The 5th Dimension - The Complete Soul City/Bell Singles 1966-1975

The 5th Dimension - The Complete Soul City/Bell Singles 1966-1975 - 2016

The 5th Dimension is an American popular music vocal group, whose repertoire includes pop, R&B, soul, jazz, light opera and Broadway – a melange referred to as "champagne soul".

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 19 Top 40 hits on Billboard's 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 for Record of the Year. Other big hits include "Stoned Soul Picnic" (No. 3), "Wedding Bell Blues" (No. 1), "One Less Bell to Answer" (No. 2), a cover of "Never My Love" (pop No. 12/Easy Listening No. 1), "(Last Night) I Didn't Get to Sleep at All" (No. 8) and "If I Could Reach You" (pop No. 10/Easy Listening 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 Easy Listening chart reached number one.

The five original members were Billy Davis Jr., Florence La Rue, Marilyn McCoo, Lamonte McLemore, and Ronald Townson. They have recorded for several labels over their careers. Their first work appeared on the Soul City label, which was started by Imperial Records/United Artists Records recording artist Johnny Rivers. The group later recorded for Bell/Arista Records, ABC Records, and Motown Records.

Some of the songwriters popularized by the 5th Dimension went on to careers of their own, especially Ashford & Simpson, who wrote "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". The group also recorded songs by well-known songwriters such as "One Less Bell to Answer", written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, and the songs and music of Jimmy Webb, who wrote their hit "Up – Up and Away". The group's 1967 LP The Magic Garden features all but one song composed by Webb.

The Complete Soul City/Bell Singles 1966-1975

The 5th Dimension is an American popular music vocal group, whose repertoire includes pop, R&B, soul, jazz, light opera and Broadway – a melange referred to as "champagne soul".

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 19 Top 40 hits on Billboard's 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 for Record of the Year. Other big hits include "Stoned Soul Picnic" (No. 3), "Wedding Bell Blues" (No. 1), "One Less Bell to Answer" (No. 2), a cover of "Never My Love" (pop No. 12/Easy Listening No. 1), "(Last Night) I Didn't Get to Sleep at All" (No. 8) and "If I Could Reach You" (pop No. 10/Easy Listening 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 Easy Listening chart reached number one.

The five original members were Billy Davis Jr., Florence La Rue, Marilyn McCoo, Lamonte McLemore, and Ronald Townson. They have recorded for several labels over their careers. Their first work appeared on the Soul City label, which was started by Imperial Records/United Artists Records recording artist Johnny Rivers. The group later recorded for Bell/Arista Records, ABC Records, and Motown Records.

Some of the songwriters popularized by the 5th Dimension went on to careers of their own, especially Ashford & Simpson, who wrote "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". The group also recorded songs by well-known songwriters such as "One Less Bell to Answer", written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, and the songs and music of Jimmy Webb, who wrote their hit "Up – Up and Away". The group's 1967 LP The Magic Garden features all but one song composed by Webb.

CD 1

01. The Versatiles – You're Good Enough For Me

02. The Versatiles – Bye Bye Baby

03. The Versatiles – I'll Be Lovin' You Forever

04. The Versatiles – Train Keep Me Movin'

05. Go Where You Wanna Go

06. Too Poor To Die

07. Another Day, Another Heartache

08. Rosecrans Blvd.

09. Up-Up & Away

10. Which Way To Nowhere

11. Paper Cup

12. Poor Side Of Town

13. Carpet Man

14. The Magic Garden

15. Stoned Soul Picnic

16. The Sailboat Song

17. Sweet Blindness

18. Bobbie's Blues (Who Do You Think Of?)

19. California Soul

20. It'll Never Be The Same Again

CD 2

01. Medley: Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures)

02. Don'tcha Hear Me Callin' To Ya

03. Workin' On A Groovy Thing

04. Broken Wing Bird

05. Wedding Bell Blues

06. Lovin' Stew

07. Blowing Away

08. Skinny Man

09. The Declaration

10. Medley: A Change Is Gonna Come/People Gotta Be Free

11. The Girls' Song

12. Puppet Man

13. A Love Like Ours

14. Save The Country

15. Dimension 5ive

16. On The Beach (In The Summertime)

17. This Is Your Life

18. One Less Bell To Answer

19. Feelin' Alright?

20. Love's Lines, Angles & Rhymes

21. The Singer

CD 3

01. Light Sings

02. Viva Tirado

03. Never My Love

04. Together Let's Find Love

05. I Just Wanna Be Your Friend

06. (Last Night) I Didn't Get To Sleep At All

07. The River Witch

08. If I Could Reach You

09. Tomorrow Belongs To The Children

10. Living Together, Growing Together

11. What Do I Need To Be Me

12. Everything's Been Changed

13. There Never Was A Day

14. Ashes To Ashes

15. Flashback

16. Diggin' For A Livin'

17. Harlem

18. My Song

19. No Love In The Room

20. I Don't Know How To Look For Love

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