'Fifth Dimension'

This is a story of songwriting.

Before the primary recording of Fifth Dimension, Gene Clark left the band originally citing a fear of flying disallowing him to fulfill his obligations with the band. Later it was learned that there was animosity among the band members about the cut Clark was getting due to being the primary songwriter.

Ironically, the biggest hit from Fifth Dimension is Clark’s “Eight Miles High.”

After Clark, David Crosby and Jim McGuinn took on songwriting duties although they wound up doing three covers and an instrumental.

As for the songs, “Eight Miles High” was banned because folks thought it was about drug use. It was about flying.

“Mr. Spaceman” is literally about Crosby and McGuinn’s sincere belief that extraterrestrials could be communicated to by radio waves.

It was also thought that “5D” was about an LSD trip, although it was actually about Albert Einstein’s Theory of Relativity. Which sort of makes sense.