Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In
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| "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In" | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Single by The Fifth Dimension | ||
| from the album The Age of Aquarius | ||
| Released | May 1969 | |
| Genre | Pop music | |
| Length | 4:49 | |
| Label | Soul City Records | |
| Producer(s) | Bones Howe | |
| Chart positions | ||
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| The Fifth Dimension singles chronology | ||
| California Soul (1969) |
Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In | Wedding Bell Blues (1969) |
"Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In", sometimes incorrectly known as "The Age of Aquarius", is a medley of the songs "Aquarius" and "The Flesh Failures (Let The Sunshine In)" from the musical Hair, originally released by The Fifth Dimension as a single which held the number one position on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 for six weeks in 1969 and was certified Platinum [1]. The recording won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year and Best Contemporary Vocal Performance by a Group at the Grammy Awards of 1970, after it was released on the album The Age of Aquarius. The song was written by James Rado, Gerome Ragni and Galt MacDermot.
The song was based on the astrological belief that the world would be entering the Age of Aquarius, an age of love, light and humanity, unlike the then current Age of Pisces. This change was presumed to occur at the end of the 20th century, though Astronomically the Age of Aquarius will not begin until 2600.
"Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In" was ranked thirty-third on the 2004 AFI's 100 Years... 100 Songs.
Contents |
[edit] Track listing
| Side | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| A. | "Medley: Aquarius / Let the Sunshine In" | 4:50 |
| B. | "Stoned Soul Picnic" | 3:26 |
[edit] Chart positions
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1969 | Billboard Black Singles | 6 |
| 1969 | Billboard Pop Singles | 1 (6 weeks) |
| 1969 | Billboard Adult Contemporary | 1 |
| 1969 | Swiss charts | 4 [2] |
| 1969 | Dutch Top 40 | 12 [3] |
[edit] Party Animals cover version
| "Aquarius" | ||
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 |
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| Single by Party Animals | ||
| from the album Good Vibrations | ||
| Released | 27 July 1996 | |
| Genre | Happy Hardcore, Gabber | |
| Length | 3:12 | |
| Label | Mokum Records | |
| Producer(s) | Flamman & Abraxas | |
| Chart positions | ||
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| Party Animals singles chronology | ||
| Hava Naquila (1996) |
Aquarius | We Like To Party (1997) |
"Aquarius" is the third single of the pop-gabber Dutch band, the Party Animals, and was recorded for their debut album Good Vibrations. The song was released in 1996 and is a remake of the same titled song from the musical Hair except that it is recreated with a gabber beat. The single was certified Platinum [4] and peaked at the number one position for three weeks, making the Party Animals the first group to have their first three singles go to number one. [5]. The number entered of the end of the yearlist at the 23 position.
[edit] Track listing
| # | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Aquarius (Flamman & Abraxas radio mix)" | 3:12 |
| 2. | "Hou Op!" | 4:44 |
| 3. | "Not So Good Vibrations" | 0:39 |
| 4. | "Misadventures Of The Spiegelman (part 1)" | 3:36 |
| 5. | "Misadventures Of The Spiegelman (part 2)" | 4:18 |
[edit] Other versions
- "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In" is also performed, in Bollywood fashion, at the conclusion of the 2005 movie The 40-Year-Old Virgin.
- British comedian Vic Reeves also sang it.
- "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine in" is also used in commericals for the Kia Rondo.
- William Shatner sang a version of "Aquarius" in a commercial for Priceline.com.
[edit] References
- ^ AllMusic.com The Age of Aquarius page Accessed: November 26, 2006
- ^ SwissCharts.com "Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In" page. Accessed: November 26, 2006
- ^ Top4000.nl Chart week 23, 1969. Accessed: November 26, 2006
- ^ NVPI.nl Certification page. Accessed: November 26, 2006
- ^ Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, 500 Nr. 1 Hits uit de Top 40, page 330, 9023009444 (Book in Dutch)
[edit] See also
| Preceded by "Dizzy" by Tommy Roe |
Billboard Hot 100 number one single April 12, 1969 |
Succeeded by "Get Back" by The Beatles |
