When one thinks of psychedelia in the mid-to-late 1960s, one might just think of the American vocal group The 5th Dimension. They were the crossover group of crossover groups at the time. The group produced a ton of hits that touched on sunshine pop, psychedelic soul, R&B, and everything in between. They were on another level. And the bandโs original incarnation lasted until 1975, though theyโre still together in a different form today.
On this day, April 12, 1969, The 5th Dimension started a whopping six-week run at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with their psychedelic soul jam, โAquarius / Let The Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures)โ. The song first debuted on the chart on March 8, 1969. And it remained on the chart for 17 weeks in total.
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April 12, 1969 Was a Big Day for the 5th Dimension
A song known by many names, The 5th Dimensionโs iconic No. 1 hit is listed as โAquarius / Let The Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures)โ on Billboard. However, it is also known as “Medley: Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In”, Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In”, “The Age of Aquarius”, or “Let the Sunshine In”. Released in March 1969, this is a pure, unabashed psychedelic soul song, with elements of sunshine and bubblegum pop.
The song was actually a medley of two different songs. Those songs were originally written by James Rado and Gerome Ragni for the 1967 musical Hair. The 5th Dimension released their version of the single, and fans of musicals and psychedelic pop alike fell head over heels in love with it. Today, โAquarius / Let The Sunshine Inโ is Certified Platinum in the US. The tune also made it to No. 1 on a number of other charts in 1969. Those include the Canada Top Singles chart, the US Easy Listening chart, and the US Cash Box Top 100 chart.
The story goes that 5th Dimension singer Billy Davis Jr. accidentally left his wallet in a cab in New York City. The individual who found and returned the wallet was involved in Hairโs production. They invited The 5th Dimension to see a performance of the show. Soon after, they called producer Bones Howe and said, โWeโve got to cut this song โAquariusโ. Itโs the best thing ever.โ Thatโs precisely what they did. Now, the song is as closely associated with The 5th Dimension as it is with the musical Hair.
Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images
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