Alvin Lee & Ten Years After : Visual History (Paperback)

~ Herb Staehr (Author) "Alvin Lee, was born on December 19, 1944 in Nottingham, England..." (more)
Key Phrases: Alvin Lee, Going Home, Good Morning Little School Girl (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

A comprehensive illustrated documentary of the most exciting and respected "Second British Invasion" blues-rock group to come out of the late 1960's. The rise of ALVIN LEE, LEO LYONS, CHICK CHURCHILL & RIC LEE from a hard working English midlands blues band to "underground radio" favorites, who reached superstar status following their captivating performances at the massive 1969 WOODSTOCK and 1970 ISLE OF WIGHT music festivals.

Provides a detailed chronology of Ten Years After concert dates and key events starting with their 1967 residency at London's famous Marquee Club, the historic first American shows in 1968 at San Francisco's Fillmore West & New York's Fillmore East, all the major rock festivals in 1969 & 1970 and the countless club, auditorium and stadium appearances that followed. Includes 400 rare photos, a discography and a list of television, film and video appearances.

From the Author

Ten Years After were thrust into the limelight following release of the Woodstock Festival film documentary in May 1970. Their set closing number, "I'm Going Home", remains as one of the most exhilarating rock performances captured on film. Many critics have said it was the Woodstock movie that "made" Ten Years After, however they already had a significant following on both sides of the Atlantic. It was the existing recognition which earned them an invitation to play at Woodstock. Their career actually began four years earlier when, like many other British groups of the period, they developed their skills while performing at clubs in Germany and Scandinavia. Ten Years After's first big success was a standing ovation from the 20,000 attending the 7th National Jazz & Blues Festival at Windsor, England in August of 1967. Within a year, rock promoter Bill Graham invited them to perform at his legendary Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco and word of the group spread like wildfire. It was not long before Alvin Lee became one of the most revered guitar players of the period and was nicknamed "Captain Speedfingers" for his incredible speed and dexterity. Ten Years After were in the thick of things throughout the exciting and formulative late 60's and 70's era of rock music. Their story offers an interesting and entertaining trip back to a period when there wasn't a drum machine or synthesizer to be found and the music was only as good as the band. Ten Years After met the challenge and they are still performing today.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Free Street Press (May 15, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0970870000
• ISBN-13: 978-0970870001
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,005,981 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A brilliant book, August 23, 2001

By	Rod Steanson (United Kingdom) - See all my reviews

There are fans, and there are FANS. And after paying several thousand dollars at a London auction house, a couple of years back, for the Gibson 345 guitar used by Alvin Lee at the 1970 Isle of Wight festival, Massachusetts-based long-time Ten Years After fan, Herb Staehr, has most definitely earned his place in that latter category. But he didn't stop there. For during the last few years Staehr has been meticulously marshalling his extensive collection of TYA and Alvin Lee memorabilia into the production of this mightily impressive book - to the best of my knowledge, the first one ever written about either this seminal British band or its brilliant guitarist frontman. It is - as its title implies - primarily a photographic history of the development of TYA, from its early sixties roots as a three-piece teenage band known as The Jaybirds, to its evolution into the four-piece stadium supergroup of thirty years ago. And what astonishing photographs there are. Staehr has not only unearthed literally scores of rare and previously unseen photos of the band in its glory years, but also fascinating images of the aforementioned pre-TYA Jaybirds. Following the break-up of the band in the mid-seventies, he has produced here a comprehensive catalogue of pictures detailing the development of Alvin Lee's solo career right up to the present day. Photos of the various TYA comebacks and reformations are also included, as well as images relating to the solo careers of other band members. So, if its photos you want, there will never be a better place to come, or a better book to buy. They include not only the examples listed above, but concert posters, album sleeves, ticket stubs, magazine covers - you name it, it's here. But Staehr has also provided a wealth of literary information too. There is a band biography, an impressively researched and massively detailed "concert chronology", album and gig reviews, extracts from interviews with band members and associates, all concluding with a comprehensive discography, a listing of T.V., film and video appearances, and finally an extensive biography. It goes without saying that this superb book is a "must buy" for all fans of Ten Years After and Alvin Lee. Yet its appeal should go wider than that. Anyone who was a fan of late sixties and early seventies blues-rock, or who counts themselves a member of the "Woodstock generation", or who just likes a darn good rock and roll read, will find themselves glad they purchased this book. No band rocked the blues like Ten Years After. No-one has recorded and written about that fact as well as Herb Staehr has done here.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Holy Grail, June 27, 2007

By	Kurt Streng "Mizzoula" (Clarkston, MI USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I've been a TYA fan for 25 years. I own every album TYA and Alvin Lee has produced including seeing them when possible. All these years, it's been a search for more info on the band. Herb Staehr did an incredible job documenting the band and writing this book. It is certainly a must. The info you can pick up is priceless and really gets you "behind the scenes". You'll appreciate how hard the band worked, touring constantly and still produced some of the greatest rockin blues ever. Thank you Herb. Many links have spawned from the excellent book which have led to many live show recordings and web sites out there.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One For The Fan, January 29, 2009

By	Museum Man "Fred" (Denver, CO USA) - See all my reviews

This book is not for everyone. However, the legions of Alvin Lee and Ten Years After fans will surely enjoy cruising the pages of this offering. If you are expecting a long detailed biography of Alvin Lee, Leo Lyons, Ric Lee and Chick Churchill, you won't find it here. The biography section is a mere 11 pages long.
What you will find is an extensive history of the travels and shows this dynamic band has performed. It is filled with notes, reviews and articles from some of the top music magazines. There is page after page of great rare concert photos, concert posters, magazine covers, and promotional shots (my only wish that these would have been printed in color).
Herb Staehr was obviously a true fan and it shows in the way he assembled this tribute.
There is precious little available in print today about this great band and Mr. Staehr has captured the excitment that they generated.
If you love the music of Alvin Lee & Ten Years After, this book is for you.