Happy Independence Day! FOREVER 5th DIMENSION is proud to unveil for Independence Day ’14, The original 5th Dimension–Marilyn, Billy, Florence, Ron “Sweets” and LaMonte, with their stirring version of The Star Spangled Banner. Remastered from the ’72 World Series, “The 5th” were at the height of their post-“Aquarius” fame, in fact a few years earlier, their seminal PORTRAIT album boldly featured The Independence Medley, “The Declaration/A Change Is Gonna Come/People Gotta Be Free.” But this acapella version of The National Anthem is simply priceless. “We worked so hard to make our harmonies matchless,” LaMonte McLemore recently expressed on REWOUND radio.
And the original stars of the multi-Grammy winning quintet are still as busy as ever in ’14, with re-issues galore and all sorts of activities. Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis, Jr. will be celebrating 45 years of marriage in July and tour to the best reviews of their career. They just released an all-new, Live CD.
Florence LaRue remains the sole original member of The 5th Dimension, next year she’ll toast 50 years with the group. Along with Patrice Morris, Willie Williams, Leonard Tucker and Floyd Smith, she plays to sold-out crowds and also appears with her one-woman show, “Just As I Am.”
LaMonte “Mac” McLemore’s funny, heartwarming and historic memoir, “From Hobo Flats to The 5th Dimension” is due for Christmas season ’14 release.
And look for the new CD, “Playlist: The Very Best of The 5th Dimension” on Sony-Legacy. The re-mastering and sequencing of 14 tunes is superb, I was honored to choose the selections with our stars and write the liners, just as I’m thrilled to be “Mac’s” as-told-to author.
Happy 4th from The 5th!
Robert-Allan Arno
Biographer, The original 5th Dimension and LaMonte McLemore
FOREVER 5TH DIMENSION 