The 5Th Dimension "The Complete Soul City/Bell Singles 1966-1975"

The 5th Dimension gave us some classic albums over the years, but the group also recorded a heck of a lot of singles during that time – some of which feature material that never made the full-length sets, and others that came across in slightly different versions! This huge package collects all that material, and more – and even includes some early singles from a time when the group were known as The Versatiles on the Bronco label, with early production from Willie Hutch – and some later tunes from a time when their albums were running out of steam. The set's a great revelation – like looking at this wonderful group from a fresh perspective – as the 61 tracks on the set span almost a decade of musical growth, filled with the group's groovy mix of male and female voices throughout. As you'd expect, there's plenty of notes to support the material – including dates and other information on the individual singles. (Dusty Groove)
The 5th Dimension could hardly be called un-anthologized. During their '70s peak, budget-line LPs flooded the bins and, back in 1986, the fledgling Rhino Records devoted one of its first compilations to a double LP called Anthology 1967-1973. During the digital era, the group's studio albums popped up in various forms from Buddha, Collectors' Choice Music, and Raven, while Arista released a variety of compilations -- the best being 2004's The Ultimate 5th Dimension -- before the catalog leapfrogged into the domain of Sony, which then issued a double-disc set called The Essential 5th Dimension in 2011. Even with this considerable catalog, Real Gone's 2016 triple-disc The Complete Soul City/Bell Singles 1966-1975fills a void, as it anthologizes the A- and B-sides of everything the group released on Soul City and Bell, including four rarely anthologized early sides by their early incarnation, the Versatiles. These early tracks bear a considerable grooving Motown influence and their very presence winds up illustrating how once the hits started coming for the 5th Dimension, they wound up stripping away any danceable rhythms. Some of these funky beats came back when they were closing their run at Bell -- the B-side "My Song" hits surprisingly hard, "No Love in the Room" has a nice TV theme gloss -- but generally, the 5th Dimension stuck to the middle of the road throughout their time at the top, something that the big hits always suggest. Most listeners will be satisfied with a leaner collection, one that leans on the AM pop singles, but this deep dive shows the consummate showbiz skill of the group and its producers, a team that always knew how to play toward the post-hippie, post-Motown mainstream of the Age of Aquarius and beyond.(Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Allmusic)

CD 1:
The Versatiles
1 You're Good Enough For Me 2 Bye Bye Baby 3 I'll Be Lovin' You Forever 4 Train Keep Me Movin'
The 5th Dimension
5 Go Where You Wanna Go 6 Too Poor To Die 7 Another Day, Another Heartache 8 Rosecrans Blvd. 9 Up-Up & Away 10 Which Way To Nowhere 11 Paper Cup 12 Poor Side Of Town 13 Carpet Man 14 The Magic Garden 15 Stoned Soul Picnic 16 The Sailboat Song 17 Sweet Blindness 18 Bobbie's Blues (Who Do You Think Of?) 19 California Soul 20 It'll Never Be The Same Again
CD 2:
01 Medley_ Aquarius_Let The Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures) 02 Don'tcha Hear Me Callin' To Ya 03 Workin' On A Groovy Thing 04 Broken Wing Bird 5 Wedding Bell Blues 06 Lovin' Stew 07 Blowing Away 08 Skinny Man 9 The Declaration 10 Medley_ A Change Is Gonna Come_People Gotta Be Free 11 The Girls' Song 12 Puppet Man 13 A Love Like Ours 14 Save The Country 15 Dimension 5ive 16 On The Beach (In The Summertime) 17 This Is Your Life 19 Feelin' Alright 20 Love's Lines, Angles & Rhymes 21 The Singer
CD 3
01 Medley: Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures) 02 Don'tcha Hear Me Callin' To Ya 03 Workin' On A Groovy Thing 04 Broken Wing Bird 05 Wedding Bell Blues 06 Lovin' Stew 07 Blowing Away 08 Skinny Man 9 The Declaration 10 Medley: A Change Is Gonna Come/People Gotta Be Free 11 The Girls' Song 12 Puppet Man 13 A Love Like Ours 14 Save The Country 15 Dimension 5ive 16 On The Beach (In The Summertime) 17 This Is Your Life 18 One Less Bell To Answer 19 Feelin' Alright 20 Love's Lines, Angles & Rhymes 21 The Singer
…served by Gyro1966...