News

2026 marks 60 years of The 5th Dimension–and the celebration is kicking off with the first-ever box set dedicated to the legendary “champagne soul” fivesome!

Second Disc Records is proud to announce the June 12 release from Cherry Red’s Lemon Recordings imprint of Let the Sunshine In: The Soul City & Bell Albums 1967-1974.  This comprehensive 6CD collection brings together all of Marilyn McCoo, Billy Davis, Jr., Florence LaRue, and the late Ron Townson and LaMonte McLemore’s recordings for the Soul City, Bell, and Arista labels, plus bonus selections including the group’s rare pre-5th Dimension single under their original name, The Versatiles.

This set presents newly remastered editions of all ten of The 5th Dimension’s original Soul City and Bell albums plus a whopping 25 bonus tracks.  The box includes the following albums:

• Up, Up & Away (1967);
• The Magic Garden (1967);
• Stoned Soul Picnic (1968);
• The Age of Aquarius (1969);
• Portrait (1970);
• Love’s Lines, Angles & Rhymes (1970);
• Live!! (1971);
• Individually and Collectively (1972);
• Living Together, Growing Together (1973); and
• Soul & Inspiration (1974).

On these remarkable albums blending pop and soul, the six-time Grammy-winning quintet brought their rich vocal harmonies to songs written by the illustrious likes of Laura Nyro, Jimmy Webb, Burt Bacharach and Hal David, Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson, Neil Sedaka, Paul Williams, and Harry Nilsson to create some of the most enduring music of the 1960s and 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 classic psych-pop song suite crafted by Jimmy Webb for the group, 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.”

Nick Robbins has newly remastered the audio.  Joe Marchese’s liner notes provide an oral history of the group based on a 2025 roundtable with McCoo, Davis, and LaRue; previously unpublished interviews with Bones Howe and producer John Florez; and archival quotes from McLemore, Townson, and others.  Topping it all off, Jimmy Webb has written a new introduction for the box set.  The deluxe booklet designed by John Sellards additionally boasts rare photos of the group.

Let the Sunshine In: The Soul City & Bell Albums 1967-1974 is the ultimate celebration of the original 5th Dimension, and it’s due on June 12 from Cherry Red/Lemon and The Second Disc. You’ll find the track listing below as well as pre-order links.

The 5th Dimension, Let the Sunshine In: The Soul City & Bell Albums (1967-1974) (Second Disc Records/Cherry Red/Lemon, 2026) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Cherry Red)

CD 1:

UP, UP & AWAY (Soul City LP SCS 92000, 1967)

1. Up, Up & Away
2. Another Day, Another Heartache
3. Which Way to Nowhere
4. California My Way
5. Misty Roses
6. Go Where You Wanna Go
7. Never Gonna Be the Same
8. Pattern People
9. Rosecrans Blvd.
10. Learn How to Fly
11. Poor Side of Town

THE MAGIC GARDEN (Soul City LP SCS 92001, 1967)

12. Prologue
13. The Magic Garden
14. Summer’s Daughter
15. Dreams/Pax/Nepenthe
16. Carpet Man
17. Ticket to Ride
18. Requiem: 820 Latham
19. The Girls’ Song
20. The Worst That Could Happen
21. Orange Air
22. Paper Cup
23. Epilogue

BONUS TRACKS

24. You’re Good Enough for Me – The Versatiles (Bronco single 2050, 1966)
25. Bye Bye Baby – The Versatiles (Bronco single 2050, 1966)
26. I’ll Be Loving You Forever (Soul City single 752, 1966)
27. Train Keep on Movin’ (Soul City single 752, 1966)
28. Too Poor to Die (Soul City single 753, 1966)

CD 2:

STONED SOUL PICNIC (Soul City LP SCS 92002, 1968)

1. Sweet Blindness
2. It’ll Never Be the Same Again
3. The Sailboat Song
4. It’s a Great Life
5. Stoned Soul Picnic
6. California Soul
7. Lovin’ Stew
8. Broken Wing Bird
9. Good News
10. Bobbie’s Blues (Who Do You Think Of?)
11. The Eleventh Song (What a Groovy Day)

THE AGE OF AQUARIUS (Soul City LP SCS 92005, 1969)

12. Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures)
13. Blowing Away
14. Skinny Man
15. Wedding Bell Blues
16. Don’tcha Hear Me Callin’ to Ya
17. The Hideaway
18. Workin’ on a Groovy Thing
19. Let It Be Me
20. Sunshine of Your Love
21. The Winds of Heaven
22. Those Were the Days
23. Let the Sunshine In (Reprise)

Bonus Tracks

24. East of Java (from Stoned Soul Picnic, Buddha CD 74465 99663 2, 2000)
25. Chissa Se Tornera (Who Knows If He Will Return) (Liberty Italian single LIB 9039, 1969)

CD 3:

PORTRAIT (Bell LP 6045, 1970)

1. Puppet Man
2. One Less Bell to Answer
3. Feelin’ Alright?
4. This Is Your Life
5. A Love Like Ours
6. Save the Country
7. Medley: The Declaration/A Change Is Gonna Come/People Got to Be Free
8. Dimension 5ive

LOVE’S LINES, ANGLES & RHYMES (Bell LP 6060, 1971)

9. Time and Love
10. Love’s Lines, Angles & Rhymes
11. What Does It Take (To Win Your Love?)
12. Guess Who
13. Viva Tirado
14. Light Sings
15. The Rainmaker
16. He’s a Runner
17. The Singer
18. Every Night

Bonus Tracks

19. On the Beach (In the Summertime) (Bell single 913, 1970)
20. How Insensitive (Live) (*)

CD 4:

LIVE!! (Bell LP 9000, 1971)

1. Love Medley
2. I Just Wanna Be Your Friend
3. Florence’s Greeting
4. Laura Nyro Medley
5. Never My Love
6. Eli’s Comin’
7. Together Let’s Find Love
8. Shake Your Tambourine
9. Jimmy Webb Medley
10. Ode to Billy Joe
11. LaMonte’s Group Introductions
12. LaMonte’s Intro
13. I Want to Take You Higher
14. Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures)

Bonus Tracks

15. Use Your Head (*)
16. Monday, Monday (*)
17. Goin’ Out of My Head (*)
18. Respect (*)

CD 5:

INDIVIDUALLY AND COLLECTIVELY (Bell LP 6073, 1972)

1. Leave a Little Room
2. (Last Night) I Didn’t Get to Sleep at All
3. All Kinds of People
4. Sky and Sea
5. Tomorrow Belongs to the Children
6. Turn Around to Me
7. If I Could Reach You
8. Half Moon
9. Band of Gold
10. Border Song
11. Black Patch

LIVING TOGETHER, GROWING TOGETHER (Bell LP 1116, 1973)

12. Open Your Window
13. Ashes to Ashes
14. Everything’s Been Changed
15. The River Witch
16. Living Together, Growing Together
17. Day by Day
18. There’s Nothin’ Like Music
19. What Do I Need to Be Me
20. There Never Was a Day
21. Let Me Be Lonely
22. Woyaya

CD 6:

SOUL & INSPIRATION (Bell LP 1315, 1974)

1. Soul and Inspiration
2. Harlem
3. The Best of My Love
4. My Song
5. Hard Core Poetry
6. No Love in the Room
7. House for Sale
8. Somebody Warm Like Me
9. Salty Tears
10. I Don’t Know How to Look for Love

Bonus Tracks

11. Flashback (Bell single 425, 1973)
12. Diggin’ for a Livin’ (Bell single 425, 1973)
13. Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye (from The Ultimate 5th Dimension, Arista CD 82876 51037 2, 2004)
14. As Long as There’s an Apple Tree
15. Out in the Country
16. Rusty Hands of Time
17. Somebody Warm Like Me (Marilyn McCoo Version)
18. Love Story
19. Back Together
20. Hi-De-Ho (+)
21. Hurry Sundown (Live) (*)
22. The Beat Goes On (Live) (*)

Tracks 14-19 from Soul & Inspiration, Collectors’ Choice Music CD CCM-783, 2007

(+) previously unreleased
(*) authorized CD debut