Song Clearance Sheet
3 sources citedBall of Confusion (That’s What the World Is Today)
See all The Temptations in the catalogue →
Soul1970s160BPM
UnconfirmedKey
Tempo/key via Deezer →
The verdict
Documented Sampling History
Confirmed songwriters of record (Whitfield & Strong), no dispute found — written as the subtler political outlet after “War” (also this batch) was deemed too commercially risky for the group.
Quick Facts
Released1970
GenreSoul, Funk, Psychedelic Soul
LabelGordy / Motown Records
ProducerNorman Whitfield
Recorded atGolden World Studios, Detroit
More infoWikipedia → · Discogs →
Who you need to ask
The songwriters of record — Norman Whitfield & Barrett Strong
Wikipedia → · checked Jul 2026
The current administrator — Not confirmed — originally Motown/Gordy; needs a Songview/Discogs lookup
Unknown · checked Jul 2026
Has it been reused?
A much-covered protest-soul staple; part of this catalogue’s Temptations / Whitfield-Strong web, and the counterpart to “War” (this batch).
Do they allow reuse?
No standalone policy found; confirmed songwriters of record and no dispute found.
Related Songs
Same album, answer records, and songs worth knowing about
This was written as the subtler outlet after “War” was reassigned away from the group (this batch)
Same group and songwriters (this batch)
Who Owns It
Licenses explained →The two permissions you need, and who holds them
The song itself (the writing)Norman Whitfield & Barrett Strong
The subtler political outlet after “War”This was written as a more subtle alternative outlet for political commentary — specifically because Motown had decided the more overtly defiant “War” (this batch) was too commercially risky as a Temptations single and reassigned it to Edwin Starr. Whitfield and Strong then wrote this as a comparatively restrained way to still engage the same turbulent moment.
The recording (current administrator)Not confirmed
Receipts
Every public mention of terms, policy, or past deals we've found
One three-hour session, headlines for lyrics
Recorded in a single three-hour session at Golden World Studios, beginning with an extended instrumental jam edited down afterward, with lyrics drawn directly from real newspaper headlines of the era. When the group first saw the demanding rapid-fire sheet music, they doubted they could pull it off — Dennis Edwards, with the quickest tongue, got the hardest lines; Eddie Kendricks got a rare higher-tenor turn. No lyrics reproduced.
Grokipedia / Last.fm · read it →
Can You Use It for Free?
How to check PD →Is it public domain?No
Sample History
—
Times sampled
A much-covered protest-soul staple
Covers
—
First flip
Who to Contact
BC
Whitfield & Strong / Motown
The confirmed songwriters of record
What they'll chargeNobody's shared numbers yet
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Page history · 2 updates
Jul 2026Page created — full research (Research Queue Batch 15)
Jul 2026BPM/Key pending the automated GetSongBPM/Deezer pass