1968 – Ten Years After — Newspaper Articles

Jan 5, 2025 | Article

Ten Years After at Lionel Webb’s “Wooden Bridge Hotel”

Wooden Bridge Hotel

 

          TYA Contract Wooden Bridge Hotel

December 10th, 1967 / March 10th,  1968
Many Thanks to Lionel Webb for these rare memorabilia

 

 

 

Guildford Flood

The town of Guildford, England dates back to AD-885 in a reference from then King Alfred The Great. Jump forward to 1968 and the worst recorded flood was recorded on Saturday September 14, 1968, when a heavy persistent rain fell upon the Guildford area of Surrey.

By the evening of September 15th – the news was spreading that the river Wey had burst its banks, washing away the bridge on the Horsham Road between Shalford and Bramley.

The lower lying parts of Guildford Town were severely flooded, rising over six feet in some places. This was a flood that is only expected to occur once every thousand years.

This was September and Ten Years After played at the Wooden Bridge Hotel on March 10, 1968 as well as a year before on December 10, 1967. The band told the story that Guildford was still so flooded, that they could only reach the venue by the use of a moving truck type vehicle, with high wheels.

Apparently, this historic flood was so bad that the effects of it were still causing problems months later. A very memorable experience for the band, trying to get to their gig on time. 

Guildford Flood

Guildford Flood

Guildford Flood

Guildford Flood

Guildford Flood

 

 

 

Ten Years After Concert List For 1968

January 5, 1968 – The Marquee Club – London, England

January 12, 1968 – The Manor House – London, England

January 13, 1968 – The School Of Economics – London, England

January 19, 1968 – The Marquee Club – London, England

January 23, 1968 – Klooks Kleek – London England

January 30, 1968 – Fishmongers Arms / Wood Green, London

February 1968 – Kultuuritalo – Helsinki, Finland

February 2, 1968 – Lorensberg Circus – Gothenborg, Sweden

February 6, 1968 – The Marquee Club – London

February 9, 1968 – “Bluesville 68” – Hormsey Wood Tavern – Manor House – London

February 10, 1968 – The Gladsaxe Teen Club – Denmark

February 1968 – Pop Club – Brondby, Denmark

 

 

 

Ten Years After (1968)

 

 

 

Record Mirror January 20, 1968

Ten Years After (1968)

 

 

 

Record Mirror February 3, 1968

– 3 photos missing –

 

 

Gladsaxe Teen Club, Denmark – 10th February, 1968

Photos by Jørgen Angel

Ten Years After (1968)

Ten Years After (1968)

Ten Years After (1968)

Ten Years After (1968)

Ten Years After (1968)

 

 

 

February 1968 – Ten Years After in Denmark

Cold winter. The southern danish Lowlands. Small town Holeby’s teenagers suddenly get a wake up call. The music club Flower Pop was contacted by producers from DR TV. Due to some cancelled gigs in Sweden british blues-rock group Ten Years After was rushed through a short Danish tour during February 1968.

With no time for further promotion only a few local newspapers and a teenage magazine were contacted. DR producer Palle Holgersen wanted an audience, and the coconut telegraph and jungle drums gathered club members. Many popclub members were left outside in the cold though. Only some 200 were let inside. At their arrival they saw why: Their favorite stomping ground, the old cinema theater, was occupied by equipment. Lightning-, sound-, TV-boxes and cables and orchestra gear all over. 25 DR-people, managers, press etc.

Close to the nearby Holeby Inn outside was the DR transportation and recording busses. By 1968 DR was still trying to get used to the loud rock concerts. The b/w recording was aired the 24th of February on national tv. The tapes might be lost, but luckily some photos surfaced and caught the event.

A good music program indeed. Copenhagen folksinger Ann Tholsted remembers: “We were very impressed by Ten Years After. After arriving they had a sleep just before going on stage, delivering a fantastic show and returning to the tour bus”.

Leo Lyons, Ten Years After: “I remember playing Holeby. It looks from the offstage shots that the band had been on the road for some time. I noticed a photo of me asleep. Those early tours of Skandinavia, particularly Denmark were always something we looked forward to. Sometimes we played two venues on the same day but we always got a great reception from the audiences and that made the many hours of travelling in the band van worthwhile.”

They played the 18th in local Reventlowparken before taking off to stardom.
(source: TV i Flower Pop)

 

 

 

February 1968 – Single “Portable People / The Sounds”, France

Ten Years After (1968)

 

 

Ten Years After (1968)

 

 

 

February 1968 – Single “portable people / the sounds”, The Netherlands

Ten Years After (1968)

 

 

 

 

 

Ten Years After March 2, 1968 — Self Titled Album

While not especially different from other electric blues groups, Ten Years After do rank with the more talented ones. Their sound is exciting; their music has texture. Ten Years After has the potential of a hot new group on the horizon.

Bill Board Magazine

 

 

 

 

 

Ten Years After – Record Mirror – March 2, 1968

Ten Years After (1968)

Ten Years After have a single out at the moment – their first – that could well be a hit. It’s called “Portable People”.

“We’ve all got a lot of confidence in it,” said Ric, the group’s drummer. “It’s not really our style of music – though it’s still “us”. If you see what I mean. It’s a very commercial sound, but even if it’s a hit, I don’t think we’ll ever record such a commercial number again – not that it’s bad or anything. It’s just that we prefer to record what we like, and not what’s necessarily hit material. What pleases us the most is that we’ve been accepted as a group for playing the sort of music that we like – which is basically blues. So we haven’t had to make too many concessions. And if “Portable People” does get into the charts, we’d never change our stage act or anything, and become more “pop”. We’ve got a lot going for us as we are – it’s very bewildering, really, because suddenly it all seems to be happening for us. And it wasn’t so long ago that we were having a very rough time – in fact we haven’t quite caught up with ourselves as yet”.

Which isn’t surprising, because apart from playing their particular brand of blues, in a million and one different countries, they’re also involved in a film and lecture tour!

By Derek Boltwood

 

 

 

Record Mirror March 16, 1968

Ten Years After (1968)

 

 

 

Tour Dates Continued

March 10, 1968 – The Wooden Bridge Hotel, Guildford

March 15, 1968 – “Bluesville 68” Homsey Wood Tavern – Manor House

March 18, 1968 – The Cromwellian, London

March 20, 1968 – The Grafton Rooms, Liverpool

March 22, 1968 – The Marquee Club, London

March 23, 1968 – The Corn Exchange, Chelmsford

March 28, 1968 – The Zodiac Club, Beckenham

Ten Years After (1968)

 

 

 

Grafton Rooms

On Wednesday March 20, 1968 – Pink Floyd – Ten Years After and The Almost Blues played at the Grafton Rooms. Located on West Derby Road in Liverpool, England.

On Thursday January 10, 1963 the Beatles played here. At different times, Joe Loss – Victor Silvestre – Henry Hall and Duke Ellington also performed at this venue.

History: The Grafton Ballroom was an entertainment centre in Liverpool, England that opened on February 2, 1924. It was a purpose-built hall that was able to accommodate a band and 1,200 dancers. It was built next to the Locarno Ballroom which is known as the Liverpool Olympia. It has for several years been under the same ownership as the Olympia.

Update: In late 2008 the Grafton closed as a dance venue, It’s to be refurbished and reopened once again, this time as a Comedy Club.

Ten Years After (1968)

 

 

 

Rare Ticket Stub

Ten Years After (1968)

 

 

 

Record Mirror March 23, 1968

Ten Years After (1968)

Ten Years After (1968)

 

 

 

March 30th, 1968 – Ten Years After on the French TV show “Bouton Rouge”

Ten Years After (1968)

Their set included: Rock Your Mama, Portable People, Hear Me Calling, I May Be Wrong, But I Won’t Be Wrong Always

These songs were from the groups second and third albums. The color and sound from their recorded performance is excellent. The above photo is from that show.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9p8x8wdWS4

 

 

 

Record Mirror – week ending March 30th, 1968

Ten Years After (1968)

Ten Years After (1968)

Ten Years After (1968)

 

 

 

Tour Dates

April 5, 1968 – The Marquee Club – London, England

April 13, 1968 – Gladsaxe Teen Club, Denmark

April 20, 1968 – Pop Club Brondby, Denmark – also featuring The Baronets – Tages and the Jeff Beck Group

 

 

 

Record Mirror April 6, 1968

Ten Years After (1968) Ten Years After (1968)

 

 

 

Teen Club, Denmark

April 13, 1968

Ten Years After (1968)

Guitarist Alvin Lee in action – big hands make it easy to handle his “Big Red” Gibson – ES-335

Ten Years After (1968)

Loose attire – eyes closed and totally in control

Ten Years After (1968)

Ric Lee on the drum kit. While Ric’s later claim to fame was his famous drum solo called “Hobbit” from J.R.R. Tolkin’s trilogy “Lord Of The Rings”. But during this time period, Ric’s drum solo was called “Shantung Cabbage”.

Ten Years After (1968)

SMILE BOYS – it’s a long way to the top if you want to Rock ‘n Roll.

 

 

 

April 1968 – Beat Instrumental, No. 60

Ten Years After (1968)

Ten Years After (1968)

Ten Years After (1968)

 

 

 

May 1968 – Single “Rock Your Mama”, France

Ten Years After (1968)

 

 

 

May 1968 – Single “Rock Your Mama / Spider In Your Web”, Sweden

Ten Years After (1968)

 

 

 

May 1968 – Single “Rock Your Mama / Spider In Your Web” Belgium

Ten Years After (1968)

 

 

 

West Hampstead Railway Station – The Home of Klook’s Kleek

Ten Years After (1968)

Recording “Undead” at Klook’s Kleek, 1968. A packed little room with sweat dripping down the walls and sound pounding off of them too, just the way the band likes to perform, with everyone listening and being a part of it all. As you can see from this photo, Ric Lee’s back was to the wall, how he could play drums that way is beyond me, and that little screen guard had to be placed between him and Alvin Lee for the recording.

Note from Dick Weindling:

TYA played four gigs at Klooks all during 1968. As you know, the session on 14 May was recorded live with cables running out of the door of the upstairs room of the Railway Hotel, and into the Decca Studios which were next door. This was the excellent ‘Undead’ album.

 

 

 

Tour Dates

May 2, 1968 – Metro, Birmingham, England

May 4, 1968 – The University of Norwich, England

May 5, 1968 – Palazzo Dello Sport – Rome Italy

May 7, 1968 – Falconer Theater Copenhagen, Denmark – The set list included the following songs: Rock Your Mama, Spoonful, I May Be Wrong, But I Won’t Be Wrong Always, Help Me and I’m Going Home – Also on the concert bill were, Fleetwood Mac and The Fugs

May 9, 1968 – Gothenburg, Sweden

May 10, 1968 – Stockholm, Sweden

May 12, 1968 – Cat Balou Club – Grantham, England

May 14, 1968 – Klooks – Kleek Railway Hotel, West Hempstead – London, England
Ten Years After recorded their historic “Undead” album on this night.

May 22, 1968 – Wigan Technical College – England

May 23, 1968 – St. Michael’s Hall – Oxford, England

May 24, 1968 – The Marquee Club – London, England

May 25, 1968 – Redditch College Worcestshire

May 26, 1968 – The Wooden Bridge Hotel – Guildford, England

June 3, 1968 – Belfast, Ireland – (The band plays on the roof-top of a school)

June 7, 1968 – The Marquee Club – London, England

 

 

 

June 3, 1968 – The little known Belfast (NI) gig

From Gary Moore: “Gerry McAvoy is an old friend of mine. In his book he mentions a lot of gigs, for example, like seeing Ten Years After playing on the roof of a school building, and I was also there that night. Gerry and I went to a lot of the same gigs in Belfast. It’s pretty strange. Gerry and Rory Gallagher were in the audience, in the play-ground area”. (Continued) “I saw Ten Years After in 1968. They were amazing! They were playing on the flat roof of a school on Belfast’s Grosvenor Road. They basically did the entire set that you can hear on the “Undead” album.

I always thought what a shame that Alvin Lee and the band, including Leo Lyons, Ric Lee and Chick Churchill were equally the best there was in Britain at the time. They should have been recognised in their own rights. I also think that they were far better back in 1966, than they were years later.”

Question to Gary Moore: Gary, you’ve championed many blues greats, but what is your honest opinion of Alvin Lee? “I was very impressed with all that Ten Years After stuff, “Hear Me Calling”, etc. So I went to see him playing this weird roof-top gig in Belfast”.

“The gig was on a school roof in Belfast played June 3rd 1968. So far as I recall, Schoolboy Rory Gallagher’s band supported us. To my knowledge it’s the only Time TYA have played in Ireland and the only time we’ve played on a roof.”
This from Leo Lyons when asked about this unique concert.

 

 

 

 

June 13, 1968 – Ten Years After arrive in America

…for their very first visit, at the personal request of concert promoter Bill Graham. It will be a seven week tour.

June 14th to the 16th – 1968 – Ten Years After is booked at The Cheetah Club in Venice, California

June 22nd, 1968 – Phoenix, AZ – Travelodge Theatre, with Grateful Dead

June 24th, 1968 – The Band Plays At – The Whiskey A – Go-Go – In Hollywood, California, the opening act is Alice Cooper

June 28th to the 30th 1968 – The Fillmore Auditorium – San Francisco, California

Ten Years After (1968)

According to Christopher Hjort: Bill Graham asked Michael Bloomfield and others to join the Paul Butterfield Blues Band and Ten Years After with Alvin Lee – along with other guest artists on this special occassion. The opening of the Fillmore West in San Francisco, California – it was formerly known as the “Carousel Ballroom”.

July 5th, 6th and 7th 1968 – At The Fillmore West – San Francisco, California

July 10th, 1968 – Los Angels, California – Ten Years After perform “I Want To Know” at the “Groovy Show” of the KHJ – TV Station, Santa Monica, Los Angeles.
The Groovy Show was a half-hour live dance-program aired on weekday afternoons on KHJ-TV Channel 9, in the Los Angeles, California market from 1967 to 1970. Almost little to no footage of The Groovy Show survives today.

July 12th through the 21st 1968 – At The Golden Bear, Huntington Beach California

July 26th to the 28th 1968 – At The Cheetah Club in Los Angels, California – with special guest, Jose Feliciano

August 2nd and 3rd 1968 – At The Newly Opened Fillmore East – New York City – New York
Featuring Big Brother and the Holding Company with Janis Joplin. Also appearing, The Staple Singers.

Ten Years After (1968)

August 4th through the 6th 1968 – At Steve Paul’s “Scene Club” New York City, New York

August 5th, 1968 – Ten Years After spend the entire day in the recording studio – recording session produced by Mike Vernon from Blue Horizon Records – backing the very talented Guitar Crusher (Vocals) and Jimmy Spruill (Lead Guitar) on the song “Hambone Blues”. Then backing Garfield Love (Vocals) and Jimmy Spruill on “Part Time Love”. While in their evening hours, Ten Years After are playing at the “Scene Club” when big surprise happens, Jimi Hendrix, Mitch Mitchell and Larry Coryell join them on stage for a joyfully extended jam session.

 

 

 

Leo Lyons talks about the first Tour in the US:

 

 

 

June 14, 1968 – “Cheetah” Venice, California

Ten Years After (1968)

Close to Santa Monica – The Cheetah Club, 1 Navy Street, Venice, California, was previously known as the Aragon Ballroom until February of 1967 and located at the Pacific Ocean Park Amusement Pier. Everybody who was anybody has played there. The venue was closed down after July of 1968. As the town officials were deciding what to do with the vacant structures, a massive fire broke out and answered that question for them… nothing remains of the historic park that was built in the 1920’s except the beach front.

 

 

 

”The Golden Bear Club, Huntington Beach, CA”

Ten Years After (1968)

“The Golden Bear Club” was founded by Harry Bakre in 1923 and located in Huntington Beach, California – Orange County at 306 Ocean Avenue, now called The Pacific Coast Highway and Main Street. It was a very famous venue for anyone on their way up in the music business or on their way back down.

In the 1960’s the club was revered by musicians for being one of the best sounding rooms in the country. “It was a great place for musicians who wanted their music to sound right and who wanted to be able to hear it right” says Chris Hillman of the Byrds. Les Baxter’s Balladeers featuring a young David Crosby, played there. Hoyt Axton, The Lovin’ Spoonful and The Buffalo Springfield – 1963 to 1966. Peter Tork of the Monkees worked as a dishwasher at the club before becoming a famous musician.

1966 to 1974 – Jimi Hendrix – Janis Joplin – Neil Young – The Flying Burrito Brothers – Jimmy Reed – Seals and Crofts and Richie Havens all played there.

Richie Havens played here June 25th through the 29th 1968. The Golden Bear was really a roadhouse and the band stayed in cabins which, to be fair, were sub-standard housing to say the least – complete with bugs of all sorts and cock-roaches scattering when lights were turned on.

Ten Years After played here July, 12th through July, 21st 1968

1974 to 1986 – Muddy Waters – Jerry Garcia – Patti Smith – Agent Orange – Arlo Guthrie – Maria Muldaur and Peter Gabriel played here. The last band to perform at the Golden Bear was Robin Trower.

The entire structure was demolished in 1986. Going with it the memories of B.B. King, The Doors, Bob Dylan and countless others who had the pleasure of playing there.

 

Ten Years After (1968)

 

Ten Years After (1968)

 

 

 

The Bands and Musicians 1963-1986

Robin Trower – Chris Hillman – David Crosby – The Byrds – John Kay and Steppenwolf – The Paul Butterfield Blues Band – Country Joe and the Fish – Jimi Hendrix – Janis Joplin – Ten Years After – The Flying Burrito Brothers – Jimmy Reed – Arlo Guthrie – Agent Orange – Patti Smith – Maria Muldaur – Muddy Waters – Peter Gabriel – Seals and Crofts – Richie Havens – Jerry Garcia – Hoyt Axton – The Lovin’ Spoonful – The Buffalo Springfield – Peter Tork – Phobe Snow – Shakti featuring Billy Cobham – George Duke – Stanley Clark – Tower of Power – Taj Mahal – Jessie Colin Young – The Mamas and the Papas – The Manhattan Transfer – Ike and Tina Turner – The Steve Morse Band – The Dixie Dregs – Cecillio and Kapono – Seawind – Poco – Steve Gillette – Hedge and Donna – Doug Kershaw – John Hartford, Emmylou Harris and the Hot Band – David Lindley and El Rayo X – Tracy Nelson and Mother Earth – Spirit – Jimmy Witherspoon – Robben Ford – Chris Isaak – The Beau Brommels – Leon Redbone – Huey Lewis and the News – Charlie Musselwhite – Popa John Creach – The Sir Douglas Quintet – The Chili Peppers – Dire Straits – Elvin Bishop – Nicolette Larson – Gary Busey playing with Paul Butterfield – Rick Danko – The New Riders of the Purple Sage – Peter Tosh – Brian Auger – Allan Holdsworth – Jimmy Smith – Fishbone – Captain Beefheart – Al Stewart – Lee Ritinour – Stephen Bishop – Albert King – B.B. King – Strange Daze – Dan Hicks – Rick Derringer – Tommy Tutone – The Ramones – The Ventures – Tim Morgon – Jessie Winchester – The Spinners – Joe and Eddy – Dave Myers and the Surftones (House Band) – The Guess Who – The Strawberry Alarm Clock – Mark Turnbull – Charles Bukowski – The Average White Band – Kris Kristofferson – Chicago – Carly Simon – Ivan and Sylvia – England Dan and John Ford Coley – Flow and Eddie – Dave Mason – Ken Rhoads – Neil Diamond – Honk (Band) – Steve Goodman – Billy Boy Arnold – Joan Baez – Bob Dylan – Wet Willie – The Mitchell Trio –
John Denver – Albert Collins – The Pointer Sisters – Van Halen – The Busboys – Jose Feliciano – Crosby, Stills and Nash – Jefferson Airplane – Gordon Lightfoot – Moby Grape – Junior Wells – Buddy Guy – Les Dudek….One (Local Band) – The United States Of America – Joe Byrd.

Comedians:

Steve Martin – Lenny Bruce – Howie Mandel – Bob Duback – Cheech and Chong – Pat Paulson

 

 

 

Ten Years After (1968) Ten Years After (1968)

 

 

 

Memories…

“I loved the Golden Bear years ago, I saw some of the best groups there, the venue was small and the talent was huge”.

“Great memories live on”.

“My girlfriend and I snuck in one night and saw Canned Heat”.

“Hunting Beach back in the 1960’s and 1970’s was filled with surfers and hippies”.

“The Golden Bear was an institution of Hunting Beach. Small venues like that made you feel so invested in the performers and their music”.

“I remember how everyone reacted to the loudness of the bands, it was a great time for music. For the musicians and audience. Now, there are just too many people, it was a more intimate thing back then”.

“I used to work at the Golden Bear from 1969 to 1970 it was so much fun, I miss those days so much. Janis Joplin with Big Brother and the Holding Company. Steve Martin, so many cool people used to warm up there before playing the Los Angeles Forum”.

“It was a great place, I heard “America” there … what a great night”.

“Cecllio and Kapono, Seawind made me feel like I was back home in Hawaii”.

“Steve Gillette, Hedge and Donna, Richie Havens, Poco the best venue ever”.

“Randy Hansen, Dick Dale and Dire Straights are the shows I remember”.

 

 

 

Update on the Golden Bear – 2011

Ten Years After (1968)

There is a movement on to reinvent the past into the future. In a reincarnation / resurrection of the old / historic Golden Bear Club. A brand new building was to be built on the exact same spot where the old venue once stood in Hunting Beach, California. This was to be completed by early to mid 2011. It’s now October 16, 2011 and this dream has not yet materialized.

Their have been some construction photos released of the area, but now there is apparently a large black cloud impeding its progress. Romantic Nostalgia has collided head on with our Modern Bureaucratic Reality, as is stated here in a current update about the situation: “Unfortunately, the city of Huntington Beach was not economically supportive of a new venue opening in their area, and the Golden Bear project is on hold until further notice”.

Jon Reiser, one of the club developers explained in a short email: “The city passed several ordinances restricting new bars and clubs from opening in the downtown area. The project is on hold until it can go through the “Conditional Use” permit process successfully”.

This after the announcements were made that they were already accepting resumes to fill the following positions: Bartenders, Servers, Hostess and Security Guards. The newly planned venue is designed to accommodate up to 600 people. Featuring live entertainment of all kinds.

 

Update on the Golden Bear – Jan 28th 2025

A reincarnation of the Golden Bear, a legendary music venue in Huntington Beach that hosted local bands and scores of music greats, was a surprise announcement Wednesday night. The largest of the new performance venues is a 5,700-person concert hall. The Golden Bear will be a smaller theater for around 350 to 500 guests, expected to open toward the end of 2027.

 

 

 

Ten Years After, Early 1968

Ten Years After (1968)

Ten Years After (1968)

 

 

 

Release of TYA’s 2nd Album “UNDEAD”

Ten Years After (1968)

 

 

 

The Telegraph, “From 1968 Disc Desk”.

Ten Years After – Or How To Stay Alive Underground:

The Words “Ten Years After” were chalked in bold capital letters across the window of the recording studio’s control room. Record producer Mike Vernon sat tensely on a stool and talked into a hand-mike, like a flight control officer bringing an aircraft in for a perfect landing. Indeed it sounded as difficult. “I think we need to have more echo from the guitar”, instructed Mike Vernon. “Not again!” Pleaded a voice from the studio, writes Stylus.

An understandable reaction. For four young musicians, who call themselves “Ten Years After”, were nearing their eighth hour in the basement studio. Ten Years After may mean nothing to the viewers of television’s “Top of the Pops” and listeners to Tony Blackburn’s breakfast show, but in other less publicised circles, they are big business. For Ten Years After are Britian’s top underground groups, they are not consumed with making three minute hit tunes.
Taking a short break from the session, the group’s drummer, Ric Lee explained: “At first we planned to make three minute singles, tailored for the radio and television, but we found that our audience liked our longer material, and we were far happier playing it.”

Ten Years After stuck to their go-it-alone musicial policy, in a business that was notoriously unsympathetic to groups who cock-a-snoot at the Top Ten. While most groups hope to make an L.P. after several hit singles, Ten Years After kicked their recording career with an album.

And within nine months of forming the group, they were flying to America for a two week promotional tour. This month they have had a new album, “Ten Years After – Undead” released and they leave again shortly for a two month tour of North America.

Outlets:

Underground music according to Ric Lee, was played by bands who did not necessarily follow the Tin-Pan-Alley blueprint for a hit record. Ten Years After’s road to uncrowned stardom began, like so many other underground groups, at the National Jazz and Blues Festival last year (1967). But it was the American Trip and their first L.P. which really established Ten Years After. Said Ric: “In America there is a far bigger audience for underground music.” There were more outlets. Certain radio stations played nothing but underground music. Disc Jockeys would play a group’s entire album. Ten Years After themselves had issued only one single against two albums. “A record in the Top Twenty means a group becomes nationally known, and they get more money for appearances”.

 

 

 

Ten Years After (1968) Ten Years After (1968)

Ten Years After (1968)

To Rod Steanson

Comment: The TYAMLS was created and run by Loraine, Alvin’s life partner for 10 years, under the pseudonym Vicky Page.

 

 

 

28 – 30 June 1968 – Fillmore West, San Francisco

Artist: Lee Conklin

Ten Years After (1968)

 

 

 

5 – 7 July 1968, Fillmore West, San Francisco

Artist: Lee Conklin

Ten Years After (1968)

 

 

 

Record Mirror July 20, 1968

Ten Years After (1968)

 

 

 

Cash Box – July 20, 1968

Ten Years After (1968)

 

 

 

July 1968, BEAT INSTRUMENTAL, No. 63 (England)

Ten Years After (1968)

 

Ten Years After (1968)

 

Ten Years After (1968)

Cover, page 26 & 27

 

 

 

Ten Years After (1968)

Ten Years After (1968)

Ten Years After (1968)  Ten Years After (1968)

Ten Years After (1968)

 

 

 

The English Band “Ten Years After” Turned Loose On America

From June 13 to August 7, 1968 – Journal Report by Drummer Ric Lee

Ten Years After (1968)

June 13, 1968

We arrived at Los Angeles airport after a two day journey across the Atlantic Ocean. I say two days because that was the time it had taken! The flight was scheduled to take between ten to twelve hours, but after stopping in Winnipeg, Canada to re-fuel, the starter motor on the number four engine would not work, so we had to stay there overnight while it was being repaired. We were met at the airport by London Records represenitive Gerry Hof, who had a Cadillac Limousine and taken us directly to the hotel.

June 14, 1968

We arrived at The Cheetah Club, located in Santa Monica California. The agency had agreed to supply the equipment needed, but hence, no drum kit and no leads, that are necessary for the Chick’s organ to work. It was panic until it was time to go on stage, then suddenly, a drum kit appeared and a very grim looking one at that, and the organ worked as well. Thanks to our amazing Road Manager that “Andy”. Anyway, in the words of the famous song, “Things Get Better Baby”, as you’ll see.

June 15th and 16th

We’re still playing at The Cheetah Club.

June 17th through the 20th

Ten Years After (1968)

You’ll find me lazing in the Summertime sun at pool-side at the hotel, and trying desperately to get tanned, in order to cause jealousy upon my return to dreary old England. (ha-ha).

Ten Years After (1968)

By the way, we stayed at the “Sunset Marquis” which is just off the famous Sunset Strip.

All members of the group are going off with various odd people, on short sight-seeing trips and some other activities.

Chick Churchill was booked by local Police for “Jay Walking”. Although he pleaded ignorance of the law to the court, it was of no use, (as it also states the following: “Ignorance of the Law is no Excuse”). Ric Lee, I met Tiny Tim and was given a present, his brand new record album. He’s a tremendous, sincere and honest character and you won’t believe it when you see him in person this coming September.

June 21st and 22nd 1968

We set out at approximately 3:00 PM this afternoon, heading for Phoenix, Arizona, which is about 300 miles east from Los Angeles. We stopped on the way, at a place called Indio, this was at about 9:00 PM in the evening, and the current temperature was at 100 degrees. Logically, everybody bought ice-cold-beer…and it’s not at all like the English variety mates! We arrived in Phoenix at about 12:00 midnight or a little later. On the way, our car was very nearly run off of the road by a load of rowdy / noisy cowboys – real ones – in another car.

June 22, 1968

We left Phoenix to go sight seeing at the famous Grand Canyon. “It’s a bloody big hole in the ground that they’ve got there. Chris Wright, our faithful manager was running around with his movie camera, looking a lot like Walt Disney himself.

June 24, 1968

At approximately 6:00 AM, we arrived back in Los Angeles. That night we played at “The Whiskey – A – Go-Go”. Very blasé audience there, not really a good scene. However, after our appearance there, the record shop across the street sold out of our “Undead” L.P. All weird hippy types were sitting on the pavement, outside of the “Whiskey”, while getting quietly stoned, and becoming a tourist attraction for “Normies” the normal people who came passing by in their cars to take a look.

June 25th and 26th 1968

More lazing in the sun for me. There’s a special trip in the works for Leo today. He’s going to “Nudie’s” which is a Clothiers shop that specializes in Western Clothes, holsters and jackets and accessories of all kinds. By the way: Nudie is the name of the guy who owns the store.

June 27th, 1968

Flew from Los Angeles to San Francisco. I soon learned that there was a sudden and unexpected drop in air temperature. It went from 90 degrees down to 54 degrees.

June 28th, 1968 to the 30th

We opened at The Fillmore West along with “Canned Heat” on the same concert bill. They are a tremendous group and we all became firm friends right away. They are much better live on stage than on their L.P.’s – There was a tremendous reception for Ten Years After at the Fillmore, we played to a full house every night.

July 1st, 1968 through the 4th

I spent the time seeing and meeting people in San Francisco and did radio interviews on “Underground” radio stations.

July 5th, 1968 through the 7th

At the new Fillmore West, which was formally known as “The Carousel Ballroom” and taken over by Bill Graham and then made into the Fillmore Auditorium – was closed in part to building political pressures. We played with The Paul Butterfield Blues Band and with dear old Peter Green. There was a tremendous reception for everyone. On the opening night Bill Graham invited all of his old friends to come down and Jam together.

This included Electric Flag with Mike Bloomfield, which also included Buddy Miles on drums for Electric Flag – Elvin Bishop who is now ex – Paul Butterfield Blues Band and Big Brother and The Holding Company featuring Janis Joplin.

However, as the champagne was provided in the dressing rooms, everyone was too drunk to jam at all. Janis went on stage, got to the microphone and proceeded to collapse. A good time was had by all. I found The Paul Butterfield Band to be very, very good. There’s also a big jazz influence in San Francisco.

Manager Chris Wright was taken to the hospital suffering with acute appendicitis.

July 8th, 1968 through the 11th

Got back into Los Angeles, on the 10th, then we did a colour T.V. show called, “Groovy Show” we performed a track from our first L.P. – “I Want To Know”.

July 12th, 1968 through the 21st

We opened at “The Golden Bear” located at Huntington Beach California. On the first day we indulged in the sun, sand and surfing. On the second day, everyone was complaining of sunburn. The Golden Bear is a small club that holds a maximum of 200 people, but with very good audiences. All of the other placed that we played at, held from 1,000 to 2,000 people maximum.

Three girls arrived one day to do an interview for a “Teeny Bopper” magazine, and we somehow ended up……censored ! (use your imagination).

August 7th, 1968
Returned home – We’ll probably do it all again in September, when we make our second and more extensive tour of America.

 

 

 

August 2 & 3, 1968 – Fillmore East

Ten Years After (1968)

Ten Years After (1968)

 

 

 

My View Of America – 1968 – By Leo Lyons

America was I think, the best thing that could’ve happened to us as a band, and also as individual musicians. The musical feel of the States, and the change of environment has really instilled in us an added enthusiasm, new ideas, and made us a much tighter working unit. We’ve got our heads together so to speak.

As a band that relies on the audience in order to play at our best, as no doubt some of you will have noticed if you’ve seen us on a bad gig, it was great to find American audiences as good as our best British ones. One thing we did in America that we haven’t done so much here in England is long jamming. Everyone gets up and has a blow with everyone else until it’s difficult to tell who’s entertaining who.

Ten Years After (1968)

On one particular evening in New York City, there were about eight of us up on stage, included were Jimi Hendrix, along with Mitch Mitchell, with Larry Coryell, Janis Joplin, an unknown flute player, and two other guitarists I didn’t recognize at all. We all ended up doing a two and a half hour set, that was really just one long number.

No one seemed to mind in the least if the show runs over time, as we did a gig at the Fillmore West in San Francisco with Peter Green and Paul Butterfield. We all ran over our allotted time slots, and the show that was suppose to end at 2:00 AM still had Paul Butterfield raving away at 4:45 AM in the morning. That’s the Fillmore for you, I only wish that sort of thing would start catching on over here in England.

Everything being considered, it was a terrific trip, and the fact that our “Undead” album has made it into the American Music Charts, has just added icing to the cake!

 

 

 

My View of America – The First Tour 1968 For Ten Years After

By Chick Churchill

I think the first thing that struck me about the U.S.A. was, that the ideas I had formulated and my opinions about it before I arrived there, were completely wrong. That is to say, the people weren’t ignorant, nor were they self-appointed intellectuals, which were the two images that most Americans conveyed to me when I met them here in England. The people in the States can either be warm and friendly, or very hostile, depending on their age, upbringing or whether they know if you’re English or not. In fact, an Englishman’s biggest asset in the States is being English, this is not a general feature of the U.S.A. but is concerned mostly with the younger generation.

Ten Years After (1968)

While in Phoenix, Arizona, we seemed to accumulate three, short-haired, Stetson – Cowboy’s who seemed to take offence that we had long hair and let us know it by yelling abuse and oaths from their adjacent car. Apart from that, we had very little trouble and spent most of our time pulling funny faces at pornographic looking women, taking photos, who I’m sure must have thought we were extras for a film about vagrancy, by the looks on their faces.

On the music side, the U.S.A. has boundless opportunities because the American youth gets itself so involved with what’s happening on stage. After awhile you find yourself getting much more involved with what you’re playing, and after eight weeks, I found myself returning to England with many more contemporary views on my own playing and I am now trying to get my thoughts from my head to my fingers, instead of vice-versa. I other words, I’m now not following certain patterns which my fingers have been wandering over since the beginning of Chick Churchill being an organist and not a bank clerk.
All in all, America has been a great inspiration to all of us, and we all look forward to the musical developments which could happen in the future. Chick is using a Hammond M.2. at the present time, but hopes to eventually replace it with a Hammond C.

 

 

 

August 1, 1968 – Ten Years After at Queens College Colden Auditorium – Flushing, New York

From Cousin Steve

I was still in high school when some of my friends from the Queens neighbourhood, that I grew up in had scored tickets to see Ten Years After at Queens College’s Colden Auditorium.

At the time, in the USA, Ten Years After had two LP’s out, the big one being Undead, the live at Klooks Kleek album that first gave us “I’m Going Home,” and later immortalized at Woodstock when Alvin said, “I’m Going Home by Helicopter”. Slack jawed by Alvin Lee’s guitar work, I thought I’d never pick up a guitar again. I remember saying that when an older guy from the neighbourhood drove us home that night. The name Ten Years After, back in the early years seemed to refer to the bands ability to handle old rock and roll songs like “Blue Suede Shoes” and other songs that rocked the charts ten years earlier. Later on in their career, the band covered Little Richard’s hard to find song, “Going Back To Birmingham”.

The bands first LP was the self titled Ten Years After, seemed to have been modelled after the Elektra LP called, “What’s Shaking” picking many of the same songs like “I Can’t Keep From Crying” – “Spoonful” and “I Want To Know”. The LP also included the blues song, “Help Me” and I recall Alvin smoking his cigarette during the introduction, and then placing it in the head of the guitar, so that he could sing. I saw the band many times, even after they started to become more famous, but the Undead LP is still a scorcher. The circle of friends from the block would play this along with LP’s of the day like, “Blood Sweat and Tears” “The Who” and the first “Crosby, Stills and Nash” album. At the Fillmore East, when Alvin Lee screamed, “I want to ball you”….one of the kids from our block, S.K. fell off his chair.

Also at this concert was Dan Axelrod – he reports the concert took place on August 1, 1968

 

 

 

TYA Back in the UK

Ten Years After (1968)

Bluesville ’68 Club – Manor House, London

Ten Years After (1968)

 

 

 

August 7, 1968 – “Just back from their very successful American Tour”

Ten Years After (1968)

 

August 7, 1968 – Toby Blues Club – Tolworth, Surrey, England

August 9 to 11, 1968 – Kempton Park – Sunbury Middlesex, England

August 12, 1968 – Cooks Ferry Inn – London, England

August 16, 1968 – The Marquee Club, London England

August 17, 1968 – Klooks Kleek – West Hempstead – London, England

August 23, 1968 – The “California Ballroom”, Dunstable, Scotland

August 24, 1968 – A Free Concert In “Hyde Park” – London; England

August 27, 1968 – Klooks Kleek – West Hempstead – London, England

August 30, 1968 – The Marquee Club – London, England

August 31, 1968 – At The “Middle Earth Club” – At The “Roundhouse” – London, England

 

 

 

National Jazz & Blues Festival / Sunbury Festival — August 9 – 10 – 11, 1968

Ten Years After (1968)

 

Ten Years After (1968)

 

Ten Years After (1968)

 

Ten Years After (1968)

Ten Years After (1968)

 

 

 

August 10, 1968

“If you haven’t heard Ten Years After on the radio, don’t be surprised”, said Alvin Lee. “The trouble is that the B.B.C. won’t play our material, because the numbers are too long”.

Forget about the B.B.C. go and buy their new LP Issued this Friday called Ten Years After “Undead” – A Live Album.

After Ten Years After’s recent success at the Fillmore East in New York. It was interesting to see if they could emulate their success at Sunbury. Before their spot, guitarist Alvin Lee confided in me: “I’m a bit worried about tonight. Audiences in America, are used to groups like us playing one song for three quarters of an hour or more. But I don’t know if they are ready for it tonight !” Alvin need not have worried. Ten Years After got a tremendous ovation at the end of their one number. Yes, one number folks! Called “Spider In My Web” it started off as a slow, funky, blues and picked up tempo to a medium groove.

Then came a series of startilingly inventive solos from each of the boys and each unaccompanied. Chick Churchill played a great solo on organ. Leo Lyons showed us what it was all about on bass. Drummer Ric Lee played an incredible solo, using a mike as a drum stick which gave a great variety of sounds. Alvin lee’s guitar solo was a beautiful mixture of blues, Spanish style, and sound effects. After each solo, it went back to that rockin’ rhythm.

The audience really responded when the group went into their final part – a storming boogie tempo which grabbed everyone.

 

 

 

Sunbury Festival 1968

Ten Years After (1968)

 

 

 

Back In Those Early Days – It Was Cooperation Over Competition

Ten Years After (1968)

 

“When The WHO came up with a 1000W sound system, The Pink Floyd wanted a 2000W system. It went a bit mad”. “For The Rolling Stones In The Hyde Park Concert, in the summer of 1969, Watkins had to borrow back some of the equipment that he had sold to other groups”. “I didn’t have all that many columns, but I wanted to put up a 1500W system for that event. I borrowed some from T-Rex. They all chipped in, that’s what we used to do. It was quite a family, if anyone had a big gig, they would all pool their gear”.

 

Ten Years After (1968)

 

 

 

August 12, 1968 – The Cook’s Ferry Inn – Jazz Club

Edmonton – Near London

Ten Years After (1968)

The jazz club at Cook’s Ferry Inn was started by Harry Randall who is the brother of jazzman Freddy Randall. The music was played in a large hall attached to the pub. Ten Years After played there on August 12, 1968 – It was not just jazz that was played at Cook’s Ferry, many other famous rock names have appeared there too. Bands such as The Graham Bond Organisation – The Who – The Animals – Alexis Korner – Spencer Davis and many more played there.

Graham Bond was there almost every week and he played Jazz and Rhythm and Blues on a Hammond B-3 organ, his bass player was Jack Bruce and his drummer was Ginger Baker, both of whom went on to form “The Cream” with Eric Clapton.

Back in those days I used to smoke. The only place on a bus to smoke was on top and a couple of times I rode sitting next to Ginger Baker and we talked about music, but don’t ask me why he travelled by bus, I don’t know.

Back to Cook’s Ferry Inn, it was normally quite “roomy” except when The Animals played there and we were stacked like sardines. As I mentioned before, Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce used to play with Graham Bond and I saw them many times at this venue. I used to get there fairly early and many a time I saw all three lugging a Hammond organ from the back of their van. During one of the Graham Bond sessions, Eric Clapton jammed with them, so that would be where the first “Cream” number was ever played.

Story by George Welsh

 

 

 

California Ballroom – Friday August 23, 1968

Ten Years After (1968)

(Melody Maker, 24 August 1968)

 

 

 

August 24, 1968 – Melody Maker

Ten Years After – Learning and Jamming the U.S.

By Tony Wilson

Ten Years After (1968)

“The best thing about the trip was that from all points of view, we learnt so much,” said a suntanned Leo Lyons, bass guitarist with Ten Years After. The group has just returned from a highly successful American tour and Leo, later joined by Alvin Lee, guitarist and singer, dropped into the Melody Maker to chat about their visit. “I don’t know whether it was the audiences or the change of environment,” he continued. “The audiences are very very musically aware, particularly in San Francisco. They are really into what we are doing”.

“But jamming is the big thing over there. Sometimes we’d do only one number in a set. From a bass-playing point of view, I’ve got a new concept in playing. I got in a rut and began to anticipate what I was going to do. It came out sounding corny then one day I woke up and got a lot of new ideas. Possibly, this has come from jamming. But I think we all feel as if we have improved a tremendous amount.” The jamming scene, where musicians just get up and sit in with who ever is playing seems to have made a big impression on both Leo and Alvin. “What we’d like to do, is to incorporate jamming into what we do over here. (England). It’s really a big thing in America.”

Smashed:

Among the people Leo and Alvin found themselves playing with, were Jimi Hendrix and Larry Coryell, Janis Joplin of Big Brother and the Holding Company and Graham Bond.

“We jammed with Graham at the Scene club in New York,” said Alvin. “Everyone was smashed at the party after the show, Janis Joplin put four bottles of “Southern Comfort” on the stage and everyone just played. Janice is like a female Mick Jagger. People throw bottles of “Southern Comfort” at her, like they throw jelly-babies at other people.” Alvin said that now he feels musical freer and that his opinion of the music scene in Britain had changed, and that now he had lost the feeling of playing against people, but was now playing with them. The jamming scene certainly seems to have opened up new paths for Ten Years After, and Alvin commented, “The thing with jamming is that you’re not expected to be brilliant. It’s just experimenting.”

Touring:

Alvin recalled the night that Larry Coryell and Jimi Hendrix sat in with the group, “It was just one number, in the end they had to turn the power off to stop us,” he said. “In the small clubs over there it’s all jam things. You learn a hell of a lot more, and we want to do that over here.” At the end of September, Ten Years After return to the States for another couple of months touring. Said Leo with a touch of dry humour, “We’re only over here for a promotional tour.”

Ten Years After (1968)

 

 

 

Free Concert at Hyde Park, London – August 24, 1968

Ten Years After (1968)

(Photos by Alan Grange)

Ten Years After (1968)

Alvin Lee dangling the microphone for Ric Lee’s drum solo as Leo Lyons looks on

Ten Years After (1968)

Ten Years After (1968)

Ten Years After (1968)

 

 

 

Ten Years After Play Hyde Park – Free Concerts – Dear Diary – Fans Remember – August 24, 1968

“A very beautiful afternoon, started by Ten Years After, with some really mind-bending instrumental work, original lead guitar playing by Alvin Lee. In one number he ran through excerpts from half a dozen blues classics, with a different voice for every one”. Pete Collins

“I saw Ten Years After, the audience was relaxed, music great and the afternoon was generally imbued with 1967’s love and peace, really fantastic and enjoyable. I’m so glad things like this can happen”. Chris Marshall

“My recollection, is that Ten Years After came on and did a John Mayall number (?) Which lasted for their whole set, with the obligatory solos”. Allan Warfield. “I remember attending this concert, clutching my brand new copy of “Undead” by Ten Years After, which had just been released. As it was one of the earlier concerts that was held in the cockpit, the view was pretty good from wherever you were seated and it was a sunny day as well, what more could you ask. Ten Years After played first as they had to get away early to reach another gig on time. I don’t remember what they played, only that it was good”.

 

 

 

Melody Maker, 24 August 1968

Ten Years After (1968)

 

 

 

New Musical Express August 31, 1968

Ten Years After (1968)

September 3rd through the 12th 1968 – Ten Years After are at the West Hempstead Studios in London, England. The band is laying down tracks for their upcoming album entitled “Stonedhenge”

September 13, 1968 – “Bluesville 68” – Manor House – London, England

September 14, 1968 – Tofts Folkestone, England

September 15, 1968 – Black Prince Hotel – Bexley, England

September 18, 1968 – Toby Jug – Tolworth, England

September 19, 1968 – Le Metro Birmingham, England

September 21, 1968 – The Alex Discotheque Salisbury, England

September 22, 1968 – The Boat Club – Nottingham, England

 

 

 

September 6, 1968 – in the recording studio on Wardour Street, London

Ten Years After (1968)

Ten Years After (1968)

Ric Lee’s dog “Nicky” has been getting her share of publicity attention lately, due to her singing. If the band are able to record her in action, she just may end up on their next record album. She’s in the recording studio right now laying down some tracks. This event would make Nicky the very first canine blues singer in recording history.

Ten Years After (1968)

Many thanks to Claudia Staehr (Herb Staehr’s sister) for this beautiful photo

 

 

 

Popfoto Magazine (Holland) with signatures of TYA

Ten Years After (1968)

 

 

 

Leo Lyons Interview

From The Record Mirror – From the week ending September 14, 1968

(Upon Ten Years After’s return from their very first American tour)

Many people will now be familiar with the combination of Leo Lyons, Alvin Lee, Ric Lee (No Relation) and Chick Churchill, the four members of Ten Years After who have recently returned from a highly successful American tour. Fewer people, however, are fully aware of their activities. I spoke to Leo Lyons, bass player with the group:

“Since we’ve returned home it’s been tremendous”, he enthused. “Every gig has been a full house. We now find people in England will accept the lengthy numbers we like to play. We start our act by doing a set number, you know, and take it right from there as the audience responds. The better the audience, the better we play.”

Leo also seemed very impressed with the reception the group received from American audiences, and he continued: “Ten Years After really have a small minority appeal, but the small minority in America is vast! Even the large places we played there had a very good atmosphere because the audience were like a very large club audience.

“Commerciality doesn’t necessarily matter. One of the barriers here is that a lot of young people like Dave Dee, for example, and just will not accept any other music. In America you get people who like blues, who like jazz, who like progressive rock. You even get a blues group playing soul – as long as it’s good music the audience like it.”

The group really enjoyed a massive jam session at the Scene Club in New York, when such artists as Larry Coryell, Janis Joplin and Graham Bond joined them on stage. In fact this so impressed them, that on their return to Hampstead’s Klooks Kleek club, Ten Years After invited many other musicians to join them during their second set. Among those who obliged were Roger Chapman of Family, Paul Williams, Alan Price and John Mayall.

In America, Leo informed me, Ten Years After are considered to be “a progressive rock” group. I was interested to find out how he felt about being categorised here as an “underground” group, and if he thought this trend might die as flower-power did. He replied:

“I suppose that is the label of our stuff over here. I don’t think it’s the same type of label as flower-power though, and I don’t think it will die. I wouldn’t like to be in a pop group where the main thing was not the music. I’m quite happy to have just that.” To accentuate this point Leo continued: “We don’t get the girls screaming and I wouldn’t like to. When the Beatles used to do a concert it wouldn’t really have mattered if their amplifiers were switched off!

I like people to hear what we’re playing – I wouldn’t like to be a pop star in that respect.”

Before Ten Years After return to America in September they will be disappearing into the recording studios to cut some tracks for a new LP and follow-up single to “Portable People”.

(Note: The album mentioned here will be “Stonedhenge”).

Ten Years After (1968)

All the numbers will be originals penned by group member Alvin Lee. They hope to record at least twelve tracks, one of which will then be selected for the new single.

I asked Leo how he regarded the singles market, considering that the group are far more noted for their LP’s “Undead” and “Ten Years After” than their single: “Singles give you a lot of scope to get across to more people, but it’s just something that sells commercially. We won’t actually try to make a single, we don’t really know what is a commercial single. It is looking up here, but generally they want two and a half minute recordings, which wouldn’t be sufficient for us. For this reason we like to make LP’s.

The fact that Ten Years After like to play very lengthy numbers, sometimes lasting at least thirty minutes, also affects their attitude to television appearances. “We couldn’t represent what we want to do in one short appearance,” said Leo. “If they let us go on and do what we want to do it would be fine. It would be nice to do, say, a half-hour show like they have on BBC2.” The group have, however, made television appearances in Sweden, Denmark and France, and feel that in the longer time allotted to them they can achieve what they are aiming for.

Said Leo: “After guitar, I took up bass and learnt more by listening to records and reading various books. I listened to a lot of jazz as I think it’s the most technical and gives the most scope.

I particularly like Scott LaFaro, Richard Davis and Charles Mingus.” Leo Lyons and Alvin Lee also gained their knowledge on guitar by playing at sessions for various bands for about nine years prior to the formation of Ten Years After. (For those who are now in the process of quick mental calculation , the group’s ages range from 22-24 years!)

“I imagine record production would be interesting, though playing is the main thing. I wouldn’t really like to make films, it would be just a giggle. All we want to do is play.”

Leo does have another hobby though, which he took full advantage of while in America. “I like horse riding,” he told me. “Any chance I got, I used to rent a horse for the day. Get away from civilisation and be very, very relaxed. Sometimes I’d like to have been born 150 years ago. I sometimes fancy being a hermit.”

There is little chance of this happening for a while, for Ten Years After have an even more extensive tour on their hands when they return to America. They are also to make their fourth visit to Scandinavia in January (Note: This would’ve taken place in 1969).

As Leo says: “Things are pretty rosy for us now, but maybe a couple of years ago I could have made money doing something else. I would have been satisfied to work in a pit orchestra,” he continued, “even though no one sees you. I just wouldn’t like to play anything that didn’t make me feel emotional. We play how we feel emotionally and physically.”

Interview with Leo Lyons written by Valerie Mabbs for Record Mirror Newspaper.

 

 

Ten Years After (1968)

 

 

 

The Boat Club, Nottingham 

Originally it became a live music venue in 1962. It has a capacity of 250 people.

Downstairs, you’ll find room to chill-out with the Heavenly Jukebox.

Name Dropping:

Sits quietly by the banks of the River Trent and is overwhelmed by the dwarfing city ground in its shadow, The Boat Club remains virtually unknown to many. Ten Years After played there on September 22, 1968. Others who have played there are Rod Stewart, Elton John, The Sex Pistols, Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath to name but a few.

This place sounds like it should be home to the green polo and golf sweater set, as a country pub for the quiet set of respectable elders. Showing fox hunting photos is not what this venue is about at all. The Boat Club in name is an oxymoron – oddity in itself. It’s really an illustrious array of rock and roll luminaries running free.

The Boat Club Layout:

The Boat Club is divided into two main parts. The function room with the main stage being at the front, and a large lounge area with its seating around the walls. Its design evokes memories of school discos, with the main dance floor in one area and then the surrounds where the dateless and the broken hearted go to sink into their own personal misery. But it’s really not as depressing as all that – it just sounds like Heartbreak Hotel is all.

The Rooms:

The two rooms work in harmony and the main bar runs adjacent to both. One offers calm conversation and sit-down drunks and the other the other offers more atmosphere and life. The lounge area is decorated with displays of The Boat Club’s achievements along with framed photographs of previous and current personal provide a sense of belonging and homeliness to the venue. Tables, Stools and in – wall seats are dotted around the spacious interior, helping the lounge to stand alone as a pub unto itself.

The Stage:

The centre-piece of this venue and the main reason it has been such a success, is its own performance hall. Wooden floor, boarding underneath and an elevated main stage at the front provides the key features to a cosy but not under sized room. The acoustics here, although obviously under the direction of volume control, dissipate through the entire venue, so that the band playing on the main stage are a pleasant background noise to the beer drinkers in the bar, at the back. But the main focus of attention to those main function room.

The Nottingham Boat Club has everything, from glamour to glitz and atmosphere that has made it famous for the last 40 years.

 

 

 

Ten Years After at the “Wood Green Jazz Club London”

September 24, 1968. Ten Years After played there in the early part of 1968.

As with the Marquee Club, Jazz was fading out and Rhythm and Blues were coming in.

The Graham Bond Organisation with Jack Bruce, Eric Clapton and Ginger Backer – Jethro Tull – Fairport Convention all played there among others.

Ten Years After (1968)

It was located with Fishmongers Arms and Bourne Hall at 287 High Road, Wood Green, London N228HU.

 

 

September 27th and 28th 1968 – At The Fillmore East, In New York City, New York

September 30th through October 3rd, 1968 – At Steve Paul’s Scene Club New York City

October 4th through the 6th 1968 – At The Grande Ballroom Detroit, Michigan – Also on the same concert bill are: The Rationals and Orange Fuzz.

November 7th, 1968 – At Freeborn Hall – The University Davis, California – Ten Years After open the show for “Harpers Bizarre” (If you can believe that!!!) (Feeling Groovy – was Harper’s big hit of the day).

November 8th and 9th 1968 – “The Bank” – Torrance California

November 14th through the 17th 1968 – At The Fillmore West – San Francisco, California. Also on the same concert bill are: Country Weather and Sun Ra.

November 22nd and 23rd 1968 – At The “Mill” in Sacramento, California

November 29th and 30th 1968 – At “The Shrine Auditorium” Los Angels, California – On the same concert bill are: The Jeff Beck, The Moody Blues and Mint Tattoo.

December 12th, 1968 – At The Fillmore East in New York City, New York

 

 

 

1968 – Ten Years After Tour – Leo Lyons Speaks Out

September 27 and 28, 1968

“We arrived in New York City four hours before we were due on stage and with everyone feeling like death, we were worried about our opening at the Fillmore East. When we arrived at the theatre, we were somewhat encouraged by the terrific crowd of people waiting to get in, there was a capacity crowd of 2,500 !!!

Procol Harum were on first and we had the next spot, second billing to Country Joe and the Fish. Even though we didn’t feel on top form, the audience was amazing, after we finished they went mad, and I’m told, were shouting for more, for 22 minutes. It was really a tremendous scene. Anyway, Country Joe went on a half hour later than expected, so the show over-ran, and by the time the second house (performance) started, people had been queuing (waiting in line) outside for two hours. The whole thing at the Fillmore East is just too incredible for words, and the audiences are ridiculous. (great).

Monday, we did a free concert in Central Park with Country Joe, Buddy Guy and Jefferson Airplane. About 20,000 people went along (came out) and it was filmed for the news that night. Monday night we opened at (Steve Paul’s) “The Scene Club” for four days. This has been great, as we’ve been doing our own thing (music-set) for the first spot and then jamming for the last one with a variety of guys. During the day we’ve been going round the radio stations doing interviews and the airplay that we’ve been getting is tremendous.

All in all, everything so far is really incredible, and we’re all knocked out, and I think none of us can really believe it’s all really happening”.

Note: Ten Years After played at Steve Paul’s Scene Club on August 4 – 6. They also played there on September 30 – October 3, 1968.

October 1968, BEAT INSTRUMENTAL, No. 66 – cover and page 27

Ten Years After (1968)

Ten Years After (1968)

 

 

 

October 4 – 6, 1968 – Grande Ballroom, Detroit

Ten Years After (1968)

 

 

 

October 10, 1968 – Boston Tea Party, handbill

Ten Years After (1968)

 

 

 

Record Mirror – October 12, 1968

Ten Years After (1968)

Ten Years After (1968)

 

 

 

October 12, 1968

Ten Years After (1968)

Album Review of “UNDEAD” inside the magazine

Ten Years After (1968)

Ten Years After’s Second Album – Recorded Live but called “UNDEAD” Comes To Life!

“After the first album came out, we got the letter from Bill Graham saying he would be glad to book us if we would like to come over. So, we put together the American tour and we didn’t have time to do a studio album, so we did the live album.”

Leo Lyons

 

 

 

Rolling Stone Magazine – October 12, 1968

Ten Years After “UNDEAD”

“…A very fine jam band, recorded live doing its thing…Ten Years After just gets in there and swings…”

Another Review:

“Undead” by Ten Years After, was recorded “Live” in a small club in 1968, this set was Ten Years After’s commercial break-through album. There’s no estimating how many aspiring guitar heroes heard it and immediately wanted to kill themselves.

Ten Years After (1968)

Leader Alvin Lee’s fleet-fingered-fret work, although no big deal by jazz standards, sounded pretty revolutionary in a rock context, and started a school of guitar playing in which speed matters above all other musical considerations which continues to this day.

Undead is a good unpretentious set of mostly up-tempo blues-jams (the most famous being Ten Years After’s signature “Goin’ Home,” immortalized in the Woodstock movie – but wait, this hasn’t happened yet! Time Warp).

However, there’s no mistaking the period in which it was made…a big clue being a cover of Gershwin’s ultra-melodic “Summertime” that’s primarily a vehicle for a drum solo.

 

 

 

Cash Box – October 12, 1968

Ten Years After was formed in England earlier this year, just in time to be caught up in the resurgence of the blues sweeping that country and become one of the prime movers in exporting and making the sound popular here.

The quartet’s members are lead guitarist Alvin Lee, bass guitarist Leo Lyons, drummer Ric Lee (no relation) organist Chick (with no last name).

The group met in a North Wales Bus Shelter, and shortly afterwards found themselves playing the first of many dates at London’s Marquee Club. After gaining attention in England, the group (which records for Deram) was set for an American tour and proceed to enhance both critics and audiences across the country. They were quickly booked for another tour, which kicked off last week, with two days at New York’s Fillmore East, and five at Steve Paul’s Scene. Their second LP “Undead” (a live performance) is currently number 136 on the album charts.

 

 

 

October 15 – 16 – 17, 1968 – La Cave, Cleveland. Ohio

Ten Years After (1968)

 

 

 

October 18 & 19, 1968 – The Kinetic Playground, Chicago

Ten Years After (1968)

 

 

 

October 19, 1968 – Melody Maker

Ten Years After (1968)

Ten Years After (1968)

 

 

 

Melody Maker – October 19, 1968

Ten Years After object to being labelled a blues group, but with Alvin Lee’s brilliant guitar a major feature, they will have trouble persuading me that everything they do isn’t firmly rooted in blues. Currently on a highly successful American tour, the line-up is completed by Chick Churchill, Leo Lyons, Alvin Lee and Ric Lee. The group was formed early in 1967.

 

 

 

October 25 & 26, 1968 – Electric Factory, Philadelphia

Ten Years After (1968)

 

 

 

November 8 & 9, 1968 – Concert Poster, Bank Torrance, California

Ten Years After (1968)

 

 

 

November 14 – 17, 1968, Fillmore West, San Francisco

Artist: Lee Conklin

Ten Years After (1968)

 

 

 

Record Mirror – November 16, 1968

Ten Years After (1968)

Ten Years After (1968)

 

 

 

November 29 & 30, 1968 – Shrine Hall. Los Angeles

Ten Years After (1968)

 

 

 

Record Mirror – November 30, 1968

Ten Years After (1968)

 

 

 

December 13, 1968 – Bluesville ’68 Clubs – The Hornsey Wood Tavern

Ten Years After (1968)

 

 

 

Ten Years After (1968)

 

 

 

Melody Maker – December 21, 1968

Ten Years After (1968)

Alvin Lee, Guitarist-Leader of Ten Years After, Recently Returned From A Successful Stateside Tour, Lent An Ear To This Week’s Selection of Albums and Singles When He Visited The Melody Maker Offices Last Week. He Was Sporting A New Hair Cut and An American Army Shirt.

SHARKS: “Goodbye Lorene” – RCA VICTOR.
“Can’t Really Guess Who It Is. Wynder K. Frog Or Jimmy Smith On An Off Day. It’s O.K. But It Doesn’t Do Anything To Me. I’ve Given Up Trying To Work Out What Are Good Singles. The Drums Are Too Far Forward And I Don’t Like That Double Tempo Middle Bit. If I Had Recorded It Myself, I Would Have Said O.K.”.

Lord Nelson: “Michael” – (Direction).
“A Joke ! Take It Off – As They Say. At First I Thought It Was A Joke, But When The Drums Came In I Thought I Was Going To Like It. When It All Came Together I Didn’t Like It Again. They Were Probably Having A Good Time. I’ve Got Nothing Against My Soul Brothers”.

Barbara Streisand: “Funny Girl” – (CBS).
“I’ve Always Wanted To Sing Like That, But I’m The Wrong Sex. Barbara Streisand. All Right If That’s Your Bag. It’s Not A Mood. It’s The Kind of Thing You Play Very Loud In Another Room Or You Play It Loud And Then Go Into Your Garden At Night. Seems To Be The Kind of Thing To Do. A Must For People With Big Gardens”.

The Poets: “Alone Am I” – (PYE).
“Denny Laine, Or The Moody Blues, Or Roy Orbison, Or Jethro Tull? I Never Say Anything Is Rubbish, But This Gets Near It”.

Groundhogs: “You Don’t Love Me” – (Liberty).
“Rubbish – I’ve Just Changed My Mind About Using That Word. Doesn’t Quite Make It. It Sounds Out of Tune. The Harp Is Not Playing Right. This Doesn’t Sound Right. Who Is It And I’ll Apologise. I’d Say, “Keep Trying.” I Prefer Father John Mayall”.

Jimmy Forest: “What’s New” – (From The Delmark LP – “All The Gin Is Gone”). With Grant Green, Harold Mabern And Elvin Jones.
“Great Musicianship. The Only Complaint Is That It Tends To Sound Like Muzak A Bit At Times. I Think A Lot of It Has A Lot To Do With Session Musicians and Groups Formed For Sessions. I Might Be Wrong, But If I Were The Sax Player, I’d Like The Drummer To Come Up More and Loosen The Whole Thing Off. The Solos Are Cool, But It’s Not Really Together”.

Duster Bennett: “40 Minutes From Town” (From The Blue Horizon Album, “Smiling Like I’m Happy”).
“Duster Bennett, The One Man Ensemble. He Has Done Some Good Stuff, But I Don’t Like That One. A Blue Horizon Blues Copy Record. I Wouldn’t Knock Him. He’s Doing His Own Thing, But It’s A Novelty Thing. He’ll Always Be An Added Attraction”.

Arlo Guthrie: “Pause of Mr. Clause” (From The Reprise Album “Arlo”).
“Could Be Arlo Guthrie. I Dig His “Motorcycle Song.” Great. I Don’t Know What To Say Because I Haven’t Heard All His Stuff. I Prefer Him To Dylan. Arlo’s The Best In That Field. He’s Saying Heavy Things, But Not In A Bad Way. I Like To Think We’re Into The Same Thing As He Is Doing, Only We’re Doing Musically What He Is Doing Verbally”.

Beatles: “Back In The U.S.S.R. (From The Apple Album) The Beatles “White Album.”
“Might As Well Take It Off. I’ve Heard This A Thousand Times. There’s Bits I Like And Bits I Don’t Like, But Any Beatles Album Is Going To Be Interesting. If Only People Have The Maximum Time And Facilities, They Can Do What They Want. I Dig “Revolution 9” On Earphones (Headphones). You Should Listen To It Like That If You’ve Got Stereo. Since Hearing The Album I’ve Tried Doing It In The Road. Whether You Like It Or Not, Any Beatles Album Is Good.

Ten Years After (1968)

Doctor K’s Blues Band: “I Can’t Lose” (From The Spark Album – “Doctor K’s Blues Band”).
“White English Blues Band. I Don’t Like The Recording Sound. It’s Very Difficult To Judge Them. If I Heard Them Live I’d Probably Think Differently. We’ve Always Had Trouble Getting A Good Recording Sound, The Same As On Stage, And They’ve Probably Had The Same Trouble. I Like To Think That Recording And Stage Are Two Different Mediums. Good Cover.

The Dubliners: “Instrumental Medley” – (From The Major Minor Budget Album, “The Dubliners”).
“I Like It, Strangely Enough. The Banjo Player Has Good Phrasing. Yeah, It’s Not The Type of Music I’d Particularly Buy Or Listen To, But As It’s Being Played To Me, I Can’t Knock It. For The Type of Thing It Is, It’s Very Good. Heavy.”

Joe Tex: “Keep See How” – (From The Atlantic Album “You Better Get It”).
“Take This Off. It’s Not My Thing. It’s OK. Good Musicians Doing What They’ve Been Told In The Background While He’s Doing His Thing. Just Not My Bag, That’s All.”

James Taylor: “Don’t Talk Now” – (From The Apple Album “James Taylor”).
“The Studio Sounds Good. Tight Sound. There Again, Not My Bag But A Very Together Production. Apple? That Accounts For The Good Studio. I’m Waiting For Paul McCartney To Discover Me. Or Twiggy!”

Iron Butterfly: “Flowers And Beads” – (Album From Atlantic Album – “In- A- Gadda-Da-Vida”).
“I’m Disappointed. I Thought You Were Going To Save Me A Good One For The End. I Don’t Like That. I’ll Make A Social Comment Here. There’s A Lot of American Bands Considered Underground Over Here, I Like The Doors, Jefferson Airplane, Blue Cheer and Butterfly, That Are Hypes In The States. Like The Beefheart Thing. When We First Went To The States, Beefheart Was Happening Here, Courtesy of You Know Who. When We Got There We Asked About Beefheart And Nobody Had Heard of Him. The Only Guy That We Met Who Had The “Safe As Milk” Album Had Got His From An English Import Store. Tiny Tim Is Another Trip. He Does London Palladium Equivalents There.”

 

 

December 22, 1968 – At “Mothers” in Erdington Birmingham, England

December 26, 1968 – The Marquee Club in London, England – Ten Years After returns to the place where they got their big break and secured their residency….at the Marquee Club in 1967…..now they return for a show and a special “Christmas Party” to round off a hectic and very productive year.

 

 

 

Ten Years After (1968)

 

 

 

December 26, 1968

Ten Years After (1968)

 

 

 

Bluesville — ’68 Clubs

Ten Years After (1968)

WE WISH OUR MEMBERS A HAPPY CHRISTMAS
AND A “GOOD MUSIC” 1969

 

 

 

Undead – Cover (Japan)

Ten Years After (1968)

Ten Years After (1968)

Ten Years After (1968)

Ten Years After (1968)

 

 

 

December 1968 – BEAT INSTRUMENTAL, No. 68

Ten Years After (1968)

Ten Years After (1968)

 

 

 

Fillmore East, New York City, December 1968 – March 1969

Ten Years After (1968)