Lester Chambers (born April 13, 1940) is an American recording artist, and former member and lead singer of the 1960s soul rock group The Chambers Brothers, who had the hit single, "Time Has Come Today".
Background Lester was born into a sharecropping family in a poor part of Mississippi. In addition to the parents, there were eight brothers and five sisters in the family.Richie Unterberger - LINER NOTES FOR THE CHAMBERS BROTHERS' PEOPLE GET READY By Richie Unterberger Lester and his three brothers started out singing at the Mount Calvary Baptist Church in Lee County.Music Amnezia, Feb, 10 - 2014 - 1954: The Chambers Brothers Older Brother George was drafted into the army in 1952. After his release he headed to California. And the other brothers followed him and by 1954, the four brothers were together in California.Photo Flashbacks - Chambers BrothersMusic Amnezia, Feb, 10 - 2014 - 1954: The Chambers Brothers
As a member of the Chambers Brothers, he sang lead on the Chambers Brothers songs "All Strung Out Over You", "People Get Ready", "Uptown", "I Can't Turn You Loose", and "Funky".American Blues Scene, March 6, 2012 - Blues Singer Lester Chambers: Reality of Music Industry for the 99% He also sang lead on "I Can't Stand It"Washington Free Press, March 7, 1968 - Page 17 SIGN OF Z, The Chambers Brothers, The Time Has Come. Columbia CS 9522 and "A New Time – A New Day".
As a solo artist he released singles and albums, and teamed up with ex-Electric Flag bassist Harvey Brooks to form the Lester Chambers Harvey Brooks Band.
Chambers performs with his son Dylan as The New Chambers Brothers as part of the band Moonalice which is led by Roger McNamee.Blues Blast Magazine, August 3, 2021 - Featured Interview – Lester Chambers
Career 1960s The Chambers Brothers' album, The Time Has Come was released in November 1967. It Featured the tracks, "All Strung Out Over You", "People Get Ready", "I Can't Stand It", "Romeo and Juliet", "In the Midnight Hour", " So Tired", "Uptown", "Please Don't Leave Me", "What the World Needs Now Is Love" and "Time Has Come Today". It was one of the Pop Best Bets in the 25 November issue of Cash Box.Rockasteria, Wednesday, January 5, 2011 - The Chambers Brothers - The Time Has Come (1967 us, classic soul psych rock masterpiece), TracksCash Box, November 27, 1967 - Page 50 Cash Box Album Reviews, THE TIME HAS COME—Chambers Brothers—Columbia CL 2722/CS 9522 "I Can't Stand It" Lester Chambers composed the songs, "I Can't Stand It" and "Romeo and Juliet",Rockasteria, Wednesday, January 5, 2011 - The Chambers Brothers - The Time Has Come (1967 us, classic soul psych rock masterpiece), Tracks and sang lead on both. Decades later, Robert C. Gilbert of Listening Sessions said that the Chambers Brothers song had the feel of Motown at its edgiest.Listening Sessions, Oct 01, 2024 - How I Got Psychedelicized by the Chambers Brothers - Robert C. Gilbert
The group Spirit recorded "I Can't Stand It" in 1967. It was later included on their Chronicles, 1967–1992 album, released in 1991. Some four decades later, Prog Archives reviewer, Clem of Nazareth called it "a west-coast treatment on a Motown type of tune that would not have been out of place at a Dead concert".sbritt channel, Mar 28, 2011 - Spirit "I Can't Stand It"Recorded 1967. From CHRONICLES 1967-1992 © 1996 Line RecordsProg Archives, 28 May 2007 - CHRONICLES (1967-1992) Spirit • Proto-Prog The group Pacific Ocean covered "I Can't Stand It". Backed with "I Wanna Testify", it was released on the VMC label. It had a positive review in the 16 November 1968 issue of Cash Box, with the reviewer calling it a blistering rock rendering of the Chambers Brothers’ song with probable heavy discotheque and top forty response.45Cat - Pacific Ocean - Discography, "I Can't Stand It"Cash Box, November 16, 1968 - Page 30 Cash Box Record Reviews, Newcomer Picks, PACIFIC OCEAN (VMC 732) I Can't Stand It (2:12) The Easybeats recorded their version of the song which was included on their 1968 album, Vigil.Jazz Rock Soul, 18 Feb 2024 - The Easybeats, 1968, Vigil Producer Dan Liebhauser worked with a group, The People who recorded the song. Backed with "Ode to Billie Joe", it was released on the Tee Pee label in October 1968.45Cat - The People (Wisconsin) - Discography, I Can't Stand It Spanish group, Los Crich recorded the song which was the B side to their version of "All Strung Out Over You".Discogs - Los Crich – All Strung Aut Over You / I Can't Stand It Los Crich – All Strung Aut Over You / I Can't Stand Itlafonotecha - LOS CRICH, La evolución de una banda garage, “All Strong Out Over You / I Can’t Stand it” (Fono Guanche, 1968) The group, The Brass Buttons worked with producer Dale Hawkins, recording "I Can't Stand It", which was the B side of their 1970 single, "Before My Time".45Cat - The Brass Buttons Discography
Further activities In October 1968, the Chambers Brothers second Columbia album, A New Time – A New Day was released.Record World, October 19, 1968 - Page 129 THE UNDER-GROUND GROOVE, Coming at the right time. 'A New Time A New Day.' It contained the songs "I Can't Turn You Loose", "Guess Who", "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?", "You Got the Power - To Turn Me On", and "A New Time - A New Day" etc.Spotify - A New Time – A New Day Lester sang lead on "I Can't Sturn You Loose" and "A New Time - A New Day".
1970s Funky Lester penned and sang lead on the Chambers Brothers 1971 hit, "Funky" which appeared on their New Generation album.Song Facts - Funky by The Chambers BrothersAmerican Blues Scene, March 6, 2012 - Blues Singer Lester Chambers: Reality of Music Industry for the 99% According to Song Facts, he said "I was hoping to create and start a new dance because everybody was doing dancing. You know, the boogaloo, the mashed potato, the watusi, the funky chicken. So I said, 'Let's make it a funky tune and talk about what happened in your home".Song Facts - Funky by The Chambers Brothers Further activities Along with Maxayn Lewis and Carlena Williams, Chambers added vocals to the song "About to Make Me Leave Home" which appears on Bonnie Raitt's 1977 Sweet Forgiveness album.Bonnie Raitt Website - Album Credits, Additional Vocalists 1980s - 1990s It was reported by Billboard in the magazine's 2 February 1980 issue that Lester Chambers & His Blues Band had been appearing at the Improvisation Nightclub in Los Angeles for the past four weeks. Musicians would come in and end up jamming with Chambers' band. Word of mouth was how they got to hear about it. George Benson, Earl Klugh, Noel Pointer, Pat Rizzo of War and Al Jarreau were some of the musicians who came on stage to jam with them.Billboard, February 2, 1980 - Page 28 Talent, L.A. Club Steps Up Music
During the first half of 1982, Chambers appeared at the Tramps club in New York. He guested with the Uptown Horns during the first anniversary of the group's weekly jams at the club.Billboard, May 15, 1982 - Page 52 GUEST SPOT -Lester Chambers On 30 July that year, Chambers appeared at the Agent Orange Benefit concert. A band formed specifically for the concert called Deerhunter consisted of Todd Rundgren, Ian Hunter, Paul Butterfield and John Cale. Other artists that appeared were, the Jim Carroll Band, Robert Gordon, Chris Spedding, Bobby Neuwirth, the Raybeats and Danny Shea.Billboard, August 17, 1982 - Page 14 General News, Act-ivities, Deerhunter Formed For Agent Orange Benefit
According to the 7 May 1983 issue of Billboard, the Loners and Lester Chambers were the first acts signed to the newly formed Alfabet Management Inc. that was formed by Jimmy Pullis and Allan Kaufman.Billboard, May 7, 1982 - Page 72 News, New Companies Lester Chambers Harvey Brooks Band During the 1980s, Lester Chambers had teamed up with former Electric Flag bassist Harvey Brooks. In addition to Chambers and Brooks, the band included Baron Raymonde and keyboardist Jeff Levine in the lineup.The Boston Globe, Tuesday November 18, 1984 - Page 25 Nostalgia trip worth taking THE CHAMBERS-BROOKS BAND - Featuring Lester Chambers and Harvey Brooks, at Jacks in Cambridge. Friday Night - By Brett Milano Special to the GlobeBaron Raymonde - More Sugar Magazine interview by Roger Zee 4/19/18 Their band, The Chambers-Brooks Band played at a venue called Jack's in Cambridge in December 1984. Their performance was reviewed by Brett Milano in the 18 November 1984 issue of The Boston Globe. They didn't concentrate on their old songs. Instead, they covered James Brown's "Papa's Got a Brand-New Bag", Sam & Dave's "Soul Man" and Marvin Gaye's "Heard it Through the Grapevine". According to Milano the covers were respectfully done, but luke-warm and they sounded like a covers band. The second set was livelier, and Chambers was the reason, and it was evident when he covered "I've Been Loving You Too Long" by Otis Redding. Milano also said that "Uptown" and "Time" lacked the wild abandon of the originals. He still said that Chambers' vocals and the band's energy made it worth taking.The Boston Globe, Tuesday November 18, 1984 - Page 25 Nostalgia trip worth taking THE CHAMBERS-BROOKS BAND - Featuring Lester Chambers and Harvey Brooks, at Jacks in Cambridge. Friday Night - By Brett Milano Special to the Globe
According to band member Baron Raymonde, one of the best gigs he played with the band was two-and-a-half-week gig at the World Headquarters club at St. John's when they toured the Caribbean in 1988.Baron Raymonde - More Sugar Magazine interview by Roger Zee 4/19/18 Further activities By May 1985, Chambers' single, "Ain't It Nice to Know", composed by Victor Dishy, was released on Masterpiece MP 10001.Billboard, May 19, 1984 - Page 64 Billboard Singles Reviews, Black, also received, LESTER CHAMBERS -Ain't It Nice To Know (4:25)
On 29 September 1985, Chambers was booked to appear at the My Place venue.Music Connection, Vol. IX, No. 20 September 30-October 13 - Page 50 Club Data by S. L. Duff, Time has come to see Lester Chambers at At My Place on Sept. 29th.
2000s - 2020s In March 2011, Lester Chambers was inducted into the West Coast Blues Hall of Fame.
Lester Chambers was a vocalist on the Work Songs album by Jaimeo Brown Transcendence, which was released in the first quarter of 2016. Downbeat, March 2016 Volume 83 / Number 3 - Page 54 Jaimeo Brown Transcendence Work Songs
Singing lead with the group, Moonalice, Lester Chambers and the group performed, "New Time, New Day" at an event held at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco on 18 December 2021.Grateful Web, December 21, 2021 - Moonalice | The Bandshell at Golden Gate Park | 12/18/21
Chambers was pictured on the 3 August 2021 issue of Blues Blast Magazine, which also featured an interview about him.Blues Blast Magazine, August 3, 2021 - Featured Interview – Lester Chambers
Both Lester and son Dylan who is a member of the group Moonalice were interviewed about some aspects of The Chambers Brothers as well as their current membership with Moonalice, and the Full Moonalice Vol. 1 EP. The interview was published in the 25 April 2022 issue of Goldmine.Goldmine, Apr 25, 2022 - The Chambers Brothers’ Lester Chambers discusses the new Moonalice EP - Warren Kurtz Updated:Apr 28, 2022
In 2022, Chambers' autobiography, Time Has Come: Revelations of a Mississippi Hippie (co-authored by Tee Watts) was published. It was reviewed in the 29 November 2022 issue of Blues Blast magazine. Reviewer Mark Thompson referred to it an enlightening tale which Chambers told well.Blues Blast, November 29, 2022 - Lester Chambers with T. Watts – Time Has Come: Revelations Of A Mississippi Hippie Book Review Posted on November 29, 2022 by Mark Thompson
Hardship Chambers has reported that despite the group's success, he did not receive any royalty payments from 1967 to 1994. In a chat session on the Soul Patrol website, he discussed such injustices that many black artists have endured.