For nearly two decades at FOREVER 5th DIMENSION, I’ve been blessed to chronicle the timelessly harmonious and unifying legacy of the stars of The Original 5th Dimension: Marilyn McCoo, Billy Davis Jr., Florence LaRue, LaMonte McLemore and Ron “Sweets” Townson.
Today, June 19, 2026, is a special day. Not only is it Juneteenth but it marks the official global release of The 5th Dimension’s “Let the Sunshine In: The Soul City & Bell Albums 1967-1974” 6-CD box set on Cherry Red Records and (soon, due to slight delay) at Amazon. It gathers the group’s entire Soul City, Bell and Arista recordings into one expansive collection, including rare tracks, unreleased material, live recordings and an extensive booklet.
As someone honored to be known as The Original 5th Dimension biographer as well as LaMonte McLemore’s historian, I’m pleased that, as a tribute to Mac’s memory, quotes from the memoir we co-wrote, From Hobo Flats to The 5th Dimension, are featured in the project’s liners. I’m equally pleased that FOREVER 5th DIMENSION has upcoming news related to the box set that we think fans will find exciting…stay tuned!
The 5th Dimension remains ever-relevant, as evidenced by the group’s performances, and lead vocalists Marilyn & Billy’s special appearance in Questlove’s directorial debut, the Academy Award- and Grammy-winning documentary “Summer of Soul,” which celebrated the Harlem Cultural Festival of 1969.
So, let’s dig into more about the “Let the Sunshine In” box set, once again, it’s available at the Cherry Red website and (soon) on Amazon. And special thanks to Marilyn & Billy and Florence for their continued support and lovely enduring friendship, and to managers Susan Muneo and Jason Winters for their kind trust and mentorship. As we remember LaMonte and Ron “Sweets.” –Robert-Allan Arno
Spotlighting the Box Set:
• Celebrating 60 years of The 5th Dimension. First-ever box set dedicated to the legendary “champagne soul” quintet!
• This 6-CD set presents newly remastered editions of all ten Soul City and Bell albums plus a whopping 25 bonus tracks. The six-time Grammy-winning quintet brought their rich vocal harmonies to songs written by Laura Nyro, Jimmy Webb, Burt Bacharach and Hal David, Ashford and Simpson, Neil Sedaka, and Harry Nilsson to create some of the most enduring music of the 1960-1970s.
• The collection includes the chart-topping ‘Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In’ and ‘Wedding Bell Blues’ plus top ten hits ‘Up, Up, And Away,’ ‘Stoned Soul Picnic,’ ‘One Less Bell To Answer,’ and ‘(Last Night) I Didn’t Get To Sleep At All’ as well as the psych-pop classic song suite album, ‘The Magic Garden’.
• Bonus tracks encompass non-LP singles, outtakes, the authorized debut of rare live versions, and the previously unreleased Bones Howe production of Carole King and Gerry Goffin’s ‘Hi-De-Ho.’
• The liners provide an oral history of the group based on a 2025 roundtable with McCoo, Davis, and LaRue, and archival quotes from McLemore, Townson, and others. The deluxe booklet features a new introduction by legendary songwriter Jimmy Webb and boasts rare photos, too.
• The new box set can be purchased directly from Cherry Red Records, soon at Amazon, and all good retailers and record shops.
Forever 5th Dimension by Arno, a production of The Soul of The Voice, Ltd., copyright 2008-2026
Photos Courtesy Cherry Red Records, used by permission
FOREVER 5TH DIMENSION 
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