by Robert Wilkinson
Continuing our amazing Aquarian musical weekend, Monday was the birthday of Brian Keenan, drummer for one of the most soulful psychedelic groups ever to hit the stage! They gave us one of the greatest cowbell songs of all time. I believe Christopher Walken said it best on SNL: “"Guess what? I got a fever, and the only prescription is more cowbell!"
Lester Chambers (April 13, 1940 – harmonica and cowbell) along with brothers Willie Chambers (March 3, 1938 - guitar), Joe Chambers (August 22, 1942 – guitar) and George Chambers (September 26, 1931 - bass), backed by Brian Keenan (January 28, 1943 – October 5, 1985 - drums) created the Chambers Brothers, one of the first multi-racial rock and soul bands doing crossover music ranging from gospel to straight up psychedelia! This was one of the greatest psychedelic soul groups ever to sing a note, and they gave us a monster ginormous hit that set the standard for “more cowbell!”
Without further ado, the magnificent sound of the Chambers Brothers!
Here they are live in 1969 at the Fillmore East performing an amazing 15 minute version of their truly iconic psychedelic Soul, backed by the Joshua Light Show! Kinetic, electric, and exciting! An amazing tune written by Joe and his brother Willie, the iconic “Time Has Come Today”
Here’s their third album in its entirety! “The Chambers Brothers – The Time Has Come”
From that amazing album, one of their biggest hits, sung by Willie! This version really rocks! “Midnight Hour”
From their live performance at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival, the audio-only version of “I Got It”
Here’s their rave up of the Soul standard “I Can’t Turn You Loose”
Live in 1969, an audio only version of the legendary Curtis Mayfield classic! “People Get Ready”
Also live at the Fillmore East in the Summer of 69, at the same show as our first tune of this set, the amazing live “Time Has Come Today,” here’s a 29 minute live rocking performance of the classic “Wade In The Water”
From July 1970, an audio-only version of the Chambers Brothers live at the Atlanta International Pop fest cranking out “Love, Peace, and Happiness”
Here’s a great performance from their reunion tour! Live and grey, the Chambers Brothers giving us “Love, Peace, and Happiness.” And from that reunion gig, here they are live and as good as ever cranking out “Time Has Come Today”
From 1972, the Chambers Brothers groovin’ on the one! The Chambers Brothers live on the Mike Douglas Show
Here’s their very funky 1971 studio album "New Generation”
From 1974, their studio version of the classic Band tune “The Weight”
For our closer, we have an hour and 5 of great live 1994 video footage of the Chambers Brothers playing the Portland Waterfront Blues Festival! The Chambers Brothers Live in Portland 1994
For our encore, we’ll close this tribute with the same tune that brought us in! I still have a fever, and the cure is still more cowbell! Here’s the dynamic original studio version that shook the world in 1968! “Time Has Come Today” (While I do not agree with the politics of the guy who posted this video, I respect that this clip gives us a psychedelic trip into the 60s without using LSD).
Now the time has come (Time)
There's no place to run (Time)
I might get burned up by the sun (Time)
But I had my fun (Time)
I've been loved and put aside (Time)
I've been crushed by the tumbling tide (Time)
And my soul has been psychedelicized (Time)
I believe my soul's been psychedelized....
© Copyright 2019 Robert Wilkinson
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