"Medley: Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures)"
Single by the 5th Dimension
from the album The Age of Aquarius
B-side"Don'tcha Hear Me Callin' to Ya"
ReleasedMarch 1969
Recorded1968
Genre
Length
  • 4:49 (album version)
  • 3:50 (promo single edit)
LabelSoul City
Composer(s)Galt MacDermot
Lyricist(s)
Producer(s)Bones Howe
The 5th Dimension singles chronology
"California Soul"
(1969)		 "Medley: Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures)"
(1969)		 "Workin' On a Groovy Thing"
(1969)

"Medley: Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures)" (commonly called "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In", "The Age of Aquarius" or "Let the Sunshine In") is a medley of two songs written for the 1967 musical Hair by James Rado and Gerome Ragni (lyrics), and Galt MacDermot (music), released as a single by American R&B group the 5th Dimension. The song spent six weeks at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart in the spring of 1969 and was eventually certified platinum in the US by the RIAA.[2] Instrumental backing was written by Bill Holman and provided by session musicians commonly known as the Wrecking Crew.[3][4] The actual recording was novel at the time, being recorded in two cities, Los Angeles and Las Vegas, and being mixed down to a final version later.

The song listed at number 66 on Billboard's "Greatest Songs of All Time".[5]

History

The recording was led by veteran American producer and engineer Bones Howe, who had previously worked with the 5th Dimension as well as the Mamas & the Papas and Elvis Presley. As Howe tells it, the recording can be traced to an incident in which 5th Dimension lead singer Billy Davis Jr. left his wallet in a New York City cab; the man who found the wallet was involved in the production of Hair and invited the group to see the show: "After they'd seen it I received a phone call in which they were all talking over one another, saying 'We've got to cut this song "Aquarius". It's the best thing ever.'" Howe was skeptical ("This isn't a complete song. It's an introduction."), but after seeing the show on stage got the idea to create a medley with another musical moment from the show, a few bars from the song "The Flesh Failures" that consist of the repeated words "let the sunshine in." Although the two song fragments are in different keys and tempos, Howe resolved to "jam them together like two trains."[6]

The instrumental track was set to tape at Wally Heider's Studio 3 in Hollywood by the Wrecking Crew members including Hal Blaine on drums, Joe Osborn on bass, Larry Knechtel on keyboards, Tommy Tedesco and Dennis Budimir on guitars and Tony Terran on trumpet. It also featured strings, winds, and brass instrumentations. However, the vocals were recorded separately in Las Vegas, where the 5th Dimension was performing at the time, using only two microphones for the five singers. Davis' solo during "Let the Sunshine In" was improvised during the session; songwriter Jimmy Webb, who happened into the studio during the recording, remarked to Howe, "My God, that's a number one record."[6]

Among the counterpoint phrases sung by Davis are: "Oh, let it shine", "Open up your heart", "You got to feel it" and "I want you to sing along with the 5th Dimension".

This song was one of the most popular songs of 1969 worldwide, and in the United States it reached the number one position on both the Billboard Hot 100 (for six weeks in April and May) and the Billboard Easy Listening chart. It also reached the top of the sales charts in Canada and elsewhere. Billboard ranked it as the No. 2 Hot 100 single for 1969, although "Aquarius (Let the Sunshine In)" would go on to outsell the No. 1 Hot 100 single for 1969, "Sugar Sugar" by The Archies, and consistently ranks several positions above it in the all-time chart.[7]

The recording won both the Grammy Award for Record of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Group for the Grammy Awards of 1970, after being published on the album The Age of Aquarius by the 5th Dimension, and also being released as a seven-inch vinyl single record.

The lyrics of this song were based on the astrological belief that the world would soon be entering the "Age of Aquarius", an age of love, light, and humanity, unlike the current "Age of Pisces". The exact circumstances for the change are "When the moon is in the seventh house, and Jupiter aligns with Mars." This change was presumed to occur at the end of the 20th century; however, astrologers differ widely as to precisely when.

Astrologer Neil Spencer denounced the lyrics as "astrological gibberish", noting that Jupiter forms an astrological aspect with Mars several times a year and the moon is in the 7th House for two hours every day.[8] These lines are considered by many to be merely poetic license, though some people take them literally.

The American Film Institute's 100 Years...100 Songs list, published in 2004, ranked "Medley: Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures)" as number 33.

Track listing

  • A. "Medley: Aquarius / Let the Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures)" – 3:50
  • B. "Don'tcha Hear Me Callin' to Ya" – 3:54

Charts

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[28] Platinum 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Gordon, Alex (January 1, 1998). "The Fifth Dimension". In Knopper, Steve (ed.). MusicHound Lounge: The Essential Album Guide. Detroit: Visible Ink Press. p. 172.
  2. ↑ AllMusic.com The Age of Aquarius page Accessed: November 8, 2013
  3. ↑ Hartman, Kent (2012). The Wrecking Crew. St. Martin's Griffin. pp. 261–263. ISBN 978-1-250-03046-7.
  4. ↑ Discogs credits for Bill Holman 'Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In'
  5. ↑ "Hot 100 55th Anniversary: The All-Time Top 100 Songs". Billboard. 1980-12-08. Retrieved 2014-05-24.
  6. 1 2 "CLASSIC TRACKS: Fifth Dimension 'Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In'". Sound on Sound. February 2006. Retrieved June 16, 2018.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Top Records of 1969 (Based on Billboard Charts)", Billboard, December 27, 1969. pp. 16-17. Accessed December 7, 2016.
  8. ↑ Neil Spencer, True as the Stars Above, 2000, p. 124.
  9. 1 2 The 5th Dimension - Aquarius / Let the Sunshine In, austriancharts.at. Retrieved June 24, 2018.
  10. ↑ "The 5th Dimension – Aquarius / Let the Sunshine In" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved June 23, 2018.
  11. ↑ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1969-05-19. Retrieved 2018-01-04.
  12. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Aquarius-Let the Sunshine In". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
  13. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – 5th Dimension The" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  14. ↑ "The 5th Dimension – Aquarius / Let the Sunshine In" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved June 23, 2018.
  15. ↑ Archived 2021-11-28 at the Wayback Machine Flavour of New Zealand, June 27, 1969. Accessed: November 27, 2016
  16. ↑ "SA Charts 1965–March 1989". Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  17. ↑ "Låtarna från Kvällstoppen 17 juni 1969".
  18. ↑ "The 5th Dimension – Aquarius / Let the Sunshine In". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved June 23, 2018.
  19. ↑ "The 5th Dimension: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 23, 2018.
  20. ↑ "The 5th Dimension Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved June 23, 2018.
  21. ↑ Adult Contemporary - The 5th Dimension Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures) Chart History, Billboard.com. Retrieved June 24, 2018.
  22. ↑ Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs - The 5th Dimension Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures) Chart History, Billboard.com. Retrieved June 23, 2018.
  23. ↑ "Best Selling Rhythm & Blues Singles", Billboard, May 10, 1969. p. 36. Retrieved June 24, 2018.
  24. ↑ "Cash Box Top 100 Singles, May 3, 1969". Archived from the original on January 9, 2018. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
  25. ↑ "RPM's 100 Hits of 1969". RPM. January 10, 1970. Retrieved June 24, 2018.
  26. ↑ Archived 2019-01-25 at the Wayback Machine The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1969. Accessed: November 27, 2016
  27. ↑ "Hot 100 60th Anniversary". Billboard. Retrieved October 22, 2018.
  28. ↑ "American single certifications – Fifth Dimension – Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
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