After several years of local success in the Nottingham/Mansfield area as a band known since 1962 as The Jaybirds (its core was formed in late 1960 as Ivan Jay and the Jaycats), and later as Ivan Jay and the Jaymen, Ten Years After was founded by Alvin Lee and Leo Lyons. Ivan Jay sang lead vocals from late 1960 to 1962 and was joined by Ric Lee in August 1965, replacing original drummer Dave Quickmire, who had joined in 1962. In 1966 The Jaybirds moved to London, where Chick Churchill joined the group. That November the quartet signed a manager, Chris Wright, and decided to change their name to Blues Trip, Blues Yard (under which they played a show at the legendary Marquee Club supporting Bonzo Dog Band), and finally in November 1966, to Ten Years After ( in honour of Elvis Presley, an idol of Lee’s whose momentous year in rock, 1956, helps to better explain the band’s title). They became the first band of the soon-to-be Chrysalis Agency. They secured a residency at the Marquee, and received an invitation to play at the renowned Windsor Jazz Festival in 1967. That performance led to a contract with Deram, a subsidiary company of Decca — the first band so signed without a hit single. In October, their 1967 self-titled debut album was released.
In 1968, after touring Scandinavia and the United States, Ten Years After released their second album, live Undead, which brought their first classic, “I’m Going Home.” This was followed in February 1969 by studio issue, Stonedhenge, a British hit, that included another classic, “Hear Me Calling” (it was released also as a single, and covered in 1972 by British glam rock rising stars, Slade). In July 1969 they appeared at the Newport Jazz Festival, in the first event to which rock bands were invited. In August, the band performed a breakthrough American appearance at Woodstock; their furious-to-soft-to-furious rendition of “I’m Going Home” was featured in both the subsequent film and soundtrack album and catapulted them to star status.
During 1970, Ten Years After released “Love Like a Man,” their only hit in the UK Singles Chart. This song was on their fifth album, Cricklewood Green. The name of the album comes from a friend of the group who lived in Cricklewood, London. He grew a sort of plant which was said to have hallucinogenic effects. The band did not know the name of this plant, so they called their album Cricklewood Green. It was the first record to be issued with a different playing speed on both sides — one a three-minute edit at 45rpm, the other, a nine-minute live version at 33rpm. In August, Ten Years After played the Isle of Wight Festival 1970 to an audience of 600,000.
In 1971, the band released the album A Space in Time which marked a move toward more commercial material. It featured their biggest hit, “I’d Love To Change The World.” But a few albums later, the band broke up after the 1974 album “Positive Vibrations.” In 1988, they re-united for a few concerts and recorded the album About Time (1989).
Alvin Lee has since then mostly played and recorded under his own name. In 2004, the other band members substituted him with Joe Gooch and recorded the album Now. Material from the following tour was used for the 2005 double album Roadworks. Ric Lee is currently in a band called The Breakers, along with Ian Ellis (Clouds).
Band members
* Alvin Lee — guitar, vocals, harp; born Graham Barnes,19 December 1944, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire.
* Leo Lyons — bass; born David William Lyons, 30 November 1943, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire.
* Chick Churchill — keyboards; born Michael George Churchill, 2 January 1946, Mold, Flintshire, North Wales.
* Ric Lee — drums; born Richard Lee, 20 October 1945, Cannock, Staffordshire.
* Joe Gooch — guitar, vocals; born 3 May 1977, Highbury, London. (Joined in 2003)
Duration : 0:3:45
[youtube UPD9EibtRAo]
April 1st, 2010 at 1:19 am
I’m gonna scream …
I’m gonna scream And Shout! ROCK & MUSIC TO DA
World!
April 1st, 2010 at 1:19 am
i watch this show …
i watch this show at 30rockepisodes . org
April 1st, 2010 at 1:19 am
i love this kind of …
i love this kind of song plz help me to find about this kind of songs excpt! elvis.
April 1st, 2010 at 1:19 am
Why does the video …
Why does the video show the TYA incarnation without Alvin?
I saw them on 05/26/74 and again a year or two later. Nothing subtle about those shows. Just hard, loud, kick a** blues rock. Nothing like ‘A Space in Time’ (great album, by the way).
April 1st, 2010 at 1:19 am
true guitar legend, …
true guitar legend,in fact, clapton,page,beck were so overated.alvin was the class of that generation.
April 1st, 2010 at 1:19 am
doss
doss
April 1st, 2010 at 1:19 am
Fantastic
Fantastic
April 1st, 2010 at 1:19 am
So-long as Alvin is …
So-long as Alvin is still bending strings, he’ll play what? Rock and Roll Music to The World! There’s ‘good’, and then there is Alvin Lee!
April 1st, 2010 at 1:19 am
THE BEST GITARMAN …
THE BEST GITARMAN OF THE WORLD
April 1st, 2010 at 1:19 am
The is this?
The is this?
April 1st, 2010 at 1:19 am
What did Alvin.lose …
What did Alvin.lose.
Many brilliant songs since then and still playing brilliantly live.
April 1st, 2010 at 1:19 am
love it always.
love it always.
April 1st, 2010 at 1:19 am
Cliche though it …
Cliche though it may be, it was nonetheless something he was often called, and that out of respect. It wouldn’t by any means rule out the possibility of him playing with subtlety, which he did. I think of Clapton as a sort fellow who could and did play virtually everything. I like stuff all the way from Django Rheinhardt to Vince Gill to Stevie Ray and Hubert Sumlin. Probably still like Clapton bettere than anyone….then again, theres Leo Kottle and Mark Knopfler….
April 1st, 2010 at 1:19 am
With all respect …
With all respect mallard….
that is just the cliché perception people
have of Alvin Lee, that ‘Going Home’
millstone.
TYA had so much more to offer in much
more subtle music.
Take a listen to ‘A Space In Time’, and
you’ll see what I mean ♫
April 1st, 2010 at 1:19 am
Was such a …
Was such a disapointment to me,
how Alvin lost it after this brilliant album.
Although,his present solo outing
‘Saguitar’ is a pleasant surprise ♫
April 1st, 2010 at 1:19 am
LOVE every song …
LOVE every song Alvin Lee/Ten Years After has ever done!
April 1st, 2010 at 1:19 am
yeahhhhh!!!!
long …
yeahhhhh!!!!
long live to ten years after!!!!
the faster guitar of the west!!!!
April 1st, 2010 at 1:19 am
Alvin Lee…. …
Alvin Lee….Captain Speed Fingers…the boy could play….
April 1st, 2010 at 1:19 am
they are still …
they are still rocking. i´ve seen them life on stage this summer in germany but alvin lee isnt in the band any more. but it was still awesome sound
April 1st, 2010 at 1:19 am
“Ain’t No Relation …
“Ain’t No Relation to the United Nations”
The radio station WZMF use to play this album and Cricklewood Green by TYA too! F.Y.I this same year 1972 , Leo Lyons was voted in the top3 of Bass Players in Rolling Stone magazine. I remember DownStairs Dan playing this song on the radio and I wonder to this day why you don’t hear this one on the classic rock stations and even “The Drive” in Chicago who supposedly play the “cool” FM rock??? They never play this tune or any other from this LP Awesome
April 1st, 2010 at 1:19 am
cool to se folks …
cool to se folks stikk apreaciate good toons!
April 1st, 2010 at 1:19 am
Thanks for the …
Thanks for the upload bro…this is the 70s rock spirit ….TYA llways!!!!!
April 1st, 2010 at 1:19 am
Hahaa, yeah!! …
Hahaa, yeah!! You’re SOOO right my friend!!
April 1st, 2010 at 1:19 am
With all the rock …
With all the rock and roll reunions going on, it would be great to see these boys get together again. They would rock the house down!
April 1st, 2010 at 1:19 am
Holy – I’ve …
Holy – I’ve almost forgotten this – I’ll go upstairs lokin’ for my old LP………..Right now