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Biography
About||the albums|The Undisputed Truth (The Undisputed Truth album)|and|The Undisputed Truth (Brother Ali album)Refimprove|date=December 2010 The Undisputed Truth was a 1970s Motown recording act, assembled by record producer Norman Whitfield as a means for being able to experiment with his psychedelic soul production techniques. Joe Harris served as main lead singer, with Billie Rae Calvin and Brenda Joyce Evans , formerly of The Delicates, on additional leads and background vocals.
History
The group's music and unusual costuming (large Afro s and white makeup) typified the then-popular trend of " psychedelic soul " which producer Norman Whitfield had inaugurated. A number of their singles became minor hits, and many of them were also songs for Whitfield's main act, The Temptations , among them "You Make Your Own Heaven and Hell Right Here on Earth" and " Papa Was a Rollin' Stone|Papa Was A Rollin' Stone ." Their one-hit wonder|single Top 40 hit in the United States was the ominous " Smiling Faces Sometimes ," originally recorded by The Temptations, which hit #3 on the US pop charts in 1971.
The Undisputed Truth, along with Rose Royce and Willie Hutch , followed Whitfield during his exodus from Motown to set up Whitfield Records in 1975. At this time, Calvin and Joyce left the group, and Harris was joined by new members Virginia "V" McDonald, Tyrone "Big Ty" Douglas, Tyrone "Lil Ty" Barkley, and Calvin "Dhaak" Stephenson. The group's costuming and style changed as well, becoming even more unusual and Funkadelic -influenced.
However, the group had little success at the new label, and faded into obscurity after two more albums, although they charted in the UK Singles Chart in January 1977 (#43) with the disco single "You + Me = Love" from the album Method to the Madness. The lead singer on the single "You + Me = Love" was Taka Boom , who is Chaka Khan 's younger sister.
Discography
Albums
; Motown|Gordy releases:
1971: The Undisputed Truth (1971 album)|The Undisputed Truth (US #43, R& B #7)
1972: Face to Face With the Truth (US #114, R& B #16)
1973: Law of the Land (album)|Law of the Land (US #191, R& B #52)
1971: "Save My Love For A Rainy Day" (R& B #43) http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-undisputed-truth-p5729/charts-awards/billboard-singles
1971: " Smiling Faces Sometimes " (US #3, R& B #2) http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-undisputed-truth-p5729/charts-awards/billboard-singles
1971: "You Make Your Own Heaven And Hell Right Here On Earth" (US #72, R& B #24) http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-undisputed-truth-p5729/charts-awards/billboard-singles
1972: "What It Is" (US #71, R& B #35) http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-undisputed-truth-p5729/charts-awards/billboard-singles
1972: " Papa Was a Rollin' Stone " (US #63, R& B #24) http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-undisputed-truth-p5729/charts-awards/billboard-singles
1972: "Girl You're Alright" (US #107, R& B #43) http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-undisputed-truth-p5729/charts-awards/billboard-singles
1973: "Mama I Got A Brand New Thing (Don't Say No)" (R& B #46) http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-undisputed-truth-p5729/charts-awards/billboard-singles
1973: "Law of the Land" (R& B #40)
1974: "Help Yourself" (US #63, R& B #19)
1974: "I'm A Fool For You" (R& B #39)
1975: "UFO's" (R& B #62)
1975: "Higher Than High" (R& B #77)
; Whitfield Records|Whitfield releases:
1976: "You + Me = Love" (US #48, R& B #37; UK Singles Chart|UK #43cite book
| first= David | last= Roberts | year= 2006 | title= British Hit Singles & Albums | edition= 19th | publisher= Guinness World Records Limited | location= London | isbn= 1-904994-10-5 | page= 576)
1976: "Let's Go Down To The Disco" (B-Side of above single)(R& B #68)
1979: "Show Time - Part I" (R& B #55)
References
Reflist
External links
http://www.the-undisputed-truth.com/start.html Unofficial fan page for The Undisputed Truth
DEFAULTSORT:Undisputed Truth, The Category:American soul musical groups Category:Motown artists Category:American funk musical groups
