The Undisputed Truth The Undisputed Truth

"Law of the Land" is the 3rd album by the Norman Whitfield's Motown group The Undisputed Truth. It was the last Undisputed Truth album recorded by the group's original line-up, as founding members Billie Rae Calvin and Brenda Joyce Evans would leave shortly after its release. Like other early Undisputed Truth albums, "Law of the Land" mostly contains songs that had already been recorded by other artists. It also contains the original version of "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone" (US #63, US R&B #24), which Norman Whitfield rerecorded into a huge hit for his other group, The Temptations. The album's title track was also recorded by both The Temptations and The Undisputed Truth; The Tempts' version was released as a UK-only single in 1973, and just missed out on the UK Top 40, reaching #41, while The Undisputed Truth's version was a minor R&B hit in America, peaking at #40. The album also includes two other minor R&B hits, "Girl, You're Alright" (#43) and "Mama, I Got A Brand New Thing (Don't Say No)" (#46).

‘Running The Voodoo Down’ looks at a time when African-American music was exploring myriad new directions against a backdrop of incredible and explosive social change and features the likes of FUNKADELIC, JAMES BROWN, MILES DAVIS, LIGHTNING ROD & JIMI HENDRIX, KEITH JARRETT, BUDDY MILES, THE METERS, THE CHAMBERS BROTHERS, SWAMP DOGG, JAMES ‘BLOOD’ ULMER and SLY & THE FAMILY STONE. Whilst not a lot of this music was commercially successful at the time, its importance and its influence on subsequent generations of artists – both black and white – has continued to grow over the years.

Put together by esteemed writer-producer Norman Whitfield, the Undisputed Truth were one of Motown's flagship acts in the early-mid 70s, with 15 R&B chart hits including their near chart-topper Smiling Faces Sometimes and the original version of Papa Was A Rolling Stone and a string of best-selling albums. Surprisingly, only one of the original four Motown albums by the group's classic one-guy-two-girl trio has ever been reissued on CD until now.

"Face to Face With the Truth" is the second album by the Motown group The Undisputed Truth, released in 1972. Like their previous album, it was produced entirely by Norman Whitfield and most of the songs were also recorded by The Temptations, but with different arrangements. Two singles were released from the album, both minor hits on the Billboard charts: "You Make Your Own Heaven and Hell Right Here on Earth", and "What It Is?".

Fans of the Undisputed Truth's first two albums were shocked when they purchased Cosmic Truth. On their previous album, Down To Earth, they had combined older tracks featuring original members Billie Rae Calvin and Brenda Joyce Evans' pretty two-part harmonies with harder-edged tracks by new members. The group consisted of Calvin Stevens, Tyrone Douglas, and Virginia McDonald. Stevens and Douglas had been members of the Magictones, a third-tier Detroit R&B group. The threesome joins Joe Harris for some spacy, rock-influenced, funky sounds. "UFO's" skips along with an infectious beat, a futuristic sound, and incredulous vocals from Joe Harris. Neil Young's "Down By the River" gets a soul injection, as if it needed one.

"Down To Earth" is the 4th album by psychedelic soul group The Undisputed Truth. Although "Down To Earth" made a good showing on the R&B Album Charts (#35), it failed to crossover to the Billboard Pop Charts like The Truth's previous LPs had done. The album's lead single, "Help Yourself", was released in early 1974, and the group then appeared on Soul Train to promote it. The song became The Undisputed Truth's biggest hit since 1971's "Smiling Faces Sometimes" (US #3, US R&B #2), making #63 on the Pop Charts and #19 on the R&B Charts (their second and last Top 20 R&B hit). A second single, "I'm A Fool For You", also made #39 on the Soul Charts.

Earlier work by Marvin also figures on Motown Funk Volume 2, including “Closing Jimmy’s.” This was part of the original score from Trouble Man, the 1972 so-called “blaxploitation” movie for which Gaye wrote and produced the soundtrack music. Motown Funk Volume 2 will be available exclusively through participating Record Store Day retailers as a 2LP set on colored vinyl. In addition to two tracks by Gaye, the artists featured include the Commodores, Stevie Wonder, Edwin Starr, Eddie Kendricks and the Undisputed Truth. The set’s compiler, Johnny Chandler, describes its contents as “funky soul, jazz, ’60s, ’70s and even some early ’80s ‘new’ funk courtesy of the Dazz Band’s ‘Let It Whip’.”

Running The Voodoo Down’ looks at a time when African-American music was exploring myriad new directions against a backdrop of incredible and explosive social change and features the likes of FUNKADELIC, JAMES BROWN, MILES DAVIS, LIGHTNING ROD & JIMI HENDRIX, KEITH JARRETT, BUDDY MILES, THE METERS, THE CHAMBERS BROTHERS, SWAMP DOGG, JAMES ‘BLOOD’ ULMER and SLY & THE FAMILY STONE. Whilst not a lot of this music was commercially successful at the time, its importance and its influence on subsequent generations of artists – both black and white – has continued to grow over the years. To quote Harlow’s extensive liner notes:“This is the sound of Musical Revolution. Social Revolution was in the air and musicians jumped with the times. Working around the funky ground built by Mr Brown, The Big Four – Miles, Clinton, Jimi and Sly – set about recreating a new psychrockfunksouljazz explosion. As they played a new generation of explorers was set in motion and as sure as fireballs off the sun they splintered in many directions.