Between 1967 and 1974 vocalists Billy Davis Jr., Lamont McLemore, Ron Townson, Marilyn McCoo and Florence LaRue, known collectively as The 5th Dimension, released nine studio LPs and a double live long player on the Soul City and Bell Records labels.

Cherry Red Records has compiled all ten albums along with twenty five bonus tracks of songs released by the quintet as The Versatiles, non-LP singles, b-sides, live cuts, and selections previously issued as CD bonus material and on compilations, a total of one hundred thirty five tracks total, in a new six disc box set issued on the Strawberry Records imprint.

The 5th Dimension worked closely with songwriter Jimmy Webb on their first two albums, Webb penning five of the group’s #7 charting, gold record achieving debut LP’s eleven tracks, including the #8 hit platinum single title track “Up, Up and Away.” Other memorable tracks include the #16 charting take on John Phillips’ “Go Where You Wanna Go” and a cover of “Poor Side of Town” penned by Soul City Records owner Johnny Rivers who served as co-producer with Bones Howe. Webb was responsible for eleven of twelve tracks on ‘The Magic Garden’ released only seven months later in December 1967. While the album stalled at #105 on the Billboard charts it did contain two top 40 singles, the critically acclaimed title track and “Requiem: 820 Latham” both by Webb and a fine cover of The Beatles’ “Ticket To Ride.” The album marked Bones Howe’s first, of eight, as sole producer. Disc one is fleshed out with both sides of the quintet’s two singles released by the quintet under The Versatiles moniker and a non-LP b-side.

The 5th Dimension’s fruitful association with songwriter Laura Nyro began with the #21 charting August 1968 LP ‘Stone Soul Picnic’ with Nyro penning the #3 hit, platinum selling, title track as well as “Sweet Blindness” which peaked at #13, while Ashford & Simpson’s “California Soul” became the album’s third top 40 charting single at #25. The 5th Dimension’s biggest selling album was May 1969’s gold #2 charting ‘The Age of Aquarius’ which yielded the quintet two platinum #1 singles in the title track, taken from the hit musical ‘Hair’ and “Wedding Bell Blues” penned by Nyro as was the #21 hit “Blowing Away” while Neil Sedaka supplied the #20 charting “Working On A Groovy Thing.” The 5th Dimension shines on a fine cover of rock power trio Cream’s “Sunshine of Your Love” before disc two closes with an Italian language single side.

The group’s top 20, gold album ‘Portrait’ was released in April 1970, highlighted by a take on Burt Bacharach and Hal David’s “One Less Bell To Answer” which attained platinum status peaking at #2, and top 30 hits with Sedaka’s “Puppet Man” and Nyro’s “Save The Country.” Also of note are the group’s performances on a medley containing Sam Cook’s “A Change If Gonna Come” and the Eddie Brigatti/Felix Cavaliered anthem “People Gotta Be Free” as well as a cover of Dave Mason’s “Feelin’ Alright.” February 1971 brought the #20 charting ‘Love’s Lines, Angles and Rhymes’ which achieved gold status with Dorothea Joyce’s title track peaking at #19. The album also contained fan favorites such as Nyro’s “Time And Love” and “He’s A Runner” and Harry Nilsson’s “The Rainmaker.”

The quintet’s fifth and final gold album, excluding compilations, was October 1971’s double LP ‘The 5th Dimension/Live!!’ which yielded top 40 singles in “Together Let’s Find Love” and “Never My Love” the latter which peaked at #12 actually being a studio recording with overdubbed applause. Highlights of the live set include a medley of love songs containing Bacharach and David’s “What The World Needs Now” and The Beatles’ “All You Need Is Love” as well as medleys of tunes by Webb and Nyro respectively. The group’s live work, and all of their studio output, contains instrumental performances by The Wrecking Crew, with bassist Joe Osborn, drummer Hal Blaine and keyboard player Larry Knechtel present on virtually everything, and guitar work courtesy of Tommy Tedesco, Louie Shelton and others.

March 1972 brought ‘Individually & Collectively’ with its top 10 hits in the group’s final platinum single “(Last Night) I Didn’t Get To Sleep At All” and “If I Could Reach You” along with notable takes on “Band of Gold” popularized by Freda Payne, Elton John and Bernie Taupin’s “Border Song” and Nyro’s “Black Patch.” March 1973’s ‘Living Together, Loving Together’ contained the quintet’s final top 40 hit single in its Bacharach and David penned title track, with Harry Nilsson’s “Open Your Windows” and a take on Godspell’s “Day By Day” also of special note.

The tenth and final album in the box set is October 1974’s ‘Soul & Inspiration’ produced in equal parts by Bones Howe, John Florez and The 5th Dimension. While the LP had no hit singles it did include fine performances on Bill Withers’ “Harlem” as well as the Paul Williams/Roger Nichols penned “Out In The Country” and the theme from the film “Love Story.” The disc is fleshed out by twelve single, b-side, CD bonus cuts and tunes originally appearing on compilations.

‘Let The Sunshine In/The Soul City & Bell Albums 1967-1974’ comes in a clamshell box with each of its six discs in cardboard sleeves with replica album artwork. The box set includes a lavishly illustrated forty four page booklet complete with band and album photos, an introduction by Jimmy Webb and sleeve notes by compilerJoe Marchese complete with quotes from Billy Davis Jr., Marilyn McCoo, Florence LaRue, Lamont McLemore, Ron Townson, Johnny Rivers, Jimmy Webb, Bones Howe, John Florez, Burt Bacharach, Hal David, Joe Osborn and Hal Blaine. The 5th Dimension sounds incredible thanks to the mastering job of Nick Robbins. This box set will appeal to pop, soul, R&B and music fans in general and comes most highly recommended.

Kevin Rathert

The 5th Dimension – ‘Let The Sunshine In/The Soul City & Bell Albums 1967-1974’ (2026)