The Age of Aquarius (album)

The Age of Aquarius
The Age of Aquarius
Studio album by the 5th Dimension
Released	May 1969
Recorded	1968–1969
Studio	Wally Heider (Hollywood, California); United (Las Vegas, Nevada);
Length	40:47
Label	Soul City
Producer	Bones Howe
The 5th Dimension chronology
Singles from The Age of Aquarius
	"Medley: Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures)"; Released: March 1, 1969; "Workin' On a Groovy Thing"; Released: June 1969; "Wedding Bell Blues"; Released: September 1969; "Blowing Away"; Released: December 1969;

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	^[1]

The Age of Aquarius is the fourth album by the American pop group the 5th Dimension, released in 1969. It was their biggest commercial success in the United States, peaking at number two on the Billboard 200 and the Top R&B Albums charts.

Track listing

Side One

"Medley: Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures)" (Galt MacDermot, James Rado, Gerome Ragni) – 4:51
"Blowing Away" (Laura Nyro) – 2:32
"Skinny Man" (Michael Kollander, Ginger Kollander) – 2:51
"Wedding Bell Blues" (Laura Nyro) – 2:44
"Don'tcha Hear Me Callin' to Ya" (Rudy Stevenson) – 3:56
"The Hideaway" (Jimmy Webb) – 2:45

Side Two

"Workin' On a Groovy Thing" (Roger Atkins, Neil Sedaka) – 3:10
"Let It Be Me" (Gilbert Bécaud, Mann Curtis, Pierre Delanoë) – 3:54
"Sunshine of Your Love" (Pete Brown, Jack Bruce, Eric Clapton) – 3:18
"The Winds of Heaven" (Bob Dorough, Fran Landesman) – 3:14
"Those Were the Days" (Gene Raskin) – 3:03
"Let the Sunshine In (Reprise)" (MacDermot, Rado, Ragni) – 1:29

Bonus tracks

"Chissa Se Tornera (Who Knows If He Will Return)" (Mario De Sanctis, Antonio Salis, Lucio Salis) – 3:00 [Bonus track; 2000 CD reissue only]

Personnel

Billy Davis Jr. - lead vocals (tracks 1, 8), background vocals
Florence LaRue - lead vocals (track 2), background vocals
Marilyn McCoo - lead vocals (tracks 2, 4), background vocals
Lamonte McLemore - background vocals
Ron Townson - background vocals

Additional personnel

Dennis Budimir - guitar
Mike Deasy - guitar
Bill Fulton - guitar
Tommy Tedesco - guitar
Joe Osborn - bass
Hal Blaine - drums, percussion
Larry Bunker - mallets, congas, percussion
Milt Holland - percussion
Pete Jolly - keyboards
Larry Knechtel - keyboards
Jimmy Rowles - keyboards
Bill Holman - Strings & Brass - string section, horn section
Tony Terran - Trumpet

Production

Producer: Bones Howe
Engineer: Bones Howe
Mastering: Elliot Federman
Digital transfers: Mike Hartry
Reissue producer: Rob Santos
Production coordination: Jeremy Holiday
Production assistant: Ann McClelland, Tom Tierney, Russ Wapensky
Project coordinator: Arlessa Barnes, Glenn Delgado, Christina DeSimone, Robin Diamond, Karyn Friedland, Felicia Gearhart, Laura Gregory, Robin Manning, Brooke Nochomson, Ed Osborne, Larry Parra, Dana Renert, Bill Stafford, Steve Strauss
Archives coordinator: Joanne Feltman, Glenn Korman
Musical arrangements: Bob Alcivar, Bill Holman, Bones Howe
Vocal arrangement: Bob Alcivar
Art direction: Ron Wolin
Reissue art director: Mathieu Bitton
Design: Mathieu Bitton, Ron Wolin
Photography: Ed Caraeff
Liner notes: Mike Ragogna

Charts and awards

Album

Billboard (United States)

Year	Chart	Position
1969	Black Albums	2
1969	Pop Albums	2
1969 Year End	Billboard 200	21
1969 Year End	Cashbox	15

Singles

Billboard (United States)

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1969	"Medley: Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures)"	Black Singles	6
1969	"Medley: Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures)"	Pop Singles	1
1969	"Medley: Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures)"	Adult Contemporary	1
1969	"Wedding Bell Blues"	Adult Contemporary	1
1969	"Wedding Bell Blues"	Black Singles	23
1969	"Wedding Bell Blues"	Pop Singles	1
1969	"Workin' On a Groovy Thing"	Black Singles	15
1969	"Workin' On a Groovy Thing"	Pop Singles	20
1970	"Blowing Away"	Adult Contemporary	7
1970	"Blowing Away"	Pop Singles	21

Grammys


Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
1970	The Age of Aquarius	Album of the Year	Nominated
	The Age of Aquarius	Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical	Nominated
	"Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In"	Record of the Year	Won
		Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals	Won
		Best Arrangement, Instrumental and Vocals	Nominated

^[2]

Certifications


Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)^[3]	Gold	500,000^{^}
^{^} Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

^ https://www.allmusic.com/album/r37492/review
^ "The 5th Dimension". grammy.com. The Recording Academy.
^ "American album certifications – Fifth Dimension – The Age of Aquarius". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 24 October 2023.

[1] ttps://www.allmusic.com/album/r37492/review

[2] "The 5th Dimension". grammy.com. The Recording Academy.

[United_StatesFifth_DimensionThe_Age_of_AquariusalbumCertRef-3] "American album certifications – Fifth Dimension – The Age of Aquarius". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 24 October 2023.

[1]

[2]

[3]

v t e The 5th Dimension
Marilyn McCoo Billy Davis Jr. Florence LaRue Lamonte McLemore Ronald Townson
Studio albums	Up, Up and Away The Magic Garden Stoned Soul Picnic The Age of Aquarius Portrait Love's Lines, Angles and Rhymes Reflections Individually & Collectively Living Together, Growing Together Soul & Inspiration Earthbound
Singles	"Go Where You Wanna Go" "Up, Up and Away" "Stoned Soul Picnic" "Sweet Blindness" "California Soul" "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures)" "Workin' On a Groovy Thing" "Wedding Bell Blues" "Blowing Away" "A Change Is Gonna Come/People Got to Be Free" "The Girls' Song" "Puppet Man" "Save the Country" "On the Beach (In the Summertime)" "One Less Bell to Answer" "Love's Lines, Angles and Rhymes" "Light Sings" "Never My Love (Live)" "Together Let's Find Love" "(Last Night) I Didn't Get to Sleep at All" "If I Could Reach You" "Living Together, Growing Together" "Everything's Been Changed" "Ashes to Ashes" "No Love in the Room" "Love Hangover"
Related topics	The Friends of Distinction Marc Gordon Solid Gold