Questlove Supreme: Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Quest Love Supreme is a production of iHeartRadio.

Speaker 2 (00:08):
Ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to Quest Love Supreme. I'm your
host Quest Love.

Speaker 1 (00:13):
We got this. Yeah, we still got Team Supreme with us. Yeah.

Speaker 3 (00:18):
How are you doing good? Doing good?

Speaker 4 (00:20):
From the from the east, from the East coast, so
well looking forward?

Speaker 1 (00:24):
Yeah, wait, you're you're in the East Coast.

Speaker 4 (00:26):
Yes, I'm doing I told you to the vaccinated. Visit buddy.

Speaker 5 (00:30):
Everybody vaccinated.

Speaker 4 (00:32):
Yes, Mama, daddy, everybody.

Speaker 1 (00:34):
Welcome back, Welcome back home.

Speaker 3 (00:36):
That's rank you.

Speaker 1 (00:37):
I pay bill you.

Speaker 3 (00:38):
Okay, I'm also vaccinated. I feel fantastic.

Speaker 1 (00:41):
All right, fan Ticolo, you cool.

Speaker 6 (00:45):
I'm good man. I'm good man, enjoying some grilled chicken
and a salad.

Speaker 1 (00:50):
Nice.

Speaker 6 (00:52):
You're not trying to live better, you know?

Speaker 2 (00:54):
Yeah, I'm on day twelve of salad, just salad. What's up, Steve?
How's it going.

Speaker 6 (01:02):
I'll be the only honest one to here and say
I am stressed out this anyway, everybody, I want to
get this done.

Speaker 2 (01:11):
No, we're not stressed out. We're putting good vibrations out there.
I will say that our distinguished guests are the founding
members of the legendary Grammy award winning Fifth Dimension. Of course,
during the mid seventies, our guests left the group and
paired down to a duo. Released several Grammy caliber songs

(01:33):
like the Inescapable, You don't have to be a star
to be My Show your Love, I Hope we get
to love and time Shine on Silver Moon, plenty of
other seven Grammy nominations in total.

Speaker 1 (01:43):
I would actually paraphrase and say that.

Speaker 2 (01:47):
They are They are Jane Beyonce are the Billy and
merm mccow of now, not the opposite that they are
the Jade bad for real. They are absolute happiness, enjoy.
I consider them the first couple of pop and soul.
Their marriage has been strong for fifty plus, fifty plus years.

(02:09):
I believe fifty second coming this Jill anniversary.

Speaker 1 (02:14):
That is amazing. And they're still releasing music Lazy and Gentlemen,
which is incredible.

Speaker 2 (02:20):
They released a new collection of Lennon McCartney compositions, aptly
titled Blackbird Songs that were inspired by the turbulent experiences
that we've been through in the last year or so
in twenty twenty.

Speaker 1 (02:33):
What else can I say?

Speaker 2 (02:35):
Oh not to mention they are a vital part of
the I hear it's an excellent documentary about Cultural Festival.

Speaker 1 (02:47):
Nineteen sixty nine. I hear it's good, you know.

Speaker 6 (02:49):
Anyway, this is the week it comes out, too.

Speaker 1 (02:53):
Really, it comes out this week.

Speaker 4 (02:56):
I hear it comes out this week.

Speaker 1 (02:57):
That's amazing. All right, cool, ladies and gentlemen.

Speaker 2 (03:00):
He's welcome the legendary, the legendary Billy Davis Junior and
Marilyn mccou toquest left, Suprie.

Speaker 3 (03:06):
Yes, thank you, thank you. Listen, you said you heard
about the doctor Vennery being good. You heard right.

Speaker 2 (03:17):
Okay, I'm gonna I'm gonna go see it for myself
all those things you said about us.

Speaker 3 (03:23):
How much do we owe you?

Speaker 2 (03:27):
I owe you, guys. I owe you guys. I really,
really really do love you guys. Actually, you know what
that one story? I don't. I know a lot about
you guys, But can you guys describe I know that
you guys were acquaintances before you got married, of course,
like no one starts off being married and then starts,

(03:48):
you know, with friends. Can you guys describe the first
time that you met each other? Do you guys remember
the first day you met each other?

Speaker 3 (03:55):
I don't.

Speaker 1 (03:56):
You don't remember the first day you met.

Speaker 2 (03:57):
It's like the newly white game was to hit him
on the head.

Speaker 3 (04:02):
Well, don't forget, don't forget. It was fifty something years okay, okay,
was breaking.

Speaker 4 (04:11):
Oh no, you're trying to say, gotta keep us mighty.

Speaker 3 (04:21):
When we got married, I was never going to speak
to him again. And guess what.

Speaker 5 (04:24):
I was walking down the aisle and I looked into
his face and I saw red eyes.

Speaker 1 (04:31):
Oh shots, fine, bachelor, he was. Okay, I get it,
I get it. So you remember up to that, right,
remember to that point.

Speaker 5 (04:41):
Okay, before we before we met, I had been hearing
about this guy from Saint Louis, because the mont Maclamore
from the group and from the group, we're all from
Saint Louis, and they were talking about this guy named
June Bud who was coming out from Saint Louis looking
for a record deal, and that he could say.

Speaker 1 (05:01):
Right, and that's June bug.

Speaker 2 (05:03):
I see you're so you're not from Saint Louis, Yeah.

Speaker 3 (05:13):
Louis, Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 (05:16):
So so the group was formed by and we should
also note that uh Ron Malamore, I'm not Ron. I'm sorry.
Lamar Macklamore is the week baby, the the legendary what
now Beauty the Week Jet Beauty the Week pace He's.

Speaker 4 (05:34):
He's a photographer or something.

Speaker 1 (05:36):
He was the original Instagram shut up.

Speaker 2 (05:40):
Yes, even even to like when whenever Jet went uh,
I don't know when Jet stopped uh publication, but he
went to the very end.

Speaker 3 (05:54):
So, yes, the Lama took all.

Speaker 7 (05:58):
The pictures of all of them, but most of the
pictures of that the women in the bathing suits.

Speaker 1 (06:05):
Yeah, in the middle of Jet Yes career, even at
the height of fifth dimensioned them like right, he.

Speaker 3 (06:15):
Was he was still doing that.

Speaker 2 (06:17):
Yeah, how can one juggle both and still and still
do that. I'm also in the mind state that once
you're in the fifth dimension, you're touring all over like
nine months out the year. But he was able to
maintain both on a weekly basis.

Speaker 3 (06:34):
Yes, yes, yes, I mean he would.

Speaker 7 (06:37):
I don't know just how his setup was, but he
was definitely still doing it, you know, and still making
our rehearsals. And sometimes when we would be out of
town he would be all and we had a day
off or something, he would find some young lady to
shoot you know it, take out somewhere to shoot a
you know, and even.

Speaker 1 (06:55):
The agent that's incredible.

Speaker 3 (06:58):
Yes, yes, yes.

Speaker 2 (07:00):
One of the one of the running jokes anytime that
you guys were on any show was finding.

Speaker 1 (07:10):
Lamont a wife.

Speaker 2 (07:13):
That's always been like the running joke in any Fifth
Dimension interview, like this was.

Speaker 1 (07:18):
This bachelorhood like legendary in the seventies.

Speaker 3 (07:21):
Like pretty legendary.

Speaker 1 (07:24):
Yes, Yes, did he eventually get married?

Speaker 3 (07:28):
Yes he did, he's a number of years now.

Speaker 2 (07:31):
Okay, I was about to say no, just just based
on my Fifth Dimension research, Like every time that was
like a running joke.

Speaker 1 (07:39):
Did he did he get married yet? Is he still
a bachelor? Okay, I get it now.

Speaker 7 (07:42):
Well, Lama was always the one in the male in
the group that always had these long range plans with
these young ladies.

Speaker 3 (07:51):
You know.

Speaker 7 (07:52):
He would meet a young lady and the hero sell
long range plans for her, you know. So that's that's
that's why we always tease him about getting married.

Speaker 3 (08:01):
He was waiting, waiting and waiting, but he finally did
get married. Yes.

Speaker 2 (08:06):
Okay, what year did the group officially form? I know
that you guys are under the name the Versatiles. It
was the Versatiles, correct, that's.

Speaker 5 (08:15):
Right, that's the way we started. Yes, yes, and that
was in nineteen.

Speaker 1 (08:19):
Sixty five, and then why was it changed to the
Fifth Dimension.

Speaker 5 (08:23):
Well, we were getting ready to come out with this
song with our first single, and the man who was
the head of the record company thought that the Versatile
sounded kind of old, that we needed something edgy and new,
and so we all went home and we were supposed

(08:44):
to come back with creative ideas for a new name
for the group, and ron Townsend and his wife came
up with the name the Fifth Dimension. And when we
first heard it, everybody loved it, and so we voted
on it, because we voted on everything in the group.
Dimension one hands down.

Speaker 2 (09:02):
Was there like sort of a cosmic kind of definition.
Was it supposed to intentionally be like psychedelic because of
what the times were during that period?

Speaker 3 (09:12):
Or yeah, pretty much.

Speaker 5 (09:14):
You know, we were five members of the of a
group and.

Speaker 3 (09:17):
I think Ronald was talking about Dimension.

Speaker 5 (09:22):
Well, they decided that the Fifth Dimension was supposed to
be Fifth Dimension was sound, So we said, okay, that
makes sense.

Speaker 2 (09:29):
Yeah, okay, I see did you guys at all? I
know that Bell Records was a label closely associated with
Arthur Shimpkin and also with a I believe Clive Davis
started or at least work there at the time period.
Did you guys work with him at all or have

(09:49):
any dealings with him or was he at Columbia by
this point?

Speaker 3 (09:54):
Actually, well, we didn't work with well, we did, we did.
We didn't work with.

Speaker 5 (09:59):
But just from minute you know, actually Saul City was
the was the name of the label, and that was
the one that started the group. And then uh when
and then Bell Records came in.

Speaker 1 (10:11):
Larry Utah, Larry you Tall, Yeah, I know I know
that name.

Speaker 5 (10:16):
Yes, yeah, Larry U Tah actually started Bell Records and
the Fifth Dimension was still there, and then uh, then
some transitions took place and Clive Davis came in and.

Speaker 1 (10:30):
Right when he came in, he turned it into Arista.

Speaker 3 (10:32):
Correct, exactly, That's what happened, right.

Speaker 1 (10:34):
Okay, I see now, I see now.

Speaker 7 (10:36):
I think one of the I think one of the
guys that at uh Bail Records was Irgelgel.

Speaker 3 (10:43):
Yes, he worked with he worked with yeah in the
very beginning.

Speaker 1 (10:49):
Yeah, in the beginning of the group.

Speaker 2 (10:51):
Who decided the direction because you guys had a really
somewhat sophisticated, elegant sound, sort of a step ahead of
I guess at the time, like Motown was was the
leader of a more classier version of the soul. But

(11:13):
you guys were definitely kind of a step ahead of that,
Like who decided the direction of the group and how
do you guys approach your creativity.

Speaker 7 (11:21):
Well, one of the things that happened is when we
first started the group, and and and and called ourselves
the Versatils. But we did that because we were all different.
All of us were different singers. I was more gospel
r and big blues, Maryland was more pop, and Ronald
was more operatic sounding, Florence was more pop, and the

(11:44):
Model was a more of a bass kind of singer,
and and and and and more of a pop sick.
So when we decided we started as Diversal and we
went into it as more of a jazz kind of
opportunity to do, to just create just different types of
music and uh. But when we got signed with Johnny Rivers,

(12:05):
we carried that sound with us right on into the
record company. And so when he suggested that we do
go where you want to go, and we said, well,
from the Mamas and Poppers there was a cover for us,
and we said, well, you know it's not going to
sound like Motole you know, we were we were we
went into what was happening for brothers or sisters, you know, right,

(12:27):
and even though we know we had a different sound,
that's what was the kind of music we were looking for.

Speaker 3 (12:33):
But he said, no, let's try. It'll be a hit.
And when he said.

Speaker 7 (12:37):
It'll be a hit, well, everybody was looking for a hit,
you know, you everb of every artist want to hit it,
even if it's pop goals or weasels, you know, you know,
So we did go where you want to go and
it came out with more of a soul for sound,
but not like the pop marmins and poppers. But it

(12:58):
created our out.

Speaker 1 (13:00):
Okay, I see that.

Speaker 2 (13:02):
I gotta say that because of my my weird obsession
with the song MacArthur's Park. I know that was written
by Jimmy Webb and if you kind of look at
his catalog, which is yeah, like Wichita Lineman and all

(13:23):
that stuff, like it's like really weird unorthodox songs, and
I know that he wrote up up in a way,
so like at the time when you were approached, how
did that song come into into the sphere of the
fifth dimension and what with the deciding factor that Okay,

(13:43):
this fits us because it's it's kind of even though
it's it's a hit, it's a really very weird specific song,
like we're going to sing about balloons, air balloons or whatever.

Speaker 1 (13:55):
Like how did how did that? How did you guys
come across that song?

Speaker 5 (14:01):
Well? You know, Uh, Mark Gordon, who was the group's manager,
introduced Johnny Rivers, who who was the owner of Soul
City Records, to Jimmy Webb because, uh, he was saying,
we need somebody creative and new and different. And Mark
had worked with Motown Records and had left Motown and

(14:22):
it's it's a long story about how we all met.
But he liked the group, he liked our direction, and
he said that he wanted to manage us. So so
when he was talking to Johnny Rivers and he said,
and Johnny said, we need somebody young, k new different,
Mark said, there's a very talented young man who was
trying to get some of his songs recorded at Motown.
His name is Jimmy Webb. I'd like for you to

(14:43):
meet him. And so they met, and uh, we ended
up working together on our first album, which must called
Go Where You.

Speaker 3 (14:52):
Want To go well, actually it ended up being called.

Speaker 5 (14:57):
And so we were we were working on some music
and and there was a hot air balloon festival that
took place down in Palm Springs on over a weekend,
and Jimmy went down to that that festival, and he
came back so inspired by what he had seen that
he wrote a song. And he wrote this song called
up Up and Away talking about the balloons, right, And

(15:20):
so he played the song for the group and we said,
oh man, that's a wonderful song. You know, it's a
happy feeling. It makes everybody want to dance and feel
really good.

Speaker 3 (15:31):
It will never be a hit.

Speaker 1 (15:34):
Oh I just thought it was gonna be filler, like
just out right.

Speaker 3 (15:38):
That's all we thought was. You know, we were still
listened waiting for some.

Speaker 7 (15:42):
Motile stuff, you know, up up and a wait and say, man,
that'll never be a hit, you know, And come to
find out it was.

Speaker 3 (15:51):
It was. It was a big smash fun.

Speaker 5 (15:55):
And it won us what for well, we won four
Grammy Yeah, and then Bones how well, no Bones wasn't
producer on that. Mark Mark Mark and Johnny Rivers won
Production Grammys and Jimmy Webb won it.

Speaker 3 (16:10):
For the song yeah.

Speaker 2 (16:12):
Now, I remember you guys previously telling me before that
when you guys won the Grammy for the song that
you weren't too sure like how important the Grammys were,
like or if.

Speaker 1 (16:25):
It was a big deal, like in the late sixties.

Speaker 2 (16:28):
Were the Grammys as big of a press to each
thing as we hold it now or was it just like, oh,
that's nice, we won a Grammy.

Speaker 1 (16:35):
What's Grammy? Exactly?

Speaker 3 (16:36):
That's what we felt.

Speaker 5 (16:38):
Well at that time, the Grammys weren't being televised, so
so the record company was so excited, Oh, you've all
been nominated for Grammys, and we said.

Speaker 3 (16:46):
That is so cool. What's great Grammy? We didn't even
know what it was, you know. And uh but but
after we won the first Grammy.

Speaker 7 (16:56):
And got behind all that excitement, the next one we
were we were in line for.

Speaker 3 (17:02):
We were ready for it, you know, Okay, a Grammys.

Speaker 1 (17:07):
I see you guys mentioned Mark Gordon because.

Speaker 2 (17:12):
I'm I'm like a fan slash aficionado of Soul Train.
I know that oftentimes, like if Val Wilson was on
the show, uh, don would talk to Mark or uh
he was there I think during the Staples Singers episode
as well, So like I'm familiar with Mark Gordon. The
thing was, I didn't know that he was married to

(17:35):
Florence LaRue during that time period. But I was also
shocked for you guys to go to the levels and
the heights that you've gone to. Even in my mind,
I thought, wow, they really had it like a powerful
white manager.

Speaker 1 (17:52):
How was it?

Speaker 2 (17:53):
How was it that Mark was able to work his
magic as as a man, and you know, he's managed
everyone like name it, like Tony. This also probably explains
why you Antonio, Orlando and Don also at your variety shows,
Like what was Mark like as a manager that he
had like further further reached than your average manager where

(18:18):
he can get his acts even past mainstream, but just
in spaces where you normally don't see black acts.

Speaker 5 (18:26):
Well, Mark had a lot. You know, Mark came again
from the Motown background, and so I'm sure he learned
a lot when he was there, and he was running
the West Coast office of Motown Records, and that's how
we met him. And he was also a producer, and
so we were hoping that maybe he would produce a
record on the group and we would end up at Motown.

(18:48):
But again, for one reason or another that Mark and
Motown agreed to disagree, and so Mark came and said,
I'd like to manage guys. I like I like your idea,
I like the sound that you have, and I think
I can do something with you. And then he and
Johnny Rivers. Johnny Rivers, who was a who was more

(19:12):
of a country singer, had some major hits, but he
loved R and B and he wanted to produce some
R and B music. So he came to Mark and
he said, why don't we co produce some projects together?
And so that was how they ended up producing us,
and that was how we ended up recording Go where
You Want to Go and then Up, Up and the Way,

(19:33):
and Mark introduced Johnny to Jimmy Webb. So so Mark
Mark was a visionary in so many ways he was.

Speaker 7 (19:40):
He was definitely a good manager and he I think
the popularity of the group is what kind of got
him in the in the position to be able to
open the doors, because I don't forget he was our
personal manager, but but but we also had an agency.

Speaker 3 (19:58):
Opened the doors too, like William Moore us.

Speaker 7 (20:00):
You know, with our popularity, we would we would, we would,
we were going pop you know, yes, and we were
right in the middle of that. So all the doors
were opening for they had televant shows and all the
all the all of the white shows that would that
was that was happening.

Speaker 3 (20:19):
They wanted the fifth dimension.

Speaker 1 (20:21):
So was it ever a struggle? Okay? So one one
of the one of the.

Speaker 2 (20:29):
Kind of a career highlights for most black acts that
I've spoken to, especially that have started in the sixties,
most of them were being groomed to play the copa.
That was like like one thing is surviving the Apollo,
the other thing is being able to play the copa,
which you know, I can only imagine that that that.

Speaker 1 (20:54):
Was a prestigious thing.

Speaker 2 (20:56):
Was that necessarily a goal for this particular group or
was that not?

Speaker 1 (21:02):
Kind of in your radar?

Speaker 5 (21:04):
Everybody wanted to play the coca. Yeah, everybody wanted to
play the copa. But what happened was there was another
club in New York.

Speaker 7 (21:15):
Well actually it was it was a club, but it
was a room, yes, at the Americana Hotel.

Speaker 5 (21:23):
At it was called the Royal Box, the Royal Box.

Speaker 7 (21:27):
And they ended up hiring us and we would work
the Royal Box every year, right doing a prim season.
You know, so they knew that the fifth was at
that place every year, so it was three or.

Speaker 3 (21:43):
Four years straight that's where we were at.

Speaker 7 (21:45):
So I guess the the copa, but they knew we
were at the Royal Box.

Speaker 3 (21:51):
They never tried to book us.

Speaker 5 (21:52):
They never tried to book us. Blew our chance by
working at the Royal Box. But you know why it
was great because because of the Royal Box, that's how
we ended up with finding Aquarius.

Speaker 2 (22:07):
Okay, So I know this legendary story and it's definitely
one of the highlights of summer. And so could you
please share with our audience the the circumstances that actually
led you to recording uh, the Age of Aquarius with
the sunshining.

Speaker 3 (22:25):
And this is a show mouth true story right right.

Speaker 1 (22:27):
I can't believe it, but it's amazing.

Speaker 3 (22:30):
Think we made it up for stage, but we can't.

Speaker 1 (22:33):
You can't make up nothing like this, you know, no,
you can't know you were working in New York.

Speaker 7 (22:38):
And the funny thing is that I went out to
shop and and and coming back getting out of the cab,
I lost my wallet and it fell in the cab.
So I came up stairs in the hotel room and
I told Maryland. I was looking at my post, Baby,
I've lost my wallet. And Maryland said, oh, well you
can forget that. You ain't gonna never see the wallet.

(23:03):
And so about an hour after that, I got a
phone call and the guy.

Speaker 3 (23:08):
Said, is this Billy Davis Junior. And I said, yes
it is.

Speaker 7 (23:12):
And he said, I got your wallet, wow, wallet. And
I got all excited because he had found my wallet.
And I told him, I said, well, just hold on
to it. I'm coming to your house and get it.
So I went to his house and I offered him
some money. He didn't want their money, so I invited
him to come and see us at the Royal Box

(23:35):
perform him.

Speaker 3 (23:36):
So he took us up on that. So after the show,
he came to the show, him and his wife.

Speaker 7 (23:41):
And after the show he came backstage and he said, man,
you guys are beautiful.

Speaker 3 (23:45):
It's one of I love the show.

Speaker 7 (23:47):
He said, says, you were so nice, Billy, I'd like
to invite you to see our show.

Speaker 3 (23:52):
I said, what show.

Speaker 7 (23:54):
Come to find out he was one of the producers
of had Right. Had been trying to get in to
see hair but I don't know how long.

Speaker 3 (24:04):
No seats. It was like it was like that was
like the Hamilton of.

Speaker 1 (24:11):
Hamilton with skin that were trying to get in to.

Speaker 7 (24:14):
See hair and well it was the first time they
ever seen people neked on stage, so everybody was dashing,
you know. But but we finally got in. He invited
us over to see it, and we saw this young
kid by the name of Ronnie Dyson singing aquariums and

(24:35):
when he he filled the auditorium with that beautiful boss
of his and when he when he did that, we
all heard it right there and said, we have to
do that song.

Speaker 3 (24:46):
That's a fifty minutes song. It's gonna be ah, it's
gonna be a hit.

Speaker 7 (24:50):
That's what was first time we ever said that it's
gonna be a hit. And sure enough it was the
biggest record that we've ever ever recorded.

Speaker 1 (24:58):
That's amazing.

Speaker 3 (25:00):
So how did it?

Speaker 4 (25:00):
How did it go from the stage to your song
though with that strain with the producer?

Speaker 5 (25:06):
Well, well, we called we called our producer who was Bones,
how and we said Bones, and I mean everybody when
we got together at intermission, we were all all five
months and said this is going to be a hit.
So we called Bones and said Bones. We found our
next hit. And he said, what's that and we said Aquarius.

(25:26):
He said, well, I don't know. He said, there's a
lot of people that have tried to make a hit
out of that song and it hasn't worked. And we said,
but the Fifth Division didn't see it, you know, so
determined to record that song. So he said, well, let
me let me listen to it some more and see
what we can come up with. So then he came

(25:47):
back to us a little while later, a couple of
weeks later, and he said, I think I have an
idea of how to make this work. And he came
up with the idea of taking Aquarius and putting it
together with another song Shineyes, that the Sunshining, which was
from the song Paul flesh Face right, and uh, by

(26:09):
combining the two of those together, we ended up with
the biggest hit of our careers.

Speaker 3 (26:15):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (26:15):
Oh so let's the Sunshine and was not a part
of Hair. I didn't know that, Okay, well it was.
It was a part of Hair together. Okay, you just.

Speaker 3 (26:26):
Together like our part what we did with let the Sunshine.

Speaker 5 (26:31):
As a matter of fact, the way that they did
it in the show was that.

Speaker 3 (26:37):
The sun Shine.

Speaker 1 (26:40):
Yeah, it was one of those ruslow and okay.

Speaker 5 (26:43):
The Sunshine it was a sad song, yeah right, but
Bones came up with the idea of making it more joyous.
And then when we were in the studio recording it,
then he said, okay, the group was singing it like
the Sunshine. Then he says, okay, Billy, now go and
take it to church.

Speaker 2 (26:58):
Many yes, yes, that's amazing.

Speaker 1 (27:07):
On an average how many?

Speaker 2 (27:10):
How many gigs just from a touring standpoint, I know,
touring from more or less like doing five straight months,
like living on the road never coming home like after
five straight months or whatever.

Speaker 1 (27:23):
But could you describe to us like what was.

Speaker 2 (27:28):
What was the the gig circuit like during that time
and around nineteen sixty nine for the group, Like how
many was it mainly just one night ers or was
it you know, concentrated time in America then you go
to other parts of the world, Like what was the
average touring season like for the Fifth Dimension, Well, it

(27:48):
was more.

Speaker 5 (27:49):
About America, about the United States. You played a lot
of college campuses, right, We did a lot of a
lot of concerts. We dressed, we got dressed in a
lot of sweaty locker locker rooms.

Speaker 1 (28:03):
Right now, you come in there.

Speaker 7 (28:05):
You come in there after a game, after they left
from a game, and it would be lit up.

Speaker 3 (28:13):
Well, you know, but you have to go in there.

Speaker 7 (28:15):
And you did dress and you know, young, young, you know,
you you get past that, you get out there, but
you worried about doing the best you could do when
you get in front of that audience, you know.

Speaker 3 (28:26):
But yes, we but we did. We played clubs too.

Speaker 7 (28:29):
We played clubs, but we were out on the road
maybe about oh boy, seven to eight months out of
the year.

Speaker 3 (28:36):
We were on the road, I mean moving constantly.

Speaker 5 (28:39):
We also played Las Vegas, yes and UH, which which
a lot of the artists weren't doing, but that was
one of the one of the offers that we got
and uh we ended up playing the Main Room UH
as one of the healthy acts fort for Frank Sinatra,
And that was another way that we were introduced to

(29:00):
the U, to the country at large.

Speaker 3 (29:03):
And then we did a lot of we did We did.

Speaker 5 (29:06):
A number of concerts just around around the country and
a lot of riding around on buses.

Speaker 2 (29:13):
Right, really, okay, when when you're doing uh, okay, if
you're opening for Frank Sinatra, I know that we interviewed
uh the Jackson's some time ago on the show, and
I know that their experience with doing Vegas was that,

(29:34):
you know, they had to sort of expand their repertoire somewhat,
do more show tunes, do more balance.

Speaker 1 (29:43):
Yeah, pretty much.

Speaker 2 (29:44):
So would you have to change the show specifically for
Vegas audience or was it pretty consistent the same show
that you would do for colleges? Were they the same
for Las Vegas or your nightclub act.

Speaker 5 (29:58):
We wouldn't do the for colleges. We would do more
of our recorded material, our songs that were recorded material.
Then we would mix mix up our show with songs
that were high rhythm, high energy, and and uh Billy
to get out there and start singing a lot of
his soul things, and Florence and I dancing and shaking.

Speaker 3 (30:22):
So it changed. It depends upon where we were working.
We would would change for Vegas.

Speaker 7 (30:27):
We would do more of a production kind of a show.
You know, we would put some production uh quality into
the into the show, like a song that we did
called Old to Old to Billy Joe, you know, and each.

Speaker 8 (30:45):
One of us took apart so it looked like a
theater piece in Vegas, and it kept the audience right there,
you know, because they wanted to see what each character
was doing, you know, and then after that piece, we
would come up with one of our hits or something
like that, you know, bring them back down to where
we're at, you know.

Speaker 3 (31:04):
So yeah, we would do that.

Speaker 2 (31:06):
We also know that you're one of the few acts
that you know, doing doing a residency on Broadway is
usually a special occasion. I mean, it rarely happens now,
Like Bruce Springsteen, I had had a one man show
recently before the pandemic more Broadway, but you guys were
definitely one of the first acts to do like a

(31:29):
residency there. Well, I think I'm trying to lead up
to why you two were so natural when you guys
got your own variety special in terms of like doing
more than just performing your songs, like jokes would be
you know in the show and little sketches and whatnot,
Like did that prepare you for that, especially with when

(31:51):
you did your Broadway residency or we.

Speaker 5 (31:54):
Had a wonderful man by the name of Renee Knight
who worked with the group and helped helped taught us
a lot about the entertainment business and about what made
what made shows work, and we would get together and
come up with with songs that Renee came up.

Speaker 3 (32:14):
With the idea of Odabilly Jill you remember that.

Speaker 5 (32:16):
Oh, she was the one who realized that there were
five characters and that in the song.

Speaker 3 (32:21):
And then and we.

Speaker 5 (32:22):
Were able to put those five characters together and and
do that song. And h he had been with a
group called the Delta Rhythm Boys who were very, very
successful h in Europe, and he when he came and
saw us and saw what we were about, he just
felt like, you know, he wanted to work with us
and teach us some of the things that he knew

(32:43):
about how to make live shows really work for your
audiences and how to mix the music up. And Renee.
We give a lot of credit to Renee for helping
to teach us about the business and about how it
worked and and how to make it work. You know
when you talk about when we did that residency on Broadway, Yeah,

(33:05):
we were working with a dancer. His name was Jojo Smith.

Speaker 3 (33:08):
You remember jo Smith?

Speaker 1 (33:10):
I can't say I've heard of them.

Speaker 5 (33:12):
Okay, Well, Jojo Smith had a dancing company and one
of the members of his dancing dancing company was a
young woman by the name of Debbie Allen.

Speaker 1 (33:25):
Wow.

Speaker 3 (33:26):
And that was how we.

Speaker 5 (33:27):
Met Debbie and we when we did our residency, we
were on Broadway for a month and we had came
up with the idea of having a dancing company be
our opening for the show, because again, it was a
nice balance and a difference of entertainment and it made

(33:48):
for a very entertaining show. And that was how we
That was, That was what we did on Broadway.

Speaker 3 (33:54):
That was yes, yes, yes, it was.

Speaker 1 (33:58):
I see, I see.

Speaker 4 (34:00):
Can I just ask how did you? I just want
to know how you guys figured out your life physical aesthetic,
like for your live shows, for your album covers, like
what was the decision behind the outfits and how everything
would come together?

Speaker 7 (34:12):
Well, you know, when when it when it came to
to our live shows, we we were known for wearing
these different type of outfits, you know, right from the beginning.
I mean, you know, they dressed us funny, you know,
but they were dressers in the same colors, but more
to our personalities.

Speaker 3 (34:33):
You know, So what was your color? What was your color?

Speaker 7 (34:35):
Billy outfit would be a little different, and that that
was our theme, you know, And and then all of
a sudden, they got a little bit more sophisticated as
we as we stayed into the business well longer, you know,
they became sleeker and you know, different colors like that,
and they would and they would put those on the
album covers and and I guess the rec the record

(34:58):
company would say, hey, you know, put on the album.
Come because if they see it at album, they know
they'll notice the fit dimension.

Speaker 3 (35:06):
I would love to say that.

Speaker 5 (35:07):
You know. The idea for that of dressing and different
different in the themes was actually Lamont's Lamont Matamore because
we were getting ready to work in a club in
la and the group was not It was nothing famous
at that time, and so we had this job, but

(35:28):
we didn't have any outfits, and so it was like,
oh my god, what are we going to do? So
Lamont came up with this idea. He said, hey, well,
everybody has got something black and white in your closet,
so why don't we take take an outfit and everybody
wear black and white.

Speaker 3 (35:45):
And you just wear whatever you want to wear.

Speaker 5 (35:46):
And that was what we worked that night at that
club and we all had on black and white and
there was a guy in the audience by the name
of Boyd Clapton and he was a designer. And he
came backstage afterwards and he said, I love your idea.
You know, you took this theme about black and white, but.

Speaker 3 (36:06):
You each wore your own personalities.

Speaker 5 (36:09):
And he said, I would love to try to design
something for you. He said, would you let me design
an outfit using that kind of idea?

Speaker 3 (36:17):
And that was how that evolved. And he would come
up with sketches and different things like that and show
him to us before he would make them.

Speaker 5 (36:24):
You know, we would okay, and and each one shot
that would be more in keeping with the with the
personality of the singer.

Speaker 4 (36:34):
Wow, how long did he stay with you guys?

Speaker 3 (36:36):
Make that was with us for a long time at least.

Speaker 2 (36:41):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, Actually, I'm glad you asked that, Like
I always wanted to know.

Speaker 1 (36:49):
Questions.

Speaker 5 (36:50):
There were so many amazing things that that happened, the
people that we met, the people who came involved became
involved with the group, the people who crossed our paths,
and it was truly I feel like the fifth dimension
was truly blessed.

Speaker 2 (37:03):
Oh yeah, yeah, well I always wanted to know. Okay,
so I know again, in today's the times that we
live in today. There are entourages, there's you know, assistance,
there's wardrobe people, there's blah.

Speaker 1 (37:18):
Blah blah blah blahlah blah blah blah.

Speaker 2 (37:20):
But I know that at least back then, it was
sort of like self contained and artists were responsible for
their own outfits and whatnot. So when you are extensively
touring and you have these outfits and whatnot, like, how
do you how do you how's the upkeep? Like, are

(37:40):
you guys the ones that have to iron your stuff
before the show? Run to the cleaners in between cities
and whatnot? Like or was there a wardrobe person on detail?

Speaker 3 (37:51):
No?

Speaker 7 (37:51):
No, we's no way could we had done, but we
would do because we ended up having to.

Speaker 3 (37:57):
Take a wardrobe person with us on the road.

Speaker 7 (38:00):
You know, they took care of all the while we
were doing our sound checks and getting into the theaters
and different things like that. They were backstage taking the
outfits out of the trump and and you know of them.

Speaker 1 (38:16):
So you guys were high level. Okay, I get it.
They did their own stuff to that point.

Speaker 4 (38:24):
Was there ever pressure on you Maryland and Florence to
make sure that y'all looked as amazing as y'all did
in these outfits.

Speaker 5 (38:31):
Well, we you know, we we would sit in that
in that mirror and make.

Speaker 3 (38:35):
Sure we look. Yeah. The pressure that I mean.

Speaker 5 (38:42):
Not to not to not to make iron the dresses
and iron the guards.

Speaker 4 (38:47):
No, no, no, no, I meant to look good in
the outfits.

Speaker 1 (38:50):
Not yes, yes, that's what I meant.

Speaker 3 (38:53):
Well, we tried our.

Speaker 5 (38:54):
Best, and of course, uh with with BOYD coming in
with his ideas, you know, looking at our bodies and
trying to think what's going.

Speaker 3 (39:03):
To work the best on the body? Right right?

Speaker 7 (39:07):
You know that's that's the great part of having a designer,
because they fit the outfit to your body.

Speaker 4 (39:16):
Yeah, I'm learning that's a grown up thing, learning about
tailors and whatnot and has.

Speaker 1 (39:22):
Man. Yeah, it's great.

Speaker 2 (39:26):
Wait, okay, I know, okay, so I know that that
uh Laura Niro wrote the song, but I always wanted
to know, and you know, I've seen you guys performing
millions of times on the show and and whatnot, but
the significance of wedding bell Blues and and its popularity,

(39:48):
I'm certain that you guys always get asked like, was
was this song just a platform from Maryland to put
Billy on the spot about marriage and whatnot, even though
I believe you guys were probably married at the time.

Speaker 1 (40:02):
Sixty nine when that came up, So it was the
same year.

Speaker 2 (40:05):
Yes, whose idea was it to do that song and
the whole marry Me bill and all those things like,
because it was kind of unheard of at the time
where it's in reverse and the woman is asking the
man to for you know, marriage.

Speaker 5 (40:26):
Well, actually, Lauren Niro wrote that for a bill in
her life.

Speaker 2 (40:32):
Oh okay, right, I thought you customized it just for
the years that I didn't realize that, okay.

Speaker 3 (40:39):
You know.

Speaker 5 (40:39):
She wrote it, and she released it as a single
and it it did well in California, but not across
the country because Bones, how our producer came to us
with the idea of, you know, Billy and I were
going together and he thought, oh, how cute it would
be for Maryland to sing wedding belt blues to Billy.
So and we said the Bones it sar been out

(41:00):
and it wasn't a hit. He said, no, it wasn't.

Speaker 3 (41:02):
He said.

Speaker 5 (41:02):
It was a hit in California, he said, but it
wasn't a hit across the country. So we went in
and recorded it and put it on the album, and
it ended up being picked as one of the singles.

Speaker 1 (41:16):
I see now.

Speaker 6 (41:17):
I read in another interview that you two did that Maryland.
You were the one that was actually a little skittish
about marriage, but Billy was all in.

Speaker 3 (41:25):
Is that? Yeah?

Speaker 7 (41:28):
I was all into it, you know? But you know
how many bills that I've met since we got married? Man?

Speaker 3 (41:37):
For real?

Speaker 2 (41:39):
Because you guys were bandmates before you became married. Was
there ever ever a thought of this might be a
conflict of interest? Like if you're dating now, then if
we break up, then it's going to be awkward in
the group.

Speaker 1 (41:58):
Like how what was the awkward factor?

Speaker 2 (42:01):
Because I mean, you guys have been in the band
since sixty five, but you got married in sixty nine.

Speaker 1 (42:07):
Like what eventually led to that marriage?

Speaker 2 (42:12):
How do you maintain a business relationship and you know,
keep the marriage happy so to speak?

Speaker 1 (42:24):
Now I need Jill and I.

Speaker 5 (42:26):
Started becoming friends, right. We would go to rehearsal together,
and we would we spend a lot of time driving
back and forth to rehearsal. And not only that, but
after rehearsal sometimes we go to parties and Billy and
I found ourselves, spending a lot of time with each
other just talking and laughing and talking about our lives

(42:48):
and you know, how we felt about music and how
we'd wanted to sing all of our lives.

Speaker 7 (42:53):
And what we wanted to do and like and you know,
just share it with each other in our dreams, you know,
and and our passions. But but we would be at
parties and the party would be jumping in Maryland and
sitting on the couch talking.

Speaker 3 (43:08):
People must have thought, were weird. That's stuff, that's stuff
right into ourselves, you know, And uh, we've been like
that ever since.

Speaker 7 (43:18):
You know.

Speaker 3 (43:19):
So we were we were friends.

Speaker 5 (43:21):
Yeah, and then when we started really kind of realizing
that it was developing into something more than friendship, we
kind of thought.

Speaker 3 (43:30):
We said to each other, are we going to mess
this outh? Yeah, this is a dangerous thing to do.
You know, you mess this up, this thing up, because
you know, you can create a mess in the group.
That's that's that's going strong.

Speaker 5 (43:48):
You know.

Speaker 3 (43:48):
We all we need is a big argument, you know,
it's anything crazy and it's over, you know. But uh,
but but by that time, we we couldn't stop our friendship.
Our friendship a stronger than anything else.

Speaker 5 (44:02):
Yeah, and you know my parents, My parents had been
married for twenty four years and then they got a divorce,
and I thought, I don't know if this marriage thing
is just.

Speaker 1 (44:13):
Scary, right, But you know.

Speaker 7 (44:16):
On the other hand, I wasn't worried about it because
my parents have been married for sixty eight years.

Speaker 3 (44:22):
Wow, from my own you.

Speaker 4 (44:25):
Know, that's a lot of pressure on your kids.

Speaker 6 (44:30):
Yeah, man, I was curious to know how y'all keep from, say,
if y'all have an argument or disagreement about something in
the studio, over something musically, or something in your career,
how do you keep those disagreements in your person and
your professional life from bleeding over into your personal life.

Speaker 7 (44:48):
It's a good question, you know, a very good question,
because those things have happened, you know, but when they
do happen, we have to realize that that's a moment,
that's a moment in time. Those things happen to people
who are in the in the industry, especially people who
work together. You know, that has when when things has
happened for one and and and hasn't happened for the other,

(45:11):
you just have to live with that, you know. Most
of all, you have to be thankful. The easiest way
to get over that is be thankful for that one
that's getting it, you know, and uh, and then you
can get over the right quick of being thankful.

Speaker 3 (45:25):
Did it always come that easy to y'all?

Speaker 5 (45:29):
Well, you know, like sometimes before we go on stage,
Billy and I would be angry, we would be locked.

Speaker 2 (45:35):
In battle, right, But then how do you sing Wedding
bell Blues to him? Because I know you want to
kill him. I know that song is such a staple
for your careers and you have to sell it like
you're singing to him and he's doing the act or whatever,
like if if there's an argument that happens, how do
you sell that song?

Speaker 3 (45:56):
Well, you know you can't take that out on the stage.
You can't.

Speaker 9 (46:00):
And so we say, I say, you know, you know
that's that's always the word. Yeah, you're right, Yeah we will.
You know, when you get out on.

Speaker 3 (46:15):
Stage and start singing, disappear, you can't be angry. But
could you be angry afterwards?

Speaker 1 (46:22):
Like if you have done all that on stage? Like
could you could you? Could you get back in? Yes?

Speaker 2 (46:29):
Boy Bill, I can't wait till we do the new
edition episode because I got a story from you for that.

Speaker 3 (46:36):
I was like, now we got to get back into this.
And then you get backstage and you say.

Speaker 1 (46:40):
We are we're working, Remember yeah, because I work with
my girlfriend. It's the same thing, like I don't know
what we're arguing about.

Speaker 7 (46:48):
And then and then you you know that being anyway,
you know most of the arguments that that couples have
a pendy they really are. But I'll tell you think
about it once the argument is over and you get
away from it, and you think, well, what was that about?

Speaker 3 (47:04):
Why did I do that?

Speaker 7 (47:06):
It didn't mean nothing if I could have only thought
about that before we got into it. But a lot
of times our egos won't let us do that, so
we've got to carry it out. We can win the battle,
but you might lose the wallow write.

Speaker 1 (47:20):
That down wise words.

Speaker 2 (47:23):
Amen, But in a group, from a group standpoint, and
it's five of you, how are you guys able to
like is it all of us have to be unanimous
and deciding on something like how how are sort of
decisions made for.

Speaker 1 (47:44):
Songs or album titles or you know, can we make
this gig?

Speaker 5 (47:49):
Like? Is it?

Speaker 1 (47:52):
Is it democracy?

Speaker 2 (47:53):
Or is it like is there someone that actually is
the the alpha leader of the group that makes the
decisions for the things.

Speaker 3 (48:01):
Democracy.

Speaker 5 (48:02):
Yeah, you know, we used to we used to laugh about.
We used to say laugh about how we would say
we met more.

Speaker 3 (48:09):
Than the u N Yeah, it was definitely a democracy.

Speaker 7 (48:14):
I mean we we agreed that the one who, uh,
the majority who who came up with it.

Speaker 3 (48:21):
That was the way we went.

Speaker 7 (48:22):
You know, yeah, we we we talked about all of
our jobs. You know, we agreed to disagree whatever.

Speaker 5 (48:29):
But most of the time, like with with the things
that pertain to uh to the career part, like with
the title of the album and what with the songs,
the final songs that were going to be on the project.

Speaker 3 (48:42):
Most of the time, the the record company.

Speaker 5 (48:45):
Would make that decision, you know, we we would work
on it and then we'd say, you know what, we're
not record you know, we don't know how to run
a record company. We know how to make the music
and let them choose what's gonna what's gonna self.

Speaker 3 (49:00):
Well, that was probably the best.

Speaker 7 (49:02):
That was the best way for the group anyway, because
putting all five people together talking about which one is
the best one out there?

Speaker 3 (49:08):
You know, then the fight started, I see it. Yeah,
we don't want that.

Speaker 2 (49:14):
Yeah, well that okay. So that leads me to nineteen
seventy five. What was the process of you two leaving
the group and going duo.

Speaker 7 (49:26):
Well, you know, that was a that was a tough decision,
very tough for us, because I don't remember all three
of the guys from Saint Louis. I mean, we were
like family. We knew each other when we were kids,
you know, and uh kind of migrated to Los Angeles
at different times and ended up being in a group

(49:48):
and so and and and and and meeting Maryland and
Florence and being a part of the family. So they
we were like a family. But we were a family
who's who had dreams. It's like any families somebody who
have dreams. Like my whole dream was to come out
to be a solo singer with more time, you know.
But Maryland's dream was to be a solo singer with

(50:11):
whatever we called and come that she could get what
that would receive her as her as a solo singer,
you know, a pop singer.

Speaker 3 (50:18):
But and uh, so we thought about it.

Speaker 7 (50:21):
And after ten years, we thought, will we ever fulfilled
the dream that we really started with? Uh, you know,
would we be the ones to come up with the
saying that said, if I had only I should have
would have should have I should have?

Speaker 3 (50:38):
You know, you always had it in the back of
your mind. Could we have done this on our own?

Speaker 1 (50:42):
You know?

Speaker 7 (50:43):
So we decided and then that at the particular time
that that was, that was everybody in the group wanted
to do more, you know, so that that thing was happening,
you know, so we decided, well, you know, it's it's
about time for us to to to kind of strike
out on our own and see what we can do ourselves.

Speaker 2 (51:02):
Did you guys still maintain the friendship after you guys
left the group in seventy five, Yeah, yes, we did.

Speaker 5 (51:10):
It took a couple It took a couple of years
before we you know, because there were hurt feelings and
which was understandable.

Speaker 3 (51:17):
We could understand that.

Speaker 5 (51:18):
But we're very close as family now.

Speaker 3 (51:21):
Oh yeah, you know, we got through.

Speaker 6 (51:23):
We're just still surviving members. Just who's still surviving alone
with you guys of the group? Is everyone still alive?

Speaker 3 (51:29):
Not everyone? Ron Townshend has passed away.

Speaker 1 (51:33):
They gave a big one with the beard, right, Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 7 (51:36):
That's the way and all the rest of the other
four are still living, so is like, in fact, we
talked to her, but did so Ago and Lamont is
staying in Las Vegas, and we talked to him not
too long ago, so we are still were still very close.

Speaker 3 (51:52):
We're very close.

Speaker 2 (51:54):
I have one fifth Dimension question that actually has to
do with when you guys left left the group, Okay,
but I'm hoping you can answer this for me because
it's been killing me. Okay, So this came out when
I was five years old, so I really even though
I kind of had an adult's knowledge of music.

Speaker 1 (52:16):
At the age of five, this always killed me. Am I?
Am I dreaming?

Speaker 2 (52:25):
Or did the Fifth Dimension actually have a version of
Love Hangover before Dinah Ross did? Because I could have
sworn I've seen them on American Bandstand doing Love Hangover?
And I was just confused at the time, and it's
almost like I didn't hear of it. Am I dreaming
of that?

Speaker 3 (52:44):
Or this was after Billy and I had left the girl.

Speaker 2 (52:48):
After you left. I was just hoping you might know
the answer to that. You're going to give you the answer,
So I wasn't dreaming, Okay.

Speaker 3 (52:57):
Did have a version of Love hang Over?

Speaker 5 (53:00):
And Florence sang the lead on it right, and they
released it as a single right around the same time
Motown decided to release Diana Ross's version of Love Right.
And that's why you were confused as a child, because

(53:22):
you said.

Speaker 1 (53:22):
Wait a minute, now, I wasn't crazy.

Speaker 4 (53:26):
It doesn't sound so different.

Speaker 1 (53:29):
You listen to it.

Speaker 2 (53:29):
Yeah, why did I just bothered to Yeah, all right,
I'm asking that question. And I was like, number one
that occur.

Speaker 7 (53:39):
To me to.

Speaker 1 (53:41):
Number ones that I did occur to me. Why don't
you just YouTuber.

Speaker 2 (53:48):
You're learning of mirror one day you go into the
stores where not what I was saying, like, I remember
them doing it on American Bandstand. I remember my mom
really loving that song when they did it, and I
remember them doing a few times on like variety shows,
and then like yeah, when I was in first grade,

(54:10):
like a year when I was six, and suddenly like, oh,
it was Dona Ross's song. And then in my mind,
I was like, wait, was I watching Dona Ross do
it the whole time? And maybe not, but I knew
in my mind I always associated love Hangover with the
Fifth Dimension.

Speaker 4 (54:24):
I just thought I was and although this is the
Fifth Dimension version with the mones y'all cold, y'all put
the mones in there too. No, I mean, okay, okay,
I'm sorry, inappropriate and inappropriate excuse me?

Speaker 3 (54:36):
Sorry?

Speaker 1 (54:38):
Okay.

Speaker 2 (54:38):
So in going solo, well, first of all, let it
let it be known that the very first time that
I ever saw Jay Leno.

Speaker 1 (54:50):
Was on the Billy Davis Junior Marilyn mccous show. Could
you all right?

Speaker 2 (54:55):
So for our listeners out there that are that are listening,
can you explain the the value or the importance of
the variety show in the seventies? Like, I know that
now we live in a reality show kind of environment,
But when I was growing up, I remember like Last

(55:17):
Night and the Pips having a variety show. I remember
Flip Wilson, Tony Orlando and Dawn like Shields and Yard Nell,
like everyone had the Jackson's. Everyone had a variety show.
What was the like, was that a desire for you
guys or was it like this is going to take
you guys to the next level?

Speaker 1 (55:39):
What was the big deal with variety shows?

Speaker 5 (55:43):
I think that, yeah, I think that that was that
was the thing to do at that time.

Speaker 3 (55:47):
Yeah, I think that.

Speaker 5 (55:48):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (55:49):
We would basically the first black couple to really have
a variety show.

Speaker 1 (55:54):
Yeah, in the industry, you know.

Speaker 7 (55:57):
And it was a summer replacement show, and we had
six shows to do and we and we and we
completed that and uh, but but doing television was was
was good. The only thing that that that was a
little a bit confusing for us was having to learn
songs so quick, you know, because for the television you
have to learn the song almost like that week and

(56:19):
then performing that way that week, you know. And uh,
we used to spend a little bit more time on
songs to kind of make those songs us you know,
make it, make it, we can get some meat out
of it, you know, right.

Speaker 3 (56:31):
But that that was the only thing outside of that.

Speaker 7 (56:34):
We were ready for it because we love We enjoyed
doing the skits and you know, all of the funny
stuff and the love songs.

Speaker 3 (56:41):
And yeah, it was good. It was good. But that
us being the first one. Then after that a lot
of these other shows started coming on.

Speaker 5 (56:50):
Yeah, but like you were saying about Jay Meno, so
so what we did with our skits, because you always
had to have a little humor in the show, right,
And so the idea was, since we had spent so
much time on the road. Why not make the road
experience be part of your your humor in the show.
And uh, Jay Leno came along. He was a young

(57:12):
unknown comic at the time, and we ended up he
ended up being our playing our tour managed.

Speaker 1 (57:21):
And he would always give you guys like weird assignments.

Speaker 3 (57:24):
That was like remember that we get lost somewhere, you know,
on the road.

Speaker 1 (57:31):
Yeah, I totally remember that.

Speaker 2 (57:33):
And you guys were in the show the same way, right,
Like you guys would say good night like was it
in like in bed?

Speaker 10 (57:40):
Like yeah, that was like it would be like at
the end of the day, like right, you know, and
getting ready to say good night to one another, you know,
singing a song, singing the love and then turning off
the light.

Speaker 5 (57:52):
You know.

Speaker 1 (57:53):
Right. Wait, you said that was only six episodes in
the summer.

Speaker 3 (57:57):
Yes, yes, yes, so weird.

Speaker 2 (57:59):
Like am I again like in my mind I'm thinking like,
oh that that was on for like four or five years.
I I well, I mean we watched it religiously in
the crit in the house.

Speaker 1 (58:11):
So okay. I see.

Speaker 7 (58:12):
That's the power of television because you know, you can
show them over and over and over every run.

Speaker 3 (58:19):
Yeah, people think that they happened. There's something there's more
than just six you know.

Speaker 2 (58:28):
Are you guys aware of the kind of the status
I'll say that in in like dancehall reggae culture, I
Hope we get to Love and Time kind of has
a different meaning in the Islands, Like that song it's
been covered so many times by like various singers in

(58:49):
Jamaica that were you guys even aware of how big
that song is over there or at least the mountain covers,
Like there's.

Speaker 1 (58:56):
A least.

Speaker 3 (59:00):
We've never heard it. I'd love to hear it.

Speaker 2 (59:02):
Yeah, it's it's it's almost it's kind of like a
staple like that's that's that's one of the ballots you
have to sing, if you you know, if you're kind
of in the at least around like the early eighties,
suddenly there was like just a onslought of I Hope
we get to Love and Time.

Speaker 3 (59:23):
No idea, No, we didn't know it.

Speaker 2 (59:25):
Yeah, oh okay, yeah, I was going to say that
with with your Love and You Don't have to be started?
Was it was it different or did you guys at
least have more creative control in the songs that you
wanted to do outside of the Bell label where they

(59:48):
mostly made the decisions for you. What was the difference
in coming to ABC than it was for Bell.

Speaker 11 (59:54):
Well, basically, you know what we were with ABC. The
smith was the it was what do you call it
his position?

Speaker 3 (01:00:04):
Ye man?

Speaker 7 (01:00:06):
And when he when he picked Don Davis to be
our producer. But yeah, well yeah, Don Davis he producer.
I hope we get to Love and Time album, but
he would. He came to us with a bunch of songs,
and you don't have to be a star was was
one of them. And right naturally when we heard that.

Speaker 3 (01:00:27):
We thought, boy, this is this is clever, you know,
what a great saying. You don't have to be a
star to be in my show, you know, And it
just it just seemed a bit you know.

Speaker 7 (01:00:36):
And but we always thought that I hope we get
to Love and Time would be the statement that we
wanted to make because Maryland and me and knowing from
the love songs, you know, and uh, come to find
out that you don't have to be a star was
was the major hit offs that Yeah you did behind
that became another hit was your.

Speaker 2 (01:00:55):
Love, Yeah, your Love and your little gospel uh riffs
at the end of it. I've seen that a lot
in the second grade. Sorry, do you remember it all?
I'm I'm a big fan also of Frank Wilson. Uh,

(01:01:16):
his production work, especially what you know he worked on
like a lot of Eddie Kendrick's solo stuff.

Speaker 1 (01:01:23):
Yes, he's the prime producer. What was it like working
with Frank Wilson?

Speaker 3 (01:01:27):
Frank was a good friend. Yes, yes, Frank was not
only a good friend. You know, Frank ended up becoming
a preacher, a pastor.

Speaker 1 (01:01:36):
Uh yeah, okay, yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:01:37):
Yeah, he was. He was very instrumental in Maryland and
me becoming Christians, you know. Okay, that was his assignment,
I guess in his life to bring as many entertained
as christ as he could.

Speaker 7 (01:01:52):
And uh, and that was a good thing for us,
you know, because it's one of the things that really
kept us even closer than than we really are.

Speaker 3 (01:02:01):
Wow, love for our faith, you know.

Speaker 7 (01:02:05):
And but Frank was the producer of the two of
Us album that we did, and we found out later
on that there was a song on on that album
called Wonderful right, and it was more of an R
and B flavor, you know, kind of kind of song.

(01:02:25):
And we found out that that song was.

Speaker 3 (01:02:27):
A major hit in Germany. We never we never even
knew it.

Speaker 1 (01:02:31):
Oh really no, we never knew it.

Speaker 12 (01:02:33):
We were on a ship doing a doing a cruise
and this German guy was on on the hit come
and he asked us, He said, you guys want to
sing wonderful.

Speaker 1 (01:02:45):
We looked at and you had no idea show.

Speaker 3 (01:02:49):
We hadn't even thought about it, you know, he said, Yes,
a big hit in Germany, big hit.

Speaker 5 (01:02:56):
One of the fun things about working with Frank was
that we love.

Speaker 3 (01:03:00):
We all love.

Speaker 5 (01:03:01):
We all loved picking unusual songs and uh, Frank would.
Frank brought some unusual songs to us and things that
we found fun, fun to do and kind of wacky,
kind of different.

Speaker 3 (01:03:16):
We didn't end up with a hit with a good
time singing those songs because they were different, Yes, you know,
they were different. But the one love song that we
did love was.

Speaker 7 (01:03:30):
For you.

Speaker 3 (01:03:31):
What what is it?

Speaker 1 (01:03:32):
Oh?

Speaker 2 (01:03:33):
Now, I was going to ask about saving all my
love for you? I know that you guys had that
first before Whitney Houston did.

Speaker 3 (01:03:39):
Yes, yes, we did, yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:03:41):
And yeah, like, how how did you guys come across
that song?

Speaker 5 (01:03:47):
Oh?

Speaker 3 (01:03:47):
My gosh.

Speaker 5 (01:03:48):
Michael Master wrote the song and oh gosh, now now
you got me, You got me on that one. I
don't remember how that's song was brought to us, do
you remember?

Speaker 3 (01:04:03):
Yeah?

Speaker 7 (01:04:03):
I think I think we ran into Michael Mass somewhere
and he wanted to produce us and he and he
wanted us to do that that song and another song
that I did. I forgot the name of it. The
song was my reason to be iss.

Speaker 3 (01:04:28):
That's Frank songs on the two of Us album.

Speaker 1 (01:04:30):
Okay.

Speaker 7 (01:04:32):
We always thought that that would be one of the
greatest love songs that we had recorded.

Speaker 5 (01:04:37):
You know, but saving all my love for you, well, yeah,
we went into the studio with Michael and and uh Whitney.

Speaker 1 (01:04:46):
Whitney turned that song out, Yes, yes, to say the least,
to save the least.

Speaker 3 (01:04:51):
He did a beautiful job on that. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:04:54):
Well, of course, you know, of course we've ever missed.
If we didn't mention that, Carlam and Coup I guess
around eighty two eighty three replaced Dion Warik as the
host of Solid Gold.

Speaker 3 (01:05:09):
Thank you.

Speaker 4 (01:05:09):
I knew he was going salad go.

Speaker 3 (01:05:11):
Yes, could you.

Speaker 2 (01:05:16):
Talk about the experience of how that came to be?
And I mean, you know that was such a legendary show.
And at the time when you were hosting practically any
artist worth their weight in gold. I mean even Prince,
who was notorious for snubbing shows like had to do

(01:05:36):
Solid Gold twice.

Speaker 1 (01:05:38):
So what's that whole experience?

Speaker 3 (01:05:40):
Like, I enjoyed it.

Speaker 5 (01:05:43):
Of course, Dion did it for the first year and
she and well, actually, let's see Dion and I'm going
to Gibb, Dion and Glenny Campbell. That did I think
they did the first year? The first I don't even
think they did the first year. I think they did
the I think they they introduced the show. But then

(01:06:04):
I don't know what happened with with Dion and Glenn.
But but Dion ended up hosting the first year, right,
and then after that, I don't I don't know the
inner workings because I came in after all that was
going on, and uh, the producers had decided that they

(01:06:24):
wanted to and they wanted Andy Gibb to be the
to be the host, and then they thought about combining.
They liked the idea of Dion and Glenn.

Speaker 3 (01:06:37):
They liked the the the male and female right male
female and.

Speaker 5 (01:06:42):
Anyway, so they auditioned me with with with Andy and
they liked the combination, and so I ended up doing
that first year with with Andy and and they liked it.

Speaker 3 (01:06:55):
But at the end of the first year, Andy.

Speaker 5 (01:06:59):
Moved on he was had having some issues, right, and
so then I ended up doing this I don't need
to take you through.

Speaker 1 (01:07:07):
I mean, that's we're here for it.

Speaker 3 (01:07:12):
The Rick Smith and I co hosted the show the next.

Speaker 1 (01:07:15):
Year Rick Smith or Rick d No, right, Rex Smith,
I toally forgot about that, okay later later right.

Speaker 3 (01:07:26):
So then Rex and I did it the second year
and then the third year.

Speaker 5 (01:07:31):
They were trying to decide who who I should work
with on the third year, and then they decided that
that they would just go with me, and so then
I was I was with a solid goal for those
next three years.

Speaker 4 (01:07:47):
That's the only years I remember.

Speaker 2 (01:07:49):
The years I was Yeah, well, because y'all were children,
What was this? What was the scheduling uh into? Because
I mean, because they were celebrating the charts. Was it
all year round or was it like seasonal?

Speaker 3 (01:08:07):
Yeah, it was it was seasonal.

Speaker 5 (01:08:08):
We would we would do the shows we would do
we would tape every other week and we would go
with the charts and what was big at that time,
and uh, we would we would tape Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday,
and then uh, then the following week would be off.
I'd go out and work. Billy and I would go

(01:08:29):
out and work, and then I'd come back and we
feature the next songs that were popular then and that
I see.

Speaker 1 (01:08:39):
Yeah, so but it was basically just it was a
good experience in doing that.

Speaker 5 (01:08:45):
I enjoy that a lot because, uh, like you said,
everybody came on and did the shows and you know
your your your. I remember when Madonna came on, and
of course I remember Prince being there, and that was
that was I don't I didn't get a chance to
really spend any time with Prince because he's kind of

(01:09:06):
it was kind of shy.

Speaker 3 (01:09:08):
Yeah, but still it was. It was a lot of fun.
And the dancers, of course, were just amazing.

Speaker 2 (01:09:13):
I was going to say, how nice was Darcel Wayne.
She was sort of like a unicorn in that, you know,
probably next to Cheryl's song on Soul Train. Darcel Wayne
was probably the most popular dancer on Solid Goal. But
you never heard of anything I've earned in the press
or anything. So it's just like this woman with this

(01:09:34):
beautiful long hair on the show, and then I didn't
hear much from her afterwards, like was she.

Speaker 5 (01:09:42):
You know, what was she like still out there she's
dancing and she I don't. I haven't seen Darcela in
quite a while.

Speaker 1 (01:09:50):
But she was.

Speaker 5 (01:09:51):
She was a pleasure to work with and she was
just beautiful, just awesome to watch. I mean, her dancing
was just amazing, and uh it was I enjoyed the experience.

Speaker 7 (01:10:05):
I enjoyed it too because I got a chance to
be on the show quite a few times myself.

Speaker 3 (01:10:10):
Right, those are the advantages. We would Billy would come
on and we would sing our duets.

Speaker 6 (01:10:18):
Oh yeah, I love that.

Speaker 3 (01:10:19):
I enjoyed that.

Speaker 1 (01:10:22):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:10:22):
It should also be noted that Casper the even even
though Jeffrey Daniels sort of gets the glory for teaching
Michael Jackson how to do the womb Wark moon walk,
it was it was actually, uh Casper, who was a
dancer on Solid Gold that really, you know, taught Michael
the aesthetics on how to do the moon walk.

Speaker 3 (01:10:42):
He was also okay, I didn't even know that.

Speaker 4 (01:10:49):
Dancers.

Speaker 13 (01:10:50):
This is my wealth of useless knowledge right right now,
like this moment, right now, only for this specific moment.

Speaker 1 (01:11:06):
So also wanted to know. I know that you guys.

Speaker 2 (01:11:12):
Went through to your gospel phase shortly thereafter, in the
mid to late eighties and in the nineties, I recall
I believe you guys as the Fifth Dimension reunited.

Speaker 1 (01:11:28):
What was like, What was that process like in reuniting
the group, and how was it?

Speaker 5 (01:11:35):
There was a special moment moment I think that would
that says it all. The first time we got back
together and we started talking about we were going to
do this reunion tour, and we said, well, first of all,
let's see where we are. And so you know, we

(01:11:55):
hadn't sung any harmonies together in many years, and of
course you know, we had gotten away from that, so
we weren't remembering the harmonies so so well. And so
we got around the piano and they said, let's start
out with up Up and the way, which is unison
and everybody remembers that, and we started to sing would

(01:12:16):
you like to ride in My beautiful and our voices
are the blend. We all started looking at one another
and saying.

Speaker 3 (01:12:28):
Oh my gosh, that's right.

Speaker 7 (01:12:30):
Still there, still got it, like we never walked away
from each other, you know, it was it was the
same sound.

Speaker 3 (01:12:35):
It was wow, this is amazing. You know, it was
very it was very emotional.

Speaker 7 (01:12:42):
And then the democracy started again, you know, you know,
we started getting together and doing doing jobs. But it
was set up the way we had it set up
with the with the Fifth Dimension before we left.

Speaker 3 (01:12:56):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:12:58):
Wow, So how how long did the reunion tour last?

Speaker 5 (01:13:02):
For? Yeah, a couple of years we did. We did
some performances together and then and Billy and I still
had some some of our duet shows that we had
to do, and Florence and Lamont and Ronald. UH had
two other members in the group and they had their
performances so that, you know, they had bookings, We had bookings.

(01:13:25):
But then we would come together and UH do some
original we would call it the original Fifth Dimension and
work for different companies and they were it was considered
like a very special occasion to have.

Speaker 3 (01:13:39):
The Original Fifth Dimension during that time. They called them
corporate jobs. You know, we played a lot of job.

Speaker 1 (01:13:47):
Trust me that that still exists.

Speaker 4 (01:13:51):
It's also kind of dope that y'all didn't agree on
that whole original dimension versus the other dimension and let
them do their own thing.

Speaker 2 (01:13:57):
I was going to say, it was it weird for
you to see because even way into the eighties, I
kept seeing, you know, like Florence would have another lineup
long after ron And and Lamont left the group. Was
it kind of weird sort of seeing at least the
name uh still carrying on without the four original members

(01:14:22):
in the group.

Speaker 5 (01:14:22):
For you guys, it was, Yeah, it sounded different, you
know to us, I mean to the audiences, to us too.

Speaker 1 (01:14:34):
I'll say it for you it sounded weird to us too.

Speaker 7 (01:14:38):
But you know, not only that, we would when we
were could, we would go and see them and support
them and be there form.

Speaker 1 (01:14:46):
Yeah, yeah, okay, I see.

Speaker 2 (01:14:50):
Also we should mention what was it like playing I'm
a big fan of the original Jamie Fox Show.

Speaker 1 (01:14:58):
Yes, I know that. Yeah, you guys, Fancy's parents parents.

Speaker 5 (01:15:03):
We enjoyed that so much. That was a that was
a great group of people to be working with. Producers.
Jamie was delightful and.

Speaker 3 (01:15:14):
We got to kick out of that. Yes, yes, you
know what.

Speaker 7 (01:15:18):
Jamie is so talented, my god, I mean, just to
see him work and the stuff that comes off the
top of his head, I mean, he's just he's a creative,
you know, it just comes out of him, you know.

Speaker 5 (01:15:30):
Uh, they might need a song for a special moment
in the show, and uh so then they would say, oh,
we need a song here, and Jamie would go off
somewhere and he'd come back and it's a brilliant song.

Speaker 1 (01:15:44):
Yes, wow, yeah, that's good. So I'll say that. Oh,
I'm sorry, we got we got to mention Blackbird. What
what was the what was the.

Speaker 2 (01:16:00):
Sort of the idea and in covering Lennon McCartney songs
for the Blackbird project, especially in light of when, when
it was and why it was released last year or
this year? We came out, well, it's just earlier, earlier
this year. You recorded last year, though, What was the

(01:16:23):
significance behind or at least the process and in recording
that that album.

Speaker 5 (01:16:30):
Well, our our producer, our management company, we had been
talking about a project. A young man by the name
of Nick Mendosa, uh had been introduced to us and
and our management company thought that he would be a
wonderful producer to work with. And now Nick is a

(01:16:50):
millennial producer, yes, a very young but very you know,
interesting knowledge of the two of them who we were,
our voices, our sounds, and and you know, we started
talking about ideas and we were very concerned and troubled

(01:17:13):
by what's what's been going on in our country, and
we felt like, if we're going to do something, we
want to do something that speaks to what is going
on right now. As we told Nick how we felt
and what we would love to do, Nick was very
very much interested because he said, well, you know, you

(01:17:34):
guys are talking about the things that that people my
age are worried about, you know, about what's happening to
our country and why are you know, why are we
so at odds and what's the what is.

Speaker 7 (01:17:46):
The division about it? You know, it's not young people
don't know. They haven't lived what we have lived, but
they still want to know what it's all about. And
we had been doing Blackbird and having Beatles Medley in
our live show, and so we were familiar with with
Blackbird and what it meant because uh, Lennon and McCartney

(01:18:08):
wrote it as a as A as A as A
as an anthem, the civil rights anthem, you know, and
so we just, hey, that's that's.

Speaker 3 (01:18:17):
This is really ah uh a movement, you know.

Speaker 7 (01:18:23):
Uh, it's a civil rights movement, is the way we
looked at it, you know, because everybody everybody needs to
know what's going on out here, you know. So we
decided to go ahead and start doing putting Blackbird in,
and we started listening to more of the Beatles songs
and started putting stories kind of like behind these these songs,

(01:18:45):
like uh uh ticket to Ride with Rose of parks
Man when she wouldn't give give up a seat on
the bus and she she she just you know, and
and and and her being uh going to jail and her.

Speaker 14 (01:19:00):
Husband waiting for her, you know, and you don't know
the story about her husband. That was another story, you know.
So Blackbird is and and in the front of the
album portrays.

Speaker 3 (01:19:14):
All of the.

Speaker 7 (01:19:16):
The the people who were killed and and and and
and and just for no reason at all, you know,
just because of the color. And it's created a lot
of division in our society, and that we just prayed
at this album will be a healing project.

Speaker 5 (01:19:36):
We're so we were so inspired and encouraged by the
young people and how they were coming together and protesting together,
you know, across racial lines, across across cultural lines, and
we're saying that this.

Speaker 3 (01:19:52):
Is what our country needs. We've got to come together,
We've got to draw together and make the.

Speaker 5 (01:19:58):
Statement understood and heard, and we just felt like we
want like you said, we wanted to make it.

Speaker 3 (01:20:04):
Like a movement, and that's human rights, human rights movement.

Speaker 4 (01:20:08):
Congratulations for another number one album on the R and
B charts. That's pretty pretty great.

Speaker 5 (01:20:16):
Excited about the response that we've been seeing because I mean,
you know, at this age for us to be doing
this now, it's just amazing.

Speaker 3 (01:20:27):
It's your time. You had a lot to do with that,
with with uh we're finding this this uh footage of love. Yeah,
just like you created a renaissance for us, Yes you have,
but thank you, thank you.

Speaker 2 (01:20:46):
I appreciate it on our show, your show, absolutely No,
I will say that probably you know, one of the
key scenes that that's in the movie that really touch people,
like when they when they tell me how much they
loved it, especially for like fellow fellow black artists that

(01:21:09):
I show it to. First of all, just watching you
to watch it. I couldn't have I couldn't have scripted
it better, you know, it couldn't have. It couldn't have
happened more pitch perfect, note perfect than your interview portion,
especially you know, letting the sentiments be known. How important

(01:21:32):
playing that festival was and connecting with black audiences that
otherwise might have been familiar with you guys at the time,
and how it really really touched them. And I will
say that, you know, I should be thinking you because
I mean, you know, it's it's the footage itself is

(01:21:54):
magic on its own. But you guys, really human eye
did and really touch people's hearts with with with your
portion of of that movie. And you know, I think
you both.

Speaker 1 (01:22:09):
Wow for doing that.

Speaker 10 (01:22:11):
It was just you know, we were just doing it
was such a special special what you put together was
was was beautiful.

Speaker 7 (01:22:18):
I mean, that's that's the only way we can react
to it. I mean, it's just what comes from the
hot ghost to the heart, you know.

Speaker 5 (01:22:26):
And we were so happy for you to win that
grand Jury from Sundance at the festival. Yes, we were
just so excited that that happened, you know, because and
and your premier, this is your first directory experience come
up with such a powerful, a powerful success like this,

(01:22:49):
and we're just so excited for you.

Speaker 3 (01:22:55):
But for over fifteen years, all the stars I will
own that footage. It's just.

Speaker 1 (01:23:03):
Yeah, I asked myself that all the time. But you know, now,
now's the time, like I feel like.

Speaker 4 (01:23:10):
You know, it's the whole compliment.

Speaker 3 (01:23:12):
I am sitting here floor.

Speaker 5 (01:23:14):
You did not interrupt them.

Speaker 4 (01:23:16):
You let them tell you all, tell you all.

Speaker 1 (01:23:19):
You looked famous for avoiding compliments. I hate compliments. I'm sorry,
You're good. I just gotta take it or I'll still
tease me about it.

Speaker 3 (01:23:28):
Yes, thank you.

Speaker 2 (01:23:30):
Wos Wait before I wrap up, there's there is one
question I got to ask, only because the sample is
so famous.

Speaker 1 (01:23:39):
I know that, uh Billy.

Speaker 2 (01:23:41):
You started your own independent label sometime in the mid
seventies and one of your clients, one of the late
acts on the label was Jimmy Caster Bunch, Yes, what
was that? What was that experience like, only because on
that particular album, just because a famous it's uh well no, no, no,

(01:24:02):
not just begun on the but no uh Kanye's uh
so the first song on Graduation.

Speaker 1 (01:24:11):
Good Morning, It's It's yeah, it's it's.

Speaker 2 (01:24:17):
It's Jimmy Caster's cover of I Just Want to Start
by uh Gino Vanelli.

Speaker 1 (01:24:25):
Right, it's but yeah, it's it's on the label that
really headed what is yeah?

Speaker 2 (01:24:31):
What was working with Jimmy Caster like during that period
and what made you want to start your own label
during that period.

Speaker 3 (01:24:39):
Well, it was I've.

Speaker 7 (01:24:40):
Always wanted to produce and and and and and create
my whole kind of way in life. And and uh
at the particular time, Uh, Jimmy's sister Linda was working
working for our company, you know, telling us about Jimmy
and uh, and when we met him, it was like

(01:25:00):
it was like family.

Speaker 3 (01:25:01):
I mean, he was just a regular guy loving his music.
And you know, so we just we just got into
it and say, let's get visit with some music. You know,
I see everything that you hear on that album, that's
all Jimmy.

Speaker 1 (01:25:16):
Yeah, it is.

Speaker 2 (01:25:18):
Well, you know you guys, I mean it goes without
saying that you guys are are a class act. And
I really really, really really thank you for giving us
your time and coming on the show. And I just
love you guys to death. I'm a genuine fan of
the group.

Speaker 1 (01:25:35):
I thank you.

Speaker 2 (01:25:37):
Guys are an inspiration also, especially in a time period
which how you're such.

Speaker 5 (01:25:42):
A serious historian. Yes, that is your heart. And you
know when you meet somebody like that, you want to
share with them all the knowledge that you have.

Speaker 3 (01:25:51):
To to you know, to contribute to.

Speaker 5 (01:25:56):
To your.

Speaker 2 (01:26:00):
Now you know, I'm not a historian. I'm just really
really really big Billy Jacobs and I thank you guys
for it, and you know, much continued success. Okay, maybe

(01:26:24):
my last question is what do you want the legacy
of Billy Davis and Marlin mccood to be?

Speaker 3 (01:26:32):
Wow? Well, you know, for me, I know, it's just that.

Speaker 7 (01:26:42):
People coming together and just being who we are to
one another, not not being putting on trying to be
more than what we are, just just just be who
you are and just people coming together on one accord.
You know, if we can just do that and and

(01:27:02):
and and have our human rights, that would be a
legacy for me before I leave here.

Speaker 2 (01:27:11):
Wow, that's hey, that's a night drop, right, that's a
mic drop right there. Well, thank you very much for
doing the show. I love and appreciate you guys on
behalf of Layah and Unpaid, Bill and Shukar, Steve and
fon Tigelo this Quest Love. I cannot believe I got
to talk to Billy Davis and Marion Cool.

Speaker 1 (01:27:33):
Thank you very much. This is Quest Love Supreme. Will
see you on the next program. Yo, what's up?

Speaker 6 (01:27:41):
It's is Fonte. Make sure you keep up with us
on Instagram. At QLs and let us know what you
think if we should be next to sit down with us.
Don't forget to subscribe to our podcast, all right, Peace.

Speaker 1 (01:28:00):
Courts Love Supreme is a production of Ihearted Radio. For
more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,
or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.

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Laiya St. Clair

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.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}Questlove Supreme: Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis