One shotsters Moment of Truth ended before they began. Combining the heart of R&B soul with the slick Philly disco sounds they could have rivaled the Trammps, Double Exposure, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes or any of the other male groups of the mid-1970's. Norris Harris, Ivery "Caprice" Bell, Michael Garrison, and Billy Jones came together in 1976 in New York. Within a short time of being formed as a "group" they came under the tutelage of Reid Whitelaw and Norman Bergen. The duo would barely scrape the surface of the raw talent the four boys had.
As disco was exploding the Salsoul label was one of the first to capitolize on the 12" single, they were also inovative in signing new artists, Moment Of Truth was one of their first. The boys recorded one self-titled album for the label in 1976. Three 12" singles were culled from the release, "So Much In Love" (with a promo-only instrumental B-side), then the group's biggest success "Helplessly" (backed with "So Much In Love") and "You Got Me Hummin' " (my favorite). The first two were mixed by Tom Moulton and the third by Rafael Charres. All three received club play and the group had a very promising career. But internal strife and label problems caused the group to split before they could truely enjoy their success. The four guys disappeared into the night never to enjoy real success. Still one solid release at the dawn of disco music deserves a spot in the DiscoMuseum along with our thanks. |
