The Fifth Dimension were too sugary for my personal tastes, but they did record a few, heavenly arranged gems like this one. The indestructable theme of trying to phone a lover after he/she left is a wonderful bonus.
from Magic Garden, available on CD
12 Feb 03 ·konsu: Alright! I was gonna recommend this one too. This song illustrates perfectly the CA sound that Webb & Bacharach were crafting. Some people mistake this for a B.B. tune, and it's no wonder...
"Magic Garden" is a great album to seek out by this group, if you've been afraid before.I also like "Requiem : 820 Latham" & "Paper Cup". 18 Apr 07 ·artlongjr: I LOVE the "Magic Garden" album...I have it on vinyl, but I was fortunate enough to to get it on CD when it was released-it's now out of print. The album is a Jimmy Webb/Fifth Dimension classic. The only thing holding it back from perfection is a Las Vegas-y cover of the Beatles' "Ticket to Ride" that sounds out of place with the other material, all of which was written by Webb. But that's OK, a lot of great albums have one duff track!
I like the Fifth Dimension's early material, "Magic Garden" is their second album, but I also like their first and third LP's. Unfortunately, in later years they became too "show-biz" sounding, which causes some people to overlook all of their material.
In putting together a mix CD tentatively called "Far Out Sixties", this song immediately came to mind. Anybody who knows the Association from "Windy" or "Along Comes Mary" is in for a rude awakening when hearing this tune. It's quite a funky little jam with laid back, almost scatting vocals and droning sitars. So groovy you could picture the guys wearing love beads and nehru jackets while performing it!
28 Feb 03 ·konsu: Alright! I've compiled this one before too. I think the sitar/drum break at the top has been sampled more than a few times. The tune almost sounds like a tribute to Ravi Shankar & The Lovin' Spoonful simultaneously...Right On! 20 Oct 04 ·deaser26: This was a song written by my father, Michael Deasy Sr - who played guitar on most of the Association's stuff. He did a couple of psychedelic albums, Friar Tuck and his Psychedelic Guitar and Tanyet - both cutting edge classics. This song was an interesting exploration for the Association guys.
I can never get tired of this song! The overlapping vocal harmonies are wonderful. A good example of Brian Wilson's genius at creating a crafty, intricate production supported by a simple melody. Why this wasn't a huge hit I don't know (I believe it was their last single at Capitol and wasn't promoted very well).
08 Jul 03 ·johnnyweissmueller: I agree - I have just listened to the song for the first time ever and am entirely "won over" - superb - nothing childish about it; simple but great, humble, never overdoing it. This is imaginative genius at work - in this case it has gotten way, way less credit than it deserves. Thumbs up for a powerful voice in good surroundings.
DJ tomfoolery, a funky, formless response to "Close (To the Edit)" by Art of Noice. If anything, a nifty excuse to play Spot the Sample. Lots of scratching and drum machine beats complete the sweaty, mid-80s NYC feel.
available on CD - Def Jam Classics Vol. 1 (Def Jam/Columbia)
18 Nov 03 ·trivia: Fun fact: Original Concept featured Yo! MTV Raps personalities Doctor Dre (not Dr. Dre) and T-Money.
Sylvie Vartan is supposedly one of the cheezier "ye ye" singers, yet I am so in love with this French cover of an American pop classic. It's so charming, the seriousness with which Sylvie Vartan approaches the song. "Must ... Locomotion ... NOW!"
available on CD - Est-Ce Que Tu Le Sais (BMG)
20 Apr 04 ·olli: i love the scopitone video to this track. nice and silly. it's probably the reason she's considered to be cheesy.
it _was_ downloadable on http://scopitones.com a while ago, but they seem to have removed it. oh well, it will probably resurface somewhere.
