Collectors' Choice has quietly released a batch of new Fifth Dimension reissues, including a number of first-time CD releases -- new to CD, we have a two-fer of INDIVIDUALLY & COLLECTIVELY and LIVING TOGETHER; the previously released PORTRAIT coupled with the new-to-CD LOVE'S LINES, ANGLES & RHYMES; FIFTH DIMENSION LIVE with bonus tracks; and SOUL & INSPIRATION with bonus tracks. For those who might have missed the Buddha reissues, they're offering STONED SOUL PICNIC with AGE OF AQUARIUS and UP, UP & AWAY with MAGIC GARDEN. I believe these latter 2 discs replicate the Buddha bonus tracks. Soul-tinged sunshine pop doesn't get any better than this! If CCM reissued the Jimmy Webb-produced EARTHBOUND, I believe the entire catalog of the original lineup would (finally) be on CD!

Updated release date in thread title. ~ Linda

Thanks so much for posting this! It'll be great to finally complete (almost, anyway) my 5th Dimension collection. Like you, I hope they eventually decide to release Earthbound, too.

Collectors' Choice are spoiling us with great back catalog! I don't know what to get first, Four Seasons, Jimmy Webb, Dionne Warwick, Everly Brothers, or Fifth Dimension! Which will go OOP first?

Sadly, take your time for the Dionne Warwick cds: disappointment of the decade from a big, big fan point of view (in short, most of the tracks on the first 4 cds do not sound better that the Sequel cds a decade ago).
To a lesser extent the Jimmy Webb sound just as un-spectacular, but I'm still glad I have the cds

The Four Seasons cds are great, and I skipped the Everly Brothers because the same material was recently released on 2-on-1 cds by Warner with extensive liner notes, a lot of bonus tracks and perfect sound.

That being said, I can't wait for the 5th Dimension cds!!!!!

Seeing as how CCM is sometimes very generous with bonus tracks (the final Bones Howe sessions on the Fifth Dimension's SOUL & INSPIRATION; their Dean Martin series; the Goldebriars, to name a few), I wonder if the cost was prohibitive for them to include bonus tracks on the Dionne CDs. There are plenty of gems still in the Warner vaults, many of which David Nathan referred to by name in his liner notes for the Rhino Handmade discs as coming in an upcoming volume. As we all know, that series was discontinued, and the remaining tracks are still collecting dust in the vaults, including the remainder of Dionne's Garden State Arts Center concert. But bravo to CCM anyway for getting so many terrific catalog titles back in print -- I can't wait for the 5th Dimensions!! Maybe we can all write them and convince them to look into the Jimmy Webb-produced EARTHBOUND? (I believe ABC Records is controlled by Universal, with whom CCM produced two recent Sammy Davis reissues. Maybe Universal could be holding out EARTHBOUND for Hip-O Select treatment? But I doubt it...)

I've got the Sequels of Dionne and only want to supplement with the few extra treats from CCM. I'm holding out on "Soulful" from Rhino Handmade because it's all covers of songs made famous by other soul singers. I generally don't like albums of all covers all that much.

I'll have to make do with those Jimmy Webb's as the OOP Handmade box is prohibitively expensive now. I'll go the twofer route with the Everly Brothers, but note that not all the Warner titles are reissued in the twofer series. You will have to supplement with some CCM titles unless you splash out on the Bear Family box, in which case you don't get the original cover artwork.

I'm glad to hear that The Four Seasons CD's sound good, some of those are first time on CD.

Looking at the full CCM catalog at their web-site, I'm astonished to see how many titles I'd like to get. The only label with more stuff that appeals to me is Collectables!

This is exactly why I skipped the album when it was reissued by Disky in the mid/late 90's, and why I also skipped the Rhino reissue, but I may change my mind one of these days


I wish I could afford the box set: it includes a cover of Frank Zappa's "My Guitar Wants To Kill Your Mama"!

I'm looking forward to, yet dreading, the Fifth Dimension reissues from Collector's Choice music, as they are pretty hit-and-miss as far as packaging goes, and I guess I'm "old school", but the packaging matters to me! I have several of these CD on order and have my fingers crossed! I believe they are due to be released next week.

pghmusiclover

Incidentally, I have passed on the Dionne Warwick discs released by Collector's Choice, as I can't understand why these weren't released as 2-on-1's. I was annoyed that Dionne's Warner Bros. albums were put on individual CDs with no bonus tracks, but I had to have those. I would rather pay extra for the Rhino Handmade product, and get a superior product!

I too like a fat booklet, but the main thing is that the great music of the past gets released while there is still time.

I received the following 3 5TH Dimensions CDs: Portrait/Loves' Lines, Angles and Rhymes; Live; Individually & Collectively/Living Together, Growing Together. The 2-on-1 CDs have nice notes and full CD-booklet size replicas of the front and back of each original album in the booklet -- too bad my 49-year old eyes can't really read any of the actual LP credits! Also, my booklet for Individually... CD has the pages out of order. Anyone else have a booklet with the right page number order? Soundwise, they seem to be pretty good, also. Any idea why only Marilyn and Billy seem to have been interviewed for this releases? Anyone else get these or others in this batch of reissues? Any other thoughts?

I received the Stoned Soul Picnic / Age of Aquarius 2-fer and am very very happy with the quality.

Do I assume correctly the Collectors Choice site is still the only place these can be bought at the moment?

So are they similar the Beach Boys 2-fers of a few years back?
If so that's good, IMHO

I'm not a 2-fer fan for this very reason: too often the original artwork gets shortchanged. I applaud CC if they cared enough to recreate everything.

My only real "nit pick" regarding the artwork is that CC used the front and back covers of both LP's inside the booklet. I actually prefer what the Beach Boys had done where the front of the booklet was the cover of one album and tha back page of the booklet was the cover of the other LP.

The Collectors' Choice Fifth Dimension reissues are finally coming out on August 7th:

"The Magic Garden/Up, Up and Away" (1968, 1967 albums as a two-fer),
"Stoned Soul Picnic/The Age of Aquarius" (1968, 1969 albums as a two-fer)
"The 5th Dimension/Live!!" (1971 album)
"Portrait/Love's Lines, Angles and Rhymes" (1970, 1971 albums as a two-fer)
"Individually & Collectively/Living Together, Growing Together" (1972 albums as a two-fer)
"Soul & Inspiration" (1974 album)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/search?ie=UTF ... ative=9325

There was actually one more reissue in this series from Collectors' Choice ~ the Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr. album I Hope We Get To Love In Time:



1. You Don't Have To Be A Star (To Be In My Show)
2. Your Love
3. I Still Will Be With You
4. Never Gonna Let You Go
5. Nothing Can Stop Me
6. You Can't Change My Heart
7. I Hope We Get To Love In Time
8. My Love For You (Will Always Be The Same)
9. Easy Way Out
10. We've Got To Get It On Again

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000O78IP8/?tag=imwan-20