One Less Bell to Answer

________________________________

One Less Bell to Answer (m. Burt Bacharach, w. Hal David)

Originally written in 1967 for Keely Smith, the song was rediscovered in late 1969 by Bones Howe, the producer for The 5th Dimension, and the song was included on the group’s 1970 debut album for Bell Records, Portrait. Lead vocals on the single were sung by Marilyn McCoo. The song reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and No. 4 on the Best Selling Soul Singles chart in 1970.^[1] It also went to No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart that same year.

Also, according to Wikipedia, Rosemary Clooney had an Easy Listening chart hit in 1968 with a recording of the song.
______________________

The 5th Dimension

Track #2 from their fifth album, Portrait, released April 1970. Issued in October 1970, the single (Bell 940) b/w Feelin’ Alright? (Dave Mason), became a #2 Hot 100 hit.

5th Dimension members:

Billy Davis, Jr., Florence LaRue, Marilyn McCoo, Lamonte McLemore, Ron Townson

(below) performance on unidentified television show, c. 1970

Soul Train performance (lip sync), Season 3, Episode 20 — air date: 26 January 1974 (HQ)

Burt Bacharach, featuring lead vocal by Cissy Houston — last track on side two of the 1971 LP Burt Bacharach

Vikki Carr — from her 1971 album Vikki Carr’s Love Story

Barbra Streisand — “Medley: One Less Bell to Answer/A House Is Not a Home” — side one, track 5 of her LP Barbra Joan Streisand, recorded June 1971, released August 1971