Why 'Ten Years After' originally broke up - Ric Lee Interview

[@idratherbefishing7753]

TEN YEARS AFTER recorded live 1973 one of my favorites R.i.p.Alvin Lee.

[@Chiroman527]

Craig... Yes I have that LP as well. TYA never received the Acclaims that They Deserved. That's Alvin Lee's "mistake" in that He did not enjoy the POP world. Their only successful single is I'd Love To Change The World. TYA never played it Live, bc Alvin hated it for it's Pop value. Incredibly, it is used in many radio Bumper Music selections bc of the political intrinsic lyrics. R.I.P Alvin Lee.

[@Chiroman527]

I got Ric's Book. It is written very well, with a systematic Chronological story of Ric's lfe and the evolution of Ten Years After. I am in midst of reading it now, and I must say, I'm very pleased with getting it. Ric brings to the forefront, what these start up bands were dealing with in the early days of Pop music. As an Old Timer, at 69, and retired, reading these accounts in the Book, gives me a content feeling , allowing me to reminisce about my Youth. IMHO, there will Never Be an Era like it. The entire Generation delving into the evolving Rock/ Blues/ Pop music scene. Buying newly released LPs, singles, Rolling Stone Magazine , The Village Voice for its stories of your favorite bands, listing of upcoming concerts, and personal interviews with your favorite Musicians. That "FEELING" can't be repeated. For those Old Timers out there and for the latter generations folks, do yourself a favor and watch anything of the Beatlemania era - the British Invasion which will serve to "see" what that FEELING was all about. Happy Music to All..

[@Chiroman527]

TYA was My Favorite Band , probably of all time. I'm 69 YO, and in 1969 was playing drums in a Garage Band (that never got out of the garage), Knew of Woodstock , but did not go, even though I lived in NY (as I do now). Once I saw the Woodstock Movie about a year and half later.... Me and one of my fellow Band members (Dan), we Hooked for Good on TYA. He and I loved Shhhhhh. So we knew the Music. RIP Alvin Lee. Ric Lee is one of the Best Drummers , who never gets the acclaim that you deserve. Now , I'm retired, I have some spinal disabilities, and after over 50 years , I again have Picked up playing the Drums, which has always been so near and Dear to me. I am so glad that I have stumbled upon this Video. Seeing Ric Lee and also knowing Chic Churchill are still together in the "new' Ten Years After is fabulous. I Just ordered the new CD and Ric's Book for my enjoyment. Not to take anything away form all the TYA band members (saw them 2X at the Fillmore East and in 1999 at Bethel's 29th Woodstock Anniversary weekend concert), but Alvin Lee is one of the Greatest Guitar layers that ever Lived. What I want to see happen is to have a MAJOR PUSH to have Ten Years After inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (or should I say Hall of Shame...... common, there are inductees in the Hall that can't Shine TYA's Shoes). Just solely based on the performance at Woodstock in 1959, TYA should be Voted In ASAP. That is Rock and Roll. How do I go about leading the charge ???? Greeting from a big TYA Fan

[@laurachiar6086]

Well said my friend! I subscribe your amazing comment a mln times! Also, I agree with you on that point "Hall of SHAME!", definitely!

[@PhilBaird1]

Great post. Alvin understandably got the spotlight and the attention, but Ric, Leo and Chick propelled him magnificently. TYA were a fantastic band. You can really hear how good they were on the early recordings before Woodstock. Must get Ric's book...

[@francoisbouvier7861]

Nothing better than, " A space in time " and " Watt". Still play those LP'S regularly.

[@kelllyfostier984]

I saw Ten Years After and then saw Ten Years Later and saw Alvin Lee play a small club met the man shook my hand he said he liked my shirt l was wearing an Alvin Lee shirt bought him a drink talked to him only a few minutes he was humble and down to earth kinda guy and one of the nicest famous musicians that l ever met not stuck on himself with a massive ego like some famous musicians have

[@TrailToughTrailers]

Some of the stories of behind the scenes are amazing...

[@antrygis1]

Hersh, there were never enough stories, right? Rock mags acknowledged TYA but outside of Alvin popping up here and there, Night of the guitar, etc. there wasn't written or stories told. So better late than never. It's something.

[@norbiudeako518]

Amazing, i saw tya at the fillmore east, great to see and hear ric.

[@brandonwallach2821]

Just my opinion but Alvin Lee for the most part WAS Ten Years After. His guitar playing was great, he really got it smoking. I got to see TYA live in Seattle, Wa. way way back in time. I think I was 15 years old or so. Wish I could go back in time to see it again but oh well.....

[@lewiscray9052]

I met Ric re Fast Western in '75; a true gentleman.

[@tomwatson283]

Another fantastic interview.

[@wizardwandmusic6457]

Great To Hear A Video On TYA & Ric Lee, Definitely Gonna Watch This Series - Fantastic Interview

[@ajeet490]

Great drumming from Ric at the Railway Pub , West Hampstead. London

[@paulhooson6850]

A Sting In The Tale is a fantastic album. I have a long drive to work, and this album had sure kept me company in my van CD player many a day. Rock And Roll Music To The World is my other favorite album. Every incarnation of TYA has meant the greatest in musicianship and talent. A Sting In The Tale just awes me with the sheer talent. Just a plain great album.

[@duncansmith8992]

If you like TYA, Rics book is essential reading. It is a great read and full of great stories of the bands years up to and including Woodstock.

[@ashstubbings2603]

Ric grew up on the same street as my Dad in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire!😁They were childhood friends.

[@Paulcitomusic]

Two sides to every story. TYA was by far Alvin Lee's best band. And yes they hung in there. A lot of Spooky Tooths and Blues Image etc didn't. So the part about going on wages, I get Rics the annoyance if that was what Alvin was asking. It was a band, not a solo act and it was all four that made it as fantastic and sustainable as it was. Having written that..a TYA without Alvin? hmm not really imho and it never had Alvin's blessing, to use the name. Foghat carries on without the two most prominent members long passed away and just the original drummer still there. They will never be what they were. Foreigner carries on without Lou Gramm - but they do have Mick Jones and many fans seem happy with it. Things are just not always totally obvious. Hard mean world, hard mean industry.

[@sheddski2942]

Ten years after and Grandfunk railroad that’s it both sides USA and GREAT BRITAIN they were famous same time love them both Met Alvin Lee in Boston at a small venue The Paradise he loved it plus nobody really knew him but I did so we struck up a conversation 🇺🇸🇬🇧👍

[@rexvisitor44]

Saw many a great show at the Paradise. Warren Zevon, the Police, George Thorogood. Great memories.

[@glenkepic3208]

SSSShhhh, That's the one. Watt, Xmas gift, not so much. Rock And Roll Music...here, too Guitar playing bud started playing because of TYA at Woodstock. Bought RX5, a solo Alvin Lee release. I can't remember a thing except the cover. Rock on, Ric.

[@Chiroman527]

Glen, do yourself a Big Favor..... Listen to or Stream (TIDAL, Spotify), Ten Years After Live at the Fillmore East (1970 or 1971 ?).... Once you really hear Alvin Lee , a master Guitarist at work, you will be amazed....He made that Gibson Burn Up.. There is an article on line ( I don't know how to create a link , hey I'm old :) ) which contains Rock Band Stories. One involves being a British Club in 1966 or 67, Jeff Beck was there, Jon Bonham was there, and so was Jimmy Page. While Alvin was performing, Bonham throws a glass of Orange at Alvin because he was so jealous of the speed at which he played. Best Regards, Happy Music to You.

[@arthurblackhistoric]

I'd managed to forget all about that TYA version of Summertime. . . . . until now, unfortunately.

[@nicklevitt6395]

What a smashing fellow

[@wolftracks9010]

I thought the bands name was owned back then by the majority vote, which would permit the majority to make all decisions and/or use the name of the band. Comes to mind is what happened to Mark Farner of GFR, unless it happened much later on. I know there are a lot of older bands today that carry on the name, some with only one original member or even no originals for that matter, without naming names, who are allowed to make all decisions. I would imagine using the bands name would be part of it. Thanks for posting.

[@garyginther6742]

Ric Lee over estimated his own importance. Leo was right. They can't do a Ten Years After thing without Alvin. He was the front man, lead singer, lead guitarist, and song writer. I totally disrespect Ric Lee now. I'm sure many of the stories he tells are true, but he is dead wrong about some very important points he tried to make. He would've lost in court if he tried to sue them for replacing him and keeping the name. I think he was probably sacked, not that he quit the band.

[@Lynjupiter1]

TYA will live forever.

[@topangacanyon9293]

To state, or even think, that Ten Years After would work without Alvin Lee is pure lunacy. The group they put together as Ten Years After was no better than a high school cover band. If Ric's post-Alvin Lee band was so great why didn't he come up with a different name instead of trading on Alvin's currency. Answer, because no one would listen.

[@madkeysfilms]

Ten Years After without Alvin Lee……not Ten years After.

[@SubTroppo]

Undead was the album for me and still is my TYA reference because I like jazz and if you listen to Charlie Christian's "Swing to Bop" you hear "it" (whatever "it" is - I'm not a musician)! It is interesting to learn how the "Summertime" drum "solo" on "Undead" came about. I would like to know to what extent the British Trad Jazz movement of the late '50s and early '60s influenced British bands. An example is the following (as featured by Rick Wakeman on "Desert Island Discs" [nb instrumental second part] kzbin.info/www/bejne/nZe2oHqtZal0a7csi=TmbfGoGdmwbLQYDw )

[@jeremytaylor1161]

Did you all hear that Chick Corea he was big in jazz music

[@devans873]

I say Chick Corea in Clearwater Fl 12 years ago and he is great but i think you have him mixed up whit Chick Churchhill who is also great but is the keyboard player for TYA

[@garyginther6742]

The "pink elephant" question? Is that a reference to the "drunken alcoholic hallucination" question? Or, the "delirium tremens" question? I think he probably meant the "800 pound gorilla" question. No big deal. But Ric Lee is a jerk! Leo Lyons was/is absolutely correct and this idiot is wrong! Ten Years After could've replaced any of the members except Alvin and essentially still be the same band, as well as NOT being able to replace Alvin and still be Ten Years After!! He said he'd sue if they tried to keep the name and replace HIM, yet he said he disagreed with Leo when Leo said they couldn't go out and do Ten Years After without Alvin! This guy is a total jerk! I never thought ill of him until now after hearing this contradictory idiocy. I think he was probably given the boot and this is just his cover story. Or else Alvin was sick of him and just quit the band instead of trying to fight him in court to keep the name, which he could've won, being the front man, lead singer, lead guitarist, and song writer. He WAS Ten Years After!

[@mor4725]

I agree with the comment below that some of the stories of behind the scenes are amazing. But this really is amazing in the opposite way. TYA was the sum of 4 as he said in this or the previous interview, if Alvin Lee wanted to use that name for his new band he would sue him. Yet he feels justified to keep using the name for the remaining 3 members. I think that is hipocracy. Also, he is blaming Alvin for that wages part, but his whole intro to that story suggests it was the manager who planted that seed into Alvin Lee's head. He is constantly (in this and the other interviews) attacking Alvin Lee to ventilate his own anger against Alvin Lee to a very sad level. It has been like 45 years ago, grow up!

[@Chiroman527]

M o R, Unfortunately, if you look at many of the Bands of the Greatest Era of Rock , the late 60s and 70s... The band members all got together as KIDS. After years of playing , usually with hundreds of tours and the like , they Fall apart: Cream, Beatles, Traffic, etc., etc..... Many end up disliking each other and never forgiving or putting all that stuff behind them... Look at two small samples: John Fogerty with CCR, and Mark Farner with Grand Funk Railroad , GFR the fighting so bitter it continues to today.. I guess, Ric Lee and TYA with SAlvin really didn't make the Big $$$$$ because Alvin was against the Radio Sounds - no POP for him. He couldn't stand playing If I Could Change The World. Never played it Live. That's my 2 Cents. I'm 69 YO, feel in love with TYA as soon as I saw the Woodstock Movie in 1970 and saw them 3X in Concert.

[@Bikeadelic]

It's a real shame it ended like that.....the candle that burns the brightest... I have to say I love all of them even as a guitar player. I'm really not sure about the new band though.

[@xwsftassell]

"Dee said I'm the star of the show, and you guys should go on wages". Charming.

[@ian38018a]

I think John ended up getting more info than he bargained for with his sycophantic drumming question. 😆😆

[@MikeBlocker-e8k]

Sad that Alvin is gone

[@bkrbyex4339]

Is Ric Lee related to Alvin Lee?

[@idratherbefishing7753]

no relation.

[@klaasj7808]

they are married and have 6 children

[@dickgoesinya9419]

no

[@rexvisitor44]

Anybody...what does going on wages mean?

[@llyottpresentsweirdtales]

It means they are subcontracted out- like session muscians that get a set payment and don't share in the success or failure of the band- and therefore no longer have the same input and influence they would have had in a co-operative band- very sad to hear this because Alvin's creativity was never the same outside of TYA. Alvin tells a different story- that he got fed up and bored with the big impersonal venues... but I love the man.

[@madkeysfilms]

Absolutely not true. What a load of nonsense. Alvin was a very dear friend of mine and I played, wrote songs and recorded with him many times. Suing Alvin for using Ten Years After……rubbish. Alvin told me that the band was stagnating…they were lazy and Alvin was moving on. We did the two solo shows at the Rainbow with a fantastic band. Dee Anthony organized the shows. The writing was on the wall. The rest of TYA including this guy, decided they were going to form TYA without Alvin who was already happy to get away from them. The resulting band was pretty pathetic…some guitarist took over and played Alvin’s parts. All very well telling all these lies after Alvin’s passing.

[@VonL]

Dee Anthony has a spotty legacy with the bands he managed. Was Alvin victimized like Frampton & The Pie?

[@jimc3688]

Didn’t Alvin say that for two years they practiced at Space Studio and yet nothing was worth recording. So maybe, there was a lot of stagnation. Later Alvin did so many other types of music.

[@ralphdyer4471]

I guess "going on wages" is a bad thing? Don't know what it means...

[@twigd3825]

it means thy are not sharing the profits and only getting payed when they work. just like an owner of a business and a employee. (avlin wanted the to be employees.)

[@kevinoshea4134]

Alvin was very selfish asking the others to go on salary and claiming he was the star. I'm very disappointed

[@bernhtp]

Maybe, but it's very common when one member becomes the embodiment and majority contributor for a band. Alvin did lead guitar, all vocals, songwriting and later even producing. The band was known for Alvin - his guitar, vocals and songs - and the others were largely replaceable. Changing the deal is always emotionally difficult and most often leads to breakups. The Tom Hanks movie, That Thing You Do, does a good job of depicting this phenomenon. With that said, I imagine Alvin was already making more than 1/4 given his songwriting credits.

[@bkrbyex4339]

Is Ric Lee related to Alvin Lee?

[@RockHistoryMusic]

Not related.

[@scarborosasquatchstation1403]

@@RockHistoryMusic : Original album cover for Cricklewood Green stated on the back that Ric and Alvin Lee brothers , cousins etc... gimmick used at the time by record companies to say it was a family affair , done for many a record to sell more , more more... ..! lol

[@67Parsifal]

No: ‘Alvin Lee’ was the stage name of Graham Barnes, which later became his official name when he changed it by deed poll. Ric Lee’s name is his own, however.