The Chambers Brothers are an American psychedelic soul band, best known for their eleven-minute 1968 psychedelic soul hit "Time Has Come Today". The group was part of the wave of new music that integrated American blues and gospel traditions with modern psychedelic and rock elements. Their music has been kept alive through frequent use in film soundtracks. There were four brothers, though other musicians were also in the group.
Background Originally from Carthage, Mississippi, the Chambers Brothers first honed their skills as members of the choir in their Baptist church. This arrangement ended in 1952 when the eldest brother, George, was drafted into the Army. George relocated to Los Angeles after his discharge, and his brothers soon joined him. Beginning in 1954, the foursome played gospel and folk music throughout the Southern California region, but remained little known until 1965 when they began performing in New York City.allmusic [ The Chambers Brothers biography]
Consisting of George (September 26, 1931 – October 12, 2019) on washtub bass (later on Danelectro and Gibson Thunderbird bass guitar), Lester (b. April 13, 1940) on harmonica, and Willie (b. March 3, 1938) and Joe (August 22, 1942 – August 15, 2024) on guitar, the group started to venture outside the gospel circuit, playing at coffeehouses that booked folk acts. They played at places like The Ash Grove, a very popular Los Angeles folk club. It became one of their favorite haunts and brought them into contact with Hoyt Axton, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Reverend Gary Davis, and Barbara Dane. When Barbara Dane spotted the brothers at the Ash Grove, she knew they would be perfect to do the freedom songs that people wanted to hear then.Classic Rock, August 02, 2022 - The Chambers Brothers and the acid classic that psychedelicised black American folk music By Jo Kendall Dane became a great supporter, performing and recording with the brothers. Dane took them on tour with her and introduced them to Pete Seeger, who helped put the Chambers Brothers on the bill of the 1965 Newport Folk Festival.
During the late 1960s to early 1970s, the group was managed by Charles LaMarr aka Charles La Marr.Record World, December 28, 1968 - Page 25, No. 1 Most Promising Male Vocal Group (Record World 1968 Annual Awards)Hit Parader, April 1971 - Page 56 CHAMBERS BROS. (continued from page 45)
Liner notes on album releases can give the impression that there was no drummer for the Chambers Brothers before Brian Keenan. The notes by Chris Welch for the 1999 People Get Ready & Now compilation album on Repertoire REP 4734-WY say, "They added a white drummer, BRIAN KEENAN, when they were too busy singing and performing to have time to provide the more traditional handclapping rhythms."Chambers Brothers* – People Get Ready & Now, Repertoire Records REP 4734-WY CD 1999 - Pages 2-4 CHRIS WELCH However, the Chambers Brothers had an early Drummer called Michael Konnic (aka Mike Konnic)."Blues RecordsA Complete Guide to 20 Years of Recorded Blues, By Mike Leadbitter and Neil Slaven, 1968 - - Page 47 CHAMBERS BROTHERSNAMM - Willie and Joe Chambers Full Interview January 20, 2020, Time 26:55 According to George Chambers, the group tried out a few drummers before they met Brian Keenan.Fast Forward, Play, and Rewind, By Michael Oberman · 2020 - - Page 162 The Chambers Brothers January 18, 1969
Career The Chambers Brothers provided some backing for Hoyt Axton on his singles, "This Little Light" bw "Thunder 'n Lightnin'" and "Greenback Dollar" bw "One More Round" which were released on the Horizon label in December 1962.Jazz Rock Soul - The Chambers Brothers They were also credited as backers on his Thunder'N Lightnin' album which was released in 1963. It was positive with the reviewer advising deejays to keep a watch on it and things could happen with it.Billboard, January 19, 1963 - Page 33 ALBUM REVIEWS (cont.), (SPECIAL MERIT PICK), SPECIAL MERIT PICKS, FOLK SPECIAL MERIT, THUNDER 'N' LIGHTENIN' Hoyt Axton. Horizon 1613 (S) The Chambers Brothers worked with Hoyt Axton again and were on his single "Grizzly Bear" bw "Gypsy Woman" which was released in September 1963.Jazz Rock Soul - The Chambers Brothers45Cat - Hoyt Axton With The Chambers Brothers - Grizzly Bear
Credited as the Valleyites, the Chambers Brothers worked with Nathan McKinney and recorded "Weep No More" bw ""Oh" How I Love You, which was released on Ray-Co R-526 in 1964.45Cat - Nathan McKinney And Valleyites - Weep No MoreSir Shabling's Deep Soul Heaven - Nathan McKinneyJohn Manship channel, Oct 23, 2015 - Nathan Mckinney And Valleyites - Weep No More - Ray-co: 526 Now credited as The Chambers Brothers, they worked with McKinney again recording "Never Fall In Love" bw "Soldier Boy" which was released on Ray-Co R-527 later that year.Jazz Rock Soul - The Chambers Brothers45Cat - Nathan McKinney And The Chamber Bros. - Never Fall In Love "Call Me" The group recorded "Call Me" which was written by Joe Chambers and Willie Chambers. Backed with Joe Chambers' composition, "Seventeen", it was released in the US on Vault V-920 in 1965, and in the UK on Vocalion 9276.45Cat - The Chambers Brothers - Discography, USA, Call MeTales From the Woods, Issue No. 43/44 - July/August 2004 - Page 23 SOUL/R&B released in the UK It was produced by Cliff Goldsmith. "Call Me" was described by Way Back Attack as a "raw and rockin' soul tune...with a prominent cowbell beat!". Way Back Attack - THE CHAMBERS BROTHERS Time Has Come Today The group performed "Call Me" as well as "Don't Lose Your Cool" on Hollywood a Go Go on 26 June 1965.Funky 16 Corners, September 13, 2016 - The Chambers Brothers – Call MeGazzarri Dancers - featuring the 1964-66 HOLLYWOOD A GO-GO dancers, EPISODE LIST, EPISODE 27 HOLLYWOOD A GO-GO SYND.EP. 21, JUNE 26, 1965, CHAMBERS BROTHERS - "Call Me" In an interview on 20 January 2020, Joe and Willie Chambers talked about "Call Me" and how it got played on a radio station, one they recalled being KRLA that had the Rocket to Stardom show. They said that their song was opposite to what the station was playing. "Call Me" was a "Record of the Week there".NAMM - Willie and Joe Chambers Full Interview January 20, 2020, Time 13:00 The UK release on Vocalion had a rapid review in the 30 July 1966 issue of Record Mirror, where the reviewer said that they manage a few interesting gimmicks on the song.Record Mirror, July 30, 1966 - Page 9 singles reviewed by Norman Jopling and Peter Jones, rapid reviews Newport The Chambers Brothers appeared at the Newport Folk Festival on 25 July 1965.Flagging Down the Double E's, Jul 25, 2020 - "That boy is really destructive" 1965-07-25, Newport Folk Festival, Newport, RI - Ray Padgett, *** First Show: Gospel in the Morning ***
They were becoming more accepted in the folk community, but, like many on the folk circuit, were looking to electrify their music and develop more of a rock and roll sound. Joe Chambers recalled in a May 1994 Goldmine article that people at the Newport Folk Festival were breaking down fences and rushing to the stage. "Newport had never seen or heard anything like that." After the group finished and the crowd finally settled down, the MC came up and said, "Whether you know it or not, that was rock 'n' roll." That night they played at a post-concert party for festival performers and went to a recording session of the newly electrified Bob Dylan.
The Chambers Brothers had a drummer called Michael Konnic. It was around the time when they got to the Newport festival, that they had an argument with him. For some reason he wanted to fight with them and his elder brother nearly got involved. According to Joe, he said "We love you man. We want you to play drums."Blues RecordsA Complete Guide to 20 Years of Recorded Blues, By Mike Leadbitter and Neil Slaven, 1968 - - Page 47 CHAMBERS BROTHERSNAMM - Willie and Joe Chambers Full Interview January 20, 2020, Time 26:55
The brothers were backed by Sam Lay at Newport on their first night at the festival.Getty Images - Chamber Brothers At Newport, NEWPORT, RI - JULY 1965: R and B and soul music group the Chamber Brothers (l - r Joe Chambers, Lester Chambers, Willie Chambers, drummer Sam Lay, George Chambers)Blues Legacy: Tradition and Innovation in Chicago, by David Whiteis. 2019. . Sam Lay, (next page) ... Sam also backed the Chambers Brothers on the first night of the festival, George Chambers was impressed by the "big sound" of Lay and asked him to back the brothers on another set.Guitar King: Michael Bloomfield's Life in the Blues, By David Dann · 2019 - - Page 182 One of the songs they performed, "I Got It", appeared on the Newport Folk Festival 1965 compilation LP, which was issued on the Vanguard label.Richie Unterberger.com Liner Notes for The Chambers Brothers' Shout! By Richie Unterberger Further activities Shortly after appearing at Newport, the group released its debut album, People Get Ready. The drummer that backed them on the album was Mike Konnic.Blues RecordsA Complete Guide to 20 Years of Recorded Blues, By Mike Leadbitter and Neil Slaven, 1968 - - Page 47 CHAMBERS BROTHERS
They recorded "Love Me Like The Rain" and "Pretty Girls Everywhere" which were issued on Vault V-923 in 1966.45Cat - The Chambers Brothers - Discography, USA, Love Me Like The Rain "Love Me Like the "Rain" was written By Brian Keenan and recorded by his group, The Losers and released as the B side of "Mersey-ssippi" on the Atco label in 1965.Richie Unterberger - LINER NOTES FOR THE CHAMBERS BROTHERS' SHOUT! By Richie Unterberger45Cat - The Losers (USA) - Discographyaugmentknowledge channel, May 10, 2023 - THE LOSERS "MERSEY-SSIPPI"
The Chambers Brothers played at the Downtown discotheque club in New York during 1966. As reported in the 9 April 1966 issue of Cash Box, the group had been engaged for a further two weeks at the venue. They had been there for over a month, had been drawing huge crowds there.Cash Box, April 9, 1966 - Page 26 RECORD RAMBLINGS, NEW YORK: The drummer for the group as reported by the 26 March 1966 issue of Cash Box was Nicky Cahn (aka Jesse Cahn) who was pictured with the group in the article. It was also noted that their forthcoming LP was People Get Ready. The group was also reported to have a large following in Boston.Cash Box, March 26, 1966 - Page 15 Cash Box RECOD RAMBLINGS, NEW YORK
The group's album People Get Ready was released in 1966. It had a positive review in the 23 April issue of Cash Box. The tracks selected by the reviewer were "People Get Ready", "Call Me" and "Hooka Tooka".Cash Box, April 23, 1966 - Page 38 Cash Box ALBUM REVIEWS, PEOPLE GET READY—Chambers Brothers—Vault 9003
According to George Chambers, the group was too busy playing different instruments to do hand claps, so they had to get a drummer. They did try out a few. Then they met Brian. In their opinion he was the best around.Hit Parader Magazine, August 1969 - Page 37 The Story Of THE CHAMBERS BROTHERS, GEORGE E. CHAMBERS
In 1966, the group recorded "The Time Has Come Today".45Cat - The Chambers Brothers, A: Time Has Come Today, B: Dinah98.7 WFGR, June 7, 2012 - “Time Has Come Today” by the Chambers Brothers – Classic Hit or Miss - Matt Hendricks The B side of the single was the 2:21 long "Dinah" which was written by G, L, J & W Chambers. It was reviewed in the 24 September 1966 issue of Cash Box where it was in the Best Bests section and given a B+ rating. The reviewer called "The Time Has Come Today" a wild hard driving funky outing.Cash Box, September 24, 1966 - Cash Box RECORD REVIEWS, Best Bets, CHAMBERS BROTHERS (Columbia 43816) Unfortunately, it was rejected by Columbia.Way Back Attack - THE CHAMBERS BROTHERS, Time Has Come TodayLyrics.com - Time Has Come Today (Single Version One- Rejected Version)The Grand 98.7 - “Time Has Come Today” by the Chambers Brothers – Classic Hit or Miss/ - Matt Hendricks
"All Strung Out Over You"