The Fifth Dimension
Encyclopedia
The 5th Dimension is an American
popular music
vocal group, whose repertoire also includes pop, R&B
, soul
, and jazz
.
Originally known as The Hi-Fi's, the 5th Dimension changed its name in late 1966, and was best-known during the late 1960s and early 1970s for popularizing the hits "Up, Up and Away
", "Wedding Bell Blues
", "Stoned Soul Picnic
", "One Less Bell to Answer
", "(Last Night) I Didn't Get to Sleep at All", and "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In
", as well as The Magic Garden LP.
The five original members were Billy Davis, Jr.
, Florence LaRue
, Marilyn McCoo
, Lamonte McLemore, and Ron Townson. They have recorded for several different labels over their long 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 would later record 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 "Wedding Bell Blues
", "Stoned Soul Picnic
", and "Save the Country". The group also covered music by well known songwriters such as the song "One Less Bell to Answer
", written by Burt Bacharach
and Hal David
and the songs and music of Jimmy Webb
, who penned their hit "Up, Up, and Away", including an entire recording of Webb songs called The Magic Garden.
, a former beauty pageant winner, got together with two other friends from Los Angeles, Harry Elston and Floyd Butler, to form a group called the Hi-Fis. In 1963, they sang at local clubs while taking lessons from a vocal coach. In 1964, they came to the attention of Ray Charles
, 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 Butler and Elston to go their own way, eventually leading to their organizing the Friends of Distinction.
Lamonte sought to form another group and started looking for members to join him and McCoo. One was Florence LaRue
, who had received training as a youngster in singing, dancing, and violin, and who also won the talent portion, as McCoo had the year prior, at Miss Bronze California. About the same time she was approached to join the group, Lamonte recruited an old friend of his, Ron Townson
, who at age six had started singing in choirs and gospel groups in his hometown of St. Louis. His grandmother fostered his career by arranging for private voice and acting lessons as he grew up. In his teens, he toured with Dorothy Dandridge
and Nat King Cole
, joined the Wings Over Jordan Gospel Singers for a while, and also played a small part in the film Porgy and Bess
. He demonstrated his considerable 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.
Lamonte's cousin, Billy Davis, Jr.
, started singing in gospel choirs at an early age. He later saved enough money to buy a cocktail lounge in St. Louis, which he used as a base for experimenting with various musical groups. When he was asked to join his cousin's new group, he immediately said yes.
, who had just started his own label, Soul City Records
. Their first Soul City single, "I'll Be Lovin' You Forever", was a flop, but a cover of the Mamas & the Papas
' "Go Where You Wanna Go" climbed into the top 20 on both R&B and pop stations.
Budding young songwriter Jimmy Webb
supplied the group with their breakthrough hit, "Up, Up and Away", a top 10 hit in mid-1967, which won five Grammy Award
s. The following year, the group scored major hit singles with Laura Nyro
's "Stoned Soul Picnic
" (U.S. #3) and "Sweet Blindness" (U.S. #13) and received a gold record for their album Stoned Soul Picnic, which also included the Ashford & Simpson
-written "California Soul
". In 1969, they had two number one singles: "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In
" from the musical Hair
and the Nyro composition "Wedding Bell Blues
", with a U.S. #20 cover of Neil Sedaka
's "Workin' On A Groovy Thing" in-between.
Later top 20 hits included "One Less Bell to Answer" (U.S. #2) (1970), "Love's Lines, Angles and Rhymes" (U.S. #19), "Never My Love" (U.S. #12) (1971), "(Last Night) I Didn't Get to Sleep at All" (U.S. #8), and "If I Could Reach You
" (U.S. #10) (1972).
's 1968 TV special Sinatra Does His Thing and sang "Workin' On A Groovy Thing" and "Wedding Bell Blues
" on Woody Allen
's The Woody Allen Special in 1969. They introduced "Puppet Man" as guests on "It Takes a Thief
" in 1970.
"You Don't Have to Be a Star (To Be in My Show)
". McCoo also served a 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
"; however, Motown issued Diana Ross
' original version shortly after the 5th Dimension's hit the charts, and hers soared to the top of the charts. 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.
recorded a new album, In the House, for Click Records. In 1998, Willie Williams replaced Townson, who died in 2001 due to diabetes-related kidney failure. Battle departed in 2002, to be replaced by Van Jewell. McLemore retired from the group in March 2006.
In October 2011 McCoo and Davis featured on the Cliff Richard album Soulicious, also appearing live on stage in the tour of the same name, reprising several of their hits as well as dueting with Sir Cliff.
in 2002.
The group also has a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame
, inducted on March 18, 2010.
McCoo and Davis left the group in November 1975. Since then, other members have included:
. Canadian charts are taken from the weekly surveys of CHUM
in Toronto
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
popular music
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
vocal group, whose repertoire also includes pop, R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
, soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
, and jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
.
Originally known as The Hi-Fi's, the 5th Dimension changed its name in late 1966, and was best-known during the late 1960s and early 1970s for popularizing the hits "Up, Up and Away
Up, Up and Away (song)
"Up, Up and Away" is a 1967 song written by Jimmy Webb and recorded by The 5th Dimension, that became a major pop hit, reaching #7 on the U.S. Pop Singles chart and #18 in Canada...
", "Wedding Bell Blues
Wedding Bell Blues
"Wedding Bell Blues" is a song written and recorded by Laura Nyro in 1966 that became a number one hit for The 5th Dimension in 1969 and subsequently a popular phrase in American culture...
", "Stoned Soul Picnic
Stoned Soul Picnic (song)
"Stoned Soul Picnic" was a song from 1968. The most known version of the song was recorded by The 5th Dimension, and was the first single released from their album of the same title. It was the most successful single from that album, reaching #3 on the U.S. Pop chart and #2 on the Billboard R&B chart...
", "One Less Bell to Answer
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 group's 1970 debut album for Bell Records, Portrait. ...
", "(Last Night) I Didn't Get to Sleep at All", and "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In
Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In
"Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In" is a medley of two songs written for the 1967 musical Hair by James Rado & Gerome Ragni , and Galt MacDermot , released as a single by The 5th Dimension. The song peaked at number one for six weeks on the U.S...
", as well as The Magic Garden LP.
The five original members were Billy Davis, Jr.
Billy Davis, Jr.
Billy Davis, Jr. is an American musician, best known as a member of The 5th Dimension. Along with his wife, Marilyn McCoo, he had hit records during 1976 and 1977 with "I Hope We Get to Love in Time", "Your Love", and "You Don't Have to Be a Star "...
, Florence LaRue
Florence LaRue
Florence LaRue is an American actress, humanitarian, and Grammy award-winning singer. She is best known as the original female lead singer of The 5th Dimension.-Early life:...
, Marilyn McCoo
Marilyn McCoo
Marilyn McCoo is an American singer, actress, and television presenter, who is best known for being the lead female vocalist in the group The 5th Dimension, as well as hosting the 1980s music countdown series Solid Gold...
, Lamonte McLemore, and Ron Townson. They have recorded for several different labels over their long careers. Their first work appeared on the Soul City
Soul City Records (U.S. label)
Soul City Records is an American record label founded by singer Johnny Rivers in 1966. The most notable acts on Soul City were The 5th Dimension, Al Wilson, and Rivers himself. The label was distributed by Liberty Records. Rivers sold the label to Bell Records in 1970...
label, which was started by Imperial Records
Imperial Records
Imperial Records is a United States based label started in 1947 by Lew Chudd and reactivated in 2006 by label owner EMI.- The independent and Liberty Records years :...
/United Artists Records
United Artists Records
United Artists Records was a record label founded by Max E. Youngstein of United Artists in 1957 initially to distribute records of its movie soundtracks, though it soon branched out into recording music of a number of different genres.-History:...
recording artist Johnny Rivers
Johnny Rivers
Johnny Rivers is an American rock and roll singer, songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. His styles include folk songs, blues, and revivals of old-time rock 'n' roll songs and some original material...
. The group would later record for Bell/Arista Records
Arista Records
Arista was an American record label. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operated under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...
, ABC Records
ABC Records
ABC Records was an American record label, founded in New York City in 1955 as ABC-Paramount Records. It originated as the main popular music label operated the Am-Par Record Corporation, the music subsidiary of the American Broadcasting Company . ABC-Paramount Records' first president was Samuel H....
, and Motown Records
Motown Records
Motown is a record label originally founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation in Detroit, Michigan, United States, on April 14, 1960. The name, a portmanteau of motor and town, is also a nickname for Detroit...
.
Some of the songwriters popularized by The 5th Dimension went on to careers of their own, especially Ashford & Simpson
Ashford & Simpson
Nickolas Ashford , and Valerie Simpson , were a husband and wife songwriting/production team and recording artists....
, who wrote "California Soul
California Soul
"California Soul" is a pop-soul tune written by Ashford & Simpson, issued originally as a single by American pop quintet The 5th Dimension in late 1968...
". The group is also notable for having more success with the songs of Laura Nyro
Laura Nyro
Laura Nyro was an American songwriter, singer, and pianist. She achieved considerable critical acclaim with her own recordings, particularly the albums Eli and the Thirteenth Confession and New York Tendaberry, and had commercial success with artists such as Barbra Streisand and The 5th...
than Nyro did herself, particularly with "Wedding Bell Blues
Wedding Bell Blues
"Wedding Bell Blues" is a song written and recorded by Laura Nyro in 1966 that became a number one hit for The 5th Dimension in 1969 and subsequently a popular phrase in American culture...
", "Stoned Soul Picnic
Stoned Soul Picnic (song)
"Stoned Soul Picnic" was a song from 1968. The most known version of the song was recorded by The 5th Dimension, and was the first single released from their album of the same title. It was the most successful single from that album, reaching #3 on the U.S. Pop chart and #2 on the Billboard R&B chart...
", and "Save the Country". The group also covered music by well known songwriters such as the song "One Less Bell to Answer
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 group's 1970 debut album for Bell Records, Portrait. ...
", written by Burt Bacharach
Burt Bacharach
Burt F. Bacharach is an American pianist, composer and music producer. He is known for his popular hit songs and compositions from the mid-1950s through the 1980s, with lyrics written by Hal David. Many of their hits were produced specifically for, and performed by, Dionne Warwick...
and Hal David
Hal David
Harold Lane "Hal" David is an American lyricist. He grew up in Brooklyn, New York. David is best known for his collaborations with composer Burt Bacharach.-Career:...
and the songs and music of Jimmy Webb
Jimmy Webb
Jimmy Webb is an American songwriter, composer, and singer. He wrote numerous platinum selling classics, including "Up, Up and Away", "By the Time I Get to Phoenix", "Wichita Lineman", "Galveston", "The Worst That Could Happen", "All I Know", and "MacArthur Park"...
, who penned their hit "Up, Up, and Away", including an entire recording of Webb songs called The Magic Garden.
Formation
In the early 1960s, Lamonte McLemore and Marilyn McCooMarilyn McCoo
Marilyn McCoo is an American singer, actress, and television presenter, who is best known for being the lead female vocalist in the group The 5th Dimension, as well as hosting the 1980s music countdown series Solid Gold...
, a former beauty pageant winner, got together with two other friends from Los Angeles, Harry Elston and Floyd Butler, to form a group called the Hi-Fis. 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
Ray Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...
, 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 Butler and Elston to go their own way, eventually leading to their organizing the Friends of Distinction.
Lamonte sought to form another group and started looking for members to join him and McCoo. One was Florence LaRue
Florence LaRue
Florence LaRue is an American actress, humanitarian, and Grammy award-winning singer. She is best known as the original female lead singer of The 5th Dimension.-Early life:...
, who had received training as a youngster in singing, dancing, and violin, and who also won the talent portion, as McCoo had the year prior, at Miss Bronze California. About the same time she was approached to join the group, Lamonte recruited an old friend of his, Ron Townson
Ron Townson
Ronald "Ron" Townson was an American vocalist. He was an original member of The 5th Dimension, a popular vocal group of the late '60s and early '70s....
, who at age six had started singing in choirs and gospel groups in his hometown of St. Louis. His grandmother fostered his career by arranging for private voice and acting lessons as he grew up. In his teens, he toured with Dorothy Dandridge
Dorothy Dandridge
Dorothy Jean Dandridge was an American actress and popular singer, and was the first African-American to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress...
and Nat King Cole
Nat King Cole
Nathaniel Adams Coles , known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American musician who first came to prominence as a leading jazz pianist. Although an accomplished pianist, he owes most of his popular musical fame to his soft baritone voice, which he used to perform in big band and jazz genres...
, joined the Wings Over Jordan Gospel Singers for a while, and also played a small part in the film Porgy and Bess
Porgy and Bess
Porgy and Bess is an opera, first performed in 1935, with music by George Gershwin, libretto by DuBose Heyward, and lyrics by Ira Gershwin and DuBose Heyward. It was based on DuBose Heyward's novel Porgy and subsequent play of the same title, which he co-wrote with his wife Dorothy Heyward...
. He demonstrated his considerable 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.
Lamonte's cousin, Billy Davis, Jr.
Billy Davis, Jr.
Billy Davis, Jr. is an American musician, best known as a member of The 5th Dimension. Along with his wife, Marilyn McCoo, he had hit records during 1976 and 1977 with "I Hope We Get to Love in Time", "Your Love", and "You Don't Have to Be a Star "...
, started singing in gospel choirs at an early age. He later saved enough money to buy a cocktail lounge in St. Louis, which he used as a base for experimenting with various musical groups. When he was asked to join his cousin's new group, he immediately said yes.
Major hits
The members began rehearsing in early 1966 and took the name of the Versatiles. They auditioned for Marc Gordon, who headed Motown's Los Angeles office. Although their demo tape was rejected by Motown, he agreed to manage them and brought them to the attention of Johnny RiversJohnny Rivers
Johnny Rivers is an American rock and roll singer, songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. His styles include folk songs, blues, and revivals of old-time rock 'n' roll songs and some original material...
, who had just started his own label, Soul City Records
Soul City Records
Soul City was a British soul label run by Dave Godin, David Nathan and Robert Blackmore from a record shop of the same name in London . Its first release was Don Gardener & Dee Dee Ford's Don't You Worry in March 1969...
. Their first Soul City single, "I'll Be Lovin' You Forever", was a flop, but a cover of the Mamas & the Papas
The Mamas & the Papas
The Mamas & the Papas were a Canadian/American vocal group of the 1960s . The group recorded and performed from 1965 to 1968 with a short reunion in 1971, releasing five albums and 11 Top 40 hit singles...
' "Go Where You Wanna Go" climbed into the top 20 on both R&B and pop stations.
Budding young songwriter Jimmy Webb
Jimmy Webb
Jimmy Webb is an American songwriter, composer, and singer. He wrote numerous platinum selling classics, including "Up, Up and Away", "By the Time I Get to Phoenix", "Wichita Lineman", "Galveston", "The Worst That Could Happen", "All I Know", and "MacArthur Park"...
supplied the group with their breakthrough hit, "Up, Up and Away", a top 10 hit in mid-1967, which won five Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
s. The following year, the group scored major hit singles with Laura Nyro
Laura Nyro
Laura Nyro was an American songwriter, singer, and pianist. She achieved considerable critical acclaim with her own recordings, particularly the albums Eli and the Thirteenth Confession and New York Tendaberry, and had commercial success with artists such as Barbra Streisand and The 5th...
's "Stoned Soul Picnic
Stoned Soul Picnic (song)
"Stoned Soul Picnic" was a song from 1968. The most known version of the song was recorded by The 5th Dimension, and was the first single released from their album of the same title. It was the most successful single from that album, reaching #3 on the U.S. Pop chart and #2 on the Billboard R&B chart...
" (U.S. #3) and "Sweet Blindness" (U.S. #13) and received a gold record for their album Stoned Soul Picnic, which also included the Ashford & Simpson
Ashford & Simpson
Nickolas Ashford , and Valerie Simpson , were a husband and wife songwriting/production team and recording artists....
-written "California Soul
California Soul
"California Soul" is a pop-soul tune written by Ashford & Simpson, issued originally as a single by American pop quintet The 5th Dimension in late 1968...
". In 1969, they had two number one singles: "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In
Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In
"Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In" is a medley of two songs written for the 1967 musical Hair by James Rado & Gerome Ragni , and Galt MacDermot , released as a single by The 5th Dimension. The song peaked at number one for six weeks on the U.S...
" from the musical Hair
Hair (musical)
Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical is a rock musical with a book and lyrics by James Rado and Gerome Ragni and music by Galt MacDermot. A product of the hippie counter-culture and sexual revolution of the 1960s, several of its songs became anthems of the anti-Vietnam War peace movement...
and the Nyro composition "Wedding Bell Blues
Wedding Bell Blues
"Wedding Bell Blues" is a song written and recorded by Laura Nyro in 1966 that became a number one hit for The 5th Dimension in 1969 and subsequently a popular phrase in American culture...
", with a U.S. #20 cover of Neil Sedaka
Neil Sedaka
Neil Sedaka is an American pop/rock singer, pianist, and composer. His career has spanned nearly 55 years, during which time he has sold millions of records as an artist and has written or co-written over 500 songs for himself and other artists, collaborating mostly with lyricists Howard...
's "Workin' On A Groovy Thing" in-between.
Later top 20 hits included "One Less Bell to Answer" (U.S. #2) (1970), "Love's Lines, Angles and Rhymes" (U.S. #19), "Never My Love" (U.S. #12) (1971), "(Last Night) I Didn't Get to Sleep at All" (U.S. #8), and "If I Could Reach You
If I Could Reach You
"If I Could Reach You" is a song written by Randy McNeill and recorded by The 5th Dimension in 1972. The song was the group's final top 10 on the Hot 100, peaking at #10 there, and was the group's final number one on the Easy Listening chart, where it spent one week at the top in October 1972....
" (U.S. #10) (1972).
TV appearances
The 5th Dimension performed "Sweet Blindness" on Frank SinatraFrank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
's 1968 TV special Sinatra Does His Thing and sang "Workin' On A Groovy Thing" and "Wedding Bell Blues
Wedding Bell Blues
"Wedding Bell Blues" is a song written and recorded by Laura Nyro in 1966 that became a number one hit for The 5th Dimension in 1969 and subsequently a popular phrase in American culture...
" on Woody Allen
Woody Allen
Woody Allen is an American screenwriter, director, actor, comedian, jazz musician, author, and playwright. Allen's films draw heavily on literature, sexuality, philosophy, psychology, Jewish identity, and the history of cinema...
's The Woody Allen Special in 1969. They introduced "Puppet Man" as guests on "It Takes a Thief
It Takes a Thief
It Takes a Thief is an American action-adventure television series that aired on ABC for two and a half seasons between January 9, 1968, and March 24, 1970. It starred veteran movie actor Robert Wagner in his television debut as sophisticated thief Alexander Mundy, who works for the U.S. government...
" in 1970.
Regrouping
In 1975, McCoo and Davis, who married in 1969, left the group to do both collective and individual projects. They went on to have success as a duo with "Your Love" and the chart topperChart topper
Chart topper may refer to:*Record chart, a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time**Billboard charts, a ranking of the relative popularity of songs or albums in the United States...
"You Don't Have to Be a Star (To Be in My Show)
You Don't Have to Be a Star (To Be in My Show)
"You Don't Have to Be a Star " is a song by the husband/wife duo of Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr., former members of the vocal group The 5th Dimension. Released from their album, I Hope We Get to Love in Time, it became a crossover success soaring to number one on both the Billboard Hot 100...
". McCoo also served a stint as the host of the TV show Solid Gold
Solid Gold (TV series)
Solid Gold is an American syndicated music television series that debuted on September 13, 1980. Like many other shows of its genre, such as American Bandstand, Solid Gold featured musical performances and various other elements such as music videos...
. The remaining trio carried on with new members, and nearly had a hit in 1976 with the LaRue-sung "Love Hangover
Love Hangover
"Love Hangover" was the fourth number one single for Motown singer Diana Ross. It was released in March 1976, and rose to number one on the Billboard Hot 100, Hot Soul Singles and Hot Dance Club Play charts simultaneously....
"; however, Motown issued Diana Ross
Diana Ross
Diana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway...
' original version shortly after the 5th Dimension's hit the charts, and hers soared to the top of the charts. 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.
Reunion and departure
The original quintet reunited in 1990 and 1991 for a tour. Townson briefly left the group to try a solo career, but soon returned, as the group eventually resigned itself to the nostalgia circuit. In 1995, the quintet of LaRue, Townson, McLemore, Battle, and Greg WalkerGreg Walker
Gregory Lee Walker is a former power-hitting first baseman in Major League Baseball and the former hitting coach of the Chicago White Sox, the team for which he played all but the last 14 games of his career. As a player for 9 years, Walker hit 113 home runs and drove in 444 runs, while scoring...
recorded a new album, In the House, for Click Records. In 1998, Willie Williams replaced Townson, who died in 2001 due to diabetes-related kidney failure. Battle departed in 2002, to be replaced by Van Jewell. McLemore retired from the group in March 2006.
Today
McCoo and Davis continue to tour separately as their own act. , the group is actively touring as "Florence LaRue & The 5th Dimension", led by LaRue with Willie Williams, Leonard Tucker, Patrice Morris, and Floyd Smith.In October 2011 McCoo and Davis featured on the Cliff Richard album Soulicious, also appearing live on stage in the tour of the same name, reprising several of their hits as well as dueting with Sir Cliff.
Honors
The group was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of FameVocal Group Hall of Fame
The Vocal Group Hall of Fame was organized to honor outstanding vocal groups throughout the world. It is headquartered in Sharon, Pennsylvania, United States. It includes a theater and a museum....
in 2002.
The group also has a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame
St. Louis Walk of Fame
The St. Louis Walk of Fame honors well-known people from St. Louis, Missouri, who made contributions to culture of the United States. All inductees were either born in the Greater St. Louis area or spent their formative or creative years there...
, inducted on March 18, 2010.
Membership
- Marilyn McCoo (born 30 September 1943, Jersey City, New JerseyJersey City, New JerseyJersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
) - Florence LaRue (born 4 February 1944, Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
) - Billy Davis, Jr. (born 26 June 1938, St. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
) - Lamonte McLemore (born 17 September 1939, St. Louis, Missouri http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1052890/bio)
- Ronald L. "Ron" Townson (born 20 January 1933, St. Louis, Missouri - died 2 August 2001, of kidney failure, Las Vegas, NevadaLas Vegas metropolitan areaThe Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
)
McCoo and Davis left the group in November 1975. Since then, other members have included:
- Eloise Laws (Marilyn replacement) 1975–1975,
- Danny Beard (Billy replacement) 1975–1978,
- Marjorie Barnes (Marilyn replacement) 1976–1977,
- Terri Bryant (Marilyn replacement) 1978–1979,
- Mic Bell (Ron replacement) 1978–1979,
- Lou Courtney (Billy replacement) 1978–1979,
- Pat Bass (Marilyn replacement) 1979,
- Tanya Boyd (Marilyn replacement) 1979,
- Joyce Wright Pierce (Marilyn replacement) 1979–1986 and 1987,
- Michael Procter (Billy replacement) 1979–1988,
- Ron Townson 1979-1997,
- Estrelita (Marilyn replacement) 1986,
- Phyllis Battle (Marilyn replacement) 1988–2001,
- Eugene Barry-Hill (Billy replacement) 1989–1992,
- Greg Walker (Billy replacement) 1993–2006,
- Willie Williams (Ron replacement) 1998–present,
- Van Jewell (Marilyn replacement) 2002,2005,
- Julie Delgado (Marilyn replacement) 2002–2005,
- Jamila Ajibade (Marilyn replacement) 2005–2006 and 2007–2008
- Leonard Tucker (Billy replacement) 2006–present,
- Valerie Davis (Marilyn replacement) 2006–2007,
- Jennifer Leigh Warren (Marilyn replacement) 2007,
- Gwyn Foxx (Marilyn replacement) December 2007,
- Michael Mishaw (Lamonte replacement) 2006–2008,
- Patrice Morris (Marilyn replacement) 2008–present,
- Floyd Smith (Lamonte replacement) 2009–present
| Original lineup | Florence LaRue | Marilyn McCoo | Billy Davis, Jr. | LaMonte McLemore | Ron Townson |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966-75 | Florence LaRue | Marilyn McCoo | Billy Davis, Jr. | LaMonte McLemore | Ron Townson |
| 1975 | Eloise Laws | Danny Beard | |||
| 1976-76 | Marjorie Barnes | ||||
| 1978 | Terri Bryant | ||||
| 1978-79 | Lou Courtney | Mic Bell | |||
| 1979 | Pat Bass/ Tanya Boyd/ Joyce Wright Pierce |
||||
| Michael Proctor | |||||
| 1980-86 | Joyce Wright Pierce | (vacant) | |||
| 1986 | Estrelita | ||||
| 1987 | Joyce Wright Pierce | ||||
| 1988 | Phyllis Battle | ||||
| 1989-92 | Eugene Barry Hill | ||||
| 1993-98 | Greg Walker | ||||
| 1998–2002 | Willie Williams | ||||
| 2002 | Van Jewell | ||||
| 2002-05 | Julie Delgado | ||||
| 2005 | Van Jewell | ||||
| 2005-06 | Jamila Ajibade | ||||
| 2006-07 | Valerie Davis | Leonard Tucker | Michael Mishaw | ||
| 2007 | Jennifer Lee Warren/ Gwyn Foxx |
||||
| 2008 | Patrice Morris | ||||
| 2009–present | Floyd Smith |
Singles
US charts are from BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
. Canadian charts are taken from the weekly surveys of CHUM
CHUM (AM)
CHUM, branded as TSN Radio 1050, broadcasting at 1050 kHz in the AM band, is a Canadian radio station licensed to Toronto, Ontario. The station is owned and operated by Bell Media....
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
.
| Year | Song | US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
US AC | US R&B Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
CAN CHUM Chart The CHUM Chart was a ranking of top 30 songs on Toronto, Ontario radio station CHUM 1050 AM, from 1957 to 1986, and was the longest-running Top 40 chart in the world produced by an individual radio station... |
UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
B-side | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | "Go Where You Wanna Go" | 16 | - | - | 9 | - | "Too Poor to Die" | Up, Up and Away |
| 1967 | "Another Day, Another Heartache" | 45 | - | - | - | - | "Rosecrans Blvd." | |
| "Up, Up and Away Up, Up and Away (song) "Up, Up and Away" is a 1967 song written by Jimmy Webb and recorded by The 5th Dimension, that became a major pop hit, reaching #7 on the U.S. Pop Singles chart and #18 in Canada... " |
7 | 9 | - | 18 | - | "Which Way to Nowhere" | ||
| "Paper Cup" | 34 | - | - | 17 | - | "Poor Side of Town Poor Side of Town (Johnny Rivers song) "Poor Side of Town" is a song by Johnny Rivers that reached number one on the Hot 100 and on the RPM Canadian Chart in November 1966.-Song:... " |
The Magic Garden | |
| 1968 | "Carpet Man" | 29 | - | - | 3 | - | "The Magic Garden" | |
| "Stoned Soul Picnic Stoned Soul Picnic (song) "Stoned Soul Picnic" was a song from 1968. The most known version of the song was recorded by The 5th Dimension, and was the first single released from their album of the same title. It was the most successful single from that album, reaching #3 on the U.S. Pop chart and #2 on the Billboard R&B chart... " |
3 | - | 2 | 5 | - | "The Sailboat Song" | Stoned Soul Picnic | |
| "Sweet Blindness" | 13 | - | 45 | 15 | - | "Bobbie's Blues (Who Do You Think Of?)" | ||
| "California Soul California Soul "California Soul" is a pop-soul tune written by Ashford & Simpson, issued originally as a single by American pop quintet The 5th Dimension in late 1968... " |
25 | - | 49 | - | - | "It'll Never Be the Same Again" | ||
| 1969 | "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In" is a medley of two songs written for the 1967 musical Hair by James Rado & Gerome Ragni , and Galt MacDermot , released as a single by The 5th Dimension. The song peaked at number one for six weeks on the U.S... " |
1 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 11 | "Don'tcha Hear Me Callin' to Ya?" | The Age of Aquarius |
| "Workin' On a Groovy Thing" | 20 | 9 | 15 | 17 | - | "Broken Wing Bird" | ||
| "Wedding Bell Blues Wedding Bell Blues "Wedding Bell Blues" is a song written and recorded by Laura Nyro in 1966 that became a number one hit for The 5th Dimension in 1969 and subsequently a popular phrase in American culture... " |
1 | 1 | 23 | 3 | 16 | "Lovin' Stew" | ||
| "Blowing Away" | 21 | 7 | - | 24 | - | "Skinny Man" | ||
| 1970 | "A Change is Gonna Come A Change Is Gonna Come (song) "A Change Is Gonna Come" is a 1964 single by R&B singer-songwriter Sam Cooke, written and first recorded in 1963 and released under the RCA Victor label shortly after his death in late 1964. Though only a modest hit for Cooke in comparison with his previous singles, the song came to exemplify the... /People Got to Be Free People Got to Be Free "People Got to Be Free" is a song released in 1968 by The Rascals. Written by group members Felix Cavaliere and Eddie Brigati and featuring a lead vocal from Cavaliere, it is an upbeat but impassioned plea for tolerance and freedom:... " |
60 | - | - | - | - | "The Declaration" | Portrait |
| "The Declaration" | 64 | 35 | - | - | - | B-side of above | ||
| "The Girls' Song" | 43 | 6 | - | - | - | "It'll Never Be the Same Again" | The Magic Garden | |
| "Puppet Man" | 24 | 31 | - | - | - | "A Love Like Ours" | Portrait | |
| "Save the Country" | 27 | 10 | - | 24 | - | "Dimension 5" | ||
| "On the Beach (In the Summertime)" | 54 | 12 | - | - | - | "This Is Your Life" | ||
| "One Less Bell to Answer 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 group's 1970 debut album for Bell Records, Portrait. ... " |
2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | - | "Feelin' Alright?" | Portrait | |
| 1971 | "Love's Lines, Angles and Rhymes" | 19 | 6 | - | 28 | - | "The Singer" | Love's Lines, Angles and Rhymes |
| "Light Sings" | 44 | 12 | - | - | - | "Viva! (Viva Tirado)" | ||
| "Never My Love Never My Love "Never My Love" is a pop standard written by American siblings Donald and Richard Addrisi and best known from a hit 1967 recording by The Association. The Addrisi Brothers had two Top 40 hits as recording artists, but their biggest success was as the songwriters of "Never My Love"... " (live) |
12 | 1 | 45 | 21 | - | "A Love Like Ours" | Live!! | |
| "Together Let's Find Love" (live) | 37 | 8 | 22 | - | - | "I Just Wanta Be Your Friend" | ||
| 1972 | "(Last Night) I Didn't Get to Sleep at All" | 8 | 2 | 28 | 5 | - | "The River Witch" | Individually & Collectively |
| "If I Could Reach You" | 10 | 1 | - | 13 | - | "Tomorrow Belongs to the Children" | ||
| 1973 | "Living Together, Growing Together" | 32 | 5 | - | - | - | "What Do I Need to Be Me" | Living Together, Growing Together |
| "Everything's Been Changed" | 70 | 18 | - | - | - | "There Never Was a Day" | Living Together, Growing Together | |
| "Ashes to Ashes" | 52 | 7 | 54 | - | - | "The Singer" | Living Together, Growing Together | |
| "Flashback" | 82 | 30 | 75 | - | - | "Diggin' for a Livin'" | ||
| 1975 | "No Love In the Room" | 105 | 11 | - | - | - | "I Don't Know How to Look for Love" | Soul & Inspiration |
| 1976 | "Love Hangover Love Hangover "Love Hangover" was the fourth number one single for Motown singer Diana Ross. It was released in March 1976, and rose to number one on the Billboard Hot 100, Hot Soul Singles and Hot Dance Club Play charts simultaneously.... " |
80 | - | 39 | - | - | "Will You Be There" |
Albums
- Up, Up and Away (1967) - US #8
- The Magic GardenThe Magic GardenThe Magic Garden is the second album by American pop group The 5th Dimension, released in 1967 .-Track listing:All songs written by Jimmy Webb, except where noted#"Prologue" – 1:24#"The Magic Garden" – 2:48...
(1967) - US #105 - Stoned Soul Picnic (1968) - US #21
- The Age of AquariusThe Age of Aquarius (album)The Age of Aquarius is the fourth album by American pop group The 5th Dimension, released in 1969 .- Track listing :# "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In [The Flesh Failures]" – 4:51...
(1969) - US #2 - Portrait (1970) - US #20
- The 5th Dimension/Greatest Hits (1970) - US #5
- The July 5th Album (1970) - US #63
- Love's Lines, Angles and RhymesLove's Lines, Angles and RhymesLove's Lines, Angles and Rhymes is the sixth album by American pop group The 5th Dimension, released in 1971. The title song had been recorded originally by Diana Ross the previous year.-Track listing:#"Time and Love"#"Love's Lines, Angles and Rhymes"...
(1971) - US #17 - Reflections (1971) - US #112
- The 5th Dimension/Live!! (1971) - US #32
- Individually & Collectively (1972) - US #58
- Greatest Hits On Earth (1972) - US #14
- Living Together, Growing Together (1973) - US #108
- Soul & Inspiration (1974) - US #202
- EarthboundEarthbound (The Fifth Dimension album)Earthbound is the twelfth album by American pop group The 5th Dimension, released in 1975 . It is the last album in the group's original line up with Billy Davis, Jr., Marilyn McCoo, Florence La Rue Gordon, Lamonte McLemore and Ron Townson. After recording this album, Billy Davis, Jr...
(1975) - US #136 - Star Dancing (1978)
- High On Sunshine (1978)
- The Very Best Of 5th Dimension (1982)
- In the House (1995)
- Live! Plus Rare Studio Recordings (2001) - Original title was Home Cookin (1976)
- Fantasy (2004) - Original title was The 5th Dimension Now (1984)
DVD
- 2003: The 5th Dimension Travelling Sunshine Show with Dionne WarwickDionne WarwickDionne Warwick is an American singer, actress and TV show host, who became a United Nations Global Ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization, and a United States Ambassador of Health....
, Merle HaggardMerle HaggardMerle Ronald Haggard is an American country music singer, guitarist, fiddler, instrumentalist, and songwriter. Along with Buck Owens, Haggard and his band The Strangers helped create the Bakersfield sound, which is characterized by the unique twang of Fender Telecaster guitars, vocal harmonies,...
, and The CarpentersThe CarpentersCarpenters were an American vocal and instrumental duo, consisting of sister Karen and brother Richard Carpenter. The Carpenters were the #1 selling American music act of the 1970s. Though often referred to by the public as "The Carpenters", the duo's official name on authorized recordings and...