The Undisputed Truth comprised of:
Tyrone Berkeley
Joe Harris
Billie Rae Calvin
Calvin Hardy
Dan Homes
Tyrone Douglas
Jack Weber
Isy Martin
Brenda Joyce Evans
Virginia McDonald
Carl Smalls
and
Calvin Stephenson
The Undisputed Truth were the brainchild of producer Norman Whitfield, who formed the group in 1970, allowing him to showcase the team's musical and artistic expressions.
Joe Harris (formerly of the Preps) served as the main lead singer for the group, with Billie Rae Calvin and Brenda Joyce, formerly of The Delicates (who recorded for Roulette), on further lead and background vocals.
When the Delicates went their seperate ways, the Billie Rae Calvin and Brenda Joyce kept busy performing background vocal chores for the Four Tops, Diana Ross, and Edwin Starr.
The Truth were unusual, visually, sporting large Afro's and white makeup, which embraced their own genre, namely, 'Psychedelic Soul'.
Several of the Truth's single releases ran in parrallel with the Temptations versions including 'You Make Your Own Heaven and Hell Right Here on Earth', 'Law Of The Land' and 'Papa Was a Rollin' Stone' (released several months before the Temptations' classic rendition was released).
The moody, 'Smiling Faces Sometimes' was a Top 40 hit in the United States, originally recorded by the Temptations, which hit number 3 on the U.S. pop charts in 1971.
The song written by Norman Whitfield with his regular lyricist, Barrett Strong.
Amongst their other hit songs were 'Ball Of Confusion', 'Friendship Train' and 'Just My Imagination', all numbers that Whitfield had also recorded with other Motown acts.
The Undisputed Truth (along with Rose Royce and Willie Hutch) followed Norman Whitfield in his relocation from Motown Records to his own Whitfield Records in 1975.
Whitfield continued to produce the group throughout the 70's, and in 1976 the Truth achieved a U.S. R & B hit with 'You + Me = Love'.
By this time, only Joe Harris remained of the original trio, accompanied by Tyrone Berkeley and Taka Boom, the sister of vocalist Chaka Khan.
In the late 70's, their producer's attention was focused on the most successful act on his roster, Rose Royce, and the Undisputed Truth took more of a subdued role within the company.
The group eventually seperated in the early 80's after the collapse of Whitfield's label.
In 1991, Joe Harris and Brenda Evans, together with ex-Brainstorm vocalist Belita Woods, recorded a new version of 'Law Of The Land' on lan Levine's Motor City label.
Albums:
The Undisputed Truth (Gordy Records 1971)
Face To Face With The Truth (Gordy Records 1972)
Law Of The Land (Gordy Records 1973)
Down To Earth (Gordy Records 1974)
Cosmic Truth (Gordy Records 1975)
Higher Than High (Gordy Records 1975)
Method To The Madness (Whitfield Records 1977)
Smokin' (Whitfield Records 1979)
Face To Face With The Truth (Universal Records 2003)
