Nottingham group who had their roots in the blues and rock and roll in the early sixties as The Jaybirds, changed their name in 1967 and became the much loved band who, among others, held the world stage for many years, starring at Woodstock and leaving a legacy that is still respected today.

Alvin Lee: Guitar
Leo Lyons: Bass
Ric Lee: Drums
Chick Churchill: Keyboards

With all due respect to any other groups and artists from the Notts region, Ten Years After have to be the most famous group ever to have emerged from our home. After years of apprenticeship with The Jaybirds, they signed a record deal in the heady days of the late sixties, and they became a big album selling band, as popular as any other group of the day, one of the first to release an album before a single, with four albums in the late sixties alone. A Blues Rock group with a progressive edge they toured America 28 times in 8 years, possibly a record, were one of the first rock bands to play the Newport Jazz Festival and were a huge hit at Woodstock no less. The numbers of people they played in front of in their heyday is staggering, millions upon millions, and while it is perfectly legitimate to point out that mass appeal is not the only way to judge the success of a group or their music, sometimes that has to be taken into consideration as an indication of the effect they had and the response they got.
Alvin Lee is recognised as one of the greatest guitarists the 60’s and 70’s ever produced, known as “The fastest guitarist in the west” and while Blues Rock may now seem an ancient music Ten Years After still have a worldwide appeal and an authenticity that is well justified. Sadly, Alvin, a true rock hero, died in 2006 but rest of the lads still ply their trade. You don’t have to be a fan of their music to recognise they were one of the headline groups of the rock heyday, a fete made even more impressive because they never bowed down to commerciality and stuck to their own musical agenda.

There is plenty about them out there but here is a basic family tree to start with.

I have a page each about the first five small groups in the family tree.

Alan Upton and the Jailbreakers – 1957/58
Vince Marshal an the Square Caps – 1959
Paul Dennis and The Phantoms – 1959
The Atomites – 1960
Ivan Jaye and the Jayemen – 1960

If you want to find out about the early history of Ten Years After then I can recommend visiting this comprehensive website alvinlee.de.

Also recommended is the book written by Ric Lee “From Headstocks to Woodstock“. A memoir that takes you on a journey from the church hall to Woodstock and full of sixties rock stories.

A small part of their story, when they (as The Jaybirds) were backing group to The Ivy League is told here.

Much more on Ten Years After
coming later…….