Chronology of Alvin Lee &Ten Years After

Chronology of Alvin Lee &Ten Years After Alvin Lee & Ten Years After "Going Home " Page

Chronology
of
Alvin Lee & Ten Years After

TYA at Finland Rock Festival, June 28, 1997
Photo by Tapani Laiho

1944~

Graham "Alvin" Lee born December 19th 1944 in Nottingham, England, and grew up in a musical family (his parents were avid blues, jazz and country fans). Influenced by Benny Goodman's guitarist Charlie Christian, Alvin traded his clarinet for a guitar. After meeting Big Bill Broonzy, Alvin (12 year-old) decided to be a blues player and began playing with local bands such as Vince Marshal & The Squarecaps and Alan Upton & The Jailbreakers in Nottingham.
Leo Lyons born November 30th 1944 in Standbridge, Bedfordshire. When Leo was 11 years old, he began to play the guitar, switched from the banjo.
Ric Lee born October 20th 1945 in Cannock, Staffordshire. He began to have a passion for the percussive with his purchace of a snare drum when he was 11.
Michael George "Chick" Churchill born January 2nd 1946 in Mold, Frintshire. Studied classical piano for 7 years.

1960~

Alvin (15-year-old) joined the Atomites where met with Leo Lyons.

1962

Alvin (17-year-old) and Leo first played in Hamburg at the Star Club. They were called the Jaymen then, and because the lead singer did not want to travel with them, that was also when Alvin began singing lead.

1963

Alvin (18-year -old) bought Gibson ES335 for 45 pounds, later it became his trade mark.

1964

The Jaybirds, including personel Alvin Lee, Leo Lyons, releases two (cover versions of hits) singles,
Juliet / Here I Go Again (Embassy WB635)
All Day And All Of The Night / Google Eye (Embassy WB663)
Good Golly Miss Molly / A World (Embassy WB626)
Can't Buy Me Love / I Love You (Embassy WB625) .
Juliet was a hit of The Four Pennies, and All Day And All Of The Night was a Kinks hit ( No.2 in 1964).
The Jaybirds backed The Ivy League for a while.

1965

Dave Quickmire left The Jaybirds in the summer, and Ric Lee joined as a replacement.
The band became popular in the Midland and also spent time in Hamburg. (Played at the clubs like STAR CLUB.)

1966

The Jaybirds supported The Bonzo Dog Band at the Marquee and became one of the regular bands by the end of 1966.
Chick Churchill joined. In November, band name changed to TEN YEARS AFTER - one of the British top blues-rock groups.

1967

At the 7th Windsor Jazz Folk & Blues Festival in August, they received a fantastic standing ovation from an estimated crowd of 20,000 people.
Signed to Decca in October.
1st album TEN YEARS AFTER released on 27th October.

1968

2nd album Undead released: their first chart album in the UK, reaching No.26 (No.61 in the US).
The first tour to the US, which became the record - breaking 28 U.S. tours by 1975.

1969

3rd album Stonedhenge peaked at No.6 in the UK chart.
4th album Ssssh became No.4.
TYA became the first and only rock band to play the Newport Jazz Festival at Rhode Island in the US on July 3rd.
Played at Woodstock on Aug.17.
Texas International Pop Festival on September 1st.

1970

TYA's most successful album in the UK, Cricklewood Green released. It spent 27 weeks in the Charts, peaking at No.4. And their first hit single Love like A Man became a worldwide smash.
Played at The Isle of Wight Music Festival on Aug.29.

1971

Album WATT released and became No.5.
Their most successful album in the US, A Space In Time released in October. It went gold.

1972

TYA came to Japan for the first time with Procol Halum on May 1st. (May4 Nippon Budokan, May6 Osaka Koseinenkin Hall, May7 Osaka Festival Hall.)
Release of Rock 'N' Roll Music To The World.

1973

TYA came to Japan again in May with Albert Hammond. (May18 Nagoya Kokaido, May19 Kyoto Kaikan, May21&22 Osaka Koseinenkin, May23 Budokan)
Alvin Lee recorded an album On The Road To Freedom with Mylon LeFevre (a US gospel singer) at Alvin's own SPACE STUDIOS . George Harrison, Steve Winwood, Jim Capaldi, Ron Wood, Tim Hinkley, Mick Fleetwood, Ian Wallace and Boz also guested.
Chick Churchill released his solo album You and Me featuring Ric Lee, Leo Lyons, Cozy Powell, Bernie Marsden etc.

1974

Their final album Positive Vibrations peaked at No.81 in the US chart, and final concert was a sell-out gig at the Rainbow Theatre.
Alvin Lee & Co. released IN Flight - double album, recorded live at the Rainbow Theatre on March 22nd.

1975

Split of Ten Years After.
Alvin Lee released Pump Iron!, with Andy Pyle (ex-Blodwyn Pig) on Bass, Tim Hinkley (ex-Vinegar Joe) on Keyboards and Bryson Graham on Drums.

1978

Alvin Lee formed TEN YEARS LATER with Mick Hawksworth (ex-Andromeda & Tom Compton, and released Rocket Fuel.
Alvin's solo album recorded around 1976 was released as LET IT ROCK.

1979

TEN YEARS LATER 2nd album Ride On released.

1980

Alvin Lee Band, formed with Tom Compton, Mickey Feat (ex-Street Walkers) and Steve Gould (ex-Rare Bird), released FREEFALL.

1981

RX5 released and did solo concert at Hammersmith Odeon in November.
Alvin took to the road with Mick Taylor on slide guitar.

1982

Alvin did recording with Mick Taylor, although it was not released.

1983

TEN YEARS AFTER reunited with all the original members to play at The Marquee (Club's 25th anniversary celebrations), and also played at The Reading Festival.

1986

Alvin Lee came back with a spirited rock album DETROIT DIESEL.

1988

Alvin performed an instrumental number called "No Limit" which is on GUITAR SPEAK released form IRS featuring notable veteran guitarists.

1989

TEN YEARS AFTER reformed with original personnel and released About Time with the successful tours.

1992

With the release of the fantastic album ZOOM in 1992, Alvin Lee came back again with his excellent guitar work.

1993

Album 1994 released, containing one of the most beautiful blues numbers "The Bluest Blues".

1994

The album 1994 was released in the US as I HEAR YOU ROCKIN', and did successful tours like LIVE IN VIENNA released in 1995.

1995

PURE BLUES - wonderful compilation album of blues based numbers from TEN YEARS AFTER and ALVIN LEE solo albums. All the numbers on the album are chosen by Alvin.

1996

Alvin Lee toured in the US in May with splendid musicians - Eric Burden, Aynsley Dunbar, Boz Burrell, Micky Moody and Tim Hinkley.

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If you have any information and corrections, please mail to Izumi Tada
tadatk@aqu.bekkoame.or.jp