Alvin Lee Quotes (25 Quotes)

He saw us play a few times in fact. I did this song called I Can't Keep From Crying Sometimes, and Jimi loved it. He paid me a huge compliment when he told me that he was thinking of doing something similar himself!

We wanted to make something that represented what we were actually doing, ... The first album was OK, but that was almost three and a half years ago, and we more or less did that on our own. But with Arhoolie, we were able to go into a bigger studio -- it was a lot more professional -- and we did the whole recording in one day, because we already knew what we were going to do. And we had a good engineer that had a nice system, and he let us feel free to do what we do, and I think that's the best way to record a group of guys like us.

We used to play the underground clubs like the UFO, and Middle Earth, and they were great because they would have on things like a poet, string quartets, and then a rock band! It was kinda cool!

Anywhere you go in the world is what you make of it, not what you read in books.

George Harrison was also a pleasure to work with. He was one of the most famous people I've ever known, but in spite of that fame, he was such a nice and friendly guy.

It wasn't until the movie came out that it all changed for us. Some people say it was the start of Ten Years After, but in another way, it was the beginning of the end.

Back in those days we thought we could change the world.

There is a big age gap between my sisters Janice and Irma and myself so I didn't know them that well when I was younger although they have been very supportive in later life.

We want to go more mainstream but stick to what we do, ... Every place we go, the people are receptive with the style of music we're doing. And even if we go into a club setting, we're still singing about God. We want to be the people that change the trends of what's acceptable and what's not. We believe it's in our music, really. And I think it's the music that's touched everyone when they deal with us.

We're definitely pushing for everyone to do the band full-time, ... But right now, we're just trying to set everything in order, and I'm trying to do it so we have a big record out and have the bookings and the following to support us.

It will be the first time I've played live with a double bass.

I think I'll continue to work as a solo artist.

They have decided to tour under the name of Ten Years After which I don't think is very cool. To be honest, they have had to do that as it's the only way they can get any work.

We also did something called the Texas Peace Festival, which was actually a better gig both musically, and in the way it was organised.

It was by listening to Goodman's band, that I began to notice the guitarist Charlie Christian, who was one of the first musicians to play solos in a big band set-up.

I think a lot of modern day guitarists start off playing like Eddie van Halen, and they don't take the time to learn the basics.

I just couldn't take school seriously: I had this guitar neck with four frets which I kept hidden under the desk. It had strings on it so I would practice my chord shapes under the desk and that's about all I did at school.

So if you see Ten Years After, it's not me anymore. I'm very happy with what I am doing now.

I just play to the people I can see. So it's almost like you are playing to the first few rows of the crowd. You can see the faces of the first hundred people, but then it becomes a blur as the crowds disappear over the hill.

We started playing ice hockey arenas and baseball stadiums which was not as good as the underground circuit. I didn't enjoy it as much.

The chances of a reunion now are less likely. I was thinking of having a 40th anniversary of the band, but now they are really another band, so it's all a bit weird.

Strangely enough, through all those school years I decided at 13 or 14 I was going to be a musician and so school was just something to get out of the way, a waste of time and not to bother with it.

I started off playing the clarinet, after I was inspired by listening to my dad's Benny Goodman records.

I went to see John Mayall at the Marquee, with Peter Green on guitar, and that was a particularly good gig.

I lost a big part of me. That's what inspired me to take our music outside.