Alvin Lee - Detroit Diesel

Alvin Lee- gtr, voc, harp; Leo Lyons- bass; Alan Young- drums; Tim Hinkley- keys; Steve Gould & Mick Fe’at- b.voc
From the album: Detroit Diesel (1987)
Alvin says… this was from 1986 and I had Alan Young on drums. I remember there was an American truck engine called the Detroit Diesel. I contacted the diesel engine people and said ‘I’ve got this great song and you might want to use in their advertising and promotion.’ The guy turned out to be a Born Again Christian. And there’s me singing about meeting prostitutes on the road. This was recorded at the second Space Studio at Wheeler End in Berkshire.

[@davidsteinke8097]

I'm 58 years old and still can't play this loud enough.

[@arthurblackhistoric7833]

Same here. I'm a 67-year-old pensioner and I have him up loud in the car with my windows up and the air con on!

[@jasonmcclelland4506]

@@arthurblackhistoric7833 SAME, but 65! Buckle Up! And ROCK ON !

[@arthurblackhistoric]

@@jasonmcclelland4506 . . Way to go, Old Timer . . Ha ha ha!! . . I do the same with Ted Nugent.

[@fantaz963]

@@arthurblackhistoric I'm 71 and you CANNOT enjoy this song at 1/2 volume. I can't sing but I sing along with Alvin 😀

[@arthurblackhistoric]

@@fantaz963 . . As long as your car windows are up, who cares?

[@trevorgrier4511]

How this song wasn't a huge hit I'll never know... rock and roll at its 80s finest

[@soulman2657]

It was pretty big on the radio

[@ventues9751]

Great Song !!!!!

[@babablacksheep5914]

​@@soulman2657That must have depended on the station/market.

[@jd291]

I agree 💯 and I'm a trucker. 🤠😂

[@paulhooson6850]

One of the very greatest rock performers of all time. Alvin Lee was a true legend.

[@kevinlehr4685]

alvin lee one of the guitar greats of all time RIP

[@JohnnyPissoff235]

For my money THE BEST!! Bar none!

[@enehdeeg1851]

Yup. "Magical Fingers" Alvin Lee'.

[@charlesalbright4164]

You got that right brother!

[@charlesalbright4164]

Actually drove a Detroit Diesel.. 1964 Greyhound bus. Thought we were rockstars cause we were smoking hot 3 piece band with a skinny ass lead singer who sucked but we didn't

[@gregmarcellus1648]

I think he was the best pure guitar player next to Rory Gallagher.

[@bobschwartz6619]

Dang. I was a Detroit-based singer a quarter century ago. Never made it in Nashville, but I had a following in Berlin. Detroit Diesel was my signature song. God bless Alvin Lee!

[@paulsalazar858]

The Great Alvin Lee(Graham Anthony Barnes, Nottingham, UK ).

[@evakoyanagi1812]

R.I.P Alvin fantastic guitarist multi talented!

[@edwardpate6128]

33 years since this came out and I still love it!

[@kitchen_dog]

I love It too

[@jdcrow6]

Hard to believe! Time fly's. I bought the album when it came out and still have it.

[@rachelcartwright2000]

no words. Alvin Lee

[@robertwhitehead3022]

Man I remember when they used to play this on the wheels and the wrif Detroit motor City Rock and roll what a jam😢

[@chuckcogliandro4980]

I was an engineer at Detroit Diesel on the west side when this came out. Pretty sure Alvin Lee came by the factory for a tour and to be thanked by plant manager. I worked on the 149 engine series. 149cc per cylinder, 16V engine, 4 turbos, 2400 horsepower.

[@robertwhitehead3022]

That is so cool love Elvin Lee just came across this on the old KZbin what a jam memories the good old days God bless us all ❤️

[@onlyGodcanfixtheUSA]

Right on! THE RIF!

[@leemcmillan6408]

Use to play this in the 80s . I wad DJn the bars back then. Frickin place would explode when it came on. Good times for sure💪😆

[@tomlord5652]

Rock and Roll like this and 2 Stroke Detroit Diesels are both heaven to my ears! Rock on Alvin and Rest In Peace brother!

[@tompaul2591]

Lol some would argue about the screaming Jimmies, that it's an acquired taste. You either love 'em or hate 'em. I never had the chance to drive one but love the nostalgia

[@christopherblessing3868]

The more I discover about Alvin Lee,the more amazed I am! RIP TO THE BEST THERE EVER WAS!

[@sarabeescutflowersmore795]

We use to sing this song to our Dad because he worked at Detroit Diesel 😂 He loved it!

[@brucekennedy4541]

Such an underrated player. RIP Alvin

[@andrewstirling1243]

I was 12 years old when this song come out loved it then and I still love it!

[@charlesstoker]

22 from UK and grew up on this absolute anthem

[@metalone2055]

Alvin Lee always been my favorite!!! Just love this tune with the all the undertones and innuendos!!!!

[@anthonypappas3877]

Thanks for all you've given us Alvin. R.I.P.

[@TheMKEWERBY]

He was with Ten Years After, right?

[@dougboyd9788]

Michael Werbovetz yes he was

[@lostpoke1]

The energy of his guitar makes his talent live !

[@charlesalbright4164]

My band "SMOKIN" drove a Greyhound bus that had a Detroit Diesel... 1982ish. Guitar player John LEAVELL never smoked pot... he was smokin hot. Hence the name Smokin'

[@Yucchhii]

Never saw TEN YEARS AFTER... BUT, I did catch Alvin Lee Band at a Club gig... WHHHHOOOOEEE... WHEEEEEEWWW. YOWZAH. ROCKIN THE HOUSE IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT!!!

[@JCB04359]

Loving this Alvin Lee rock during the Disco era. RIP A. L.

[@MrMojabo]

Alvin Lee so good never imitated and never duplicated

[@mikeniner5647]

Excellent

[@TheAristhea]

Great, great loverly Alvin, wish he was still with us!!! Love him Willy from Amsterdam

[@division3comments8]

GOTTA LOVE ALVIN, RIP,.... SAW HIM LIVE 4 TIMES,..... MANDATORY IN LIFE TO LISTEN TO ALVIN ONCE IN A WHILE,....

[@JoeHupp]

This song especially!

[@neilangus4401]

DIVISION 3 COMMENTS So jealous of you Fantastic guitarist

[@nikolaostsigaridas1109]

kind of happy that I've never seen him live, I would badly miss it right now

[@dukecraig2402]

Saw him on this tour, he opened for Steppenwolf.

[@jamesgillette1799]

Me too, at the Tower in philly,

[@charlesalbright4164]

Drove a Detroit Diesel! Slam your hand in the door and drive it pissed off! The more you rev it the smoother the ride. 64' Greyhound bus. Bar owners used to give us open bar to park it outside

[@dukecraig2402]

M113 armored chassis, US Army. Slam the drivers hatch on you hand and floor that son of a bitch.

[@jasonmcclelland4506]

Start your engines & get your motor runnin'! Crank it up! And PLAY IT LOUD!!!

[@michaelrhodes9294]

I HSVE THIS CD🎉!!!!!!!

[@robertwhitehead3022]

Had it on tape 📼 CD is great too 😀 rock and roll

[@PineyCreekGhost]

Boy does this bring the memories back :)

[@thememo9941]

I want to go back

[@davidpoirier2564]

Somebody build a time machine already!

[@ventues9751]

Great song !!! They were on tour with John Kay & Steppenwolf in 1987 !!! That was a great concert !!! They both had new albums out at the same time !!!!

[@jamesgillette7051]

And Roger McGuinn opened before Alvin came on, Then Alvin, then Steppenwolf, Saw that show in 1987 at the Tower in Philadelphia. Alvin also played L'Amour Queens and L'Amour Brooklyn that year. The Tower show was between them. White Lion opened at the one in Queens I think. Saw all 3 of these shows.

[@ramjamfull5]

only just heard this man it is great

[@zeus-bx9xw]

Underrated... badass guitar

[@nancyhetherington]

I was able to see him twice in my life and what a great show it was amazing to see a great guy like this at a show

[@606budwheel]

My first truck was a 1972 White 4000 with 318 [8V71} with a 13 speed, I wish I had it now. Long live the Detroit Diesel!

[@davidpoirier2564]

Can't beat the sound of those old Detroits

[@strawberryroan1941]

First big truck I ever drove was a 1976 L-9000 tandem Ford with an 8V71 and 13 Speed Eaton. Still use it every year to haul grain!

[@wolfganghacke4679]

Good rockin' Alvin Lee 😀

[@oneida41859]

What a great album . Thanks for posting !!

[@pierretasse8854]

Magic power trymph

[@lindajgaeta8935]

a wonderful, rockin' gentle man! my artist on 21 Records in the USA. peace, Alvin!

[@jamesgillette7051]

Plea To The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame == I have been posting comments on a site called Future Rock Legends on the Ten Years After page recently. The site is all about the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. All music fans need to flood the Hall of Fame Board of Directors every year with letters saying Alvin Lee has to be in the Hall of Fame, with TYA, or Solo, or both. Alvin Lee has to be in one way or another. The Hall of Fame cannot, and must not, tell the story of Rock without having Alvin mentioned. Add up all the points it should not even be a question as to whether or not Alvin Lee had a Hall of Fame career. He did. Put him in. I waited my whole life for Gil Hodges to get into the Baseball Hall of Fame. I am sick and tired of waiting for 'Greats' to get in a Hall of Fame. Alvin should be in immediately. Alvin is known as and was one of the very best guitarists of all time, a great song writer, and a great performer. The albums are great works. Alvin made music for over 40 years time. If you listen to all his music in its entirety there would be no doubt in your mind Alvin is a Hall of Famer. Consider his song writing, his playing, and his performing. I think Ten Years After had 4 great players. I think only Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin had a better band. The Bluest Blues song is so great George Harrison himself said it was the greatest blues song ever recorded. That is a Rock God saying put Alvin in the HOF. Then consider all the albums Alvin recorded. I saw Alvin live 4 times total. I saw him three times in 1987, Those shows were at L'Amour Queens, L'Amour Brooklyn, and the Tower in Philadelphia. I saw Ten Years After with Alvin in 1999 or 2000 at the PNC in Homdel, New Jersey, where they opened for Jethro Tull. They were amazing shows. Just watched the 08/04/75 concert at Winterland on KZbin. Watch this full concert. It is an amazing performance. Watch him play Help Me with the drum stick on the guitar and use the harmonica to play slide guitar. Nothing is quite like Alvin's music. I have seen a lot of players in concert in person, and a lot of acts, all of them have their qualities, Page, Clapton, Betts, Winter, SRV, Iomni, Rossington, Van Halen, Townsend, and many others. Alvin plays like none of them. Not innovative enough? Give me a break. I want a select committee of artists or the Board of Directors to get together and put Alvin and Ten Years After in the Hall of Fame. Forget Fan Voting at this point. Many artists in the Hall of Fame have 2 or 3 songs that are great, songs we all know. Alvin played on and or wrote over 150 great songs without a clunker in there. Most recording artists have clunkers mixed in. Alvin never did. All the songs are great. Listen to each album. The songs may be forgotten and dismissed by the industry Gods who control what the population is supposed to think. But the universe knows the truth. == From Wikipedia Alvin Lee made 22 studio albums. Not on this list are sessions he did with many other artists. == Ten years After with Alvin Ten Years After Stonedhenge Ssssh Cricklewood Green Watt A Space in Time Rock & Roll Music to the World Positive Vibrations About Time == Other Bands and Solo On the Road to Freedom Pump Iron! Let It Rock Rocket Fuel Ride On Free Fall RX5 Detroit Diesel Zoom Nineteen Ninety-Four In Tennessee Saguitar Still on the Road to Freedom == Live Albums Live at the Filmore In Flight Live at Rockpalast Live In Vienna The Last Show

[@christopherblessing3868]

You are 1000% correct Alvin Lee of 10 years after should be in the R&RHOF! Some of the acts in already are complete garbage!

[@charlesalbright4164]

Like I said!!! LOVE YOU GUYS!!!!!

[@jean-christopheprickartz8822]

Alvin Lee at his best ! Not in terms of concert but in terms of LP/CD after TYA

[@williametheridge1764]

wot a huuuuuuge song, blow the shack to pluto n back

[@charlesalbright4164]

Love you Guys!

[@premathomas7215]

Alvin...top du top 💫🙏🦋

[@parnapqd]

Great music, I really like this beat.

[@garydreyer7478]

Awesome 👌

[@johansprinbokirc5586]

Wowwww, this is great music.......Love it

[@RamAirBandit]

Fuckin awesome RIP Alvin

[@dawnaspaulding8468]

Love Alvin Lees muzic 💕

[@cindydufala7646]

Bravo ⚘

[@Goddess_of_the_automobiles]

I have this stuck in my head ❤️ i love it

[@enehdeeg1851]

Was cranking Alivin Lee over Grenwilk Glacier today in Kachemak Bay

[@flaviavassallo8918]

AWESOME!

[@RamAirBandit]

I got to see him after Woodstock at a festival in Michigan Goose Lake

[@mitchgawlik1175]

Badass.

[@dennisk7015]

my glow plugs are glowing....♪ drive me into the endless night...my freight is worth a ton of gold....take it away...if you can♥

[@Jesagoodolboy]

Working on a 6V-92 tonight, because Dee-troit. Nothing sounds like it.

[@charlesalbright4164]

This is loud...wish I had a system that could play it at 119 decibels. I would be a popular guy!!

[@АлександрСтафиевских-с5д]

Alvin Lee super good luck.

[@raycali1946]

Ten Years After never received the respect they deserved. For some reason they never really got pushed into the limelight. The critics weren’t impressed . I guess they were just considered another Rock n Roll band and their music wasn’t anything unique

[@jesaucegojesaucego7337]

R.I.P

[@gillespepay4318]

Cool

[@frogeregis]

❤❤❤

[@DavidRagan3134]

Joan Jett's "I Hate Myself for Loving You" is so similar to this...I wonder if they borrowed the riff.

[@enehdeeg1851]

Kikkin Alvin 'Magical Fingers' Lee

[@selvaalejandracarleschigol319]

ME ENCANTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

[@juanangelescalada3147]

a mi tambieeeeen

[@enehdeeg1851]

Jan 2022. Kikkin Alvin into OverDrive

[@charlesalbright4164]

I drove a Detroit deisel...slam your hand in the door and drive pissed off! The harder you drive it the smoother the ride!

[@СергейМалабенский]

power

[@Creeperboy099]

Came to this song being a mechanical nerd

[@750nut]

Under your Spell!

[@OmniGuy]

How the hell are Alvin Lee and Ten Years After NOT in the R&R HOF???

[@donaldmason6179]

He’s old school, and a Christian.

[@RamAirBandit]

They have people in there that are not rock.There are some that are connected because The Rolling Stones Beatles were listening to them in the 60s.Some blues artists were well liked by them also.

[@michaelrhodes9294]

😃😃😃😃😃😃😃😃😃

[@charlesalbright4164]

I drove a Detroit Diesel

[@annelirantala8689]

🎶🥀🇫🇮💞

[@davidchapman3270]

Lets start a fight... whats your favorite DD, 318 or 12V-71???

[@johnsmith-eg5df]

David Chapman 60 series

[@davidchapman3270]

john smith well, for best fuel mileage, but V motors sound the best and can be easly cranked up.. so there

[@johnsmith-eg5df]

David Chapman they sound cool but get terrible fuel economy and have no balls

[@davidchapman3270]

john smith oh come on, my twin turbo 12v92 has 750 horse on the ground !!!!

[@johnsmith-eg5df]

David Chapman and maybe 1000 ft-lbs of torque. A stock 6nz is comparable to your set up. What u running ur 12v in?

[@pirjoloikkanen1765]

Kaunista kitaran soittoa.

[@Jean_1999]

KZbin knows that I own a 94 GMC Sierra with a 6.5 Detroit😂

[@750nut]

D.G. If you can’t dig this, Get lost!! 😸

[@josephthomas6212]

See

[@charlesalbright4164]

Although my neighbors would hate me

[@senyummewek]

why does it sounds like Bad Medicine - Bon Jovi

[@nashburnette]

Because it doesn't ..... This sounds NOTHING like "Bad Medicine". "Detroit Diesel" is a far better song than "Bad Medicine" by Bon Jovi.

[@thval6307]

This was out long before bon Jovi was around

[@trevorgrier4511]

Maybe Bon Jovi copied this song :)

[@rolandkobelbauer8280]

...not even close...the same beat...that's all...

[@JohnnyPissoff235]

Bon jovi, don't make me laff

[@charlesalbright4164]

Refer to last comment!