Sunny Songs: Aquarius/Let the Sun Shine In

Tweet

Welcome to July! It’s a hot month in the northern hemisphere, so it’s perfect to celebrate the sun this month! Put on your sunscreen and sing along as we start the month out with a 60s classic! Aquarius/Let the Sun Shine In - The 5th Dimension The play Hair was a cultural phenomenon. It was very controversial for its time, based on the profanity (can you believe that used to cause a stir?), nudity, and the subject matter. It also produced a lot of hit songs: “Hair” (the Cowsills), “Easy to Be Hard” (Three Dog Night), and “Good Morning Starshine” (Oliver) were all hit versions of songs that originated in the play. And this one. This is, as the title suggests, a medley of the songs that open and close the play. This was, in terms of chart success, the biggest hit for The 5th Dimension. It was #1 for six weeks, showing that the “counter-culture” might have been controversial but the music was well-loved. Of the five original members, as of this writing only Ron “Sweets” Townson has passed away. Florence LaRue (age 83) has toured with an incarnation of “The 5th Dimension.” Members Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr., who are married, left the group for solo projects in the 70s, scoring a hit with “You Don’t Have to Be a Star (To Be in My Show).” The 5th Dimension has a long legacy of hits from ballads (“One Less Bell to Answer”) to danceable tunes (“Up, Up, and Away”). Sadly they’re mostly forgotten now. So go back in time and enjoy them. Aquarius/Let the Sun Shine In Written by Galt MacDermot, James Rado, and Gerome Ragni Recorded by The 5th Dimension From The Age of Aquarius, 1969 Love will steer the stars: