The Smiley Smile Message Board

What's everyone think of them? Just picked up a greatest hits comp, that's all my crappy record store carries. Always enjoyed Aquarius...I love Wedding Bell Blues, Last Night, Up Up and Away, and one Less Bell...

oh yeah, Growing together is good too

I like 'em.  I like those songs, Paper Cup, Save The Country, Light Sings, etc.

Real groovy psychadelic elevator music. I think Jimmy Webb wrote their songs.

Their records were always perfectly crafted. Check out the "wordless" song "Dimension Five" on the "Portrait" album. I really like their version of  Cream's "Sunshine Of Your Love" - the Wrecking Crew cooks on that!

Oh yeah - 5D.  That one's great.  I also really like The Declaration Of Independence from that album.

Me too. That's the first place I ever heard "A Change Is Gonna Come."

same here

Up, Up, and Away is what music SHOULD be.  Man that's a damn fine song.  Somebody tell me with a straight face that "up, up, and away" isn't inline with classical compositions, it's just fresh in my opinion. 

BILLLLLLLLLLL

I LOVE YOU SO, I ALWAYS WILL!

I sang "Aquarius" at karaoke all the time, back in the day. It's my signature song. I've turned it into performance art, somehow. Kaufman-esque. A little Mighty Mouse, a little Nick the Lounge Singer, a lot of Elvis.

And I'm steamed that my vision was stolen and used in "The 40 Year Old Virigin".

Also like "Beautful Balloon."

Shamefully not familiar with many of their other songs.....

I peformed "Aquarius - Let The Sunshine In" during marching band my Senior Year. I enjoy "Up Up and Away" as well

I thought I'd bump this back up, because I've bought a ton of 5th dimension records lately.  A few months ago, I drove all over town trying to buy a 5th dimension greatest hits cd (or any cd of theres) and believe it or not couldn't find one.  I live in Charlotte, a pretty large town by any measure.... so I ordered one online, and I've been picking up vinyl.

Lemme just say their covers are AWESOME, I particularly like "Let It Be Me".  Also "Those Were The Days" is amazing.

Does anybody know if they were really smokin' the drugs or were they just drug music without the drug use?  I've never heard hardly anything about the actual group, and my entire town of a million people doesn't have 1 cd of theirs for sale, even though Aquarius/Let the Sun Shine In is one of the biggest hits of the past 50 years. 

I always spin that one when I DJ!

I love Jimmy Webb.    And the 5d music production was among the best of it's time.

And, oh yeah, they were a pretty good vocal group as well.

And who else could make lyrics about fried eggs sound sexy?

Johnny Rivers (or somebody) must have thought that a black Mamas and Papas would go over big time, especially if they used the same backing musicians . It did go over big time; they were great! Having Bones Howe in the booth didn't hurt.

The 5th Dimension blow The Mamas and Paps out of the water EVERY time. Sweet Blindness, Stoned Soul Picnic, California Soul, Carpet Man, Paper Cup, The Girls' Song, Up, Up, and Away, Working On A Groovy Thing, One Less Bell To Answer....that's a real good list of HOLY CRAP! great records.  Oh yeah- Marilyn McCoo was more beautiful than Michelle Phillips too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqmGZJII6wg

Very very groovy.

For those who like the 5th Dimension, The Friends of Distinction are worth checking out too. Also The Groop, best known for their song A Famous Myth on the Midnight Cowboy soundtrack. (There's a curious YouTube clip in which this tune is played twice, accompanied by photos of an odd mix of actors - Cary Grant, Vincent Price, Hoffman, De Niro, Edy Williams, Joe Dallesandro, Peter Cushing, Nicholson, Jane Birkin.)