"Born to Be Wild"
Single by Steppenwolf
from the album Steppenwolf
B-side(s)	"Everybody's Next One"
Released	1968
Format	45-single
Recorded	June, 1968
Genre	Hard rock
Length	2:55
Label	Dunhill Records #D4138 (promo)
Writer(s)	Mars Bonfire
Producer(s)	Gabriel Mekler
Peak chart positions
#2 (US)
Steppenwolf singles chronology
Sookie Sookie (1968) Born to Be Wild (1968) Magic Carpet Ride (1968)

"Born to Be Wild" is a rock song written by Mars Bonfire. It is often used in popular culture to denote a biker appearance or mentality. The song is frequently described as the first heavy metal song ever written and is also said to have inspired the name of the emerging heavy metal genre; although these claims are disputed, the song's second verse (which refers to "heavy metal thunder") contains the first recorded reference to "heavy metal".^[1] Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... A collection of various CD singles In music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. ... It has been suggested that The Sparrows be merged into this article or section. ... Steppenwolf is the first album created by Steppenwolf, released in January 1968 (see 1968 in music) on ABC Dunhill Records. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... See also: 1967 in music, other events of 1968, 1969 in music, 1960s in music and the list of years in music // January 4 - Guitarist Jimi Hendrix is jailed by Stockholm police, after trashing a hotel room during a drunken fist fight with bassist Noel Redding. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Hard rock is a variation of rock and roll music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage and psychedelic rock. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Dunhill Records was started by Lou Adler, Al Bennett, Pierre Cossette and Bobby Roberts in 1964 as Dunhill Productions, originally for the purpose of releasing Johnny Rivers recordings on Imperial Records. ... A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both. ... Mars Bonfire was the stage name used by rock musician Dennis Edmonton (born April 21, 1943), perhaps best known for writing the song Born to Be Wild. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... A record chart, also known as a music chart, is a method of ranking music according to popularity during a given period of time. ... United States may refer to: Places: United States of America SS United States, the fastest ocean liner ever built. ... It has been suggested that The Sparrows be merged into this article or section. ... Magic Carpet Ride is a rock song written by John Kay and Rushton Moreve from the band Steppenwolf. ... For other uses, see Rock music (disambiguation). ... Mars Bonfire was the stage name used by rock musician Dennis Edmonton (born April 21, 1943), perhaps best known for writing the song Born to Be Wild. ... Popular culture, sometimes called pop culture, consists of widespread cultural elements in any given society. ... A variety of parked motorcycles A motorcycle or motorbike is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle powered by an engine. ... Heavy metal (sometimes referred to simply as metal) is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s. ...

Steppenwolf version

Although initially offered to other bands – the Human Expression, for one^[2] – Born to Be Wild was first recorded by the Canadian rock band, Steppenwolf. (Under an earlier stage name, Dennis Edmonton, Mars Bonfire was previously a member of the Sparrows, the predecessor band to Steppenwolf). This is the band's second and most successful single, reaching #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles charts. The Human Expression is a psychedelic rock band from Los Angeles that released three well-regarded singles and made additional demo recordings between 1966 and 1967. ... For other uses, see Rock music (disambiguation). ... It has been suggested that The Sparrows be merged into this article or section. ... Mars Bonfire was the stage name used by rock musician Dennis Edmonton (born April 21, 1943), perhaps best known for writing the song Born to Be Wild. ... Canadian Sixties blues-rock band, The Sparrow(s) evolved out of Jack London & The Sparrows and later morphed into heavy rock group, Steppenwolf. ... The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. ...

This version was initially released in 1968, but it was subsequently included in many compilation albums and soundtracks. The first of these was the soundtrack for the movie Easy Rider (1969). Unlike the album or single version, the song on this soundtrack is accompanied by the sounds of motorcycles as an introduction. Another Steppenwolf song from their first album, "The Pusher" was also used in the film. When the movie was in production, Born to Be Wild was used simply as a placeholder, since Peter Fonda had wanted Crosby, Stills and Nash to do the movie's soundtrack. Eventually, it became clear that the song was well suited for the movie^[3]. At least in part because of its prominence in this movie, Born to Be Wild is probably the song that is most closely associated with motorcycles. A compilation album is an album (music or spoken-word) featuring tracks from one or multiple recording artists, often culled from a variety of sources (such as studio albums, live albums, singles, demos and outtakes. ... A film soundtrack is the music that is from or inspired by a feature film. ... A film soundtrack is the music that is from or inspired by a feature film. ... The cult classic 1969 film Easy Rider, starring Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, and Jack Nicholson, is not only remembered for the movie itself, but for the epic late 1960s rock soundtrack. ... A variety of parked motorcycles A motorcycle or motorbike is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle powered by an engine. ... This article, image, template or category belongs in one or more categories. ... Peter Henry Fonda (born February 23, 1940) is an Academy Award-nominated American actor. ... Crosby, Stills, & Nash (sometimes known as Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young) is a pioneering folk rock/rock supergroup that formed out of the remnants of three 1960s bands the Buffalo Springfield, the Byrds, and the Hollies. ... A variety of parked motorcycles A motorcycle or motorbike is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle powered by an engine. ...

Other movies that have used the Steppenwolf version of Born to Be Wild include Coming Home, One Crazy Summer, Opportunity Knocks, Dr. Dolittle 2, and Speechless^[4]. Coming Home is a 1978 film which tells the story of a handicapped Vietnam War veterans difficulty in re-entering civilian life after his return from the war. ... One Crazy Summer is a 1986 comedy movie starring John Cusack, Demi Moore, Curtis Armstrong, and Joel Murray. ... Opportunity Knocks was a UK television talent show originally hosted by Hughie Greene. ... Dr. Dolittle 2 is an American comedy film, the theatrical sequel to Dr. Dolittle. ... An album released on June 15, 1999 by Steven Curtis Chapman 1. ...

Others

Two covers were released for use in motor racing broadcasts in the 2000's.

A 2002 release by British pop singer Kim Wilde was recorded as the theme song for broadcasts of the DTM. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM, German Touringcar Masters) is a motorsport series based in Germany, but also with rounds elsewhere in Europe. ...

A 2007 cover by rock star Hinder was recorded for use by Turner Network Television for their NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Summer Series broadcasts. Hinder is an American Hard rock/Post-grunge band from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. ... Turner Network Television, usually referred to as TNT, is an American cable TV network created by media mogul Ted Turner and currently owned by the Turner Broadcasting System division of Time Warner. ... The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series is NASCARs top racing series. ...

It Was also covered by the American Thrash metal band Slayer Slayer is an American thrash metal band founded by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. ...

Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... A collection of various CD singles In music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... See also: 2002 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 2002 Record labels established in 2002 // 2002 was marked by significant trends in rock music. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... For popular forms of music in general, see Popular music. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Edel Music was founded in 1986 in Germany as a mail order record company selling mostly soundtracks. ... A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both. ... Mars Bonfire was the stage name used by rock musician Dennis Edmonton (born April 21, 1943), perhaps best known for writing the song Born to Be Wild. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... Ricki Wilde (often spelled Ricky Wilde) is a songwriter, musician, producer and brother of Kim Wilde, and son of the pre-Beatles singer and actor Marty Wilde, from the UK. Ricki has two sons and one daughter. ... A record chart, also known as a music chart, is a method of ranking music according to popularity during a given period of time. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Loved is a song recorded by Kim Wilde as a new track for the compilation album The Very Best of Kim Wilde, released in 2001. ... Anyplace, Anywhere, Anytime is a 2003 duet single by German singer Nena and British singer Kim Wilde. ...

"Born to Be Mild"

An obvious play on the name of this song is created by replacing "wild" with "mild", and that phrase has entered popular culture in many areas. The most prominent use of this phrase is probably a live comic performance by comedian Rita Rudner in Cleveland that was released on the VHS videocassette format in 1990 with the title Rita Rudner: Born to Be Mild. Also, Weird Al Yankovic has an unreleased song that is a parody of Born to Be Wild called "Born to Be Mild"; the singer is in the guise of a computer nerd. Rita Rudner (born on 17 September 1956 in Miami, Florida) is an American comedienne and writer. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Bottom view of VHS cassette with magnetic tape exposed Top view of VHS cassette with front casing removed The Video Home System, better known by its abbreviation VHS is a recording and playing standard for analog video cassette recorders (VCRs), developed by Victor Company of Japan, Limited (JVC) and launched... Alfred Matthew Weird Al Yankovic (born October 23, 1959) is an American musician, parodist and accordion player. ... In contemporary usage, a parody (or lampoon) is a work that imitates another work in order to ridicule, ironically comment on, or poke some affectionate fun at the work itself, the subject of the work, the author or fictional voice of the parody, or another subject. ... Look up nerd in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

The ITV series "Cold Feet" used the parody "Born to be Mild" when one of the main characters, a mild-mannered management consultant, was given a high powered motorcycle to mark his 40th birthday.

References

1. ^ Robert Walser, Running with the Devil: Power, Gender, and Madness in Heavy Metal Music (1993).
2. ^ Liner notes, The Human Expression: Love at Psychedelic Velocity, Collectables Records (1994).
3. ^ Songfacts.com
4. ^ Ibid.