THE UNDISPUTED TRUTH

In the 1960s, Billie Calvin and Brenda Evans sang in California with an outfit called the Delicates. They met Motown singer Bobby Taylor and, after the Delicates broke up in 1970, started singing back-up vocals on Motown hits like “Ain’t No Mountain High” by Diana Ross and “Still Water (Love)” by the Four Tops.

Joe Harris had belonged to a Detroit soul group known as the Fabulous Peps, who were active from 1962-68. Reportedly, they lived up to their name with their highly energetic live shows. Harris also belonged to the Ohio Untouchables, who would morph into the Ohio Players.

In 1970, Motown producer Norman Whitfield put Billie Calvin, Brenda Evans and Joe Harris together as a trio called the Undisputed Truth. Their music and costuming—white make-up and huge Afros—were typical of the “psychedelic soul” trend of that era. Their biggest hit was the 1971 cautionary tale, “Smiling Faces Sometimes.” Several songs recorded by the Undisputed Truth were also done by Whitfield’s main act, the Temptations, most notably “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone.”

Brenda Evans and Billie Davis both left the group in 1973. Whitfield took advantage of their departure to expand the group. Joe Harris was joined by Virginia “Vee” McDonald, Tyrone “Big Ty” Douglas, Tyrone “Lil Ty” Barkley, and Calvin “Dhaak” Stephenson. By mid-decade, their look and style had become more like Parliament-Funkadelic.

Along with Rose Royce and Willie Hutch, the Undisputed Truth followed their producer when he left Motown in 1975 to form his own Whitfield Records. Virginia McDonald and Tyrone Douglas subsequently quit the group. With original member Joe McDonald as the mainstay, they would go through numerous personnel changes in the years to come. Taka Boom, sister of Chaka Khan, took over lead-vocal duties for their 1976 LP, Method to the Madness. Marcy Thomas sang lead on the group’s final album, Smokin’ (1979). Melvin Stewart and Lloyd Williams also replaced Calvin Stephenson and Tyrone Barkley on that release.

While the group’s Whitfield releases never matched the commercial success of their Motown material, they did manage to hit #5 on Billboard magazine’s Disco chart with their 1976 single, “You + Me = Love.” It also became their biggest pop hit since “Smiling Faces,” topping out at #48 on the Hot 100 chart. Beyond that, however, the Undisputed Truth faded into relative obscurity and disbanded in the early 1980s.

In 1990, Joe Harris and Brenda Evans resurrected the group with new member Belita Woods, recording for Ian Levine’s UK-based Motorcity label.

Charted singles:

“Save My Love for a Rainy Day” (1971) R&B #43
“Smiling Faces Sometimes” (1971) R&B #2, Pop #3
“You Make Your Own Heaven and Hell Right Here on Earth” (1971) R&B #24, Pop #72
“What It Is” (1972) R&B #35, Pop #71
“Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone” (1972) R&B #24, Pop #63
“Girl, You’re Alright” (1973) R&B #43, Pop #107
“Law of the Land” (1973) R&B #40
“Mama I Got a Brand New Thing (Don’t Say No)” (1973) R&B #46, Pop #109
“Help Yourself” (1974) R&B #19, Pop #63
“I’m a Fool for You” (1974) R&B #39
“Lil’ Red Ridin’ Hood” (1974) Pop #106
“UFO’s” (1975) R&B #62 “Higher Than High” (1975) R&B #62
“You + Me = Love” (1976) R&B #37, Pop #48, Disco #5
“Let’s Go Down to the Disco” (1976) R&B #68, Disco #40
“Sunshine” (1977) Pop #109
“Show Time, Part 1” (1979) R&B #55