The group was formed in 1967 and signed to
Decca in England. Their first album was not a success, but their second,
the live Undead (1968) containing "I'm Going Home," a six-minute blues
workout by the fleet-fingered Alvin, hit the charts on both sides of the
Atlantic. Stonedhenge (1969) hit the U.K. Top Ten in early 1969. Ten
Years After's U.S. breakthrough came as a result of their appearance at
Woodstock, at which they played a nine-minute version of "I'm Going
Home." Their next album, Ssssh, reached the U.S. Top 20, and Cricklewood
Green, containing the hit single "Love Like a Man," reached number
four. Watt completed the group's Decca contract, after which they signed
with Columbia and moved in a more mainstream pop direction, typified by
the gold-selling 1971 album A Space in Time and its Top 40 single "I'd
Love to Change the World." Subsequent efforts in that direction were
less successful, however, and Ten Years After split up after the release
of Positive Vibrations in 1974.
They reunited in 1988 for concerts in
Europe and recorded their first new album in 15 years, About Time, in
1989 before disbanding once again. In 2001, Ric Lee was preparing the
back catalog for re-release when he discovered the Live at the Fillmore
East 1970 tapes. He approached Alvin about getting back together to
promote the lost album, but Alvin Lee declined. The rest of the band was
up for it, though, and together with guitarist Joe Gooch, Ten
Years After started touring again. In addition to touring the world,
this new incarnation recorded its first new material in about a decade
and a half and released Now in 2004 and added the live double CD set
Roadworks in 2005. Alvin Lee died on March 6, 2013 at the age of 68 due
to complications from a routine surgery.
In January 2014, it was announced that both Gooch and Lyons had left Ten Years After. Two months later, veteran bass player Colin Hodgkinson and singer/guitarist Marcus Bonfanti were announced as their replacements
In January 2014, it was announced that both Gooch and Lyons had left Ten Years After. Two months later, veteran bass player Colin Hodgkinson and singer/guitarist Marcus Bonfanti were announced as their replacements
