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Billy Davis, Jr.,Ron Townson and Lamonte McLemore of the Fifth Dimension, grew up together in St. Louis, Missouri, each going in separate directions in their teens; all ended up in Los Angeles with hopes of making the big time.
Billy, in several gospel and soul groups, studied at Washington Tech. He opened his own nightclub, eventually ending up in Los Angeles, hoping to sign with Motown’s West Coast recording company. Lamonte went into professional baseball as well as photography only to discover his love for singing while in the Navy. Ron sang opera from an early age. He graduated from Lincoln University, and left for Los Angeles with aspirations in singing.
Lamonte McLemore met beauty contestant winners' Marilyn McCoo and Florence LaRue while photographing them. Both ladies initially joined the group as a hobby, with McCoo wanting a solo singing career and LaRue still dreaming of a career in acting.
You’re Good Enough For Me /Bye Bye Baby,. It wasn’t until Gordon introduced the group to Johnny Rivers, who was starting Soul City Records, that something exciting was about to happen in their music. Johnny Rivers wanted them to change their outdated group name and look, " The Fifth Dimension" was their new name and with their new outfits, they were ready. The first single Rivers produced, I’ll Be Lovin’ You Forever/Train Keep On Movin’, in 1966. Go Where You Wanna Go. The Fifth Demension took this song up to the bill board’s Top 20, peaking at #16.
The group loved the song, Up Up & Away, and it was released in February of 1967. An album with the same title was also released. The song entered the Top 10 and peaked at #7, staying on the Top 40 for 10 weeks, bringing this quintet to fame. The song was awarded Best Performance By A Vocal Group, Best Contemporary Group Performance, Best Contemporary Single, Song Of The Year and Record Of The Year at the Grammy Awards. The album went Gold.
It was Bones Howe, their producer, — Stoned Soul Picnic. The group loved the song, and went in and did the recording in three days. It became their first million-selling single. It was in May 1968 when Stoned Soul Picnic was released and entered the Top 10, arriving at #3 on Billboard and remaining on the Top 40 for 12 weeks.
Frank Sinatra presented the group with a million-selling award for Stoned Soul Picnic at Caesar’s Palace. The single eventually sold over two million copies. Sinatra said, Without a doubt the freshest, most musical, most capable group in today’s bag. Another Nyro composition, Sweet Blindness, was released a few months later, peaking at #13 and staying on the Top 40 for 6 weeks. At the beginning of 1969, California Soul entered the top 40 reaching #25 on Billboard's Top 40.
Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In remained in the #1 spot on Billboard for 6 straight weeks and remained on the Top 40 for 16 weeks. Both the single and album Age Of Aquarius went Gold and received two Grammy Awards for Record Of The Year and Best Contemporary Vocal By A Group. The song eventually sold over two million copies.
Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In was only the beginning of their album Age Of Aquarius. Bones Howe told Marilyn about this song that went, Bill, I love you so, I always will. Won’t you marry me, Bill, etc. So Howe told Marilyn, 'It’d be really funny if you did this song as a joke on the album.' Marilyn and Billy were still courting; she wanted to get married and Billy was dragging his feet. So she did it, and after the album came out I got a call from a guy at a record company who said that a station in San Diego had jumped on the song and that we should release it as a single.
In September of 1969, Wedding Bell Blues, a Nyro composition, was released and soared to the top of the charts, remaining in the Top 40 for 14 weeks. Workin’ On A Groovy Thing co-written by Neil Sedaka peaked at #20 in 1969 and Blowing Awaypeaked at #21 in 1970.
In 1969 Larue married manager Marc Gordon and That same year Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr. married.
Their albums continued to sell well. The Declaration, a song not popular with the government, though at a performance which included President Nixon and the Governors of 50 states, they performed The Declaration. Only after Nixon began clapping at the song’s end did the rest of the audience dare applaud this controversial song.
The album, titled Portrait, had 3 songs which entered the Top 40. Puppet Man, released in May of 1970 at about the same time Tom Jones’ version hit the air waves. The group's version peaked at #24. The following month they released another Nyro tune called Save The Country which peaked at #27. Stronger songs, This Is Your Life and One Less Bell To Answer, were not selected as August releases because their producer wanted a summer song. So they released On The Beach (In The Summertime) in 1970. In October of 1970, One Less Bell To Answer,was released and flew up to #2, eventually selling over two million copies. Their album also went Gold.
In March of 1971, they released the single Love’s Lines, Angles & Rhymes which peaked at #19. It was also the title of their album that year which went Gold. That same year the group had their second television special, The 5th Dimension Traveling Sunshine Show. Later that year they released their double Live! LP which was taped in Las Vegas. With McCoo’s success with lead vocals, they released Never My Love in October 1971 which went to #12. In early 1972 they released a McCoo/Davis duet also from the Live! LP, Together Let’s Find Love, peaking at #37. This album went Gold. Another compilation LP was released called Reflections.
Early in 1972 they flew to the UK performing at London's Royal Albert Hall, the Odeon Cinema, Birmingham, W. Midlands, and the Empire Theatre, Liverpool, Merseyside. Later that year Greatest Hits On Earth was released which went Gold.In 1972 the group were singing more solo vocals than the harmonies they were initially known for. The best description of the direction of the group was the album titled Individually & Collectively. Marilyn’s solo, (Last Night) I Didn’t Get To Sleep At All, was released in March of 1972 and made the Top 10 arriving at #8 and eventually selling over two million singles. Five months later another McCoo solo, If I Could Reach You, was released reaching #10 on Billboard.
The album Living Together, Growing Together was released in 1973. The LP title was released as a single in February of 1973. It entered the Top 40 arriving at #32. Two other singles were released but failed to chart well. That same year, they decided to release Flashback and the flip side Diggin’ For A Livin’ — neither a song on the album. Flashback was also recorded by Cher but neither charted with the song.
In 1974, Soul & Inspiration was released.
Their final album with the original five members, Earthbound, was released in 1975 on ABC Records.
Ironically, The 5th Dimension agreed to sign with Motown Records and released the LP Star Dancing. Later the same year they released a follow up album, High On Sunshine.
In 1983 they released a concert video called The 5th Dimension: Live At Caesar’s Palace.
They have performed for important figures such as President Reagan and President Carter. In 1995, they released a CD, In The House, on Dick Clark's label, Click Records. It features Say (U Love Me) which LaRue co-wrote. It also includes two 5th Dimension songs from the past, Puppet Man and Stoned Soul Picnic done in the newer 5th style.
In 1991 The Original 5th Dimension received a Star on Hollywood’s Walk Of Fame which is located at the famed Roosevelt Hotel across from Mann’s Chinese Theater.
The 5th Dimension (pictured) are Florence LaRue, Lamonte McLemore, Ron Townson, and Phyllis Battle. Early in 1998, Willie Williams joined The 5th Dimension and Greg Walker has been a member of the group since approx. 1993.
They are performing with symphonies, on luxury cruises and all over the world to satisfy their many fans. Their career seems to always be Up Up and Away!
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