Thanks for this wonderful essay Robert, I thoroughly enjoyed it! I’d heard of The Undisputed Truth but really was only aware of Smiling Faces Sometimes. They clearly released some fantastic music. That version of What’s Going On is excellent, so different than the Marvin Gaye version!
Thank you for your fantastic article and for speaking the TRUTH! They are fantastic records, and Norman Whitfield worked magic on them (w/Coffey and Wah-Wah). I also love Whitfield's period with The Temptations, but the band is less happy with that era of their music.
I really enjoy the second iteration of The Truth (w/Taka Boom - Chaka Khan's sister). Of course, they were a different band, but those mid-70s albums up to 'Smokin' are smokin' hot! There's a tune on 'Higher Than High' called "Boogie Bump Boogie" that HAS to be the blueprint for early Red Hot Chili Peppers. Every time I hear it, I think that is what the Chili Peppers *wished* they sounded like. It's totally insane and would be such a fun tune live.
Thanks so much, Michael. It was interesting to hear the records that Whitfield made of the Undisputed Truth with the expanded lineup - I liked them but found them somewhat jarring compared to how I had always thought of the group. It guess it just reinforces how the group was truly a vessel for Whitfield's productions.
My pleasure, Robert. It's a great read about a brilliant band. Whitfield also worked his magic with The Temptations. I have read they grew tired of him injecting politics into their music and ultimately wanted to regain control of the band and return to having fun being a soul/R&B band. That said, the Whitfield Temps albums are the ones I play the most.
I think the sound and energy of those later Undisputed Truth albums were also heavily buried under a large pile of cocaine!
The only Temptations I have are from the Whitfield era - they are uniformly excellent though would love to come across the albums from the David Ruffin era.
I imagine some substances were ingested on those later UT albums - they are something else.
Thanks. Whoops on typo - I've corrected - thanks for pointing it out. I've written a few essays on Motown and more will come as well on the jazz musicians from Detroit at some point.
Norman Whitfield was a stone cold genius, and the Truth strongly benefitted from his songwriting and his place in the producer's chair.
Absolutely - there is some really interesting music here, especially their second album which is a classic, in my opinion.
Thanks for this wonderful essay Robert, I thoroughly enjoyed it! I’d heard of The Undisputed Truth but really was only aware of Smiling Faces Sometimes. They clearly released some fantastic music. That version of What’s Going On is excellent, so different than the Marvin Gaye version!
Thanks so much for the kind words, Mark! Appreciate it!
Thank you for your fantastic article and for speaking the TRUTH! They are fantastic records, and Norman Whitfield worked magic on them (w/Coffey and Wah-Wah). I also love Whitfield's period with The Temptations, but the band is less happy with that era of their music.
I really enjoy the second iteration of The Truth (w/Taka Boom - Chaka Khan's sister). Of course, they were a different band, but those mid-70s albums up to 'Smokin' are smokin' hot! There's a tune on 'Higher Than High' called "Boogie Bump Boogie" that HAS to be the blueprint for early Red Hot Chili Peppers. Every time I hear it, I think that is what the Chili Peppers *wished* they sounded like. It's totally insane and would be such a fun tune live.
Thanks so much, Michael. It was interesting to hear the records that Whitfield made of the Undisputed Truth with the expanded lineup - I liked them but found them somewhat jarring compared to how I had always thought of the group. It guess it just reinforces how the group was truly a vessel for Whitfield's productions.
My pleasure, Robert. It's a great read about a brilliant band. Whitfield also worked his magic with The Temptations. I have read they grew tired of him injecting politics into their music and ultimately wanted to regain control of the band and return to having fun being a soul/R&B band. That said, the Whitfield Temps albums are the ones I play the most.
I think the sound and energy of those later Undisputed Truth albums were also heavily buried under a large pile of cocaine!
The only Temptations I have are from the Whitfield era - they are uniformly excellent though would love to come across the albums from the David Ruffin era.
I imagine some substances were ingested on those later UT albums - they are something else.
Nice article. I'm sure (old Detroiter) that you mean Woodward Avenue, not Woodwind Avenue! A nice musical slip tho! More on Detroit music please!
Thanks. Whoops on typo - I've corrected - thanks for pointing it out. I've written a few essays on Motown and more will come as well on the jazz musicians from Detroit at some point.