AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Ten Years After

Artist:Ten Years After
Song:I'd Love To Change The World
Album:Essential Ten Years After





I'd Love To Change The World was the only top 40 hit for British blues rockers Ten Years After. They were more of an album band centering on Alvin Lee's guitar wizardry and they were very successful in the early 70s. Alvin Lee was born Graham Barnes Dec. 19, 1944 in Nottingham, England. Along with bassist Leo Lyons (born David Lyons Nov. 30, 1943 in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, England), they had a band called The Jaybirds and then Ivan Jay and the Jaymen. When lead singer Jay left in 1962, Lee took over lead vocals. Drummer Ric Lee (born Oct. 20, 1945 in Mansfield) joined in 1965. The Jaybirds moved to London in 1966 and added keyboard player Michael "Chick" Churchill (born Jan. 2, 1946 in Ilkeston, Derbyshire, England) and manager Chris Wright who would go on to found Chrysalis Records. The band changed their name to Blues Trip and then Blues Yard and finally Ten Years After as a tribute to Elvis Presley. Lee thought 1956 was Elvis' best year. They signed with the Decca subsidiary Deram in 1967. Their first couple of albums did OK. But it was their performance at Woodstock in 1969 that got Ten Years After a lot of attention as they were in the film and on the soundtrack. After the 1970 album Watt, Ten Years After left Deram for Wright's new Chrysalis label in England and Columbia in the US. Their first album on Columbia A Space in Time was more commercial than previous albums and reached #17 on the Billboard Hot 200. I'd love To Change The World reached #40 on the Billboard Hot 100. So Ten Years After was successful but Alvin Lee was unhappy with the commercial direction of the band. He was happier when they were just playing the blues. In 1973, he recorded the album On The Road To Freedom with gospel rocker Mylon LeFevre and formed Alvin Lee and Company in 1974. Ten Years After split up and though Lee reformed them for a couple of late 70s albums on RSO, he has recorded under his own name ever since. His most recent CD was in 2007. This budget comp is a good intro to the music of Ten Years After. Leo Lyons was a studio manager for Chrysalis and produced the hard rock band UFO. Chick Churchill managed Chrysalis Music and later started his own company in 1977. Ric Lee also owns his own production company. The three reformed Ten Years After in 2003. Alvin Lee declined the invitation to join and Joe Gooch was hired to replace him. They still tour and last recorded on their own label in 2008. Here's a promotional film for I'd Love To Change The World by Ten Years After.