unfortunately, it’s just not true. I did play on the Wild In The Streets soundtrack along with studio musicians known as the Hollywood Wrecking Crew, but none of us played on Shape Of Things To Come. A band was hired to do that one and it was kept a secret as to whom the members were!

The mix-up started when my instrumental version was released as the last Arrows single on the Tower Records label. All I did was play lead on that pre-recorded track, so everyone assumed that we and Max Frost were one and the same. I am on some of the Max Frost tracks, including the ones that appeared on The Glory Stompers soundtrack.” (Davie Allan)

 

Frost_8track

The 8-track cassette tape had a huge impact on the sales of LPs in the late 1960s into the ’80s. But there are comparatively few collectors of the medium and therefore comparatively few worth more than a few bucks as interesting artifacts of an interesting era.

And that’s not all, folks!

I am calling it quits with a pair of reviews by two people other than the Avid Record Collector. Each has an opinion about the music that conflicts with the other. Mr. Bloody-Know-It-All (moi!) follows with his input, after which I end the piece with a bon mot from the King of Fuzz himself.

“Either you’ve already seen Wild In The Streets or you really should. It’s bizarre, surreal, awful, and fantastic—all at the same time! As for the music, it probably looked better on paper in the planning stages. With two of the finest writers of the time under contract (Mann and Weil), they probably should have come up with something a little better. Most of the tunes reflect the revolutionary rhetoric of the times, with titles like Fifty Two Percent and Fourteen Or Fight.

There is one promising cut though: Shape Of Things To Come could have been a real hit for a decent band like the Grass Roots. Under the weight of Les Baxter’s heavy-handed arrangements, though, it hardly stands a chance—much like the rest of the album. For the brave at heart.” (AllMusic)

“I have no idea why this great movie frequently goes out of print. It’s one of the great teensploitation films of the psychedelic era. Featuring a great soundtrack along the lines of Vanilla Fudge-Monkees-Strawberry Alarm Clock: [that is] canned, listener-friendly, bluesy, acid-rock. It’s a fun listen that will definitely take you back in time.” (Eddie Landsberg)

I agree with Matthew: the songs sound like Mr. Mann and Ms. Weil were attempting something for which they were not suited. Like so many movies who rely on “professional” songwriters instead of actual genre writers (rock seems to get the worst of it), it comes across as more weenyful (sic) than meaningful.

It undermines the movie: no one who performs this type of music would motivate anyone but pre-teenyboppers, and only then to tear out their pictures from Tiger Beat and tack them to their bedroom walls.

I agree with Eddie: the soundtrack as an artifact of the period—especially when you know the movie that the music accompanies and illustrates—is a fun listen and will certainly take you back in time. I don’t quite get the Fudge-Monkees-Alarm Clock connection.

“Will my ’60s producer run for president someday? The cartoon of him on the cover of our awful version of the soundtrack shows what his goal was. As I told it in Fuz magazine, I was a robot on this one—the powers-that-be decided it was passé to use fuzz tone!?! We recorded a much-improved remake of Shape Of Things To Come for a 1998 single.” (Davie Allan)

The Avid Record Collector welcomes any and all additions and corrections to this article—whether major or minor, whether to the text above or the listings below—are always welcome. 

Here are the other chapters:

• The Avid Record Collectors Price Guide to “Wild in the Streets” Part 1
• The Avid Record Collectors Price Guide to “Wild in the Streets” Part 2
• The Avid Record Collectors Price Guide to “Wild in the Streets” Part 3

 


FOOTNOTES:

1  The values assigned here and everywhere else on any of my site reflects the price that an established dealer with years of experience and a good reputation would get for this record. (At least this!) It does not reflect what sellers on eBay get for records (although that may not always be true.). Should you choose to sell your records, do not expect to get these prices.

2  “WILD IN THE STREETS was popular and likely exists as a Capitol Record Club issue, numbered SKAO-2-5099. I found someone claiming to have a record with that number. However, since he had no photograph, well . . .” – Frank Daniels

3  When I asked Davie whether he had played on the two Harley Hatcher tracks on the album (Pentagon Square and Rocky Road To Washington), he reiterated, “I did lead on that entire album, which I put in the #1 spot for Worst Arrows Album Ever!!! The so-called powers that be said the fuzz was passé and like a complete idiot I agreed to do that horrible album.”

This album is often referred to and listed (incorrectly) in discographies, price guides, and catalogs merely as WILD IN THE STREETS and credited (also incorrectly but not inaccurately) solely to Davie Allan.

 

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