On this date in 1969, The 5th
Dimension's cover of "Aquarius/Let The Sun Shine In" –
one of several songs that charted from the musical "Hair" –
began a six-week run at the top of the singles chart.
It's a longer story than you're going
to get here, but the short version is our garage band once got
drafted to be the rhythm section to accompany our high school band
and choir on this medley, and I can tell you from personal experience
that the bass line on this is great fun. I'd do it again tomorrow if
someone offered me the chance, and I'd probably only need one
run-through to have it down after all this time.
And yes, in the video clips from the
1979 film version, directed by Milos Forman and choreographed by Twyla Tharp, that is John Savage
(who'd just come off of "The Dear Hunter"), and that is
Treat Williams, and that is in fact Beverly "Ellen Griswold"
D'Angelo. And I'm pretty sure there's a quick glimpse of Nell Carter in there, too. Don't sit there gaping. Go watch it. Yes, of course it's
dated. In fact, the 1979 film itself was already some distance from the
1968 stage musical. Why is this necessarily a deal-killer? If it was an exact and precise depiction of the
way things are today, what would be the point?
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