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A Rediscovered Gem

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Someone posted a link on FB to another track from this album, a few days ago. The memories came flooding back.
The Undisputed Truth were one of Motown’s success stories from the early ’70s. Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong given full rein with their weird funky soap-opera productions, before Disco swept this kind of stuff away completely. This is from 1975. Everything including the kitchen sink is in there. Possibly an additional sink, just in case.

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    • I only discovered recently that Motown had a subsidiary label Rare Earth dedicated to psychedelic rock. This track Ma, by Rare Earth was also written by Norman Whitfield. The similarities to Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone are obvious.

      • That is fascinating @Alias

        Here’s the Motown Junkies site who have a whole page on the label.

        https://motownjunkies.co.uk/labels/rareearth/

        In the comments i found this:

        “Rare Earth Records.: Established in 1969 after the signing of Rare Earth (after whom the label was named), Rare Earth Records was a subsidiary focusing on rock music by white artists. Notable acts included Rare Earth, R. Dean Taylor, the Pretty Things, Love Sculpture, Kiki Dee, Toe Fat, The Cats and Shaun Murphy (both solo and her collaborations with Meat Loaf). The label also was the subsidiary to house the first white band signed to Motown, the Rustix.”

        And here’s a discography. A few names you’ll know.

        http://www.globaldogproductions.info/r/rare-earth.html

        • Does this mean that Motown’s white artists such as R Dean Taylor and Kiki Dee weren’t on Motown at all? I don’t suppose it matters unless you have a record to sell.

          Another great hidden (from me until recently anyway) soul/rock crossover Norman Whitfield gem is Hum Along And Dance by the Jackson 5. If you have a spare quarter of an hour, here it is in all its glory.

          • The marvellous album, ‘I Think, Therefore I Am’ by R. Dean Taylor (which sports both ‘Gotta See Jane’ and the immortal ‘Indiana Wants Me’ – topping and tailing Side One! – along with loads more that’s well worth hearing) was indeed on the Rare Earth label (Cat. No. RS522), but on the back of the sleeve, in white small print across the bottom it clearly says ‘Copyright MOTOWN RECORD CORPORATION, DETROIT, MICHIGAN, 48201…..TRADEMARK MOTOWN RECORD CORPORATION PRINTED IN U.S.A.”

            /Pedant mode

      • There’s a version of “Ma” on the end of that Undisputed Truth album. With a horn arrangement that suggests Norman Whitfield may have listened to Fela Kuti at some point.

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