“One Less Bell to Answer” (1970) – The 5th Dimension * Written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David * 45: “One Less Bell to Answer” / “Feelin’ Alright” * LP: Portrait * Produced by Bones Howe * Label: Bell
The plush “One Less Bell to Answer” is the sound of an abandoned housewife reclining on her personal crushed velvet chaise lounge; she’ll miss her man and his company but she won’t be going anywhere and won’t be losing anything other than him. It’s definitely a more complicated economic iteration of the breakup songs that populated the soul and country charts in its day. The other four members of the 5th Dimension are virtually absent on “One Less Bell to Answer,” which was the group’s first hit (Billboard #2) on the Bell label after switching over from Soul City. Marilyn McCoo contributed the lead vocal as she would do on all of their biggest subsequent hits. A classic entry in the Burt Bacharach-Hal David catalog, the song originally appeared as a 1967 Keely Smith vehicle, which employed an opening doorbell gimmick and projected an aura of despair. McCoo’s version, in contrast, featured her cool composure and an elegant arrangement that gave the song a more sophisticated range of emotional responses.