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Ten Years After
Photo: Jim Summaria, Alvin Lee, 1975 (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0)
British

Ten Years After

• United Kingdom• Active: 1966–1975, 1988–present
British Blues BoomBlues RockBoogie Rock

The Nottingham blues-rock band whose leader, Alvin Lee, became famous almost overnight for one blistering nine-minute performance of "I'm Going Home" at Woodstock in 1969, playing his battered ES-335 "Big Red" at a speed that earned him the nickname "the fastest guitarist in the West."

Ten Years After were a genuinely excellent British blues-rock band for years before one nine-minute festival performance turned them into a symbol of the entire era — the moment Alvin Lee's fingers seemed to physically outrun the song "I'm Going Home" at Woodstock (Kilde: Wikipedia). The band grew out of a string of earlier Nottingham groups — Ivan Jay and the Jaycats, the Jaybirds, Ivan Jay and the Jaymen — before settling into their classic lineup and, in 1966, their name: a tongue-in-cheek nod to the fact that a decade had passed since Elvis Presley's 1956 breakthrough. Guitarist and singer Alvin Lee — born Graham Anthony Barnes on 19 December 1944 in Nottingham, taught himself guitar from age thirteen on his parents' jazz and blues records — led a settled four-piece with bassist Leo Lyons, keyboardist Chick Churchill and drummer Ric Lee, who between them stayed with the band, on and off, for decades (Kilde: Wikipedia). Their self-titled 1967 debut for Deram established them as a genuine blues band; the raw live album "Undead" (1968) and "Stonedhenge" (1969) built a solid UK following. Then, on 17 August 1969, they played the Woodstock festival, and their blistering rendition of "I'm Going Home" — Alvin Lee playing at a speed that earned him the nickname "the fastest guitarist in the West," a clear ancestor of 1980s shred guitar — was captured for the "Woodstock" film and soundtrack album. It made Ten Years After famous almost overnight, arguably out of proportion to everything else they'd recorded (Kilde: Wikipedia). The band rode the momentum through eight consecutive UK Top 40 albums between 1968 and 1973, moving gradually from straight blues toward a more commercial boogie-rock sound. "Cricklewood Green" (1970) was their biggest British success and produced the hit single "Love Like a Man" (UK No. 10); "A Space in Time" (1971) pushed further toward radio-friendly rock and gave them "I'd Love to Change the World," still their best-known studio recording in America. Lee played most of this material on a battered, sticker-covered 1959 Gibson ES-335 semi-hollow he nicknamed "Big Red," with its f-holes taped over to cut feedback — as recognizable, in its way, as the man playing it (Kilde: Wikipedia). The band split in 1975 after Lee pursued a solo career, working with artists including George Harrison and gospel-rock singer Mylon LeFevre. Ten Years After reunited briefly for the 1983 Reading Festival, then more permanently from 1988 onward, recording "About Time" (1989) with producer Terry Manning in Memphis. Alvin Lee died on 6 March 2013 in Estepona, Spain, aged 68, from complications following surgery for an irregular heartbeat; bandmate Leo Lyons called him "the closest thing I had to a brother." The band, with new guitarists, has continued to tour and record since, releasing "A Sting in the Tale" in 2017 (Kilde: Wikipedia).

Musical Influence

One nine-minute Woodstock performance made Ten Years After's Alvin Lee a template for guitar-hero speed-playing, a direct ancestor of 1980s shred technique, even as the band's actual catalogue ran considerably deeper and bluesier than that single moment suggested (Kilde: Wikipedia).

Influences

Chicago electric bluesElvis PresleyRock and roll

Formative experiences

  • •1966: Settles into its classic lineup and takes the name Ten Years After. (Kilde: Wikipedia)
  • •1967: Self-titled debut album released on Deram. (Kilde: Wikipedia)
  • •17 August 1969: Performs "I'm Going Home" at Woodstock, captured for the festival film. (Kilde: Wikipedia)
  • •1970: "Cricklewood Green" becomes the band's biggest UK success. (Kilde: Wikipedia)
  • •1975: Band splits after Alvin Lee pursues a solo career. (Kilde: Wikipedia)
  • •6 March 2013: Alvin Lee dies in Estepona, Spain, aged 68. (Kilde: Wikipedia)

Instruments & Equipment

Guitar

1959 Gibson ES-335 ("Big Red")

Alvin Lee's main guitar, its f-holes taped over to cut feedback and covered in stickers over the years; used at Woodstock and on most of the band's studio material.

Stories & Anecdotes

"Alvin Lee's Woodstock rendition of "I'm Going Home" earned him the nickname "the fastest guitarist in the West" and is regarded as a direct ancestor of 1980s shred guitar technique. (Kilde: Wikipedia)"
"His main guitar, a 1959 Gibson ES-335, had its f-holes taped over specifically to reduce feedback at high stage volume, and became so covered in stickers over the years that it earned the nickname "Big Red." (Kilde: Wikipedia)"
"The band's name was a wry reference to the ten years that had passed since Elvis Presley's 1956 breakthrough. (Kilde: Wikipedia)"
"Bandmate Leo Lyons described Alvin Lee, after his death, as "the closest thing I had to a brother." (Kilde: Wikipedia)"
"The band that toured and recorded as Ten Years After from 2014 (Chick Churchill, Ric Lee, Marcus Bonfanti, Colin Hodgkinson) split up amicably in September 2024, playing final shows that November; drummer Ric Lee immediately began assembling a new Ten Years After lineup (Samuel C Lees, Craig Fletcher, Dave Burgoyne), which launched in early 2025 with a new album planned. (Source: Louder)"

Collaborators

Leo Lyons

Bassist, member 1966–1974 and 1988–2014.

Chick Churchill

Keyboardist, member 1966–1974 and 1988–2024.

Ric Lee

Drummer, member since 1966, including 1988–present.

George Harrison

Solo-era collaborator with Alvin Lee.

Mylon LeFevre

Gospel-rock singer, recorded "On the Road to Freedom" (1973) with Alvin Lee.

Watch & Listen

Featured

Ten Years After — I'm Going Home (Live at Woodstock, 17 August 1969) [Official Audio]

TenYearsAfterVEVO

Woodstock - Ten Years After - I'm Going Home (Live)

Woodstock - Ten Years After - I'm Going Home (Live)

Ten Years After / Alvin Lee - I'm Going Home - 1969 Woodstock Festival

Ten Years After / Alvin Lee - I'm Going Home - 1969 Woodstock Festival

Watch & Listen

Henter videoer fra YouTube…

Discography

YearTitleProducerStudioLabelChartSalesMusiciansYouTubeNotes
1967Ten Years AfterMike Vernon—Deram——Leo Lyons (Bass), Chick Churchill (Keyboards), Ric Lee (Drums)Debut album, established the band as a genuine blues act.
1968UndeadMike Vernon—Deram———Raw live album recorded at Klooks Kleek club, London.
1969Stonedhenge——Deram———Built a strong UK following ahead of Woodstock.
1969"I'm Going Home" (Live at Woodstock)——Atlantic (soundtrack)———The band's defining moment, performed 17 August 1969; featured in the "Woodstock" film and soundtrack album.
1970Cricklewood Green——Deram———The band's biggest UK success; includes the hit "Love Like a Man" (UK No. 10).
1971A Space in Time——Columbia/Chrysalis———Move toward more commercial rock material; includes "I'd Love to Change the World."
1989About TimeTerry Manning—Chrysalis———First album of the band's post-reunion era, recorded in Memphis.

Famous songs

01I'm Going Home
02Love Like a Man
03I'd Love to Change the World

External links

YouTube Music Wikipedia

Booking / Contact

Booking agency
Not publicly available
Agent/management
Not publicly available
Booking email
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Booking phone
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Booking URL
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The current 2025-formed lineup (Ric Lee, Samuel C Lees, Craig Fletcher, Dave Burgoyne) is active, but no verified direct booking contact was found; tour dates tracked on Songkick.

Source

Are you the artist, or do you represent the band or booking agency? We want the booking information here to always be accurate and current. Please send us the correct details via our contact form, and we'll update the profile as soon as possible. Go to the contact form

Sources

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