I have a deep affection for the 5th Dimension’s Billy Davis, Jr. and Marilyn McCoo. They are highly underrated, and the whole group — which introduced many of Laura Nyro and Jimmy Webb’s classic songs — should be in the Rock Hall and Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Questlove of the Roots just featured them in his documentary, “Summer of Soul,” and rightly so. They were pioneers of pop R&B with amazing voices.
Marilyn and Billy have just recorded an album of songs by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, a great idea called “Blackbird: Lennon-McCartney Icons.” Their first single, for Valentine’s Day, is “Silly Love Songs.” Billy really gets to show off his still amazing tenor. The rest of the album is coming this spring with some leads of course by Marilyn, one of the great pop singers of all time.
You know, the 5th Dimension was like the flipside to the Mamas and vice versa. Only the 5th D actually was more successful.
Stay tuned for rest of this album, it’s going to be a great one.
And what a Valentine this is! Marilyn and Billy have been happily married for 51 — yes FIFTY ONE — years!!!!
photo: Jon Carrasco
