The Chambers Brothers are an American psychedelic soul band, best known for their eleven-minute 1967 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.

The Chambers Brothers
The band in 1970
Background information
Origin	Los Angeles, California
Genres	Psychedelic soul[1][2]
Years active	1954–1972, 1974–present
Labels	Vault, Columbia, Avco, Roxbury
Past members	George Chambers [deceased] Joe Chambers Lester Chambers Willie Chambers Brian Keenan [deceased] Lee Szymborski

Early career

Originally from Carthage, Mississippi,[3] 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.[4]

Consisting of George (September 26, 1931 - October 12, 2019)[5] on washtub bass (later on bass guitar Danelectro and Gibson Thunderbird), Lester (b. April 13, 1940) on harmonica, and Willie (b. March 3, 1938) and Joe (b. August 22, 1942) 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.[6] When Dane spotted the brothers there, she knew they would be perfect to do these freedom songs that people wanted to hear then.[7] Dane became a great supporter, performing and recording with the brothers. With the addition of Brian Keenan (January 28, 1943 – October 5, 1985) on drums, 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. 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.[8]

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.[8] Shortly after appearing at Newport, the group released its debut album, People Get Ready.

The group recorded "All Strung Out Over You" which was composed by Rudy Clark. It was released on Columbia 4-43957 on December 19, 1966.[9][10] It was rushed out by Columbia after the label had rejected an early version of "Time Has Come Today".[11] "All Strung Out Over You" became a regional hit for the group which gave them the opportunity to re-record "The Time Has Come Today".[12]

"Time Has Come Today"

The band scored its only major hit in the fall of 1968 with "Time Has Come Today", an 11-minute opus written by Joe and Willie Chambers and highlighted by echoing vocal effects and Keenan's drumming which gave the song a psychedelic feel. "Time Has Come Today" was edited for release as a single and spent five consecutive weeks in September–October at #11 on the Billboard Hot 100, just missing the Top Ten.

Later years

Later incarnations of the group included session guitarist Steve Hunter (known for his work with Alice Cooper) An album recorded in 1972 for Columbia, Oh! My God, remains unreleased. Although the group disbanded in 1972, they reformed and moved from Columbia to Avco Records and released Unbonded (1974) and Right Move (1975). In 1976 the brothers released Recorded Live In Concert on Mars for the Roxbury label. They have toured irregularly since.

They were signed to support Maria Muldaur on her Gospel Nights album. They also made commercials for Levi's Jeans.

Lester moved to New York and formed a band with former Electric Flag bassist Harvey Brooks. Guitarists Willie and Joe would find work as session men; George went back to singing gospel music[13] and would later become a deacon of his church. Keenan retired to Stamford, Connecticut where he set up his own recording studio,[13] and died of heart failure in 1985[13]

American Session Drummer, Lee Szymborski, also from Stamford Connecticut, was hired by George Chambers to replace Brian Keenan in 1980, in Los Angeles, CA., and performed live with The Chambers Brothers at the Hollywood Bowl's Fourth Annual Survival Sunday Anti-Nuclear Benefit Concert, with Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, Stephen Stills, Bonnie Rait, Graham Nash, Gary U.S. Bonds, Peter Yarrow, Kenny Rankin and others in Los Angeles, CA. on June 14, 1981. Lee Szymborski also performed live with The Chambers Brothers and Etta James for two shows at McCabe's Guitar Shop 3101 Pico Blvd. Santa Monica, CA. July 16, 1981. [14][15][16]

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 Lee Szymborski's departure. Later, L.A. session drummer Fabian Jolivet joined the band for a 1997 tour that ended with the full line up returning to the Ash Grove and playing a gospel set.

In 2006, guitarist Willie Chambers sat in with a group called Vince and the Invinceables at a benefit concert for Arthur Lee of the group Love and delivered an acclaimed performance.[17][18]

In 2015, Joe Chambers was appearing at venues such as Harold's Place on Pacific Ave. San Pedro as The Joe Chambers Experience.[19]

In 2016, Willie, Joe, and occasionally George, along with their nephew Jerry Warner on bass, Crazy Tomes on guitar, and LA drummer Jon McCracken, reformed as the Chambers Brothers to do shows in the Los Angeles area;[20][21] including the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles, CA.[22]

George Chambers died October 12, 2019, at age 88.[23][24]

Joe Chambers collaborated with Marva Holiday, recording their version of "To Love Somebody".[25][26]

Summer of Soul

In 2021 the Chambers Brothers appeared in the Questlove music documentary "Summer of Soul," [27] about the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival.[28]

Charted singles

Billboard albums listing

• 1967 The Time Has Come, Black Albums, #6; Pop Albums, #4
• 1968 A New Time-A New Day, Black Albums, peaked at #24
• 1968 A New Time-A New Day, Pop Albums, #16
• 1970 Love, Peace and Happiness, Black Albums, #17; Pop Albums #58
• 1970 The Chambers Brothers Greatest Hits (Vault), Pop Albums #193
• 1971 New Generation, Black Albums #36; Pop Albums #145
• 1972 The Chambers Brothers' Greatest Hits (Columbia), Pop Albums, #166
• 1974 Unbonded, Pop Albums, #144[32]

Discography

Studio albums

• The Time Has Come (1967)[33]
• A New Time – A New Day (1968)[34]
• Shout (1968)[35][36]
• Love, Peace And Happiness/Live At Bill Graham's Fillmore East (1969)[37]
• Feelin' the Blues (7/1969)[38]
• New Generation (1971)[39]
• Unbonded (1974)[40]
• Right Move (1975)[41]

Live albums

• People Get Ready (1966)
• Now! (1967)
• Live in Concert on Mars (1976)
• Live Fillmore West 65 (2004)[42]
• Live (2005)[43]

Unreleased album

• Oh, My God! (1972)[44]

Compilations

• Groovin' Time (1968)[45]
• Chambers Brothers' Greatest Hits [Double Album] (1970)
• Greatest Hits (1971)[46]
• The Best of the Chambers Brothers [Double Album] (1973)
• The Time Has Come / A New Time – A New Day [2 on 1 Album] (1975)[47]
• Greatest Hits (1988)
• Goin Uptown (1995)
• Time Has Come: Best Of The Chambers Brothers (1996)
• Time (1998)
• Now/People Get Ready [2 on 1 CD] (1999)

Collaborations

• Barbara Dane and The Chambers Brothers (1966)[48]
• Mike Bloomfield: From His Head To His Heart To His Hands (incl. Tombstone Blues - Alternate Chambers Brothers Version, with Bob Dylan)
• The Four Sides of Buzzy Linhart - Buzzy Linhart (1982, EP)[49]

References

External links

• Classic Bands Profile
• The Chambers Brothers discography at Discogs
• The Chambers Brothers at IMDb
• Willie Chambers Interview NAMM Oral History Library (2020)
• Joe Chambers Interview NAMM Oral History Library (2020)
• Lester Chambers Interview NAMM Oral History Library (2016)

Reviews

• The Time Has Come Today, review by Paul Hollingsworth
• Your Top 20 Favorite Psychedelic Songs of All-Time
• The Chambers Brothers Shout!
• Chambers Brothers' Time Has Come Today Once Again