Ten Years After
History
Ten Years After secures a residency at the legendary Marquee Club in London. Their success leads to an invitation to play at the renowned Windsor Jazz Festival, and that performance leads to a a recording contract with Deram (three months after being turned down by Der 959u202j am's parent company, Decca).They are the first band signed without benefit of a hit single. In October, their self-titled first album is released in the U.K.
TYA are flying high, with successful tours of Scandinavia and an invitation to tour America. They record their second album UNDEAD live at Klook's Kleek in London,which is released in the summer in the U.S. and later in the year in the U.K.
In June they travel to the US for the first time at the request of promoter Bill Graham. They begin a seven week tour in Los Angeles and perform back-to-back weekends at the Fillmore West. Their reception is so good that Canned Heat, who they opened for the first time they played Fillmore West, comes to the stage saying "We don't know who those guys are, but they deserve to be where we are" .Bill Graham seems to agree, as they are moved up on the bill the next week.
September: Stonedhenge is recorded (3rd - 15th).
February: Stonedhenge is released in the U.K.(it follows in March in the USA).TYA take off for another US tour, starting at New York's Fillmore East (28th)
June: Ssssh is recorded.
July: TYA appear at the legendary Newport Jazz Festival, the first time rock bands have been invited.
August: TYA appear at the Woodstock Music & Arts Festival (17th).Ssssh is released.
1970: April - Cricklewood Green is released in the UK, following in the US on May 5
Love Like a Man" is released, giving TYA their first hit single in the UK. On the 29th, they appear at the Isle of Wight Festival.
September: The documentary film WOODSTOCK is released.
December: Watt is released. TYA complete their 9th US tour.
September: TYA begin their first UK tour in 18 months. Dates are added to the original schedule to accomodate the demand for tickets.
October: A Space in Time is released. It is certified gold by December. "I'd Love to Change the World", the band's most successful single, is never played live.
November: USA tour #12 begins. On the 18th, TYA play to a sold-out, 20,000 seat Madison Square Garden.
1972: May: Alvin Lee & Company, a collection of previously recorded and unreleased material is released.
October: Rock & Roll Music to The World is released.
1973: April: On the road in the US again.
May: a second TYA tour in Japam
June: Recorded Live is released.
The band takes the second half of the year off to pursue other projects. Alvin Lee and gospel-rocker Mylon LeFevre assemble some of rock's greats, including George Harrison, Ron Wood and Steve Winwood, and record On The Road to Freedom.
January: With the release of On The Road to Freedom, news of a TYA break-up is rampant. But the band heads for the studio to record Positive Vibrations.
March: On a dare, Alvin Lee assembles a group of musicians and singers and forms Alvin Lee & Company to play at London's Rainbow Theatre on the 22nd. The performance is released as In Flight.
April: TYA tour the UK. It turns out to be their last appearance in the UK together until 1983.
May: Positive Vibrations is released, followed by another USA tour.
November: Alvin Lee begins to tour with Alvin Lee & Company
1975: August: TYA begin their 28th tour of the US. It will be 1988 when they play in North America again.
Alvin's third solo album, Pump Iron, is released.
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