This song seemed destined for greatness from the get-go!

First of all, it was written by Jimmy Webb, who later wrote hits like “Wichita Lineman,”By The Time I Get to Phoenix,” “Galveston” and “MacArthur Park”

Next: “Up , Up and Away” was a perfect example of “Sunshine Pop:” a cheerful genre of music that was just becoming popular in the late ’60s…just like the Fifth Dimension themselves.

Finally, the group was backed by the stellar team of studio musicians known as the Wrecking Crew.

The song itself was a definite hit, reaching #7 on the Hot 100, and  #9 on The Easy Listening Chart…but that was only the beginning!

“Up, Up and Away” then went on to score FIVE Grammy Awards–a record total at the time:

Here’s the list:
 Record of the Year…Song of the Year…Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals… Best Performance by a Vocal Group… Best Performance by a Chorus…and Best Contemporary Song!

To sum it all up, 1967’s “Up, Up and Away” was FAR AND AWAY…a Great Song of the ’60s!

== Mike Cook