Marilyn and Billy are two of the kindest, friendliest, most generous people in show business... and that's on top of their amazing talent and staying power. They are a national treasure.
Marilyn McCoo was the star voice of the 5th Dimension. The 5th Dimension harmonies are hard to beat!! "Last Night I Didn’t Get To Sleep At All" and "One Less Bell To Answer" really show off Marilyn's voice.
surlechapeau: Abba and The Bee Gees come to mind. And both were more successful than the 5TH Dimension! More top ten hits and more album sales. More fans world wide. Abba and Bee Gees harmonies are unbeatable. They were also better song writers.
I can't begin to tell you all that the 5th Dimension meant to me as a young kid of African ancestry growing up in the south in the 60's and 70's. They and their music represented optimism and liberation on so many levels. Not only the group with their voices and imagery but the musical arrangements stimulated my imagination and emotions. They still move me, to this day. BTW, Marilyn and Billie still look great. Thanks for tipping the hat to all the great artists responsible for the music of The 5th Dimension.
Solid Gold deserves a whole interview on its own. That show was MTV before there was an MTV. It was America's Top of the Pops. I remember watching it every week as a kid, to see who was going to be performing, and the "Solid Gold Dancers" before there were "fly girls".
The Solid Gold Dancers and the 20 Minute Workout tv show were the softporn of network television in the 80's. As a teenage boy during that time, it was must see TV. Oh, and the music guests were awesome too!
Marilyn was gorgeous and still looks great. Loved Solid gold and my only complaint was everything was lyip-synced. Wish they played live but still a great show.
@@rzrbckmz23 Actually, Stevie Nicks refused to lipsync and did her song Nightbird live while all coked up. ruclips.net/video/Sb2ty18YFBQ/видео.html Oh, and the first act to appear on Solid Gold was John Stewart with his aptly named Gold song, featuring backing vocals from, yes, Stevie Nicks. ruclips.net/video/2-CJji921gM/видео.html
@@LearnAboutFlow That's good info, Thanks!. I bought Stewart's Bombs Away Dream Babies album in late 79 and it's very good. My favorite song is "midnight Wind" which Nicks sang with him. It was the second single but peaked in the high 20's I think.
"Up Up And Away" is definitely one of the best happy tunes from that time period. Two others that come to mind in that same vein, include "Lazy Day" by Spanky & Our Gang, and "Georgy Girl" by the Seekers.
I remember Marilyn McCoo as host of the show Solid Gold. Was too young to realize she was part of the 5th Dimension but I'm sure my mom and dad knew all this. She's hardly aged a minute since then. Loved this interview- Marilyn and Billy are such nice, friendly people!
I loved this song as a little girl, and the 5th Dimension. Watched Marilyn McCoo on Solid Gold when I got a little older too! She seems like such a kind and classy lady. I still play One Less Bell to Answer on regular rotation.
The 5th Dimension was one of my all time favorite bands. Also Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr. were one of my favorite duets. Marilyn might have the best voice of anyone on the planet. Never get tired of any of those old songs. Brings back happy memories of my childhood.
You're killing it, Professor, with these interviews. I'll put you up against anyone, be it RUclipsrs or the mainstream media, in the quality of interviews you are conducting. This has to be a dream come true because you are sitting face to face with giants of the industry. And they don't stop. They just keep coming. Congratulations on a job well done!
...I have Marilyn's "Solid Gold" album she released Summer of 1983(?); I thought it was gonna set the charts ABLAZE....Then I heard her cover of "Every Breath You Take"....ummmm, no! ...ha-HAA!! ....LOVE that Woman to pieces, but, NO!
My first concert was the Fifth Dimension. I was very young and walked up to the stage and started dancing and the bouncers left me alone. I waved to the band and had a great time.
She is still so lovely! Goodness! 5th Dimension was in heavy rotation on the local mellow oldies station when I was growing up and that station was played in a lot of government and doctor offices, and in the hospital back then, so I heard a whole lot of 5th Dimension as a sickly kid. So calming but catchy! So many of their songs are associated with being made comfortable and being cared for, in my mind. I can remember belting Wedding Bell Blues into my pink hairbrush in the living room as a very little girl. 😂😅 (Because of that song, I discovered Laura Nyro when I was a teen. WOW.)
Laura Nyro! Such a singular talent. She’s kind of a feminist icon of mine. As great a songwriter as she was she was also good singer. I really like her version of ‘Stone Cold Picnic’.
This is one of the songs from the 60s that is ingrained in our culture and is a part of everyone growing up at that time. Truely great songwriting performed by the amazing and iconic voices of McCoo and Davis!
The 5th Dimension’s popularity covered my high school, my college, and the first few years of my career. Their music was the background for those very formative years. I appreciate your video, Professor, and adore Marilyn and Bill.
I have my mom's copy of the "Stoned Soul Picnic" album. Reminds me of dancing in her apartment after she and my father split. He had custody, so I saw her from Friday night until Sunday night. Some of the best weekends of my life. What a classy couple and Marilyn looks amazing!
How can you not love these two? Adorable couple or what? Some great memories from all those 5th Dimension tunes and the amazing harmonies! Simpler times…😊
They were one of the most popular bands around in the late 60's and early 70's with tons of hits and radio airplay. i remember when i was a child my parents listened to them a lot .
The 5th Dimension was an incredibly great group to listen to. Up, Up and Away reached #3 in L.A. in July 1967. (#7 on the Billboard Hot 100) and was on the chart for 8 weeks.
I was a kid when Up Up and Away came out. Everybody loved the song. The vocals, the harmonies, are thrilling. I have to say my favorite 5th dimension song however would have to be One Less Bell to Answer because it highlights Marylyn McCoo's beautiful voice. Burt Bacharach and Hal Davis were great songwriters, but fortunate also in seeming to always find the perfect singers like the 5th Dimension to collaborate with on their songs.
Still classy as ever! Wonderful memories as a toddler listening to that beautiful song. I actually did a hot air balloon ride because of this song!! Just lovely!
I remember my mother would put the record on stereo. The stereo was huge. She would sing along with the record and sit in chair smiling. That record would always be playing. My dad would come home from call. He was a funeral director/ embalmer. The music would change his mood greatly.
Up, Up, And Away is such a great song and a 60s classic. The Fifth Dimension are one of the great feel-good pop groups ( or as the professor said, sunshine pop). Such a great catalog of songs such as Up, Up, And Away, Aquarius, Last Night, I Didn't Get To Sleep At All, Wedding Bell Blues, One Less Bell To Answer, Working On A Groovy Thing, and so many more. Also, Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. had one of the great duets of the 70s with You Don't Have To Be A Star. I hope to get to hear the stories behind all of these great songs.
@Shallnot I don’t think she lighten her skin. Between lighting, make up and some Black just fade in their pigmentation as they age. She’d hardly be first I’ve seen where this has happened.
@@BlackDoveNYC I have no objection to what anyone does cosmetically at all. I myself have had a touch up here or there... But darker skin folks have been doing this in the entertainment business for a long time. You're welcome to look at early pictures of the fifth dimension and see what I mean
@@Vibeagain I’ve met her/them over the years (mutual relationships) the most recent time after a concert in 2019 she looks exactly like she did in the past and she’s not any lighter it’s the lighting for this interview, obviously she’s lighted her hair to cover grey but that’s all, and if you’re blk you already know lighting blk ppl for photos/video is special and our skin also changes based on makeup and the season
What a classy classic duo these two are, so warm and likable. I’ve always loved both “You Don’t Have to Be a Star” and “Up, Up and Away.” Thanks for a terrific interview and a lovely walk down memory lane. I wish many more happy years of performing for Marilyn M and Billy DJ. The years have been very kind to them, they must have found the fountain of youth!
I can imagine a producer walking up to them after recording this song and telling them he hopes they like the song, they're going to be singing it for the rest of their lives... lol
Yes! They were great! Everyone in the group! They rode the wave of variety shows and had their own. Sonny & Cher, Capt & Tennille, Donnie & Marie- I watched them all. Marilyn looks unbelievably youthful and still is beautiful as ever. Her speaking voice is also lovely.
It's a lovely song and I've always been crazy about the 5th Dimension. My favorite songs of theirs tend toward the Laura Nyro covers, "Stoned Soul Picnic," "Sweet Blindness", "Wedding Bell Blues", "Blowin' Away", and "Save the Country."
MEMORABLE of the two...can see in their eyes...their happiness...their joyousness...of their careers...it is interesting to note...they knew what was a HIT as performers...today...it is different with what is out now...not like the Golden Days...US/NC
I absolutely adore Marilyn, Billy, and the 5th Dimension! I think I wore out my mom's Greatest Hits on Earth album from playing it almost daily! Apparently, as a child, I also wanted to be a Solid Gold dancer... haha!
I have to admit that when I was a child I was completely obsessed with this song. Listening to it gave me a wonderful feeling of going away somewhere different from the everyday routine of life.
Remember these tunes well, they were fantastic "sing a longs". Up Up and away, Aquarius, let the sun shine in and so many more. They were as you would say no "the bomb"! As kids working around a small farm and one of their tunes came on the radio we would slowly begin to sing along until just about everyone joined in... Lol. Great feel good music!
Wow Adam. You keep outdoing yourself. My favorite interview yet. Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Johnny Rivers, the Wrecking Crew. This one had it all! Love Marilyn’s voice. What a fabulous couple.
I saw Marilyn and Billy in line at a restaurant in Century Plaza Mall in Birmingham, Ala., in the 1980s. I wasn’t near to them in line, but I remember looking at Marilyn and finding her captivating beautiful. I barely got to Billy. They seemed like regular folks enjoying a nice dinner with their loved ones. Beautiful timeless memory from my childhood. Thank you to the two legends. Great video.
McCoo is still so adorable! I as 7 or 8 when this song hit the radio, and at that tender age I still thought it as rather cheesy.😂 And then there was" Aquarius"😍 Wedding Bell Blues, One Less Bell To Answer, Didn't Get To Sleep At All... 50 years of marriage! Love it.
Great episode....I have always loved this "feel good" song. I was a second grader and we had the coolest, most groovy music teacher. She was in her early twenties and knew all the best popular songs. We had the best monthly programs for the students and this was one of our songs our 2nd grade group performed. BTW I am 58 years old. Some great memories.
I was young in elementary school when "Up, Up and Away" came out by "The 5th Dimension." I loved it, same as everyone else. I remember semi-singing , semi-dancing along to it from AM radio out in the woods where my family had a weekend cabin. The chipmunks might've enjoyed it too. Not 'till 15 years later or so did I see a photo of the band and realize -- "They're all African-American." That's another and timely (for its original time) aspect of it that hasn't been mentioned. 1967 was both the "Summer of Love" and of the Detroit Riots. Having a great hit, great as uplifting music, happening to be performed by African-Americans appealing all across the board -- that uplifting and universal joy contributed to better appreciation and freedoms and happy toned achievements by African-Americans, important esp at that time.
In these uncertain times, bringing back this beautiful feel good song, brings warmth & happiness to my day. Thank you for delving into the background of Up Up And Away 🎈🎈🎈
1970 baby and I remember that song on the radio as a little girl. It felt like entering another dimension, being lifted and carried away on the clouds. So majestic!!❤️
Marilyn McCoo has the voice of an angel. When I first heard the 5th Dimensions in 1968, I was 4 years old. I loved everything about the whole production. You certainly motivated my music career. God bless you all.
If you're an 80s child you might remember Marilyn mccoo was the host of solid gold if you all remember this show it was our exposure to new music around the same time as MTV s birth
As a kid in Brazil, I listened to 5th Dimension hits on the radio and I can’t describe the feeling. I sang Up Up and Away a lot when it came out (yes, they played it here in Brazil at that time). Then the string of hits they released. Marilyn McCoo’s voice is one of my favorite female voices ever. Billy, as well… what a voice!!! And their vocal harmonies, what a bliss!!! Loved the interview. They are so nice and down to earth. Thank you ❤️
For 78 and 83 years old they look marvelous. I was 8 years old when Up, Up and Away was released and I remember my Aunt used to play the song on her record player and I loved it. The look on Marilyn's and Billy's faces when you spoke about it was a look like they were living it all over again and loved reminiscing about those wonderful times. How often I wish I could go back and appreciate those times more than I did at the time. Doesn't everyone wish they could live their life over. The 60's were magical. Great interview Adam.
Great interview! "Up, up and away" is a childhood favorite of mine, and I always treated it as a guilty pleasure because I didn't know anybody else who loved it. I'm so happy to discover how widely popular the song is!
This legendary couple are a fantastic interview, they both still look great! During the 60s and early 70s every high school chorus did 5th dimension songs. These 2 inspired a generation to try their voices at singing. Hope you have more from this interview professor, great stuff
I remember the summer of 1967. Dad just retired from the Navy. He moved the family to St. Charles, Missouri. He went to work at McDonnell Aircraft Co. in St. Louis building F-4 Phantoms for the Navy and the Air Force. That August, I attended my first day of high school, where I met future wife. The moment I saw her, I was smitten. She was the prettiest girl I had ever met. It took 10 more years to marry her, and I was her second fiancée. But it was worth the wait. 42 years together. One fantastic son, an aerospace engineer building the nation's newest stealth bomber, the B-21 Raider. God, I miss her. We lost her too soon. Every time I hear this wonderful song, it takes me back to that fantastic summer of 1967 when I first met the most wonderful woman in the world.
The part about Tedesco and the "wrecking crew" musicians reminded me of a good friend of mine (trumpet player who died a few years ago) who was on the road with a road band from Canada. He talked about some of the seasoned pros who came into the band and when a new chart was passed around they would cut it perfectly, first time, every time . . . My friend was impressed and he had already been in the U.S. Army band and the Berklee School of Music and always the best musician in any band I had been in. Imagine a group of virtuoso musicians; that is what "the wrecking crew" was, by all accounts. BTW, Carol Kaye didn't like that name.
Marilyn never really got the credit that she deserved. There was NOBODY better than her when it came to inflection and hitting the notes perfectly. I was a kid when Up, Up, and Away was a hit - and when I think back on my childhood, that is one of a very few songs that always come to mind immediately. And to see those two here in this interview is so nice! I had never seen/heard an interview with them before!
Wow... as a singer, I've never had anything but the utmost respect for the 5th Dimension. Their harmonies were always amazing. And like a lot of teenage boys then, I thought Marilyn was one of the most beautiful women I had ever seen... and she still has that awesome smile!
One of my sister’s friends, Plaz Johnson, was a member of the wrecking crew-although he may not have been on this recording. For those who are interested, check out the “Wrecking Crew” documentary. They performed the instrumental for many of the hits of the 50s and 60s.
Nice work, Prof-Rock! You’re a few-years younger than myself, so I’m unsure if you remember them as one of the first hosts of “Solid Gold”, which was a must-watch for music-nerds back in the early-80’s.
@@ProfessorofRock Gorgeous woman! Great interview too … you’re jogging amazing-memories for people. You’ve been an invaluable source of dopamine for us during this slog & it’s been cool to watch your channel grow. Happy New Year, man. ☮️❤️🎶
Song of my Babyhood !! Up and Away in my Beautiful , my Beautiful Ba- Yoon!! My Mom brought me to see the 5th Dimension Record in the studio !! Thank you mom , you did all you could and knew how to support me to live my Dream ! Now I know why I grew up with a Love of Hot Air Balloons🎈Happy Memories !! Thank you , Blessing us all , your beautiful Unity!!
I remember hearing up up and away in my beautiful balloon on the car radio when I was 6 or 7 my mom and I would sing the song together. when ever we heard it. I am 57 now and my mom is 82 she must of heard parts of the song while I was watching the video because she started to sing the song .For one moment in time I could see myself as 7 and my mom A very young 32 year old. Thank you so much for that memory.I will cherrish it.
Up Up and Away is the first song I can remember hearing on the radio. It was in the 60's and it was all over the airways. It made my spirit soar as a small child and it still does to this day. A timeless classic.
OMG. The MINUTE this song starts, I'm right back in high school, at a school camp on the Blue Mountains (Australia), having a wonderful time. Every single time. I LOVE this song. Our airline TAA used it in an ad. "Up, up and away, with TAA, the friendly, friendly way!"
I grew up listening to The 5th Dimension. My mom would play their album all the time giving our house such uplifting energy. Billy and Marilyn are truly down-to-earth, beautiful people. Thank you for a great interview with them, as well as good ol' Johnny Rivers.
Great interview, two great people. I like them both and great professionals. We need more like them, Marilyn is such a lovely woman.. it's good to see them again.
I was fortunate enough to meet Marilyn and Billy in the 80's, and spent a lot of time at their house (much of it playing with her dog, Oro, a gift from the producers of Solid Gold). She was (and still is) as beautiful, as kind, as sweet and generous, and as humble as she has always appeared. And it's understandable why people like me have had crushes on her since the 60's.
This is the interview that I did not want to end. I wanted to hear more. During COVID, I was delighted to see how many reaction sites were hearing One Less Bell To Answer for the first time. They were BLOWN AWAY. If you didn’t catch, just go on RUclips and put in the title of the song, followed by the word reaction and see what you get. The response is amazing. I love them so much. I wish I had a chair in that room ❤️❤️❤️
You know hearing this song on the radio my be one of my earliest memories. I was born in 1967 so I would have been a baby when it was released but I’m sure radio stations played it throughout my toddler and early childhood as it was number 1 here in Australia. When I hear the song it triggers flashes and happy memories of that time. Thanks for this wonderful interview.
My first memory as a kid of Marilyn McCoo was when she hosted Solid Gold in the ‘80s…later when I discovered her solo career and with the 5th Dimension, I was amazed that the “star” of Solid Gold was so talented! “Age of Aquarius/Let the Sun Shine” is one of those marvelous songs that feels like a wonderful rollercoaster trip…and it’s simply fun to listen to.
Poll: What is your pick for the greatest "happy" song ever? A song that can pick you up in the darkest of times?
New Day - The King Singers
(you didn't say it had to be a rock and roll song.)
"Starting Over" by John Lennon has always done it for me.
" It's Late" by Queen, " Love's Theme" by Love Unlimited Orchestra😀✌
"Today" - Brad Paisley
Token Celtic Drinking Song Jimmy George
You Make My Dreams Hall & Oates
It would have to be a toss-up between Good Morning Starshine by Oliver and The 58th Street Bridge Song (Feeling Groovy) Simon & Garfunkel's version.
Billy is 83 and Marilynn is 78. Married 52 years and counting!
They're that old!? They don't look it!
Neither one looks to be that age. Life has been very good to them both.
They both look fantastic.
She does NOT look 78.
@@lisamyers8407
They've both been very good to life.
Marilyn and Billy are two of the kindest, friendliest, most generous people in show business... and that's on top of their amazing talent and staying power. They are a national treasure.
They seem to be humble, good folks. They look great. Heartwarming to see them...
.......................and they're still happily married today, which says a lot!
Marilyn McCoo was the star voice of the 5th Dimension. The 5th Dimension harmonies are hard to beat!! "Last Night I Didn’t Get To Sleep At All" and "One Less Bell To Answer" really show off Marilyn's voice.
We have the story of both, coming soon!
@@ProfessorofRock ...WELL, AL-RIIIIIIGHT!! ...ha-HAA!!
Love "One Less" .
surlechapeau: Abba and The Bee Gees come to mind. And both were more successful than the 5TH Dimension! More top ten hits and more album sales. More fans world wide. Abba and Bee Gees harmonies are unbeatable. They were also better song writers.
Big fan! My Mother played them all of the time. "Wedding Bell Blues", "Up Up and Away", and "Stone Soul Picnic" were some of my favourites.
Nobody can touch The 5th Dimensions version. Their vocals are angelic and beautiful. ☝👏
Marilyn McCoo has one of the best female voices ever, right there with Karen Carpenter.
Agreed
She's close to 80 and still a knockout!
I've heard she has a four-octave vocal range and as she spoke she sounded like she still does.
THEE best!!!!!
Absolutely. So clear and perfect 🥰
I can't begin to tell you all that the 5th Dimension meant to me as a young kid of African ancestry growing up in the south in the 60's and 70's. They and their music represented optimism and liberation on so many levels. Not only the group with their voices and imagery but the musical arrangements stimulated my imagination and emotions. They still move me, to this day. BTW, Marilyn and Billie still look great. Thanks for tipping the hat to all the great artists responsible for the music of The 5th Dimension.
Solid Gold deserves a whole interview on its own. That show was MTV before there was an MTV. It was America's Top of the Pops.
I remember watching it every week as a kid, to see who was going to be performing, and the "Solid Gold Dancers" before there were "fly girls".
The Solid Gold Dancers and the 20 Minute Workout tv show were the softporn of network television in the 80's. As a teenage boy during that time, it was must see TV. Oh, and the music guests were awesome too!
No lie, I wanted to grow up to be a Solid Gold dancer. And Marilyn looks amazing.
Marilyn was gorgeous and still looks great. Loved Solid gold and my only complaint was everything was lyip-synced. Wish they played live but still a great show.
@@rzrbckmz23 Actually, Stevie Nicks refused to lipsync and did her song Nightbird live while all coked up. ruclips.net/video/Sb2ty18YFBQ/видео.html
Oh, and the first act to appear on Solid Gold was John Stewart with his aptly named Gold song, featuring backing vocals from, yes, Stevie Nicks.
ruclips.net/video/2-CJji921gM/видео.html
@@LearnAboutFlow That's good info, Thanks!. I bought Stewart's Bombs Away Dream Babies album in late 79 and it's very good. My favorite song is "midnight Wind" which Nicks sang with him. It was the second single but peaked in the high 20's I think.
Hands Down 'Wedding Bell Blues' is my fave. Marilyn's voice is absolutely RAPTUROUS..
Billy and Marilyn have got to be the best married couple in pop music history! They are great performers!
"Up Up And Away" is definitely one of the best happy tunes from that time period. Two others that come to mind in that same vein, include "Lazy Day" by Spanky & Our Gang, and "Georgy Girl" by the Seekers.
Glenn Cambell's Mary in The Morning.
From the same era, I'd add Sly & The Family Stone - Hot Fun in the Summertime
Sugar town by Nancy Sinatra beats them all.
Agree, Lazy Day is one of those slap happy feeling songs like More Today Than Yesterday.
I'd go as far as to say that Judith Durham's voice from the Seekers is one of the best female voices along with Karen Carpenter and Marilyn 🥰
I remember Marilyn McCoo as host of the show Solid Gold. Was too young to realize she was part of the 5th Dimension but I'm sure my mom and dad knew all this. She's hardly aged a minute since then. Loved this interview- Marilyn and Billy are such nice, friendly people!
Me too
Marilyn’s voice is as beautiful when she speaks as when she sings. The sound of the 5th Dimension transport me back to the 60’s in a wonderful way.
I loved this song as a little girl, and the 5th Dimension. Watched Marilyn McCoo on Solid Gold when I got a little older too! She seems like such a kind and classy lady. I still play One Less Bell to Answer on regular rotation.
Such a great song. Just gorgeous.
Her voice is beautiful even when she just talks.
They always exuded an ethereal vibe in their music... My mother loved this song... She passed in 2015... Thank you for this wonderful report
Hope it brought some wonderful memories!
satan comes as an angel of light. Many, including hosts, have no idea whatsoever.
@@kathleennorton6108 Must suck to be you.
@@kellyq21 The truth can hurt, and certainly often isn't popular. You probably have no idea.
MM still looking stunning and still got those golden notes flowing. I’d love to see them sing together, show these youngins how it’s done.
The 5th Dimension was one of my all time favorite bands. Also Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr. were one of my favorite duets. Marilyn might have the best voice of anyone on the planet. Never get tired of any of those old songs. Brings back happy memories of my childhood.
Not really sure they are a “band “ more like a singing group.
You're killing it, Professor, with these interviews. I'll put you up against anyone, be it RUclipsrs or the mainstream media, in the quality of interviews you are conducting. This has to be a dream come true because you are sitting face to face with giants of the industry. And they don't stop. They just keep coming. Congratulations on a job well done!
Marilyn McCoo! A forever Solid Gold crush. Great interview.
Thanks! Same over here. Loved that show as a young kid.
...I have Marilyn's "Solid Gold" album she released Summer of 1983(?); I thought it was gonna set the charts ABLAZE....Then I heard her cover of "Every Breath You Take"....ummmm, no! ...ha-HAA!! ....LOVE that Woman to pieces, but, NO!
I had a crush on Marilyn in my early teens and it remains. Her Performance on the great song, Loves lines. It was like being on another planet!
IM still jealous, Billy!😉
My first concert was the Fifth Dimension. I was very young and walked up to the stage and started dancing and the bouncers left me alone. I waved to the band and had a great time.
How cool is that!
Great memory! Thanks for sharing such a cool memory!
Adorable!
@@lydwinaofschiedam2685 Thank you!
She is still so lovely! Goodness!
5th Dimension was in heavy rotation on the local mellow oldies station when I was growing up and that station was played in a lot of government and doctor offices, and in the hospital back then, so I heard a whole lot of 5th Dimension as a sickly kid. So calming but catchy! So many of their songs are associated with being made comfortable and being cared for, in my mind. I can remember belting Wedding Bell Blues into my pink hairbrush in the living room as a very little girl. 😂😅 (Because of that song, I discovered Laura Nyro when I was a teen. WOW.)
Laura Nyro! Such a singular talent. She’s kind of a feminist icon of mine. As great a songwriter as she was she was also good singer. I really like her version of ‘Stone Cold Picnic’.
This is one of the songs from the 60s that is ingrained in our culture and is a part of everyone growing up at that time. Truely great songwriting performed by the amazing and iconic voices of McCoo and Davis!
Thanks Steve. Good to see you on here. I've noticed your comments in the past, but hadn't seen you in a while. Hope to see you again!
@@ProfessorofRock I enjoy your content, but I guess I am a man of few words. I'll try to do better!
Thanks for your hard work and dedication!
I just turned 75 and married 50 years but boy did I love them. Can remember dancing to the tunes!
The 5th Dimension’s popularity covered my high school, my college, and the first few years of my career. Their music was the background for those very formative years. I appreciate your video, Professor, and adore Marilyn and Bill.
I LOVE the Fifth Dimension! They had such amazing harmonies, counter melodies, interesting chord progressions, and style. Great interview.
I have my mom's copy of the "Stoned Soul Picnic" album. Reminds me of dancing in her apartment after she and my father split. He had custody, so I saw her from Friday night until Sunday night. Some of the best weekends of my life.
What a classy couple and Marilyn looks amazing!
I loved that song "stoned soul picnic"!
How can you not love these two? Adorable couple or what? Some great memories from all those 5th Dimension tunes and the amazing harmonies! Simpler times…😊
I have always loved this song. I turned 60 last August so I remember when it came out.
Me too! I'm one month older than you, born in July 1961. We've seen some stuff, haven't we? Hope 2022 treats you well!
I'm 65, and we had great music!
These two still have the spark of youth in them. A great song, a great group and a great interview.
They were one of the most popular bands around in the late 60's and early 70's with tons of hits and radio airplay.
i remember when i was a child my parents listened to them a lot .
Same. They are a wonderful couple eh?
Mine too! They didn't like the hippie stuff but loved the music. [Typo edit]
The 5th Dimension was an incredibly great group to listen to. Up, Up and Away reached #3 in L.A. in July 1967. (#7 on the Billboard Hot 100) and was on the chart for 8 weeks.
I was a kid when Up Up and Away came out. Everybody loved the song. The vocals, the harmonies, are thrilling. I have to say my favorite 5th dimension song however would have to be One Less Bell to Answer because it highlights Marylyn McCoo's beautiful voice. Burt Bacharach and Hal Davis were great songwriters, but fortunate also in seeming to always find the perfect singers like the 5th Dimension to collaborate with on their songs.
OMG! One of my candidates for one of the most beautiful songs of all time! Always warms my heart when I hear it.
Still classy as ever! Wonderful memories as a toddler listening to that beautiful song. I actually did a hot air balloon ride because of this song!! Just lovely!
I remember my mother would put the record on stereo. The stereo was huge. She would sing along with the record and sit in chair smiling. That record would always be playing. My dad would come home from call. He was a funeral director/ embalmer. The music would change his mood greatly.
7
Up, Up, And Away is such a great song and a 60s classic. The Fifth Dimension are one of the great feel-good pop groups ( or as the professor said, sunshine pop). Such a great catalog of songs such as Up, Up, And Away, Aquarius, Last Night, I Didn't Get To Sleep At All, Wedding Bell Blues, One Less Bell To Answer, Working On A Groovy Thing, and so many more. Also, Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. had one of the great duets of the 70s with You Don't Have To Be A Star. I hope to get to hear the stories behind all of these great songs.
Stone Soul Picnic!
All of these. Oh. My. Lord.
We sang this great song in our Variety Show in High School. The audience leapt to their feet and sang along with us on stage.. A real show stopper.
One of my favorite bands. I love the fifth dimension. The 1960's and 1970's music is my favorite.
Marilyn looks Gorgeous. She still can sing good too. Bless her heart.
Philip, I just turned 60 and when I was a little kid I had the biggest crush on Marilyn. She still is a beautiful woman.
Has lightened her skin, but we won't hold that against her
@Shallnot
I don’t think she lighten her skin. Between lighting, make up and some Black just fade in their pigmentation as they age. She’d hardly be first I’ve seen where this has happened.
@@BlackDoveNYC I have no objection to what anyone does cosmetically at all. I myself have had a touch up here or there... But darker skin folks have been doing this in the entertainment business for a long time. You're welcome to look at early pictures of the fifth dimension and see what I mean
@@Vibeagain I’ve met her/them over the years (mutual relationships) the most recent time after a concert in 2019 she looks exactly like she did in the past and she’s not any lighter it’s the lighting for this interview, obviously she’s lighted her hair to cover grey but that’s all, and if you’re blk you already know lighting blk ppl for photos/video is special and our skin also changes based on makeup and the season
What a classy classic duo these two are, so warm and likable. I’ve always loved both “You Don’t Have to Be a Star” and “Up, Up and Away.” Thanks for a terrific interview and a lovely walk down memory lane. I wish many more happy years of performing for Marilyn M and Billy DJ. The years have been very kind to them, they must have found the fountain of youth!
I can imagine a producer walking up to them after recording this song and telling them he hopes they like the song, they're going to be singing it for the rest of their lives... lol
Yes! They were great! Everyone in the group!
They rode the wave of variety shows and had their own. Sonny & Cher,
Capt & Tennille, Donnie & Marie-
I watched them all.
Marilyn looks unbelievably youthful and still is beautiful as ever. Her speaking voice is also lovely.
I was a little kid when this song came out and I loved it then and still love it now. A true classic. Thanks for highlighting it!
It's a lovely song and I've always been crazy about the 5th Dimension. My favorite songs of theirs tend toward the Laura Nyro covers, "Stoned Soul Picnic," "Sweet Blindness", "Wedding Bell Blues", "Blowin' Away", and "Save the Country."
MEMORABLE of the two...can see in their eyes...their happiness...their joyousness...of their careers...it is interesting to note...they knew what was a HIT as performers...today...it is different with what is out now...not like the Golden Days...US/NC
Great interview with an awesome couple, I remember the songs from my childhood, and hearing them talk about it was beautiful. Thanks for this video.
I absolutely adore Marilyn, Billy, and the 5th Dimension! I think I wore out my mom's Greatest Hits on Earth album from playing it almost daily! Apparently, as a child, I also wanted to be a Solid Gold dancer... haha!
This song has special meaning for me as my mom was 38 at the time and loved hearing this on the radio when she was pregnant with me.
Could you hear it!!?? 😄
Dude, you get THE best interview guests. Thank you for sharing this!
I loved this when I was a kid. Still do. They made a mustard commercial back in the day using the song, Let the Sunshine In. 😂
I love this channel! It's a godsend to those of us that live for the details surrounding our favorite music! Thank you Professor! ❤ 😁👍🏻
I have to admit that when I was a child I was completely obsessed with this song. Listening to it gave me a wonderful feeling of going away somewhere different from the everyday routine of life.
It made you feel like you were flying. It taps into our desire to fly and get away and feel free.
Remember these tunes well, they were fantastic "sing a longs". Up Up and away, Aquarius, let the sun shine in and so many more. They were as you would say no "the bomb"! As kids working around a small farm and one of their tunes came on the radio we would slowly begin to sing along until just about everyone joined in... Lol. Great feel good music!
Wow Adam. You keep outdoing yourself. My favorite interview yet. Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Johnny Rivers, the Wrecking Crew. This one had it all! Love Marilyn’s voice. What a fabulous couple.
I saw Marilyn and Billy in line at a restaurant in Century Plaza Mall in Birmingham, Ala., in the 1980s. I wasn’t near to them in line, but I remember looking at Marilyn and finding her captivating beautiful. I barely got to Billy. They seemed like regular folks enjoying a nice dinner with their loved ones. Beautiful timeless memory from my childhood. Thank you to the two legends. Great video.
McCoo is still so adorable! I as 7 or 8 when this song hit the radio, and at that tender age I still thought it as rather cheesy.😂 And then there was" Aquarius"😍 Wedding Bell Blues, One Less Bell To Answer, Didn't Get To Sleep At All...
50 years of marriage! Love it.
Great episode....I have always loved this "feel good" song. I was a second grader and we had the coolest, most groovy music teacher. She was in her early twenties and knew all the best popular songs. We had the best monthly programs for the students and this was one of our songs our 2nd grade group performed. BTW I am 58 years old. Some great memories.
I love Up, Up and Away! It made me so happy when I was a kid.
Such a sweet couple. Bless their hearts, they look so great for their age!
A truly class act. We were taught this song by our fourth grade choir teacher, and it really is part of the feel-good side of our culture.
I was young in elementary school when "Up, Up and Away" came out by "The 5th Dimension." I loved it, same as everyone else. I remember semi-singing , semi-dancing along to it from AM radio out in the woods where my family had a weekend cabin. The chipmunks might've enjoyed it too. Not 'till 15 years later or so did I see a photo of the band and realize -- "They're all African-American." That's another and timely (for its original time) aspect of it that hasn't been mentioned. 1967 was both the "Summer of Love" and of the Detroit Riots. Having a great hit, great as uplifting music, happening to be performed by African-Americans appealing all across the board -- that uplifting and universal joy contributed to better appreciation and freedoms and happy toned achievements by African-Americans, important esp at that time.
In these uncertain times, bringing back this beautiful feel good song, brings warmth & happiness to my day. Thank you for delving into the background of Up Up And Away 🎈🎈🎈
1970 baby and I remember that song on the radio as a little girl. It felt like entering another dimension, being lifted and carried away on the clouds. So majestic!!❤️
No pun intended…😳
Marilyn McCoo has the voice of an angel. When I first heard the 5th Dimensions in 1968, I was 4 years old. I loved everything about the whole production. You certainly motivated my music career. God bless you all.
If you're an 80s child you might remember Marilyn mccoo was the host of solid gold if you all remember this show it was our exposure to new music around the same time as MTV s birth
Exactly! I had a crush on her as did many I'm sure. Good observation.
@@ProfessorofRock I mean solid gold, Casey Kasem and American bandstand was all you had to see what was hot in music if you didn't have cable or MTV
My sister wanted to be a solid gold dancer.
@@SatansSimgma that's pretty cool thanks for sharing
Love this song and this couple ... they aged well! Both look wonderful!
Marilyn is 78 and Billy is 83 years old. Yes, they both look and sound great.
As a kid in Brazil, I listened to 5th Dimension hits on the radio and I can’t describe the feeling. I sang Up Up and Away a lot when it came out (yes, they played it here in Brazil at that time). Then the string of hits they released. Marilyn McCoo’s voice is one of my favorite female voices ever. Billy, as well… what a voice!!! And their vocal harmonies, what a bliss!!! Loved the interview. They are so nice and down to earth. Thank you ❤️
For 78 and 83 years old they look marvelous. I was 8 years old when Up, Up and Away was released and I remember my Aunt used to play the song on her record player and I loved it. The look on Marilyn's and Billy's faces when you spoke about it was a look like they were living it all over again and loved reminiscing about those wonderful times. How often I wish I could go back and appreciate those times more than I did at the time. Doesn't everyone wish they could live their life over. The 60's were magical. Great interview Adam.
Marilyn and Billy really do seem like a really great couple.
Wonderful people!
My all time happy song is “Peace Train” by Cat Stevens.. Always can make me feel better no matter the problem ❤️
My mother learned English singing this song...and it will always have a special place in my heart...Up! Up! and Away....in my beautiful balloon!
Great interview! "Up, up and away" is a childhood favorite of mine, and I always treated it as a guilty pleasure because I didn't know anybody else who loved it. I'm so happy to discover how widely popular the song is!
I remember someone turning it into a rave song in the early 90s.
"Up, up and away, in my time machine, my time machine" 🤦♂️😂
Ha ha! I'll have to look that one up!
@@ProfessorofRock ....Rush Limbaugh used it as a Condom Update on his radio show back in the 90s
This legendary couple are a fantastic interview, they both still look great! During the 60s and early 70s every high school chorus did 5th dimension songs. These 2 inspired a generation to try their voices at singing. Hope you have more from this interview professor, great stuff
Much more to come. Thanks for watching!
@Anna Trail true, really amazing how long he gets these great artists to sit and tell their stories, has he done the age of aquarius already?
I remember the summer of 1967. Dad just retired from the Navy. He moved the family to St. Charles, Missouri. He went to work at McDonnell Aircraft Co. in St. Louis building F-4 Phantoms for the Navy and the Air Force. That August, I attended my first day of high school, where I met future wife. The moment I saw her, I was smitten. She was the prettiest girl I had ever met. It took 10 more years to marry her, and I was her second fiancée. But it was worth the wait. 42 years together. One fantastic son, an aerospace engineer building the nation's newest stealth bomber, the B-21 Raider. God, I miss her. We lost her too soon.
Every time I hear this wonderful song, it takes me back to that fantastic summer of 1967 when I first met the most wonderful woman in the world.
You Dont Have to be a Star is one of my all time favorite songs. I get happy, turn it up and sing along, loudly. Great, great song.
Keep up the good work Sir😎
Thanks for watching! Your support mean a lot to the success of this channel!
The part about Tedesco and the "wrecking crew" musicians reminded me of a good friend of mine (trumpet player who died a few years ago) who was on the road with a road band from Canada. He talked about some of the seasoned pros who came into the band and when a new chart was passed around they would cut it perfectly, first time, every time . . . My friend was impressed and he had already been in the U.S. Army band and the Berklee School of Music and always the best musician in any band I had been in. Imagine a group of virtuoso musicians; that is what "the wrecking crew" was, by all accounts. BTW, Carol Kaye didn't like that name.
Marilyn never really got the credit that she deserved. There was NOBODY better than her when it came to inflection and hitting the notes perfectly. I was a kid when Up, Up, and Away was a hit - and when I think back on my childhood, that is one of a very few songs that always come to mind immediately. And to see those two here in this interview is so nice! I had never seen/heard an interview with them before!
Wow... as a singer, I've never had anything but the utmost respect for the 5th Dimension. Their harmonies were always amazing. And like a lot of teenage boys then, I thought Marilyn was one of the most beautiful women I had ever seen... and she still has that awesome smile!
One of my sister’s friends, Plaz Johnson, was a member of the wrecking crew-although he may not have been on this recording. For those who are interested, check out the “Wrecking Crew” documentary. They performed the instrumental for many of the hits of the 50s and 60s.
Nice work, Prof-Rock!
You’re a few-years younger than myself, so I’m unsure if you remember them as one of the first hosts of “Solid Gold”, which was a must-watch for music-nerds back in the early-80’s.
Yes I definitely remember! I had a mega crush on Marilyn!
@@ProfessorofRock Gorgeous woman! Great interview too … you’re jogging amazing-memories for people. You’ve been an invaluable source of dopamine for us during this slog & it’s been cool to watch your channel grow.
Happy New Year, man. ☮️❤️🎶
Song of my Babyhood !! Up and Away in my Beautiful , my Beautiful Ba- Yoon!! My Mom brought me to see the 5th Dimension Record in the studio !! Thank you mom , you did all you could and knew how to support me to live my Dream ! Now I know why I grew up with a Love of Hot Air Balloons🎈Happy Memories !! Thank you , Blessing us all , your beautiful Unity!!
I remember hearing up up and away in my beautiful balloon on the car radio when I was 6 or 7 my mom and I would sing the song together. when ever we heard it. I am 57 now and my mom is 82 she must of heard parts of the song while I was watching the video because she started to sing the song .For one moment in time I could see myself as 7 and my mom A very young 32 year old. Thank you so much for that memory.I will cherrish it.
Marilyn is still gorgeous
They've both aged beautifully!
This is one of my all time favorite songs. I was blessed to see them sing this song in person at the Michigan State Fair back in the 60’s.
I was twelve years old when “Up and Away” was released. I drove my mother crazy singing it all the time!
Up Up and Away is the first song I can remember hearing on the radio. It was in the 60's and it was all over the airways. It made my spirit soar as a small child and it still does to this day. A timeless classic.
was in high school-when this came out-still love hearing it --55 yrs later--a true classic---we appreciate your work professor
OMG. The MINUTE this song starts, I'm right back in high school, at a school camp on the Blue Mountains (Australia), having a wonderful time. Every single time. I LOVE this song. Our airline TAA used it in an ad. "Up, up and away, with TAA, the friendly, friendly way!"
I grew up listening to The 5th Dimension. My mom would play their album all the time giving our house such uplifting energy. Billy and Marilyn are truly down-to-earth, beautiful people. Thank you for a great interview with them, as well as good ol' Johnny Rivers.
i have that on vinyl after all these years ! definitely sunshine pop !
What a treat to hear a great song from the late 60 's. I remember the group on TV -- they just have class, so enjoyable !!
Great interview, two great people. I like them both and great professionals. We need more like them, Marilyn is such a lovely woman.. it's good to see them again.
I was fortunate enough to meet Marilyn and Billy in the 80's, and spent a lot of time at their house (much of it playing with her dog, Oro, a gift from the producers of Solid Gold). She was (and still is) as beautiful, as kind, as sweet and generous, and as humble as she has always appeared. And it's understandable why people like me have had crushes on her since the 60's.
They seem like awesome people. Glad to see they are still around and performing.
They are wonderful people. Truly!
This is the interview that I did not want to end. I wanted to hear more. During COVID, I was delighted to see how many reaction sites were hearing One Less Bell To Answer for the first time. They were BLOWN AWAY.
If you didn’t catch, just go on RUclips and put in the title of the song, followed by the word reaction and see what you get. The response is amazing. I love them so much. I wish I had a chair in that room ❤️❤️❤️
You know hearing this song on the radio my be one of my earliest memories. I was born in 1967 so I would have been a baby when it was released but I’m sure radio stations played it throughout my toddler and early childhood as it was number 1 here in Australia. When I hear the song it triggers flashes and happy memories of that time. Thanks for this wonderful interview.
My first memory as a kid of Marilyn McCoo was when she hosted Solid Gold in the ‘80s…later when I discovered her solo career and with the 5th Dimension, I was amazed that the “star” of Solid Gold was so talented!
“Age of Aquarius/Let the Sun Shine” is one of those marvelous songs that feels like a wonderful rollercoaster trip…and it’s simply fun to listen to.
Professor-This was a great interview-Marilyn Mc Coo & Billy Davis Jr are truly down to earth.
They are wonderful people. Blessed to have had the opportunity!