Willie Chambers

Last updated
Willie Chambers
Born (1938-03-03) March 3, 1938 (age 86)
Mississippi, U.S.
Genres Rock, gospel music, soul music, psychedelic rock, blues
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar
Years active1961–present
Labels Columbia
Website https://willie-chambers.com/

Willie Chambers (born March 3, 1938) is an American singer, guitarist, and former member of The Chambers Brothers, a rock band in the 1960s with hits "In The Midnight Hour", "I Can't Turn You Loose", and "Time Has Come Today". He continues to be a regular attraction at various venues in Los Angeles and further afield.

Contents

Background

Along with brothers Lester, Joe and George, Willie was a founding member of The Chambers Brothers and stayed with them through their evolution which included the addition of drummer Brian Keenan in 1965 and the group's eventual breakup. He sang lead on one of their hits, a cover of Wilson Pickett's "In The Midnight Hour". He also co-wrote their biggest hit "Time Has Come Today" with his brother Joe. He would later work as a session musician. [1] [2] More recently, he has become more active and has collaborated with artists such as Louis Metoyer. [3] He has also been involved with Australian born artists such as Jessie Sparks and singer Stephen Rowe, appearing in his "Restless Soul" video. [4]

He had a business relationship with publicist Beverly Noga. Acts she had represented included Sonny & Cher, Cream, the Bee Gees and The Chambers Brothers. After her 1964 founded company, Contemporary Public Relations closed down, she and Willie Chambers formed Hebewillen Enterprises and Hebewillen Publishing which ran until her death in 2021. [5]

Career

1960s to 1980s

During the 1960s, Willie was worried about he and his brothers with performing political songs with Barbara Dane. Years later he said "You can’t do music and politics. It’s like gasoline and water. It doesn’t mix.". [6]

In 1969, and in Copenhagen at the time, he had a long-distance phone conversation Middleton of UK music trade magazine Record Mirror about the kind of music The Chambers brothers were playing and, was asked about the spate of reissues of the group's material. [7]

In a review of the Live in Concert on Mars album by The Chambers Brothers which featured Steve Cropper, Willie's singing on the song "Superstar" was referred to as a gem with the reviewer also saying that 7:37 wouldn't be too long for progressive airplay. [8]

Willie and brother Joe provided backing vocals on "Haunted House", a track on the Before The Rain album by Lee Oskar, released in 1978. [9]

1990s to 2000s

Chambers added his vocals to a track on Kid Ramos' self-titled album. Mike Boehm of Los Angeles Times gave a review in September 1999. He noted Chambers' input to the song "Leave Me Alone", describing it as "piercing, full-on cries in the role of a man caged in a romance he doesn’t want". [10] In 2005, he sang lead on "I Move Easy" which was written by T. J. Tindall and featured Tindal, Earl Scooter on background vocals. The rhythm section featured Earl Young and Ronnie Baker and Larry Washington from MFSB. [11] [12]

In 2006, he sat in with a group called Vince and the Invinceables at a benefit concert for Arthur Lee of the group Love. [13] [14]

Between 2008 and 2009, he was involved with the Artie Vegas Revue. [15] He and his brother Joe Chambers worked with Australian singer Jessie Sparks. They contributed to the song "Calendar Years" which featured on her EP which was released in 2012. The song was described as a funky piece with a soulful vocal. [16] [17] In September 2015, Chambers and Louis Metoyer were scheduled to appear at Pickwick Gardens, Ronnie Mack's Salute to Tina Turner event. [18]

Collaboration with Louis Metoyer

In addition to Chambers and Metoyer working on various projects such as appearing at the Pickwick Gardens Turner event and performing with the Madero Sisters, [19] [20] [21] they recorded "Get Out And Vote!!!" which was released in 2018. [22]

Willie was interviewed by Jeff Suwak of Songfacts where he talked about his early years in Mississippi and the career of The Chambers Brothers which was published on the website on January 3, 2018. [23]

2020s

Chambers had worked with group Trans-X and worked on two dance collaborations, "She Freaks out on the Floor" in 2018 and "Keep it Coming" in 2020. [24] [25]

On October 17, 2022, Chambers and Barbara Dane who the Chambers Bro's worked with in the mid-60s performed together live on stage in Berkley singing, "Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around". [26] [27] In November, 2022 Chambers was interviewed for the Psychedelic Scene YouTube channel. [28] It was also published on line in transcript form. [29]

Willie Chambers was interviewed as an inductee for the California Music Hall of Fame which was published on the MediaNiteRadio YouTube channel on April 19, 2024. [30]

Discography (selective)

Singles
ActTitleAlbumCatalogueYearNotes #
Willie Chambers"Taxi Hey"Angel Tongue Records2011 [31]
Crazy Tomes, Guitar Shorty, Willie Chambers"Back to the Motherland"2015 [32]
Louis Metoyer feat Willie Chambers"Get Out And Vote!!!"2018 [33]
Trans-X "She Freaks out on the Floor"Discolocos, Vol. 1 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)2018 [34]
Trans-X"Keep it Coming"iscolocos, Vol. 3 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)2020 [35]
Appearances (selective)
ActTitleAlbumCatalogueYearNotes #
Lee Oskar "Haunted House"Before The Rain Elektra 6E-150 1978Backing: Willie, Joe and George [36]
Maria Vidal "Life On The Train" Maria Vidal A&M Records SP 6-51601987Backing: Willie and Joe [37]
Kid Ramos"Leave Me Alone"Kid RamosEvidence ECD 26104-21999Willie Chambers vocal [38]
Paul Revere & The Raiders "Time Has Come Today"Ride To The Wall Volume IIRide To The Wall Foundation RTTWF 20052005Vocal Willie Chambers [39]
Various"Me and the Devil"Gospel, The Ultimate CollectionThe Red Box THERB4322007Featuring Willie Chambers [40]
Stephen Rowe "Restless Soul"Restless Soul (Album)2009Willie appears in the "Restless Soul" video [41]
Jessie Sparks "Calendar Years"Jessie Sparks (EP)2012Backing: Willie and Joe Chambers contribute to "Calendar Years" [42] [43]
Fuzzbee Morse "Underground Railroad"Dreams And Other Living ThingsGiant Mogul 00012015Backing Vocals – Joe Chambers, Lisa Frazier, Tyra Juliette, Willie Chambers [44]

Film and guest appearances

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References

  1. ↑ classicbands.com The Chambers Brothers
  2. ↑ Music Finder Online - WILLIE CHAMBERS
  3. ↑ Frank Beacham's Journal, March 03, 2021 - Willie Chambers, a former member of The Chambers Brothers, is 83 years old today
  4. ↑ Frank Beacham's Journal, March 03, 2021 - Willie Chambers, a former member of The Chambers Brothers, is 83 years old today
  5. ↑ The Hollywood Reporter, OCTOBER 11, 2021 - Music Publicist Beverly Noga Dies at 87 by Mike Barnes
  6. ↑ KPCC 89.3FM - The Frame, Activist and folksinger Barbara Dane taught The Chambers Brothers how to ‘do your thing’
  7. ↑ Record Mirror, No. 419 March 22, 1969 - Page 10 CHAMBER BROTHERS: "MUSICAL MISFITS?"
  8. ↑ Cash Box, October 23, 1976 - Page 26 ALBUM REVIEWS, LIVE IN CONCERT ON MARS — The Chambers Brothers —
    Roxbury RLX 106 — Producer: Wes Farrell — List: 6.98
  9. ↑ Discogs - Lee Oskar – Before The Rain
  10. ↑ Los Angeles Times , SEPT. 10, 1999 - Album Review : Guitarist Finds the Right Chord : *** 1/2 KID RAMOS, “Kid Ramos,” Evidence BY MIKE BOEHM
  11. ↑ Tangible-technology.com - Index of /music/eddie/
  12. ↑ Neotomic Aliviac fanzine, 29 Apr 2008 - T.J. Tindall Interview
  13. ↑ Mojo Music Review of the June 28, 2006 Arthur Lee Benefit Concert at the Whisky a Go Go
  14. ↑ love.torbenskott.dk Whiskey-A-Go-Go, L.A.US June 28. 2006
  15. ↑ archive.upcoming.org - artie vegas #305279
  16. ↑ BC Blog Critics, Feb. 1, 2012 - - Music Review: Jessie Sparks - Jessie Sparks (EP)
  17. ↑ Frank Beacham's Journal, March 03, 2021 - Willie Chambers, a former member of The Chambers Brothers, is 83 years old today
  18. ↑ LA Weekly , September 11–17, 2015 - Page 43 Clubs, Rock & Pop
  19. ↑ Frank Beacham's Journal, March 03, 2022 - Willie Chambers, former member of The Chambers Brothers, is 84 years old today
  20. ↑ LA Weekly, September 10, 2015 - Page 43 CLUBS, ROCK & POP
  21. ↑ Instigram - louismetoyergtr Get Out And Vote !! OCTOBER 24, 2020
  22. ↑ Spotify - Song Get out and Vote!!!, Louis Metoyer Willie Chambers
  23. ↑ Songfacts, January 3, 2018 - Willie Chambers of The Chambers Brothers by Jeff Suwak
  24. ↑ Apple Music - Discolocos, Vol. 1 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
  25. ↑ Apple Music - Discolocos, Vol. 3 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
  26. ↑ KPCC 89.3 FM - Activist and folksinger Barbara Dane taught The Chambers Brothers how to ‘do your thing’
  27. ↑ Michael Donnelly Youtube channel, Oct 19, 2022 - Barbara Dane & Willie Chambers "Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around" live, Berkeley, Oct 17, 2022
  28. ↑ Psychedelic Scene channel, Nov 17, 2022 - Willie Chambers Interview with Psychedelic Scene
  29. ↑ Psychedelic Scene Magazine, November 17, 2022- INTERVIEW: WILLIE CHAMBERS OF THE CHAMBERS BROTHERS by Jason LeValley
  30. ↑ MediaNiteRadio channel, Apr 19, 2024 - Interview with Inductee Willie Chambers (Chambers Brothers) at the California Music Hall of Fame
  31. ↑ Spotify - Taxi Hey
  32. ↑ Deezer.com - Back to the Motherland
  33. ↑ Spotify - Song Get out and Vote!!!, Louis Metoyer Willie Chambers
  34. ↑ Apple Music - Discolocos, Vol. 1 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
  35. ↑ Apple Music - Discolocos, Vol. 3 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
  36. ↑ Discogs - Lee Oskar – Before The Rain
  37. ↑ Discogs - Maria Vidal – Maria Vidal
  38. ↑ Los Angeles Times, SEPT. 10, 1999 - Album Review : Guitarist Finds the Right Chord : *** 1/2 KID RAMOS, “Kid Ramos,” Evidence BY MIKE BOEHM
  39. ↑ Discogs - Paul Revere & The Raiders – Ride To The Wall Volume II
  40. ↑ Discogs - Various – Gospel - The Ultimate Collection
  41. ↑ Bman's Blues Report, Friday, March 2, 2012 - People Get Ready - WILLIE CHAMBERS
  42. ↑ BC Blog Critics, Feb. 1, 2012 - - Music Review: Jessie Sparks - Jessie Sparks (EP)
  43. ↑ Frank Beacham's Journal, March 03, 2021 - Willie Chambers, a former member of The Chambers Brothers, is 83 years old today
  44. ↑ Discogs - Fuzzbee Morse – Dreams And Other Living Things
  45. ↑ "South Central Gospel". Onos Productions. Archived from the original on April 13, 2016. Retrieved April 13, 2016.

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