Alvin Lee - The Ten Years After Years
1967: Ten Years After secures a residency at the
legendary Marquee Club in London. Their success
leads to an invitation to play at the renowned
Windsor Jazz Festival, and that performance
leads to a a recording contract with Deram
(three months after being turned down by
Deram's parent company, Decca). They are
the first band signed without benefit of
a hit single. In October, their self-titled
first album is released in the U.K.
1968: TYA are flying high, with successful tours
of Scandinavia and an invitation to tour
America. They record their second album UNDEAD
live at Klook's Kleek in London, which is
released in the summer in the U.S. and later
in the year in the U.K.
In June they travel to the US
for the first
time at the request of promoter
Bill Graham.
They begin a seven week tour
in Los Angeles
and perform back-to-back weekends
at the
Fillmore West. Their reception
is so good
that Canned Heat, who they opened
for the
first time they played Fillmore
West, comes
to the stage saying "We
don't know who
those guys are, but they deserve
to be where
we are" . Bill Graham seems
to agree,
as they are moved up on the bill
the next
week.
September - Stonedhenge is recorded (3rd
- 15th).
1969: February - Stonedhenge is released in the
U.K. (it follows in March in
the USA). -
TYA take off for another US tour,
starting
at New York's Fillmore East (28th)
June - Ssssh is recorded.
July - TYA appear at the legendary
Newport
Jazz Festival, the first time
rock bands
have been invited.
August - TYA appear at the Woodstock
Music
& Arts Festival (17th). Ssssh
is released.
 |
1970: April - Cricklewood Green is released in
the UK, following in the US on
May 5
Love Like a Man" is released,
giving
TYA their first hit single in
the UK. On
the 29th, they appear at the
Isle of Wight
Festival.
September: The documentary film
WOODSTOCK
is released.
December - Watt is released.
TYA complete
their 9th US tour
1971: September - TYA begin their first UK tour
in 18 months. Dates are added
to the original
schedule to accomodate the demand
for tickets.
October - A Space in Time is
released. It
is certified gold by December.
"I'd
Love to Change the World",
the band's
most successful single, is never
played live.
November - USA tour #12 begins.
On the 18th,
TYA play to a sold-out, 20,000
seat Madison
Square Garden
1972: May - Alvin Lee & Company, a collection
of previously recorded and unreleased
material
is released.
October - Rock & Roll Music
to The World
is released.
1973: April- On the road in the US again.
May - a second TYA tour in JapaN
June - Recorded Live is released.
 |
The band takes the second half
of the year
off to pursue other projects.
Alvin Lee and
gospel-rocker Mylon LeFevre assemble
some
of rock's greats, including George
Harrison,
Ron Wood and Steve Winwood, and
record On
The Road to Freedom
1974: January - With the release of On The Road
to Freedom, news of a TYA break-up is rampant.
But the band heads for the studio to record
Positive Vibrations.
March - On a dare, Alvin Lee
assembles a
group of musicians and singers
and forms
Alvin Lee & Company to play
at London's
Rainbow Theatre on the 22nd.
The performance
is released as In Flight.
April - TYA tour the UK. It turns
out to
be their last appearance in the
UK together
until 1983.
May - Positive Vibrations is
released, followed
by another USA tour.
November - Alvin Lee begins to
tour with
Alvin Lee & Company
1975: August: TYA begin their 28th tour of the
US. It will be 1988 when they play in North
America again.
Alvin's third solo album, Pump
Iron, is released.
