The Chambers Brothers

Originally from Carthage, Mississippi, the Chambers Brothers (George, Willie, Lester, and Joe) began their career in the 1950s as a traditional gospel quartet after relocating to Los Angeles. By the mid-1960s, they became fixtures of the folk revival and the burgeoning psychedelic rock scene. Integrating electric guitars, bass, and drums into their gospel-honed vocal harmonies, they forged a unique, heavy style of psychedelic soul. Recording for Columbia Records, their defining 1967 hit "Time Has Come Today" featured driving, blues-based rock instrumentation paired with intense, soulful vocal interplay. While fundamentally a soul and rock group, their deep Mississippi roots provided an undeniable blues undercurrent to their innovative, boundary-pushing sound.