Unbonded is a 1974 album for The Chambers Brothers. It contains their hit single, "Let's Go, Let's Go, Let's Go". It also made the charts that year.
Background The album was produced by Jimmy Ienner.Billboard, January 19, 1974 - Page 66 Billboard's Top Album Picks, Pop, THE CHAMBER BROTHERS -Unbonded, AVCO AV 11013. The engineer for the recording was Ed Stasium.The Poetics of Rock Cutting Tracks, Making Records, By Albin Zak · 2001 - - Page 234 Stasium, Ed.
The LP version was released in the United States on Avco AV-11013. The eight track cartridge version was released on 87C11013, and the cassette version was released on CAS11013.Billboard, February 2, 1974 - Page 52 New LP /Tope Releases, POPULAR ARTISTS, CHAMBERS BROS. Unbonded
Reception The album was a Pop Pick in the 5 January 1974 issue of Cash Box. The review was highly positive with the reviewer saying that the Chambers Brothers were right on time with this gem. The review was finished off with "if you want to treat yourself to an unparalled musical delight" to get into the album.Cash Box, January 5, 1974 - Page 12 cashbox /album reviews, POP PICKS, UNBONDED—The Chambers Brothers—Avco AV—11013
An album Pick in the 19 January issue of Billboard, it received a positive review. According to the reviewer, the ten pop and r &b classics had been livened up by the Chambers Brothers who had given them what was described as their distinctive flair. The picks were, "Let's Go, Let's Go, Let's Go", "Good Vibrations" and "Do You Believe in Magic".Billboard, January 19, 1974 - Page 66 Billboard's Top Album Picks, Pop, THE CHAMBER BROTHERS -Unbonded, AVCO AV 11013.
With the Chambers Brothers version of "The Weight", Dan Epstein of Forward had their version at no. 12 in a list of the Top 25 versions of the song. With the song sung by George Chambers, the Chambers' bassist, he said that the "song gradually builds from a groovy country-funk hootenanny to a stirring gospel tent revival". Epstein also referred to the album as underrated.Forward, September 6, 2023 - 12) The Chambers Brothers - By Dan Epstein
Airplay For the week of 19 January, Unbonded was added to the playlists of FM stations, WBRU-FM, WPLR-FM, WVVS-FM, WOWI-FM, WORJ FM, and WOUR-FM.Billboard, January 19, 1974 - Page 19 Billboard FM Action Picks, CHAMBERS BROTHERS, "Unbonded," For the week of 26 January, the album was added to the playlist of WOUR-FM and KFMY-FM.Billboard, January 26, 1974 - Page 35 Billboard FM Action Picks, CHAMBERS BROTHERS, "Unbonded,"
Charts The album debuted at no. 54 in the Billboard Soul LP's chart for the week of 9 February 1974.Billboard, February 9, 1974 - Page 31 Billboard SPECIAL SURVEY for Week Ending 2/9/74, Billboard Soul LP's, This Week 54, Last Week -, Weeks on Chart 1, TITLE UNBOUNDED After seven weeks on the chart, the album peaked at no. 44 for the week of 23 March.Billboard, March 23, 1974 - Page 37 Billboard SPECIAL SURVEY for Week Ending 3/23/74, Billboard Soul LP's, This Week 44, Last Week 45, Weeks on Chart 7, TITLE UNBONDEDBillboard, March 30, 1974 - Page 53 Billboard SPECIAL SURVEY for Week Ending 3/30/74, Billboard Soul LP's, This Week 52, Last Week 44, Weeks on Chart 8
Album details
+ Avco AV-11013 Track Title Lead vocal Composer Time Notes A1 "Reflections" Lester Holland–Dozier–Holland 4:29 A2 "Let's Go, Let's Go, Let's Go Willie Hank Ballard 3:20 A3 "The Weight" George R. Robertson 4:51 A4 "1-2-3" Lester D. White, J. Madara, L. Borisoff 3:32 A5 "If Loving You Is Wrong, I Don't Want to Be Right" Willie C. Hampton, H. Banks, R. Jackson 5:43 B1 "Good Vibrations" George, Joe, Lester, Willie B. Wilson, M. Love 4:39 B2 "Gypsy Woman" George Curtis Mayfield 2:51 B3 "I (Who Have Nothing)" Joe Donida, Leiber, Stoller, Mogol 3:29 B4 "Do You Believe in Magic" Joe John Sebastian 2:59 B5 "Looking Back" Willie Hendricks, Benton, Otis 2:20
References
External links Discogs - The Chambers Brothers – Unbonded