The Chambers Brothers

The Chambers Brothers, echoing their West Coast counterparts Sly & the Family Stone, dismantled barriers of race and style by weaving funk, gospel, blues, and psychedelia into a volatile blend whose high point arrived with the lasting 1968 single "Time Has Come Today." Born and raised in Lee County, Mississippi, as the sons of an impoverished sharecropping household, the brothers—bassist George, guitarists Willie and Joe, and harpist Lester, each of whom sang—refined their vocal blend in the choir of their local Baptist church before George entered the army in 1952.

After his release he headed to Los Angeles, where the others soon followed; beginning in 1954 the quartet performed gospel and folk material throughout Southern California yet stayed largely obscure until they reached New York City in 1965. The arrival of white drummer Brian Keenan transformed the lineup into an interracial unit while shifting their sound toward rock & roll; a strong showing at the Newport Folk Festival lifted their profile, prompting the release of their first album, People Get Ready.

As they worked rock venues such as San Francisco’s Fillmore alongside R&B rooms like the Apollo Theatre, the music absorbed qualities of both worlds; after issuing 1968’s Shout! on the Vault label, the group moved to Columbia for Time Has Come Today, where the title track—an eleven-minute psychedelic soul centerpiece in its album form—became a major pop success. Their follow-up, A New Time - A New Day, produced another Top 40 entry via a cover of the Otis Redding staple “I Can’t Turn You Loose,” yet later releases including 1969’s Love, Peace and Happiness and 1970’s Live at Fillmore East could not sustain the momentum.

Once they finished 1972’s Oh My God!, the Chambers Brothers disbanded, only to reconvene two years later for Unbonded. Right Move appeared in 1975; although fresh studio albums ceased, the brothers continued to perform live over subsequent decades while pursuing separate projects, and the Chambers Family Choir, a gospel ensemble featuring the siblings’ children, remained a central focus.