The 5th Dimension

Whether heard separately or together as The 5th Dimension, Lamonte McLemore, Ron Townson, Billy Davis Jr., Marilyn McCoo, and Florence LaRue turned vocal opulence into crossover pop gold. Formed as The Versatiles in 1965, the Los Angeles group’s flair for covering diverse songs caught the ears of rock singer Johnny Rivers, who produced its first hit, a cover of the Mamas & the Papas’ “Go Where You Wanna Go,” on his Soul City label in 1966. The bright, giddy pop-soul harmonies the quintet packed into definitive readings of Jimmy Webb’s “Up, Up and Away” and Laura Nyro’s “Stoned Soul Picnic” evoked the carefree vibrancy of the Flower Power era. But ambitious undertakings, like the group’s 1969 medley of “The Age of Aquarius” and “Let the Sunshine In” from the Broadway musical Hair, married a dazzling blend of gospel, psychedelic soul, and easy listening pop with a lasting ’60s utopia of love, unity, and peace. The group tackled other artistic plateaus before its original lineup splintered in 1975, but its pristine pop vocal harmony legacy remains a nostalgic joy.