The 5th Dimension is an American

popular music Popular music is music with wide appeal that is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. These forms and styles can be enjoyed and performed by people with little or no musical training.Popular Music. (2015). ''Fu ...

vocal group A vocal group is a performing ensemble of vocalists who sing and harmonize together. The first well-known vocals groups emerged in the 19th century, and the style had reached widespread popularity by the 1940s. Types Vocal groups can come in s ...

, whose

repertoire A repertoire () is a list or set of dramas, operas, musical compositions or roles which a company or person is prepared to perform. Musicians often have a musical repertoire. The first known use of the word ''repertoire'' was in 1847. It is a ...

includes

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * ''Pop'' ( ...

, R&B,

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest att ...

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

, light opera, and Broadway. Formed as the Versatiles in late 1965, the group changed its name to "the 5th Dimension" by 1966. Between 1967 and 1973 they charted with 20 top 40 hits on ''Billboards Hot 100, two of which – " Up, Up and Away" (no. 7, 1967) and the 1969 number one " Medley: Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures)" — won the

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...

for Record of the Year. Other big hits include " Stoned Soul Picnic" (no. 3), "

Wedding Bell Blues "Wedding Bell Blues" is a song written and recorded by Laura Nyro in 1966. The best known version was a number one hit for the 5th Dimension in 1969. The lyrics are written from the perspective of a woman whose boyfriend has not yet proposed t ...

" (no. 1), "

One Less Bell to Answer "One Less Bell to Answer" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. Originally written in 1967 for Keely Smith, the song was rediscovered in late 1969 by Bones Howe, the producer for the 5th Dimension, and the song was included on the ...

" (no. 2), a cover of " Never My Love" (pop no. 12/

Easy Listening Easy listening (including mood music) is a popular music genre and radio format that was most popular during the 1950s to 1970s. It is related to middle-of-the-road (MOR) music and encompasses instrumental recordings of standards, hit songs, ...

no. 1), "

(Last Night) I Didn't Get to Sleep at All "(Last Night) I Didn't Get to Sleep at All" is a song written by Tony Macaulay and performed by The 5th Dimension with instrumental backing from L.A. session musicians from the Wrecking Crew. The song appeared on the band's album ''Individually ...

" (no. 8), and "

If I Could Reach You "If I Could Reach You" is a song written by Randall Clayton McNeill and recorded by the 5th Dimension in 1972. Chart performance The song was the group's final top 10 on the Hot 100, peaking at number 10 there, and was the group's final number ...

" (pop no. 10/

no. 1). Three of their records reached the top ten of ''Billboard'''s Rhythm & Blues/Soul chart. Five of their 19 top 20 hits on the

chart reached number one. The five original members were Lamonte McLemore, Marilyn McCoo, Florence LaRue, Ronald Townson, and Billy Davis Jr. Their earliest recordings were on the Soul City record label, which was started by recording artist Johnny Rivers. The group later recorded for Bell/ Arista Records,

ABC Records ABC Records was an American record label founded in New York City in 1955. It originated as the main popular music label operated by the Am-Par Record Corporation. Am-Par also created the Impulse! jazz label in 1960. It acquired many labels bef ...

, and

Motown Records Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''mot ...

. Some of the songwriters who worked with the 5th Dimension went on to careers of their own, especially Ashford & Simpson, who wrote the song " California Soul". The group is also notable for having more success with the songs of Laura Nyro than Nyro did herself, particularly with "Stoned Soul Picnic", " Sweet Blindness", "Wedding Bell Blues", " Blowin' Away" and "

Save the Country "Save the Country" is a song written by Laura Nyro, first released by her as a single in 1968. Nyro released another version of the song on her 1969 album '' New York Tendaberry''. Background Nyro was inspired to write the song after the June 5, ...

". The group also recorded songs by well-known songwriters including Burt Bacharach and Hal David ("One Less Bell to Answer") and Jimmy Webb, who wrote " Up, Up and Away". The group's 1967 LP '' The Magic Garden'' features all but one song composed by Webb. The 5th Dimension's producer Bones Howe used

Bob Alcivar Bob Alcivar (born July 8, 1938, in Chicago, Illinois) is an American music producer, composer, conductor and keyboard player. He is the father of rock keyboard player Jim Alcivar ( Montrose, Gamma). Discography Film *''Butterflies Are Free'' ...

as the singers' vocal arranger as well as instrumental backing by the Wrecking Crew for their recording sessions.

Career

Formation

In the early 1960s, Lamonte McLemore and Marilyn McCoo got together with three friends from Los Angeles—Harry Elston, Lawrence Summers. and Fritz Baskett—to form a group called 'the Hi-Fis' (which later became 'the Vocals'). In 1963, they sang at local clubs while taking lessons from a vocal coach. In 1964, they came to the attention of

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson Sr. (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Ge ...

, who took them on tour with him the following year. He produced a single by the group, "Lonesome Mood", a jazz-type song that gained local attention. However, internal disagreements caused Elston to go his own way, eventually leading to his forming

the Friends of Distinction The Friends of Distinction were an American vocal group founded by Harry Elston and Floyd Butler, best known for their late 1960s hits, "Grazing in the Grass", "Love or Let Me Be Lonely", and " Going in Circles". Career The Friends of Distincti ...

with latter day Hi-Fis member Floyd Butler. McLemore sought to form another group and started looking for members to join him and McCoo. McCoo, who had studied with the respected vocal coach Eddie Beal, had appeared in high school and college musical productions and was known for her ability to do torch songs. McLemore found Florence LaRue, who had received training in singing, dancing, and violin; and who won the talent portion at the Miss Bronze California contest, which McLemore was assigned to photograph. McCoo had won the contest the prior year. About the same time LaRue was approached to join the group, McLemore recruited an old friend from St. Louis, Missouri, Ronald Townson, who had sung choir previously. His grandmother had arranged for voice and acting lessons as he grew up. In his teens, Townson toured with Dorothy Dandridge and Nat King Cole, joined the Wings Over Jordan Choir, and played a small part in the film ''

Porgy and Bess ''Porgy and Bess'' () is an English-language opera by American composer George Gershwin, with a libretto written by author DuBose Heyward and lyricist Ira Gershwin. It was adapted from Dorothy Heyward and DuBose Heyward's play '' Porgy'', ...

''. He demonstrated his skill as a classical artist by placing third in the Metropolitan Opera auditions held in St. Louis. After finishing high school, he worked his way through Lincoln University by conducting the school and church choir. After graduating, he organized his own 25-member gospel choir. Another of McLemore's friends from St. Louis was Billy Davis Jr., who also had sung choir. Davis later saved enough money to buy a cocktail lounge in St. Louis, which he also used as a base for experimenting with musical groups. When asked to join McLemore's new group, he agreed, while hoping for a solo contract from Motown.

Major hits

The members began rehearsing as the Versatiles in late 1965 and auditioned for Marc Gordon, who headed the Motown's Los Angeles office. Berry Gordy, the head of Motown Records, declined the group, but Gordon still believed in them and wanted to manage them. Gordon brought them to the attention of Johnny Rivers, who had just started his own label, Soul City Records. Soul City signed the group and in November 1966 released their first single as the 5th Dimension, "I'll Be Lovin' You Forever". However, the song failed to chart. In 1967 the 5th Dimension recorded "

Go Where You Wanna Go "Go Where You Wanna Go" is a 1965 song written by John Phillips. It was originally recorded by the Mamas & the Papas on their LP ''If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears'' and given limited release as a single. However, the record was withdrawn, ...

," which became a breakthrough hit for them. The song was a John Phillips tune and reached No. 16 on the US Hot 100 chart. The group followed this with "Up, Up and Away", which reached No. 7 later that same year and went on to win five

s. The following year, the group scored major hit singles with Laura Nyro's songs " Stoned Soul Picnic" (U.S. No. 3) and " Sweet Blindness" (U.S. No. 13). The group received a gold record for their album ''Stoned Soul Picnic''. That album included "California Soul", which peaked at No. 25 in February 1969. Weeks later the group's success broke wide open, with "

Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In "Medley: Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures)" (commonly called "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In", "The Age of Aquarius" or "Let the Sunshine In") is a medley of two songs written for the 1967 musical ''Hair'' by James Rado and Gerome ...

" from the musical '' Hair'' topping the Hot 100 for six straight weeks in April and May and another Nyro song, "Wedding Bell Blues", doing the same for the first three full weeks in November. Their cover of Neil Sedaka's " Workin' On a Groovy Thing" went to No. 20 in between. Those four singles kept the group on the Hot 100 for all but four weeks in 1969. By some reckonings, "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In" was the biggest hit single for 1969. Later top 20 hits included 1970's "One Less Bell to Answer" (U.S. No. 2), 1971's " Love's Lines, Angles and Rhymes" (U.S. No. 19) and " Never My Love" (U.S. No. 12), and 1972's "

" (U.S. No. 8) and "

" (U.S. No. 10). The group had seven other top 40 hits, the last being 1973's "

Living Together, Growing Together "Living Together, Growing Together" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David for the 1973 film '' Lost Horizon'', and originally performed by James Shigeta and the Shangri-La chorus in the film. Fifth Dimension recording "Living Togethe ...

" (U.S. No. 32) from the film ''

Lost Horizon ''Lost Horizon'' is a 1933 novel by English writer James Hilton. The book was turned into a film, also called '' Lost Horizon'', in 1937 by director Frank Capra. It is best remembered as the origin of Shangri-La, a fictional utopian lamaser ...

''.

TV appearances

The 5th Dimension performed " Sweet Blindness" on Frank Sinatra's 1968 TV special ''Francis Albert Sinatra Does His Thing'' and appeared on '' The Ed Sullivan Show'' twice in 1969. The group performed and sang "California Soul", and a medley consisting of "

What the World Needs Now Is Love "What the World Needs Now Is Love" is a 1965 popular song with lyrics by Hal David and music composed by Burt Bacharach. First recorded and made popular by Jackie DeShannon, it was released on April 15, 1965, on the Imperial label after a rel ...

" and the Beatles' " All You Need Is Love", on February 23, 1969, and performed and sang "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In" on May 18, 1969, the day after the medley fell from the Hot 100 summit. That same year the group appeared on the British show '' This Is Tom Jones'', singing "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In" and "Got My Mojo Workin'". The 5th Dimension were the featured act of a July 28, 1969, CBS broadcast of highlights from the Harlem Cultural Festival, the "Black Woodstock" gathering in Mount Morris Park that drew 300,000 festival attendees over six shows. The New York Times reported the 5th Dimension show drew 60,000 alone. The group's performance at the festival appears in the 2021 music documentary ''

Summer of Soul ''Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)'' is a 2021 American documentary film about the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, directed by Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in his directorial debut. It had its world premiere at the ...

''. Billy Davis and Marilyn McCoo discuss the group's career and their performance at the festival in the film. The group sang " Workin' On a Groovy Thing" and "

" on

Woody Allen Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...

's ''The Woody Allen Special'' in 1969. They introduced "Puppet Man" and "One Less Bell To Answer" as guests in the '' It Takes a Thief'' episode "To Sing a Song of Murder" in 1970. ''The 5th Dimension: An Odyssey in the Cosmic Universe of Peter Max'', a television special, aired on CBS on May 21, 1970. During the last season of ''The Ed Sullivan Show'', Sullivan dedicated the entire February 21, 1971, episode to the fifth anniversary of the 5th Dimension. The group opened the show with " Love's Lines, Angles and Rhymes" and later joined

Connie Stevens Connie Stevens (born Concetta Rosalie Ann Ingolia; August 8, 1938) is an American actress and singer. Born in Brooklyn, New York City to musician parents, Stevens was raised there until age 12, when she was sent to live with family friends in r ...

for "Puppet Man". They came back for the last 15 minutes of the show and sang their hits "Up – Up and Away", "One Less Bell to Answer", "Stoned Soul Picnic", "Wedding Bell Blues", and finished up with "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In". This appearance was the group's last on Sullivan, given the Sullivan show's cancellation was announced the following month. On August 18, 1971, their television special, ''The 5th Dimension Traveling Sunshine Show'', first aired. The group also performed in ''Burt Bacharach in Shangri-La,'' a 1973 special attempting to promote ''

.'' The 5th Dimension made appearances on '' Soul Train'', '' American Bandstand'', '' The Flip Wilson Show'', '' The Mike Douglas Show'', and '' The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson''.

Regrouping

In 1975, McCoo and Davis, who had married on July 26, 1969, left the group to do collective and individual projects. The duo had success with "Your Love" and the

chart topper A record chart, in the music industry, also called a music chart, is a ranking of recorded music according to certain criteria during a given period. Many different criteria are used in worldwide charts, often in combination. These include rec ...

" You Don't Have to Be a Star (To Be in My Show)", which won them their seventh Grammy award as well as their own television variety show, The Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr. show. Marilyn McCoo served a lengthy 1980s stint as the host of the TV show '' Solid Gold''. The remaining trio carried on with new members and nearly had a hit in 1976 with the LaRue-sung "

Love Hangover "Love Hangover" is a song by the Motown singer Diana Ross, recorded in 1975 and released as a single on March 16, 1976. It rose to number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and Hot-Selling Soul Singles. It also hit number one on the Record World ...

". However, Motown issued

Diana Ross Diana Ross (born March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame as the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown's most successful act during the 1960s and one of the world's best-selling girl groups ...

' original version shortly after the 5th Dimension's, and their version peaked much further down the charts than hers, which soared to the top. The group signed with Motown not long after, releasing two albums in 1978. R&B singer Lou Courtney was in the group briefly in 1978 and 1979, Joyce Wright joined in 1979, and Phyllis Battle joined in 1988. Greg Walker, formerly with the band Santana, joined the group in the early 90's and Cydney Wayne Davis sang with the group briefly during the summer of 1996 and then went on to be a backup singer for Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. in 1997. The original members Davis, McCoo, LaRue, Townson and McLemore joined again for selected private engagements in the late 1990s billed as The Original 5th Dimension under the management and direction of Jason Winters. During that time the re-grouped 5th Dimension continued to tour as well as Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr. with a show they called "It Takes Two." After Ron Townson died in 2001 and Lamont McLemore retired from the music business, Florence Larue stepped up to continue the legacy of the group as the only original member.

Reunion and departure

The original quintet reunited in 1990 and 1991 for a tour. Townson left the group to try a solo career but soon returned to the group, as the group resigned itself to the nostalgia circuit. In 1995, the quintet of LaRue, Townson, McLemore, Battle, and Greg Walker recorded a new album, ''In the House'', for Click Records. In 1998, Willie Williams replaced Townson, who died in 2001 due to kidney failure. Battle departed in 2002, to be replaced by Van Jewell. McLemore left the group in March 2006.

21st century

Florence LaRue and the 5th Dimension performing outdoors 2018

, the group was actively touring as "the 5th Dimension featuring Florence LaRue", led by LaRue, with Willie Williams, Leonard Tucker, Patrice Morris, and Floyd Smith. McCoo and Davis, who have been married for over 50 years, continue to tour as their own act titled "Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr." In October 2011, McCoo and Davis were featured on the

Cliff Richard Sir Cliff Richard (born Harry Rodger Webb; 14 October 1940) is an Indian-born British musican, singer, producer, entrepreneur and philanthropist who holds both British and Barbadian citizenship. He has total sales of over 21.5 million ...

album, '' Soulicious'', appearing live on stage in the tour of the same name, reprising several of their hits as well as dueting with Richard. In 2013, McCoo and Davis released their own double-CD project: ''Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr. Live''. On February 14, 2015, McLemore released an autobiographical memoir, ''From Hobo Flats to the 5th Dimension: A Life Fulfilled in Baseball, Photography and Music''. On June 21, 2016, the 5th Dimension featuring Florence LaRue performed in The Villages, Florida, just days after the Orlando nightclub shooting. LaRue took the opportunity to share her thoughts on the shooting: "We will not be terrorized. We know what's happening in the world, but this is a song about good health, love, peace and happiness. We still believe in those things today," she stated before the group performed "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In". In November 2017, the 5th Dimension appeared for 18 performances at the Andy Williams Performing Arts Centre in Branson, Missouri, in the Andy Williams Christmas Extravaganza hosted by Jimmy Osmond. Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr. continue to tour with their live stage show "Up Up and Away a Musical Fable" featuring Cydney Wayne Davis and Cynthia Bass on background vocals, Darrel Alston as music director and piano/vocals, Major Black on guitar/vocals, Derrick Murdock on bass guitar, Dave Iwataki on Synth/Keys and Steve Harvey on drums. In 2021 McCoo-Davis released their recording project Blackbird Lennon McCartney Icons which features the music of the Beatles including the title song, "Blackbird", "Ticket to Ride", "And I Love Her" and "Silly Love Songs". In 2021 the 5th Dimension was featured in the Academy Award-winning Documentary film ''Summer of Soul'' produced and directed by QuestLove of the band The Roots.

Honors

The group was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2002. They have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, inducted August 9, 1991, and the St. Louis Walk of Fame, inducted on March 18, 2010.

Membership

*Marilyn McCoo (born September 30, 1943, Jersey City, New Jersey) * Florence LaRue (born February 4, 1942

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

) * Billy Davis Jr. (born June 26, 1938, St. Louis,

Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...

) * LaMonte McLemore (born September 17, 1939, St. Louis, Missouri) * Ronald L. "Ron" Townson, nicknamed "Sweets" (born January 20, 1933, St. Louis, Missouri, died August 2, 2001, of

kidney failure Kidney failure, also known as end-stage kidney disease, is a medical condition in which the kidneys can no longer adequately filter waste products from the blood, functioning at less than 15% of normal levels. Kidney failure is classified as eit ...

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Veg ...

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...

) McCoo and Davis left the group in November 1975. Since then, other members have included: * Eloise Laws (McCoo replacement) 1975 * Danny Beard (Davis replacement) 1975–1978 * Marjorie Barnes (McCoo replacement) 1976–1977 * Terri Bryant (McCoo replacement) 1978–1979 * Mic Bell (Townson replacement) 1978–1979 * Lou Courtney (Davis replacement) 1978–1979 * Pat Bass (McCoo replacement) 1979 * Tanya Boyd (McCoo replacement) 1979 * Joyce Wright Pierce (McCoo replacement) 1979–1986 and 1987 * Michael Procter (Davis replacement) 1979–1988 * Ron Townson 1979–1997 * Estrelita (McCoo replacement) 1986 * Phyllis Battle (McCoo replacement) 1988–2001 * Eugene Barry-Hill (Davis replacement) 1989–1992 * Greg Walker (Davis replacement) 1993–2006 * Cydney Davis (Larue replacement) Summer of 1996 * Willie Williams (Townson replacement) 1998–present * Van Jewell (McCoo replacement) 2002, 2005 * Julie Delgado (McCoo replacement) 2002–2005 * Jamila Ajibade (McCoo replacement) 2005–2006 and 2007–2008 * Leonard Tucker (Davis replacement) 2006–present * Valerie Davis (McCoo replacement) 2006–2007 * Jennifer Leigh Warren (McCoo replacement) 2007 * Gwyn Foxx (McCoo replacement) December 2007 * Michael Mishaw (McLemore replacement) 2006–2008 * Patrice Morris (McCoo replacement) 2008–present * Floyd Smith (McLemore replacement) 2009–present

Discography

* '' Up – Up and Away'' (1967) * '' The Magic Garden'' (1968) * '' Stoned Soul Picnic'' (1968) * '' The Age of Aquarius'' (1969) * ''

Portrait A portrait is a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face and its expressions are predominant. The intent is to display the likeness, personality, and even the mood of the person. For this ...

'' (1970) * '' Love's Lines, Angles and Rhymes'' (1971) * ''

Individually & Collectively ''Individually and Collectively'' is the seventh album of original material by American pop group the 5th Dimension, released in 1972. The album peaked at No. 58 on the ''Billboard'' Top 200 Albums chart on June 24, 1972. This album includes bot ...

'' (1972) * ''Living Together, Growing Together'' (1973) * ''Soul & Inspiration'' (1974) * '' Earthbound'' (1975) * ''Star Dancing'' (1978) * ''High on Sunshine'' (1979) * ''In the House'' (1995)

References

Bibliography

* ''The Encyclopedia of Pop, Rock & Soul'' (revised edition), Irwin Stambler © 1989 St. Martin's Press, New York * ''All Music Guide to Soul'' (article by Steve Huey) © 2003 Backbeat Books San Francisco

External links

Current Official Site

Forever 5th Dimension

Album Review of ''The Magic Garden''
*

a
Wenig-LaMonica Associates

The 5th Dimension Traveling Sunshine Show (1971)
{{DEFAULTSORT:5th Dimension, The African-American musical groups American pop music groups Bell Records artists Kama Sutra Records artists Sunshine pop Co-ed groups