The Chambers Brothers

The Chambers Brothers are a soul music group best known for their 1968 hit record "Time Has Come Today". The group was formed in 1954 in los angeles by four brothers from mississippi, Lester, George, Willie and Joe Chambers. They toured extensively throughout southern California but did not achieve nationwide success until 1965 when, with the addition of drummer Brian Keenan, they appeared at the Newport Folk Festival. Shortly after this they recorded their debut album People Get Ready. The band scored their first major hit in 1968 with "Time Has Come Today", from their similarly named third album The Time Has Come. However they found it difficult to build on this success and their manager had alienated both record company representatives and producers. He also misappropriated the groups' earnings . They eventually split up in 1971. They reformed without Brian Keenan in 1974 to record Unbonded and have toured regularly since. Brian Keenan's percussion work on "Time Has Come Today" makes this song a classic in combination with Lester Chambers' lyrics. In the San Francisco Summer of Love in 1967, "Time Has Come Today" stood on its own merits and a refreshing respite from the otherwise drug adoring culture.