REWOUND, baby! Friends, I’ll be on my pal Bob Radil‘s Friday night radio show on the retro yet ever-fresh Rewound Radio, this Friday night June 13th…talkin’ ’bout the new “Playlist: The Very Best of The 5th Dimension” compilation and other goodies, I didn’t say oldies! Featuring a special story from LaMonte and secrets from Bones! Approx 7 PM, EST, tune in and join us on the net at: www.rewoundradio.com
–Robert-Allan Arno, Biographer, The original 5th Dimension & LaMonte McLemore
Something for everyone! It’s an early summer picnic of “Champagne Soul” delights with a wealth of new & recent releases for fans (from steadfast to our young YouTube crowd!) of The 5th Dimension and Marilyn & Billy. Here are links for easy ordering at low prices!
–New! “Playlist: The Very Best of The 5th Dimension” on Sony Legacy. Fresh liners by Robert-Allan Arno go song-by-song as hits & select rarities unfold. 14 gems chosen by Marilyn & Billy, Florence and LaMonte and sequenced by Arno, gorgeously re-mastered for ‘14!
Includes: “California Soul,” “Stoned Soul Picnic,” “Blown’ Away,” “Never My Love” (Mono single), “A Change is Gonna Come/People Gotta Be Free” (Mono single), “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In” (Stereo radio mix).
Available at Amazon, CD Universe and WalMart–Links: http://www.walmart.com/ip/36723477
http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=9204084
Also, see our special “Behind the Scenes Scoop” on Playlist at “Recent Entries”
–Finally! EARTHBOUND (re-mastered) on Real Gone Music CD’s. The “swan song” album by the original quintet, Jimmy Webb produces The 5th Dimension, once again. Marilyn & Billy weigh in via liners with their thoughts today on this emotional and harmoniously hip project of ‘75.
Includes “Magic In My Life,” “Walk Your Feet in the Sunshine,” “When Did I Lose Your Love,” “Speaking with My Heart,” “Moonlight Mile.”
Link: http://realgonemusic.enstore.com/item/the-5th-dimension-cd
—SOLID GOLD by Marilyn McCoo is an ‘80’s reissue on Real Gone. It features fan faves “Heart Stop Beating In Time,” “One on One,” ‘Always on My Mind,” an unreleased tune gets un-vaulted and MarBill’s “I Believe in You and Me” is still so breathtaking.
Link: http://realgonemusic.enstore.com/item/marilyn-mccoo-solid-gold-cd
—Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis, Jr. LIVE is a self-produced 2 volume set that astoundingly reps exactly what it’s like to attend a current, jam-packed musical show of the Grammy-winning dynamic duo. 5 Stars n’ Sizzling!
Includes: “You Don’t Have to be a Star,” “Easy Way Out/Need You Now,” “Gotta Get You Into My Life,” “Up-Up and Away,” “One Less Bell,” “When Something is Wrong with my Baby,” “You Are So Beautiful.”
See the special review by Arno on CD Baby: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/marilynmccoobillydavisjr
–Robert-Allan Arno, Biographer, The original 5th Dimension/LaMonte McLemore
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Jimmy Webb, Marilyn McCoo, Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Robert-Allan Arno, The 5th Dimension
Dateline 5/27: It’s a Champagne Soul Celebration!
Yes, it’s the formal release date of “Playlist: The Very Best of The 5th Dimension” on Sony Legacy CD’s. And here’s the scoop. This project is a labor of love from the stars of The original 5th Dimension–Marilyn & Billy, Florence and Lamonte–and myself, we all compiled the 14 songs that fit the “Playlist prototype” and we decided to make this package hit-driven. Why? Because there needs to be a fresh product readily available in stores as well as on the net, for the thousands of dedicated fans and the many new young ones who are now discovering “The 5th” via YouTube, etc. The classic “Champagne Soul” hits you love have been re-mastered by the Sony pros in a superlative manner, it’s as if our beloved 5 are in the room with you! You’ve never heard “California Soul,” “Stoned Soul Picnic,” “Save the Country” and many more sound so “layered, direct and present!” Furthermore, I got to sequence the songs, they unfold luxuriously and joyfully. I also penned some nifty liners, and Marilyn, Billy, Florence, LaMonte and Ron (to whom we dedicate the project) get well-deserved homage from Neil “Puppet Man” Sedaka, Valerie “California Soul” Simpson, Dick “Never My Love” Addrisi, Felix “People Gotta Be Free” Cavaliere, and Bill Cosby plus producer extraordinaire Bones Howe is illustrious in the comments he shares.
Lastly, in keeping the “spice it up with rarities” vibe of Playlist’s “mission statement,” I was sure to bring you some extra goodies: the radio release, Stereo intermediate length of “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In” has not been heard in over 40 years (it only appeared on the original “Greatest Hits” album) and it dazzles; as well, the Mono singles of “Never My Love” with the “edit to Marilyn’s high note” and extra applause, plus the B side Mono single of the astounding “A Change is Gonna Come/People Gotta Be Free” take their bows amid the celebration. Mr. Bones did something extra special to radio and single mixes to make them “pop” and you’ll get that thrilling feeling with these 3 without the “snap and crackle” of our bygone 45’s. Oh, don’t worry, there are other CD projects in the air, and more to come, and that’s when some from-the-vaults “stuff” will emerge. Right now, please support this very reasonably priced package, the pretty artwork and photos alone are worth it being in your collection, but seriously, this one is a jewel in The 5th’s crown.
(scroll down for songs)
—Robert-Allan Arno,
Biographer–The original 5th Dimension
Back Cover Description & Song List:
Think The 5th Dimension and a kaleidoscope of hiply elegant sounds and images so readily dance in the mind’s eye, that we still breathe a collective sigh of unadulterated joy. Their uniquely eclectic brand of “Champagne Soul” garnered chart-toppers galore as Marilyn McCoo, Billy Davis, Jr., Florence LaRue, LaMonte McLemore and Ron Townson united people with their uplifting, harmonious sound during the turbulent times of the late 60’s-early 70’s. With timeless hits and love songs, this Playlist is a celebration of a multi-Grammy award-winning quintet, that stands in a class by itself. –Robert-Allan Arno
California Soul
Up-Up and Away
Stoned Soul Picnic
Save the Country
Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In (Radio release, intermediate length, Stereo )
Wedding Bell Blues
One Less Bell to Answer
The Worst that Could Happen
(Last Night) I Didn’t Get to Sleep at All
Sweet Blindness
Puppet Man
A Change is Gonna Come/People Gotta Be Free (Single release, Mono)
Never My Love (Single release, Mono)
Blowing Away
“Playlist: The Very Best of The 5th Dimension” is now available at Amazon, Walmart (on-line and in-store) and CD Universe.
MARILYN & BILLY’S WORLD: The hits n’ rarities of McCoo & Davis
VISIT OUR SPECIAL YOUTUBE PLAYLIST AT: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaK9iR0FOkJGhDb8xBmSU5_zmPLEDgTo3
The silky voice of the beautiful Marilyn McCoo, the soulful stylings of the dapper Billy Davis, Jr., as a duet they keep their individuality yet can sound as one, from smooth moves to easy-funky grooves, always with “champagne soul” and lotsa’ inspiration! “What comes from the heart, goes to the heart,” says Sir Davis, “You gotta tell the story!” smiles La McCoo. Celebrating 45 years of marriage in July ’14, FOREVER 5th DIMENSION toasts the Grammy-winning dynamic duo and leading alum of The 5th Dimension with the best of our productions, their rarities and beloved hits from television, recordings, select solos, more. Marilyn & Billy say, “Robert, we appreciate you and the role you’ve played in our career, in our lives.” –Robert-Allan Arno
(Biographer of The original 5th Dimension and group founder LaMonte McLemore, Arno writes the popular FOREVER 5th DIMENSION blog on WordPress, penned liners for ’14’s new “Playlist: The Best of The 5th Dimension” on Sony Legacy and ULTIMATE 5th DIMENSION on Sony-BMG Legacy. He’s the as-told-to author of McLemore’s autobiographical memoir, FROM HOBO FLATS TO THE 5th DIMENSION due for holiday season ’14.)
For Immediate Release: The Soul of the Voice, Ltd., NY, NY
Playlist: The Very Best of The 5th Dimension
Robert-Allan Arno has just written sparkling liners for a new CD compilation of 14 songs* featuring the mega hits, the fan & artist favorites and the rarities of one of the most successful and beloved groups of the Pop n’ Soul era. The 5th Dimension united our country during turbulent times of the late ’60’s-early ’70’s with their uplifting essence of harmony and hiply elegant aura, and in this exciting Sony Music treatise, their timelessness is evident.
Arno writes with his acclaimed literary flair, spotlighting current quotes from the original stars of The 5th Dimension–Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis, Jr., Florence LaRue, LaMonte McLemore, plus Bill Cosby, Neil “Puppet Man” Sedaka, Richard “Never My Love” Addrisi, Felix “People Gotta Be Free” Cavaliere and Valerie “California Soul” Simpson. “Playlist: The Very Best of The 5th Dimension,” including special photos, promises to be a retro-nouveau musical highlight of the summer ’14 season, due for release May 27th.
(*Song selection to be announced over Memorial Day Weekend)
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Florence LaRue, Marilyn McCoo, Robert-Allan Arno, The 5th Dimension
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