Big Soul is a fun, high-energy Californian rock-funk band co-founded by Kelleth Chinn and Caroline Wampole. The band became successful in Europe in 1996 with two hits: "Le Brio (Branchez La Guitare)" and "Hippy Hippy Shake".
Their name comes from a John Lee Hooker song, “Teachin’ the Blues,” in which he sings "Yes, yes, what a Big Soul.”
From 1989 to 1995, the band played every small club in Los Angeles and San Francisco, hoping to get a record deal. Along the way they had 13 drummers, including Jo Pusateri, J.D. Smith, Mick Flores, and Adam Newman. In 1992, after being ignored by record companies, they decided to create their own label and release their own album, which they recorded at a 16-track studio with engineer Dean Chamberlain, one of the founders of The Motels.
During a show at the Whisky a Go Go on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, a French tourist bought their homemade album and took it in her luggage. The album, simply titled "Big Soul", ended up in the hands of a Parisian DJ (Jacques Dumas from Le Niel's nightclub) who packed the dance floor with "Hippy Hippy Shake" and "Le Brio". He played the album for some Sony reps who visited his club and Sony soon signed Big Soul. The band made a smashing entry into France, playing at Transmusicales and appearing on the popular TV show Taratata with the French group Pow Wow.
Big Soul released a second album, "Love Crazy", in 1997, with their 13th drummer, Deane Jenkins, and toured extensively through France and Spain and other parts of Europe throughout the late 1990s.
In June 2001, Big Soul returned after a long absence, participating in the soundtrack of the French film "HS Hors Service".
In 2002 they released a new album entitled "Funky Beats", which added a fresh modern layer of electronic samples to their well-established funk-punk-rock sound.
In 2023, their track "Le Brio (Branchez la guitare)" is the soundtrack to Orange's new "tousconnectés" campaign for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
