Smiling Faces Sometimes – The Undisputed Truth (1971)
The best music, movies and TV shows have all been made, we’re here to help you remember them all. This is just one of the many great songs you’d hear on The Beat Chicago.
There’s enough stations playing rock n’ roll classics and the same 80’s songs from Bon Jovi, Journey, John Cougar, Elton John all day long and that’s all cool but, when you want something completely different? When you want everything from Marvin Gaye, Earth, Wind & Fire, The Spinners to Stevie B, C+C Music Factory and more of the music that keeps you movin? We’re it.
See, we’re all about the classics too… Classic R&B and dance of the ’60s, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, freestyle and more. For us, it’s not about how old a song is, it’s about how good it is and this is as good as it gets.
Smiling Faces Sometimes” by The Undisputed Truth is one of 1971’s smoothest grooves. Written by Norman Whifield and Barret Strong who had written many hits for The Temptations as well as being the first person to have a hit for Motown back in 1960 with Money (That’s What I Want). The two also wrote “Just My Imagination” by The Temptations which would be their last song featuring Eddie Kendricks and Paul Williams.
With all the versions of this song, with all the artists including the O’Jay’s who borrowed from it, this would be the version that became the hit, the only big hit for The Undisputed Truth who actually were Joe Harris, Billie Rae Calvin, and Brenda Joyce.
While the group would return in the disco years in 1976 with a dance-floor hit “You + Me = Love and Harmony”, they’d never have a hit as big as this.
The song was originally recorded by The Temptations but it was this version that hit. The Temps’ version never got released as a single because of the problems in the group at the time.
- In 1995, it was featured in the film Dead Presidents.
- In 2013, “Smiling Faces Sometimes” was featured in the video game Grand Theft Auto V.
- In 2019, “Smiling Faces Sometimes” was featured in American Soul, Season 1 Episode 1 “Man is First Destiny”
The song hit #3 on Billboard’s Hot 100.