1954: The Chambers Brothers

Unlike some acts billing themselves as “brothers”, The Chambers Brothers really were brothers. Growing up in a sharecropping family in one of the most impoverished parts of Mississippi, the four siblings first started to sing at the Mount Calvary Baptist Church in Lee County.

After his discharge from the army in 1952, the oldest brother, George, headed to South Los Angeles and was soon joined by the other three. Here, the foursome began performing gospel and folk throughout Southern California, with George on bass guitar, Willie and Joe on guitar, and Lester on harmonica. They toiled in obscurity for years before switching to a more gospel/folk sound in 1961.

In 1965, they added a drummer to the group, a white man named Brian Keenan and moved more toward a rock/soul act. The group attracted national attention when they appeared at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival and were soon booked into the psychedelic venues of Electric Circus and both Filmore East and West, as well as The Apollo Theatre. They recorded their own version of The Isley Brothers’ hit, “Shout” for the “Vault” label, but it went largely un-noticed.

The band was signed by Columbia Records in 1967 and the title song from their first album became their biggest hit, when “Time Has Come Today” reached #11 on Billboard’s Hot 100 in 1968. The L.P. featured an 11-minute psychedelic version of the song. Although they released several more singles over the next few years, only “I Can’t Turn You Loose” managed to make a dent on the charts (#37 in 1968), although they did reach the soul charts a few times.

The original group went their separate ways in 1972 but the four brothers came together again for a 1974 album, “Unbonded”, that failed to sell well. The quartet continued to tour on and off and were signed to support Maria Muldar (Midnight At The Oasis) on her “Gospel Nights” album as well as making commercials for Levis’ blue jeans.

Early in 1980, Lester relocated to New York, where he formed a band with ex-Electric Flag bassist, Harvey Brooks. Willie and Joe found work as session men and George went back to singing gospel music. The gospel group, “The Chambers Family Choir” stayed a priority for the brothers.

Former drummer, Brian Keenan started up his own recording studio in Connecticut, but suffered a fatal heart attack in 1985.

Art Ramsey, was hired as a replacement drummer. He performed live, on-the-road and in many different cities and venues with the Chambers Brothers band after Keenan’s departure. Later, LA Session drummer Fabian Jolivet joined the band for a 1997 tour that ended with the full line up playing a Gospel set at the legendary 1960’s LA venue The Ash Grove, Santa Monica, CA.

In 2006, guitarist Willie Chambers brought the house down when he sat in with a group called Vince And The Invinceables at a benefit concert for Arthur Lee of the group Love. Lester Chambers and his son Dylan continued to turn clubs, concerts and festivals into Rock ‘n’ Roll church with his Lester Chambers Blues Revue. In 2013, the 73-year-old musician was back in the news again after he was attacked onstage by a female fan after dedicating a song to slain Florida teen Trayvon Martin, shortly after the man accused of his murder was acquitted.

• Soul,
• psychedelic rock
• funk
• R&B
• disco
• Pop/Rock
• Psychedelic
• Garage
• Psychedelic Soul

• 1954 in Lee County, MS

• 1968

• 1954–1972
• 1974–present

• Brian Keenan    d……2005
• George Chambers
• Joe Chambers
• Lester Chambers
• Willie Chambers

Record albums

• People Get Ready (Vault 9003, 1966)
• Now (Vault SLP-115 – 1966)
• Barbara Dane and The Chambers Brothers (Folkways Records FA 2468 – 1966)
• The Time Has Come (Columbia CL 2722 (Mono)/CS 9522 (Stereo) – 1967)
• Groovin’ Time (Folkways Records FW 31008 – 1968)
• Shout (Vault SLP-120 – 1968) [15] & (Vault VS 390 – 1968)
• A New Time – A New Day (Columbia CS 9671 – 1968)
• Love, Peace And Happiness / Live At Bill Graham’s Fillmore East (Columbia CS 9934, 1969)
• Shout – (Liberty, LBS 83272 – 1969), Reissue
• Feelin’ the Blues (Vault 128 – 1970)
• New Generation (Columbia C 30032 – 1971)
• Oh, My God! (Columbia 31158 – 1972) [*Unreleased*]
• Unbonded (Avco AV 11013 – 1974)
• Right Move (Avco AV 69003 – 1975)
• Live in Concert on Mars (Roxbury RLX-106 – 1976)

CD albums

• Now! Live (One Way 35142 – 1999, reissue of Now Vault SLP-115 LP)
• The Time Has Come (Columbia/Legacy 63984 – 2000), also on (Repertoire 2337 – 2007 with Bonus tracks)
• Live Fillmore West 65 (Falcon Music Germany 3537 – 2004)
• Live (Acrobat 4046 – 2005)
• Soul Up (Karussell 635050 – 19??, reissue of Now Vault album)
• People Get Ready (Collectors’ Choice 08302 – 2007 reissue of (Vault 9003, 1965 LP)
• Now (Collectors’ Choice 08312 – 2007 reissue of Vault SLP-115, 1966 LP)
• Shout (Collectors’ Choice 08322 – 2007 reissue of (Vault SLP-120 – 1968)
• Feelin’ the Blues (Collectors’ Choice 08332 – 2007 reissue of Vault 128, 1970 LP)
• The Time Has Come (Sony/BMG Special Markets, 2008)

• 1968 “I Can’t Turn You Loose”, Pop Singles, peaked at #37
• 1968 “Time Has Come Today”, Pop Singles, #11
• 1969 “Wake Up”, Pop Singles, #92
• 1970 “Love, Peace And Happiness”, Pop Singles, #96
• 1971 “Funky”, Black Singles, #40
• 1974 “Let’s Go, Let’s Go, Let’s Go”, Black Singles, #76

The Chambers Brothers – Time Has Come Today

Chambers Brothers – Time Has Come Today (Rare live extended}

The Chambers Brothers:Entire Album

Chambers Brothers – Wade In The Water [live] 13.06.1969

• Columbia,
• Avco
• Embassy

• http://www.discogs.com/artist/59247-Chambers-Brothers-The
• http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-chambers-brothers-mn0000057124/biography